Chapter 27
Naomi slowly pushes the door inward, peering inside as it creaks open. She takes one step, then another, listening for any signs that someone is there.
As she moves, she thinks of the Toyota trailing her back from Maine, then the death threats from fans.
@TianaJadeHH: i hope you fucking die like Colton & Jade you stupid bitch
@DarkDemise: who’s coming to the C*Leb office with me to k-word this clout-chaser?
@JennaT56: wouldn’t it be so sad if Naomi Barnes suddenly ceased to exist?
She swallows hard, wondering if they have really come for her so soon, brazen enough to make good on their threats.
She counts to three and dashes to the kitchen, letting her heels and purse clatter to the floor.
Worried the noise will have startled the intruder—if there is one—she grabs a knife from the drawer and holds it out in front of her, eyes wild, ready to fight.
The sound of blood pumping in her ears drowns out any noise, so she forces herself to focus on her breathing so she can hear. Sweat trickles down her clammy forehead as she tentatively moves through the apartment, knuckles white from clutching the knife.
Another threat flashes through her mind like static. One day you’ll get what’s coming to you, you ugly cunt.
Could one of them have doxed her, released her address online, or figured out where she was staying? She kicks in the bedroom door. Nothing.
Could they be lying in wait right now, planning to attack once she falls asleep? She pulls open the closet door. Nothing.
With only one place left to check, Naomi lunges into the bathroom, throwing the shower curtain to the side.
She lets out the breath she’d been holding and relaxes slightly.
She knows she’s been a bit wrapped up in the case and all over the place lately so she convinces herself that she just must have forgotten to lock the door.
After doing one more sweep of the apartment, Naomi barricades the bedroom door with a chest of drawers. Even with the light on and the knife on the bedside table, she can’t sleep, unable to get her heart and thoughts to stop racing.
Naomi recalls what the model said at the club, convinced now that Colton is even more of a villain than she originally thought.
Like @ThatHazieLawyerLady said, Where there’s smoke, there’s fire…