Wednesday morning, the second day after being attacked, Kaylee stared at the sling in her front seat. She was late, but she doubted anyone was expecting her. A message from Mike yesterday morning on her voicemail told her to come back in a few days, so she had time to heal and rest.
It was the least he could do after abandoning her, she recalled darkly.
What Mike didn’t know: the wound disappeared Tuesday morning, which was why she hadn’t picked up her phone. She’d been staring at herself in the mirror, unable to believe the small scars were all that was left.
Would anyone know better if she didn’t wear her sling? Would they suspect her of being … weird?
Kaylee sighed. Shadowman had clung to her since the incident on Monday at the mental health center, like a hot blanket she couldn’t kick off. She drummed her hands on the steering wheel for a moment then decided not to wear the sling. By now, everyone knew she’d been stabbed, but they wouldn’t know how bad it was. She’d shrug it off and throw herself into her work.
She got out of her car and went into the building managed by Mike’s law firm. The receptionist smiled, waving her over. Assuming she wanted to chat about the nightmare Monday, Kaylee prepped a canned response and approached.
“Mike’s late today. Tanya dropped this off for him.” The receptionist handed Kaylee a folder. “She wants one of you to call her as soon as you can.”
“Thanks, Linda.” Kaylee took it and left swiftly, before she was asked about her wound. She made her way down the hallway to her office, a small closet adjacent to Mike’s, and tossed the file on her desk.
Looking around, she frowned. Walking into the building made her whole world feel heavy and depressing. Why was she in this line of work again?
Because my father wanted me to follow in his footsteps. It was the stupidest reasoning in the world, and yet, she still did it. She was afraid of disappointing him and even more afraid to push back and tell him no. Everyone on the entire planet respected and admired her father, and she felt the weight of the world’s expectations alongside his on her back.
She pulled off her jacket and picked up the phone to call Tanya, the firm’s public relations specialist.
“Tanya West.”
“Hi Tanya, this is Kaylee. I hear you’re looking for me or Mike?”
“Kaylee! Does he have you working after everything that happened?”
Kaylee sat down, recalling why calling Tanya first thing in the morning was never a good thing. The woman was a drama queen.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Kaylee said.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yep. Good as new.”
“Hmm. Mike made it sound liked you were on life support or something.”
“Nowhere near that bad,” Kaylee assured her. “How can I help you?”
“Two things. I drafted a press release about your incident. If you want to review it this morning, I can publish it this afternoon,” Tanya replied. “The second is more information I found from my media sources about the case Mike’s been working on. Most of this won’t be released, and it was hard to get this much. If he has any questions, I can try to get more answers, but it won’t be easy.”
Kaylee glanced at the file. “I’ll let him know.”
“Where do you want your story placed?”
“Nowhere.”
“Mike’s orders.” Tanya laughed. “I assume he’ll find a way to make it into the news with a statement about the event.”
Kaylee tapped her fist against her forehead, frustrated. Mike was good at using people and incidents to build his reputation. She had done her best to lay low since meeting him, not wanting to give him an excuse to use her, too.
“Bury it as far back as you can in the print edition,” she said. “Really. It wasn’t bad. Just bizarre.”
“It’s a great story!”
“Yeah. Let me get the review done so you can run it,” Kaylee said, hoping to encourage Tanya to leave her alone this morning.
“I’ll be here!”
Kaylee hung up. She eyed the folder and grudgingly opened it. The press release was clipped to one side, but it was the image on the top of a pile of articles that caught her attention.
The girl that stabbed her.
Patient Abducted From Rosewood Center.
Kaylee sat up, surprised. She read the article quickly, stunned to realize that Amira disappeared Monday night. No mention of Kaylee’s incident Monday afternoon was in the short article. She flipped to the second.
… Amira Santiago, age nineteen. Known as patient forty one, she was admitted …
Forty one. Kaylee sat back.
Shit. The strange encounter in the elevator happened. Her memory was hazy enough for her to convince herself it was a dream when Evan woke her on the couch.
Heart fluttering, Kaylee realized she had been there when the girl was abducted. Not only that, but she’d had a run in with one of the abductors! He’d been tall and muscular though not in a bulky way. His hands had been so hot, his ultra-low voice soft like velvet.
Monday was going down in her book as the strangest night of her life! She knew Mike was going to interview Dr. Rosewood about Amira, who had witnessed a homicide in a court case where Mike was hired as a defense attorney. He’d been going to try to discredit the witness who was living in a mental health facility.
