stared down at her knife that rested on the kitchen table in her flat. She thought she had stabbed the stranger in the alley, but he hadnât so much as flinched.
Was her aim that bad? If so, she was going to have to practice more. In that close proximity, she shouldâve hit her mark.
In truth, she had no desire to get close to the red-eyed men, but she didnât have a choice. A knife was easier to buy, hide, and use than a gun.
She was still shaken by her near run-in with Red Eyes. Thatâs what she had started calling them. If the stranger hadnât gotten to her, the odds were that she would be as dead as Christina.
Lexi shuddered to think of it. She feared dying like anyone else, but it was the thought of failing her friend that was the real kicker.
She rose and poured herself a glass of wine. Lexi didnât bother turning on the TV or the radio. She sat on the couch and stared out the window.
When they first arrived, she had sat in that very spot looking out over the city. It was Christina who had found the flat. Christina had a knack for discovering such places that were always perfect.
If only Lexi had stopped her from leaving the pub the night she died. Lexi had stupidly thought it was her imagination or a trick of the lights when she saw the guyâs eyes change from blue to red.
But a nagging feeling of something dreadful had Lexi running from the pub to find Christina. In the ten minutes it took Lexi to go after her, and another forty-five looking for her, Christina was murdered.
It was by happenstance that Lexi paused on the street, wondering which way to go to look for her friend, when she glanced over her shoulder.
Thatâs when she saw him. The man Christina had left the pub with walked from an alley with three other men. In the streetlight, she saw that two had black hair while one had blond and another red.
Then, in the blink of an eye, all four had black hair liberally streaked with silver.
She gasped. Lexi remembered that clearly. The shock of it had surprised her so profoundly that she hadnât had time to realize she made any sound until it was too late.
The man who had lured Christina turned his gaze directly at her as he stood beneath a streetlamp. There was no mistaking his red eyes.
Lexi was thankful she had been in shadows and near a parked car so that she could duck behind it. She waited until the four men were gone, then she ran to the alley.
She squeezed her eyes closed as she recalled finding Christina. The memory was one she wished she could wipe away.
Lexi took a long drink of her wine and felt it burn down her throat to her stomach. For the first time in her life she understood why some people could become alcoholics.
She hadnât been able to sleep for more than twenty minutes at a time since finding Christina. Jessica and Crystal had checked in on her often, but Lexi was never asleep. She lay in the dark, the flash of red eyes haunting her.
With her wine finished, she rose and poured some more. Then opted to bring the bottle with her to the couch. She held the bottle in one hand and her glass in the other.
Her eyes felt as if the entire Mojave Desert had been poured into them. No matter how much she blinked, they stung. Yet every time she closed her eyes, she saw Christina.
Lexi finished off the bottle of wine. It wasnât until she was up and opening another that she realized what she was doing. She released the wine bottle as if it were acid and took two quick steps back.
âWhat am I doing?â she asked herself.
She pivoted and walked to the bedroom. There she stripped down to her panties before she tugged on her nightshirt and crawled into bed.
Maybe that night she would be able to sleep.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
âWeâre being followed.â
Gorul slanted Vaurin a threatening look. The stupid Dark Fae could never keep his mouth shut. Gorulâs smile was tight as he turned to put his back to the bar and wrapped
Was her aim that bad? If so, she was going to have to practice more. In that close proximity, she shouldâve hit her mark.
In truth, she had no desire to get close to the red-eyed men, but she didnât have a choice. A knife was easier to buy, hide, and use than a gun.
She was still shaken by her near run-in with Red Eyes. Thatâs what she had started calling them. If the stranger hadnât gotten to her, the odds were that she would be as dead as Christina.
Lexi shuddered to think of it. She feared dying like anyone else, but it was the thought of failing her friend that was the real kicker.
She rose and poured herself a glass of wine. Lexi didnât bother turning on the TV or the radio. She sat on the couch and stared out the window.
When they first arrived, she had sat in that very spot looking out over the city. It was Christina who had found the flat. Christina had a knack for discovering such places that were always perfect.
If only Lexi had stopped her from leaving the pub the night she died. Lexi had stupidly thought it was her imagination or a trick of the lights when she saw the guyâs eyes change from blue to red.
But a nagging feeling of something dreadful had Lexi running from the pub to find Christina. In the ten minutes it took Lexi to go after her, and another forty-five looking for her, Christina was murdered.
It was by happenstance that Lexi paused on the street, wondering which way to go to look for her friend, when she glanced over her shoulder.
Thatâs when she saw him. The man Christina had left the pub with walked from an alley with three other men. In the streetlight, she saw that two had black hair while one had blond and another red.
Then, in the blink of an eye, all four had black hair liberally streaked with silver.
She gasped. Lexi remembered that clearly. The shock of it had surprised her so profoundly that she hadnât had time to realize she made any sound until it was too late.
The man who had lured Christina turned his gaze directly at her as he stood beneath a streetlamp. There was no mistaking his red eyes.
Lexi was thankful she had been in shadows and near a parked car so that she could duck behind it. She waited until the four men were gone, then she ran to the alley.
She squeezed her eyes closed as she recalled finding Christina. The memory was one she wished she could wipe away.
Lexi took a long drink of her wine and felt it burn down her throat to her stomach. For the first time in her life she understood why some people could become alcoholics.
She hadnât been able to sleep for more than twenty minutes at a time since finding Christina. Jessica and Crystal had checked in on her often, but Lexi was never asleep. She lay in the dark, the flash of red eyes haunting her.
With her wine finished, she rose and poured some more. Then opted to bring the bottle with her to the couch. She held the bottle in one hand and her glass in the other.
Her eyes felt as if the entire Mojave Desert had been poured into them. No matter how much she blinked, they stung. Yet every time she closed her eyes, she saw Christina.
Lexi finished off the bottle of wine. It wasnât until she was up and opening another that she realized what she was doing. She released the wine bottle as if it were acid and took two quick steps back.
âWhat am I doing?â she asked herself.
She pivoted and walked to the bedroom. There she stripped down to her panties before she tugged on her nightshirt and crawled into bed.
Maybe that night she would be able to sleep.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
âWeâre being followed.â
Gorul slanted Vaurin a threatening look. The stupid Dark Fae could never keep his mouth shut. Gorulâs smile was tight as he turned to put his back to the bar and wrapped
Similar Books
Wildalone
Krassi Zourkova
The Perfect Murder
Jack Hitt
The Last Time I Saw You
Eleanor Moran
Trials (Rock Bottom)
Sarah Biermann
What Could Possibly Go Wrong. . .
Jeremy Clarkson
Joe Hill
Wallace Stegner
Balls
Julian Tepper, Julian
The Lost
Caridad Piñeiro
A Bend in the River of Life
Budh Aditya Roy
