Lionel comes over and pulls me into his arms. “I’ve got you, kiddo. I promised your father a long time ago that I would take care of you, and that was before you became mine. I’m not about to let some idiot take you from me.”
With a shudder, I throw my arms tightly around him and breathe in the familiar smell of his aftershave. “Thank you. You’re the best.” Drawing back, I look into his dark green eyes, sparking with fierce determination. “Can I sleep here tonight?”
“I’d feel better if you did,” he replies with a look of relief on his face. “I’ll get your apartment wired with cameras and motion sensors tomorrow. I want to know when anyone steps foot near it.”
Relieved, I ask him to go with me to get a few things from my apartment. When we enter, it’s silent. Nothing’s been touched, but I can’t help but shiver at the thought.
* * *
The next day,I follow my usual routine. Class, then the library. As I’m sitting there checking in books, I can feel someone watching me. I look up and scan the room. Trent’s sitting a few tables away, watching me. For a brief second, I can’t help but wonder if he’s the one following me. As I return his stare, Kelcey slides into the chair beside him, capturing his attention.
Feeling stupid, I look away and continue stamping the pile in front of me with the return date. Lost to my thoughts, a polite cough startles me, and I jerk my head up to find Kelcey standing there.
She hands me a piece of paper. “Can you help me find Morgenstern’s textbook on visual nursing?”
“Sure,” I reply, taking the paper from her. When I open it, the book’s title isn’t on the sheet. Instead, it’s a note.They’re watching you.My gut twists when I read the words. ‘They’ implies more than one.Who’s they?I open my mouth to ask her who she’s talking about, but she interrupts me.
“That’s okay,” she says loudly. “I’ll grab a copy from the bookstore. Thanks for your help.”
Pivoting on her heel, she walks over to where Trent is waiting for her to join him. She links her arm in his and tugs him toward the door. He glances from her to me, then leans down and says something to her. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
Surely, she didn’t mean Trent and his buddies. We barely know each other. Still, I can’t dismiss it. Is this some sort of stupid hazing or bullying? I haven’t told him or anyone else about the pictures. So, how does Kelcey know they’re watching?
I fold the paper and put it in my backpack. Once my replacements come in, I move to the table where I usually tutor and wait for the first student to arrive. About mid-way through our session, I get a text from Maggie canceling her appointment. After quickly rescheduling for later this week, I finish up with the current session and make my notes.
Thankful for an early night, I grab my things and make my way outside. The moment my foot hits the stairs, my eyes are drawn to the bush. There’s no rustling, and the night is silent. I don’t feel like someone is watching, but fear makes me run to my car. Nobody follows me.
My relief fades the minute I sit in the driver’s seat and see the photograph tucked into the instrument panel. It’s an image of me taking a picture of the ground behind the bush. Unlike the others, this one has a circle in red ink, and dread fills me.
I was here.
There’s an arrow at the bottom of the image. I flip it over and see a second picture almost identical to the first, but this one is grainier. The view is shifted slightly to the left. Someone is standing at the corner of the library, phone raised and pointed toward me.
But I’m not the only one.
My head jerks up. I immediately lock my door and scan the area around the car. Fear and rage bubble up inside me. Unable to see anyone, I can’t help but hold up my middle finger. Flashing it from one side to the other, I screamFuck You!even knowing my stalker can’t hear me.
I drop my gaze back down to the image in my hand. There’s something odd about it. I grab my phone and shine a light on the image. It takes me a minute to realize what it is. The nails. They look long. Too long. I blink several times and move the phone closer, then back. The tips are definitely pink and white. The image is too grainy to tell much, but those are nails. It’s a girl.
My mind nearly explodes with the information. The shoe print in the bush was definitely big, telling me my stalker was a guy, but this has to be a girl. Kelcey was right.They’re watching.But who? Some of her friends? Is this some kind of stupid hazing thing? Find an unsuspecting student and terrorize them?
All I want is to finish school and get a real job. Help others. Is that too much to ask? There’s so little in this world for me to hold on to. Lionel and my dream of helping others. That’s it. If my stalkers think they can take those from me,theycan fuck off. I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep my little world intact. I lost everything once, but I’ll be damn if I let it happen again.
Furious, I ignore my trembling hands and start the car, then floor it out of the parking lot. When I get home, Lionel’s putting the finishing touches on the new security system. Jaw locked; I hand him the photograph and the paper Kelcey handed to me.
“It appears there are more than one.” I sigh. “They’re most likely students.” I explain Kelcey’s involvement and point out the second image. “Those look like nails to me.”
CHAPTER6
WILLA
Adeep line appears between Lionel’s brows as he stares down at the words on the back of the photo. For a long minute, he says nothing. “I don’t like the fact that there are two independent parties stalking you.” He taps the first image. “This person clearly doesn’t like the fact that someone else is watching.”
He nods his head as if he’s in agreement with whatever he’s thinking. “This is the one that worries me. What is their agenda?” Snapping a pic of the two images, he turns toward me. “An admirer? Maybe. If so, he’s gone out of his way to follow your every move.”
He's silent for a few minutes. Brow furrowed; he taps his fingers on the table next to the image. “My gut is churning, but before I try to find this asshole, I want to check into something. Make sure there’s no chatter about you.”
Confused, I stare at him, trying to figure out what he’s saying. “Chatter? About me? What are you talking about? Isn’t this enough to go to the police?”