What were the chances that the witness was kidnapped after Mike talked to Dr. Rosewood?
Kaylee rose and opened the door that separated her office from Mike’s. When he was there, the door was open so she’d be sure to hear him order her around. She went to his desk. It was spotless and contained only his laptop. Disappointed, she checked her phone, where she kept his calendar.
He was slated for a meeting this morning at the courthouse.
“Let me guess. You went straight there and left me trying to juggle your morning appointments,” she muttered. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
She looked down at where he normally placed his briefcase and started forward. He had come in first and left it. It wasn’t like him, unless the meeting this morning was off the record.
There was a knock at the door.
Her gaze flew up. The receptionist opened the door to reveal her and a man.
“Mr. Smith has an appointment with Mr. Harrison. I buzzed your office,” Linda said. “I can’t find the appointment in his book.” By her pleading look, she was silently asking for help.
“He’s at the courthouse this morning,” Kaylee replied. “I’ve got half an hour.”
Thank you! Linda mouthed. Between the two of them, they covered for Mike several times a week.
“Mike’s not in?”
The man in the doorway caught her attention in a way that left her almost addled. Kaylee gazed at him, aware he spoke without registering his words.
No more than a few years older than she was, he was lean and attractive. A quick assessment of his clothing – steel grey slacks, sapphire cashmere sweater and expensive, Italian shoes – was enough to confirm he was the kind of man Mike would humor. His features were defined, his short-cropped, dark hair framing a face that appeared to have been cut from stone. Thick, low eyebrows gave him a brooding – almost sinister – look. He smelled of cigar smoke, a scent both masculine and sweet.
There was amusement in his dark eyes, and the smile he flashed was brilliant and wide. His gaze was unusually sharp.
“Uh, no.” She recovered enough to respond. “He was called in for a meeting unexpectedly. I was late this morning. I haven’t had a chance to call his morning appointments to reschedule.”
For a long moment, the man gazed at her. He was hard to read, but she sensed he wasn’t buying her story.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I don’t believe so,” he replied. “I left my card with the receptionist. If you could let him know Nathan Smith was here to see him, I’d appreciate it.”
“Sure,” she replied, disappointed the compelling man was so quick to leave. There was something familiar about him. Or maybe, it was the warm, comforting scent of cigar smoke tickling her nose. “Do you want to make an appointment for later?”
“No.”
With a lingering look, Nathan Smith left. Kaylee stared after him. The short exchange left her feeling like a teenager whose secret crush had just said hello to her.
She shook her head. Her experiences with men were about as pleasant as a trip to a mental health facility. Whatever it was that made her feel giddy and warm about Nathan Smith, it wasn’t a good sign.
Or maybe it was the prescription drugs Evan gave her. They knocked her on her ass whenever she took them.
Kaylee grabbed his briefcase and returned to her office. She paused. The Shadowman’s stifling presence was gone.
She sighed deeply and leaned against her desk, relieved.
Thoughts of Shadowman and Nathan Smith soon disappeared. She opened Mike’s briefcase and pulled out his notebook. He was meticulous about his notes, which should give her insight into what he talked about with Dr. Rosewood Thursday.
The first note Mike wrote had a box drawn around it.
Have Kaylee pick up medical records from Dr. Rosewood.
“That’s not happening,” she muttered. “I’m never going back there.”
She glanced at her phone. Evan had been messaging her all day yesterday to make sure she was okay. Even his father sent his well wishes, and she smiled. Being around them had put some of her anxiety at rest. If she didn’t totally regret her trip there, then it was a testament to how good the father-son team was at trying to help people.
Still, if Mike insisted, she’d ask Evan to bring up the records when he went clubbing this week.
Kaylee sat down and began reading all the notes Mike and Tanya found about Amira Santiago, who had allegedly seen Mike’s client murder someone.
Having trouble focusing because of the meds, Kaylee sifted through her notes on the case to find the name of Mike’s client.
“Zyra Canos. Owns a club called … 3G in Maryland,” she murmured. She’d never met Mike’s client, but the club had to be successful, if the woman could afford Mike’s fees. Along with Zyra’s contact information, Mike had written extensive notes in the notebook in his briefcase.
From his scribbles, he was dismissive of the only witness in the homicide. He had outlined a plan to request her testimony be disallowed. If that failed, he had an aggressive strategy to disqualify the most condemning parts of her statement on the basis of her doctor’s claims that she often hallucinated.
