Saints and Assassins (The Sentinels) Read Free

mind about marrying me yet?” Phil asked sarcastically. He teased her frequently with this question since he was thirty years her senior and married .
    “Now what will Caryn say about that? I think she’d be a little upset if her husband of how many years up and left?” Eve chuckled as Phil faked a grimace when his wife’s name was mentioned. They ha d been married for thirty years and couldn’t have been happier.
    Eve leaned close to the counter so no one would hear her. “I think she’d kick both our asses. You behave now!”  That’s how their conversations usually ended as Eve walked away.
    “Be safe!” he called after her.  Raising her left arm she waved back at him. Eve laughed at the idea of someone pursuing her, with all of the mental baggage that she currently carried. Good luck with that!
    Eve n i n the vast and diverse city of Chicago Eve had never felt in danger .   There are certain places that you just don’t go and you can avoid most opportunities for trouble . Besides she had always been physically fit, working out three or four times a week at the gym. She knew she could outrun most trouble if it had presented itself. Eve had also taken self- def ense classes after Michael died strictly out of boredom. The aggressive form of exercise had let her mind release some of the pent up energy she had.
    Pausing for just a moment , she sipped her coffee trying to decide whether to turn left or right.  Her instinct today said left. So left it was on this calm, warm March morning.  Warm meant that it was actually supposed to reach forty degrees out instead of the usual thirty-two . She wore a long sleeve thermal shirt, jeans and brown leather boots and carried her worn leather jacket with her just in case she needed it.
    As she walked, she passed an Italian restaurant, an antique shop, and an overpriced coffee shop.  Eve rarely could bring herself to spend five dollars on a cup of coffee of any kind.  Even though she had all the money that Michael had left her in her bank accounts, she was admittedly cheap when it came to herself. She didn’t believe that there was any point in wasting money on things that she didn’t need.
    Du ring her time of mourning, Eve secluded herself from the world .  She had no family and Michael’s family was so far away in California she didn’t have anyone prodding her to get up each day and do something. One of her friends from work urged her to seek some sort of therapy, but she found her own form of therapy in the library.  
    The library was part of her personal therapy. She had read close to a hun dred books in the last year covering the gamut of romance and suspens e to thrillers and horror.   They were her escape from her own personal demons.
    She continued her trek toward the Sears Tower just to see if anything would peak her curiosity.  The sidewalks were busy as to be expected . P eople were coming and going into the tall buildings all around.  She spent the morning people watching as she walked. This had become a nother part of her self- prescribed therapy . Eve dealt with her alonene ss by listening to others’ lives unfold. I t made her feel a little better inside when she would remember that she didn’t have some of the problems that they did.
    W ith this exposure, her day-to-day mood remained upbeat most of the time . Occasionally, s he couldn’t help but be sucked into a saddened state when she thought of him, even when she thought of their best moments together.  B ut , each day had become sligh tly easier as time passed.
    As th e morning turned into the afternoon, she grew bored of the melodramas surrounding her and headed for home. Deciding to take a cab, she rode quietly , watching. The ride home was peaceful , no accidents, no one yelling at each other about their driving. She arrived back at the apartment building, paid the cab driver and went inside. 
    The lobby had its usual buzz as she passed over to the elevator and pressed the button