Among the Echoes(10)

I move to the window and very carefully peek through the blinds. He lingers at the door, seemingly uncomfortable. Why is he nervous?

He runs a hand through his short, black hair. "Anyway. Well. Uh…" He stumbles over his words. "Have a good night."

I watch as he walks away. He doesn't look back or try to peek in the window. He just moves into his apartment, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I pace around my living room, trying to work out every possible scenario. If he is one of Wilkes’s men, why is he taking his sweet time making a move? It's possible that he’s just a nice guy, but he's freaking huge. He's easily six foot four, and he must work out all day to keep that body. Even through a sweater, I can tell he's ripped. I just don't get it.

My phone rings from the corner, snapping me out of my quickly approaching panic attack. "Hello."

"I don't know who the hell he is," Dave says across the line, "but I don't think he's a threat."

"He just brought us eggs." I say as if that obviously proves he has malicious intent.

"What?"

"Eggs."

"Why would he bring eggs?"

"I don't know! Do you think they are poisonous?" I ask, and Dave lets out an infuriating laugh. "Don't laugh at me. I'm scared!" I snap across the line, and he immediately goes silent.

"I'm going to send someone. You can argue all you want, but I don't want you alone and scared. This Adam guy seems harmless. The apartment is owned by some man named Jimmy Douglas. His record is squeaky clean. He's a boxing trainer out in L.A. I'm going to assume Adam is one of his fighters, probably down on his luck and needing a place to stay."

"He's really big," I whisper across the line, "so that at least makes more sense."

"I'm sending someone tomorrow. Hang tight. It will look like a date. He'll bring your favorite flowers since we don't have a word right now. And I'm not setting up a new one over the phone."

"Okay." I bite my lip so he can't hear the tears in my voice.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I swear," he vows tenderly.

"I know you won't." I try to smile, but it only forces the tears to spill from my eyes.

"Don't cry," he says softly.

"Stop using your superpowers to read my mind."

"I just know you, Riley. No superpowers needed."

"I'm going to head to bed and read for a little while." I dry my eyes on the backs of my hands as I search the room for a distraction from reality.

"Smutty romance?" he asks as the smile returns to his voice.

"Is there any other kind?"

"Goodnight, Riley."

"Night."





"Adam!" I hear shrieked from the other side of my door.

I fly off the couch and onto my feet. I must have fallen asleep at some point. My head is groggy and my eyes struggle to adjust¸ but the sound of a woman’s scream permeates through the darkness.

"Please. Open the door. Please!" The frantic words send ice through my veins.

I rush to the door, but before it is even completely open, my neighbor squeezes past me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I ask roughly, still unable to truly grasp this sort of shocking wake-up call.

"Someone just broke into my apartment. I..." She fades off as she slides down the wall to the floor. It's only then that I notice the gun shaking in her hand.

"Jesus Christ." I walk over and reach for the gun.

She doesn't immediately release it. Instead, she tilts her head back, looking me directly in the eyes. Holy shit—her eyes. Gone is the plain brown. Now they are so blue that they are almost clear. They're mesmerizing, and it takes the sounds of her crying to snap me out of my trance.

Her lips begin to quiver. "Please tell me you won't hurt me." The combination of her words with the assumption that I would startles and disgusts me.

I squat down in front of her and gently pull the gun away. "I won't hurt you. Ever. You're safe with me." It's the only thing I can offer, and they seem to be the words she needed to hear.

She drops her head into her hands as loud sobs ravage her body. I can only stand and stare. She was odd when I met her earlier, but this is more than that. This is the remnants of a broken woman. Anyone could recognize that, but especially me.