Which meant she really wasn’t going to be a threat. The newspaper clippings about Amira’s disappearance pointed to Mike’s client, Zyra, as the likely culprit but was quick to point out she also had an alibi.
Not that it was Kaylee’s business to find the only witness who had a sliver of a chance to put Mike’s client in jail. The police were probably handling that, and Mike was probably thrilled to know his job defending Zyra just got easier.
What was bothering her about all this? Kaylee sat back and sighed. She was so drowsy from the meds that she couldn’t think straight. She tried to tell herself the only reason she cared about the girl who stabbed her was because she was there that night when she disappeared.
But there was something else nagging her instincts.
She rested her head on the desk, meaning to close her eyes for a few seconds with the hope of refreshing her brain with a break.
Some time later, her phone rang, jarring her awake. It was Linda. Kaylee fumbled around then clicked the speaker button.
“Kaylee,” she said.
“Hey, Kaylee. Mike’s twelve o’clock is here.”
“Okay, let me …” Kaylee glanced up to Mike’s office. “You know, he’s not back yet. Let me check the calendar. I’ll call you in a minute.”
Hanging up, she grabbed her smart phone and pulled up his calendar.
Thus far, Mike had missed two appointments, not including the one Nathan claimed to have.
She dialed his cell phone. A familiar ringtone came from his office. Kaylee let it ring and followed the sound from her office into his. She opened the top drawer of his desk to find both his work and cell phones there.
“Mike,” she muttered. “If you were ditching work, you could’ve told me.” She clicked her phone off and reached over to dial the receptionist. “Linda, can you do me a favor and reschedule? I don’t know where Mike is. I’ll call the rest of his clients he has on his schedule for today.”
“Alrighty,” Linda replied.
Kaylee went back to her office, gaze falling to the files. She checked Mike’s schedule and called everyone else booked for the day to reschedule them then sat back down.
She had too much else to do to sit and stare at the file containing information about Amira and Zyra. Reluctantly, Kaylee set the file aside and moved onto her next assignment.
Caught up in a cycle of working and dozing off, she didn’t realize how quickly the day passed, until Linda buzzed her around five.
“Kaylee.”
“Did Mike tell you if he’s free this evening?”
“No.”
“Nathan Smith came back. He said he’ll be at the Gavel at six, if Mike can meet him there.”
“Did he say what this is about?” Kaylee asked, irked. “Cuz he’s not on any schedule Mike has. There’s no files or messages anywhere about him.”
“He’s good at not answering questions,” Linda said. “He’s not from around here. Maybe he’s trying to recruit Mike.”
“Ah. That makes sense. Mike’s had a few headhunters from New York sniffing around the past six months,” Kaylee said. “God, I hope he leaves.”
“You and me both. He doesn’t treat admin professionals much better than juniors.”
“This place would definitely be better off without him,” Kaylee agreed. Her thoughts went to Nathan. “I’m almost done. I’ll drop by the Gavel and see if I can figure this guy out.”
“Tell him Mike is the best attorney on the planet and he must hire him.”
Kaylee laughed. “Okay. Will do.”
“I’m headed out. See you tomorrow, Kaylee.”
“Night, Linda.”
Kaylee rose with a grimace. She was healed but stiff. She straightened up her desk and replaced Mike’s briefcase, so he wasn’t pissed at her first thing in the morning when he came in.
She grabbed her purse and notepad where she’d tried to jot down notes about Amira and her sudden disappearance.
The idea she somehow managed to escape with her life twice in one night made her stop dead in the middle of the sidewalk leading to the Gavel.
He could’ve killed her in the elevator.
She started to hyperventilate, recalling how strong the man who grabbed her had been.
She’d passed out. Was there more? Had she been too drugged up to recall anything else he might’ve said?
She shook her head. Monday was the worst ever, and today had been decent. Without Mike at the office, she almost caught up with everything and had some notes for him about Amira. Hidden in her office, she doubted anyone but Linda knew she was there. No one had sought her out to try to talk to her about what happened.
Stuck between remembering her attack and the sighting of Shadowman, her hands were clammy by the time she reached the Gavel. Attorneys and paralegals had begun to fill the popular, after work hangout spot. Kaylee went to the bar and sat down. She glanced at her watch. She was fifteen minutes early.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.
“Vodka cranberry,” she replied. “Thanks.”
He moved away.
Tugging her notepad free, Kaylee glanced around the bar to see if the mysterious Nathan Smith had arrived yet. He hadn’t, and she focused on her notepad.
