Cade
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
She wasn't shouting. She was screaming.
Before she even reached for the door handle, she started stalking toward me.
Full fucking fury.
The driver, a short, wiry Dominican guy barely pushing five-six, threw his door open and stepped out gripping a heavy Maglite like a club, his face twisted somewhere between terror and bravado.
"Back up! Leave her alone!" His accent was thick, and sharp with adrenaline. He took two aggressive, choppy steps toward me.
That was all I heard from him. Her words were hitting me in the face like daggers.
I held my hands up. I didn't have a clue what to say.
I was only trying to help?
I doubted that would land.
I still didn't know what this was or why, but she needed someone. Anyone. Even if it was Chico, or whatever the fuck his name was.
She was right in my face now. Words blurring together, spit hitting my chin.
I did what any man would do. Wrapped my arms around her and braced for the kick in the nuts.
It didn't come.
She just sobbed against my chest.
And when I looked over her shoulder, the Uber driver was as lost as me.
I raised my eyebrows at him. Didn't want to shrug and have her push back.
But she did, stepping back, taking a deep breath, and wiping her eyes.
She looked at me like I had something to say that could fix whatever the fuck I didn't know needed fixing.
She was wearing a black bandana.
The long blonde hair she'd ridden in with...
Gone.