Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Ryan
I left my apartment around noon and drove to the outskirts of downtown where residential homes turned into apartment buildings.
They were the nicest in the city, and I thought about what it would be like to live in one of them.
I could afford it, but I liked where I was on the outskirts.
I wasn’t quite in the suburbs, but I was away from the hustle of downtown traffic.
Parking my car a few streets away from my destination, I pulled my black hood up over my hair to obscure my face.
As I walked along the tree-covered sidewalk, I kept my gaze trained on the ground, trying not to draw attention.
Once I found the bus stop, I sat on the bench and pulled out my phone, pretending to be entranced by social media.
Keeping my head bowed, I peered up through my lashes and hair that stuck out from my hood.
I took in the apartment building across the street and counted ten floors, paying particular attention to the top level.
I saw a large balcony and noted a set of patio chairs and table with nothing else.
The terrace was large enough for a full dining table or a set of furniture, but the majority of it sat empty.
The other balconies and windows appeared normal. Various items and personal effects littered the spaces unlike the top floor. Flicking my gaze back up to the top, I saw all the curtains were drawn so there was no possibility of seeing the occupants.
Down the street, a few people milled around, but it was fairly quiet as I watched people come and go for half an hour. I was about to go back to my car when a head of onyx hair emerged from the doors across the street.
Raven was clad in a pair of tight black leggings that hugged every curve on her body and a fitted zip hoodie that was almost just as tight as her pants. My breath caught at the sight of her in person. She was even more gorgeous than I thought she would be.
She wasn’t short, but she wasn’t what I would consider tall, either.
Maybe five-eight or nine. My brain glitched as I took in her curves, every line exaggerated by her fitted clothes.
She looked like one of those girls that streamed themselves playing video games, but ten times better.
And older. Carrying confidence from years of success, she was the definition of perfection and seeing her in the flesh had confirmed everything I already knew. Even if it was from far away.
A few steps down the street, she stopped in her tracks, looking in every direction.
My senses went on full alert. She shrank into herself, and I could tell something was bothering her.
I scanned the sidewalks and street, but nothing seemed amiss.
Raven started walking again, and I was on my feet before my brain had comprehended what my body was doing.
When I found Raven’s home address from my virtual snooping, I decided to take shit full throttle and see what her neighborhood was like.
I wasn’t planning to see her, or become an actual stalker, but there I was blending into the shadows the best I could as I walked a few yards behind her on the opposite side of the street.
She stepped into a market a few blocks away, and I slid into a small alley, concealing myself so I didn’t look suspicious.
I looked like a normal guy in jeans and a hoodie, but I didn’t know if she had possibly glimpsed me when she came out of her building.
She seemed on edge already, and I didn’t want to contribute to that.
Leaning against the brick wall, I scrolled my phone, constantly watching out of the corner of my eye. She eventually left the market and once she was far enough away, I slinked from the alley, falling into step behind her again.
When I saw her alarm after she left her apartment, there was no way I wasn’t going to make sure she was safe on her trip.
Suddenly, her pace quickened, and she broke into a run, her bags swinging on her arms. I let her go, only increasing my steps to a brisk walk, but never losing sight of her until she bolted into her building.
As I walked back to my car, I remembered back to Friday night when I first texted her, the comments flooding back .
She thought someone was watching her. Someone other than me might be following her.
I wouldn’t mind causing her a bit of fear, but in a controlled environment. This was something different entirely.
Rage settled over me again. I was the only person who would be fucking with Raven, and if someone else was, I would find out who.
Later that evening, the phone glared back at me, as I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.
Finding out what was going on with Raven was a top priority.
I hadn’t even met the woman yet, but I would walk through burning embers for her.
Maybe something in her past would reveal if she was in danger or if something else was causing her to be on edge.
I scrolled through my contacts and tapped on a number I hadn’t called in years.
I wasn’t sure if he would pick up after so long, and the way we left things.
I paced around my apartment while the line connected. Finally, after I had lost count of the rings, he picked up. “What, Ryan?”
I took a deep breath. “Hello to you, too, Dad,” I gritted through the receiver.
“Why are you calling? Finally get yourself in a bind, and need a way out?”
I laughed, unable to stifle the sound. “As much as you would like that to be the case, no. That’s not why I’m calling. I do need a favor, though.”
His huff flamed the anger rising in my chest. “Don’t worry, it’s a small one. I’m not asking for money, since I’ve made quite enough on my own. I need your PI’s number. Rick is his name, right?”
He scoffed, the sound sending a spear of agitation. “Why? What trouble have you gotten into now?”
I ran my hand through my tousled hair. “That’s none of your concern, now is it? Remember how you don’t associate with me, your heathen son?”
It was his turn to chuckle. “Why the hell would I give you anything? After the embarrassment you’ve been, we’re lucky we still have any prestige at all. It’s a good thing we were able to keep your antics in college from getting out among our contacts.”
I conceded a bit even though Dad was full of it since I was already tired of listening to his bullshit.
What a surprise, the asshole hadn’t changed at all.
I softened my tone, trying to get what I needed so I could be finished with the call.
“Come on, Dad, it's not asking for much. Your guy is the best. I’ll pay for him myself.”
“Fine. Only call me again if you changed your ways and want to be a part of this family. Otherwise, you don’t get to appear out of nowhere when you need something. No matter how insignificant.”
Fat chance of me ever wanting to be part of any family of his.
The double beep sounded in my ear, signaling Dad ended the call.
I stared at the sunlight streaming through the lone window in the living room behind my desk until a few minutes later when a text with the contact came through.
I released a sigh and saved the contact to my phone.
Shit was still the same as it was two years ago when I left without looking back.
Dad was still a cocksucker and Mom was likely right there with him.
In their eyes, I was a failure and the only thing that would change that would be me agreeing to reform myself publicly in their pretentious social circles.
Then I would have to be the perfect gentleman they always hoped for to take over Dad’s business.
That wasn’t happening. Even as a kid I refused to be what they wanted—the ensuing rejection fucking with me my entire life.
I would rather be myself though than be anything I was told to be and I didn’t give a fuck about the company.
I would call the investigator tomorrow. Right now, I needed to work up the courage for the next few steps of my plan for Raven. She had no idea what was about to come her way, and it was going to change everything.
The next morning I was antsy, and I couldn’t focus on work.
Every line I narrated was disconnected and lacked any emotion.
I was wholeheartedly uninterested in the assigned story, with thoughts of long black hair and soft curves in tight athletic clothes at the forefront of my mind, instead. Raven was becoming a problem.
She haunted my thoughts constantly and after a completely wasted morning with exactly zero minutes of my next project done, I decided to say fuck it.
Now that I had seen her in person, even if from a distance, I was a man consumed by lust and need.
So I got in my car to drive downtown hoping for maybe another glance.
As soon as I was behind the wheel grief speared me. Probably because I was already in an anxious headspace, but sometimes cars fucked with me after my uncle. He had been the only person in my family that acted like I was worth a damn, and then he died in a car crash.
Not that he was overly affectionate, but he was with Dad at the house a lot and always came to my room to see what I was up to. He didn’t have kids of his own so as an adult I wondered if he would have had them if he lived. Based on his interactions with me, I liked to think he would have.
Shaking myself from my memories, I backed the car out of the spot and drove toward the few high rises in the city.
Driving by her building a few times before parking the car, I continued my venture on foot.
After a few trips up and down the street, I walked into the lobby of the glass building.
It wasn’t the tallest in the city, but it was tall enough that anyone who paid rent for a space in it was doing well for themselves.