Why was Amira abducted? She’d drawn a circle around the question while in her office, unable to figure out who would want the girl to disappear, since she wasn’t a solid enough witness to put Mike’s client in jail. The girl was beautiful with a touch of caramel in her skin marking her Brazilian heritage and dark blue eyes. She’s shimmered with the innocence of a small child.
Until she stabbed me.
Maybe that’s what bothered her most. Amira had been upset about hurting her.
Unable to sort through why Monday went awry, Kaylee glanced at her phone, growing more perplexed trying to figure out what Mike was doing. True, he would never tell a lowly junior his plans. But he should’ve at least asked her to reschedule all his meetings. He loved bossing her around and stressing her out with sudden changes in his day or schedule.
“If you’re here, I assume Mike isn’t coming.”
She looked up, enthralled by Nathan’s stunning features and piercing gaze up close. He sat in the chair beside her. As before, it took her a moment to respond. What was it about him that made her feel self-conscious? Just that he was damned good looking, like someone who should be in a movie about ancient Greek gladiators?
Or the scary-intense way he regarded her? He was almost dangerous in close proximity, his low brow and dark eyes making her think of a serial killer she saw in a movie.
She definitely had to stop watching scary movies.
“No, he’s not,” she replied.
“Seven dollars even,” the bartender said, placing her drink down. “What can I get you?” he asked Nathan.
“Put hers on my tab,” Nathan replied, handing the bartender a credit card before she could object. “Double shot of whiskey on the rocks.”
“You got it.” The bartender swept his card away.
“I can get my own,” Kaylee said, reaching for her purse.
“On me,” Nathan replied.
“I have to insist. It’s Mike’s policy. Clients don’t buy us drinks,” she said firmly.
“I’m not a client.”
Kaylee met his gaze, waiting.
“I’m a classmate,” Nathan said.
“None of his classmates would buy a new member to the firm a drink.”
Nathan almost smiled. “All right, Kaylee. I’m a friend.”
“Mike has no friends. He’s intolerable.” Her eyes narrowed. “You want to try again?”
“I see why he hired you. You’ll make a great lawyer.” Nathan said, the corner of his mouth lifting. He held her gaze. “Maybe I’m considering becoming a client.”
“Or maybe you want something from him.”
“Smart girl.” He touched her chin, amusement in his face.
She had the sudden urge not to drink around him. He wasn’t the headhunter she expected. She’d dealt with them before. They never hid their intentions one-on-one.
This man didn’t want her to know who he was or why he needed to see Mike. It made her uneasy.
“Where is Mike?” he asked too casually.
“That’s none of your business. You’ve failed to convince me you have any sort of relationship with him,” she replied. “I think I should go.”
Kaylee rose and fumbled with her notepad, angry and nervous around the handsome stranger.
Nathan caught her arm. His hand was unusually hot, warm enough to pierce the thick material of her suit jacket. She froze, recognizing the sensation.
“One drink,” Nathan said.
Kaylee looked up at him uncertainly, intrigued by the enigmatic man but unsettled by his intensity as well.
“Sit your ass down,” he added, winking. “I know you’re curious.”
She hesitated then sat, instinctively pushing her chair away from his.
Nathan was watching her. “I feel like we know each other,” he started.
“We don’t,” she said pertly. “I have a feeling you don’t know Mike either.”
“You’re pretty protective of your boss. He must be a good guy.”
Kaylee bit her tongue to keep from responding. She looked away, temper flaring. Nathan couldn’t know he’d just given her a verbal slap, a reminder she was always covering for a man she considered to be the lowliest scumbag on the planet.
“So he’s the opposite,” Nathan said, chuckling.
“Mr. Harrison is a renowned defense attorney who has never lost a case,” she replied.
“But how is he as a person?”
“Why?” She eyed him, unable to determine what this man wanted.
Nathan didn’t answer. He reached forward to grab the leg of her chair and pulled her closer, until her knee rested at the edge of his chair and his at the edge of hers.
Kaylee’s face grew hot at the intimate proximity to a stranger. His body heat was as intense as his look. If she let her left leg relax, it would be resting against his thigh.
She found herself interested by the idea of experiencing his heated strength in more ways than one.
“Thanks.” His attention shifted to the bartender. He lifted his drink. “Cheers.”
She lifted her glass and took a sip then set it down. Whatever Nathan was doing, she wasn’t about to get shit-faced so he could exploit her for information. It was hard enough for her to focus with him so close. She dealt with men all the time and never felt as affected as she did now.
Nathan swallowed half his drink in one gulp.
They gazed at each other.
“Don’t look so worried,” Nathan said. He rested a large hand on her thigh and squeezed. “My intentions are relatively decent.”
“That’s encouraging,” she retorted. She swiped his hand off her thigh.
“You were telling me how Mike is as a person,” Nathan prompted.
“No, I wasn’t. I was finishing my drink to leave.” Kaylee tossed the rest of her drink back.
She stood, off-balance with the lack of space between them. Nathan rested his hands on her hips to steady her, their faces inches a part.
Kaylee’s breath caught from the combination of his hot touch and direct gaze. Her stomach was fluttering, and warmth raced through her. She hadn’t noticed a man this way in years.
Strong, steady, calm and intense, Nathan had already called her on it when she lied. There was no doubt he’d notice the fact she was attracted to him.
She was surprised to find his intensity a turn on. She couldn’t stand the way Mike watched her, waiting like a predator to pounce on any mistake she made so he could rub her nose it in.
Nathan’s attention was different. He wasn’t trying to catch her mistakes. He was looking at her, as if he really wanted to know her from the inside out.
She’d given up on finding a man interested in the woman behind the business suit. Her father valued appearances more than substance, pushing his daughter to follow him into law and getting her the internship with Mike. The men she dated – at least, those her socialite mother set her up with – were more attracted to the idea of meeting her father than being with her.
“Goodbye, Nathan,” she said.
Kaylee grabbed her purse and walked away. She made her way through the bar, unable to think clearly until she reached the chilled fall evening air outside. She breathed deeply, rattled by the sexy Nathan. After a moment, she started down the block towards the parking lot where her car awaited her.
She walked quickly, anxious to be home. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t register the sound of anyone following.
Kaylee unlocked her car door and tossed her purse in the backseat.
“Kaylee, wait.”
She turned to face Nathan. He hung back a few feet, dark eyes on her.
“You’re following me?” she asked.
“It’s important I talk to - ”
“If you want to see Mike, you can make an appointment like everyone else,” she told him. She turned and opened the door.
Nathan reached around her and pushed it closed.
Kaylee tensed, suddenly reminded of another scary movie she’d watched.
“Back off, Nathan,” she said, facing him. Any further words caught in her throat.
His body was inches away, his height and heat rendering her breathless. The fact he followed her to her car, however, unsettled her.
“Better?” He held up his hands and took a step back.
“What exactly do you want?” she demanded.
“To talk.”
“We talked. I’m done.”
“Look, Kaylee, it’s potentially a matter of life and death. What if I said it could be your life in danger?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No, Kaylee.” Nathan rested his hands on her arms. “I’m –”
“Don’t,” she warned. Alarm bells were going off in her mind.
He dropped his hands without stepping away. “There’s someone who goes by the name of Shadowman. He’s an associate of Mike’s.”
Shadowman. Kaylee didn’t move, didn’t speak. She was barely able to breathe. How did this stranger know about a creature from her dreams?
“I need to know Mike’s involvement with him,” Nathan continued at her silence.
“I don’t know anything about Shadowman,” she managed.
“Mike probably didn’t tell you. Kaylee, I need to know where Mike is.” Nathan touched her again.
Kaylee sidled away. Uneasiness turned into fear. She’d hallucinated the other night when she saw Shadowman at the mental health center. Was Nathan nothing more than a dream?
“Call Linda to make an appointment,” she whispered. “I’m not talking to you anymore.”
She turned to leave, wanting to escape Nathan.
“Kaylee, please.” Nathan’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry if I’m scaring you. It’s important. We need to talk.”
“Stop, Nathan.”
“Everything okay, ma’am?” an unfamiliar voice called.
She faced the pair of uniformed police officers climbing out of their cruiser at the end of the row of cars.
At least I know he’s not a hallucination.
“We’re good,” Nathan replied.
She glanced at him. He was moving away.
Kaylee couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way, outside of when she awoke from a nightmare. He shouldn’t know about the Shadowman. He was after Mike. She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling he was going to show up tomorrow morning at her office again, if he didn’t find Mike tonight.
Which he wouldn’t. If she couldn’t locate the attorney, no one could.
“You sure, ma’am?” The police officers were drawing near.
“He followed me to my car and wouldn’t let me leave,” she replied.
“Kaylee …” Nathan sighed. “I’m leaving.”
“You want us to make sure he does?” the officer still addressed her.
She hesitated then nodded.
“Sir, please come with us.” One reached for his weapon while the other approached.
Kaylee braced herself, uncertain how the determined Nathan would react. He raised his hands and moved forward voluntarily, stopping in front of her.
“All right. I’m coming,” Nathan said to the police.
He glanced at Kaylee. She was surprised to see his apologetic smile was genuine.
“Sorry for scaring you, Kaylee. If Mike wants to know about Shadowman, you know where to find me.” He winked, not intimidated by the idea of going to jail.
He acts like he owns the world.
Kaylee watched him walk down the aisle with the cops. By the time they reached the cruiser, they were laughing at a joke he made and let him get into the back on his own.
Had she ever met someone as confident, handsome or enigmatic as this man? How did he seem able to charm anyone but her?
She didn’t move for a long moment then roused herself and got into her car.
Nathan knew about Shadowman. The way he was talking, so did Mike. How was Shadowman tied to Mike?
Where was Mike?
If Mike wants to know about Shadowman, you know where to find me.
“This is crazy,” she muttered. Kaylee put her car in gear and drove home to her apartment.
Shadowman was waiting for her. His oppressive presence greeted her when she got out of her car. She paused, chewing her lip, and leaned against it. She knew where the police had taken Nathan, to the station closest to her work. She had made many, many trips there to interview police and accused alike.
If she decided to talk to Nathan, she knew where to find him. In the meantime, she was going to hunt down Mike. She hadn’t wanted to call his family. The one time she’d done it, he flipped out, probably because she called his wife by his mistress’s name.
Kaylee looked around her cozy living area then tossed her purse and jacked on the couch.
“Are you here?” she whispered.
No one answered. Nothing blocked her balcony, and no faceless man appeared.
She locked her door and crossed to her bedroom. Her apartment was too warm, the side effect of being stalked by a man that didn’t exist.
Kaylee flipped off her heels, grabbed her phone and began dialing.
“Hi, Mrs. Harrison?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“This is Kaylee, Mike’s assistant. I need to talk to him about something important. A case,” Kaylee lied smoothly.
Mrs. Harrison sniffled. “I’m afraid he’s left me.”
“Oh.” Shit. Like I didn’t see that coming. “I’m so sorry. This is terrible timing on my part, but do you know how to get a hold of him?”
“He’s not answering his cell. Maybe his fucking girlfriend knows.” Mike’s wife hung up.
Kaylee shook her head. Mike’s an idiot. She scrolled through her contacts to Mike’s mistress and dialed.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Ms. Ingram. This is Kaylee, Mike’s assistant. I’m trying to reach him to discuss an important issue.”
“I’m glad you called. He called Monday evening to say he was on his way over and didn’t show. I assumed he went back to his wife.”
“Thanks,” Kaylee said. “I’ll let you know if I hear from him.”
“Always a pleasure hearing from you, Kaylee.”
Kaylee hung up.
First Amira disappeared then Mike. Kaylee tossed her phone on the couch, not understanding the connection. It made no sense that Mike’s client would do either. Mike was the best defense attorney in the DC area, and Amira’s testimony – even if allowed – wasn’t enough to put anyone in jail.
Shadowman.
You’re keeping him here. What had Amira meant? Keeping who here?
Kaylee shook her head. She’d take a shower then call one of the other partners to see if they sent Mike away for some sort of high level case. It was possible he had left town on an important business trip.
Without his briefcase, notepad and phones.
The dread at the base of her belly made her think that something bad happened to him.
She continued making phone calls and finally gave up, not sure who else to try.
An hour later, Kaylee sat on the couch in pajamas, ignoring the television. Her cell phone was in her hand, in case either of Mike’s partners returned the messages she left.
Shadowman moved to block the balcony.
Kaylee sat up straight. A shadow like a black curtain was being drawn across her balcony windows. It moved to her living room windows as well.
She went to the patio doors and twisted the doorknob. It didn’t budge. Kaylee watched the shadow spread across the living room windows, headed towards the front door.
Inexplicable panic shot through her. She darted to the front door and unlocked it, then yanked.
The door stuck. Kaylee pulled again, rechecked the locks and tugged.
It didn’t move.
The shadow crept beneath her doorway, pooling like water at her feet. She stepped back.
“What are you doing, Shadowman?” she asked, struggling to keep her tone steady. “Why are you locking me in?”
No one answered. Kaylee took a deep breath. She checked all the windows in the apartment. They were all blacked out. She sat back down on the couch and reached for her phone.
It was dead.
Kaylee clutched it to her chest.
You know where to find me.