Hard to Fight - Bella Jewel Page 0,29

about how amazing it felt to have his mouth on mine. I can’t imagine it happening again. I’ve worked most of my teenage life as well as long into my twenties for this job, I can’t let something as minor as a crush ruin that.

Raide is a bad man. I can’t forget that.

I arrive home in record time. I find a parking spot down the street and rush up to my front door, grateful to have finally made it. The next two hours are spent eating Chinese food and lounging back in a hot, soapy bath. Then the next two after that are spent talking to Kady on the phone. She’s on board with my drunken-woman-in-distress plan and thinks that this weekend is the time to do it. But I can’t proceed with an ugly black eye.

“I don’t know if I’m up for it this weekend,” I admit. “I’m so tired and it means following him to try and pinpoint his location.”

“Don’t be a slacker,” she cries. “Come on, Gracie.”

“Let’s go out Friday night, just for fun. We’ll think about him Saturday. Please, Kady?”

She sighs. “Okay, fine, you’ve got me. Come here first, and I’ll do your hair and makeup, we’ll hit Jackson’s Bar and order some dinner, then we’ll hit the clubs.”

“Sounds awesome, but I’ll do my own makeup.”

“Hey!” she snaps. “I am very good at hair and makeup.”

“Kady, honey, last time you did my makeup, I got confused for a cross-dresser.”

She giggles. “That was the chunky black boots you wore—you can’t blame me for that.”

Laughing, I lounge back into my sofa and sigh. “I need this break, but after it, I hope I can finally bring him in. I’m not sure how much more of Raide I can take.”

“Is he that intense? Tell me, tell me,” she breathes.

“He’s that intense. Did I tell you he was at my house last night?”

Silence. Then, “Say what?”

“It’s not like that. He knew where I lived and wanted to, ah—” Well, shit, I can’t tell her he wanted to see me again because we kissed. “—to see if I was okay. He saw me with Terry at a bar.” Well done, the perfect lie.

“How did he know where you lived?” she questions.

“He, ah, followed me home.”

“Oh my God, Gracie, that’s dangerous.”

I snort. “It is not. He’ll go to jail when I catch him.”

“Yeah, he will, but then he’ll get out of jail—”

“You’re thinking too much about it, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. Maybe he’s a psycho killer and he’ll want revenge.”

“He’s not a killer,” I scoff.

“Isn’t that what he’s being charged with?”

I sigh and drop my head back. “Kady, can we talk about something else?”

I can nearly see the look on her face. Disgust. Horror. Disappointment. Whatever, she’s not the one doing the job. I am.

“Fine, but when they find your chopped-up corpse, don’t blame me.”

I laugh softly. “I can hardly blame you if I’m a chopped-up corpse.”

“Not funny.”

I bite back another laugh. “I’m going to bed, call me tomorrow.”

“I will, keep your windows locked.”

Rolling my eyes I hang up.

But deep down, I wonder if she’s right. How much danger am I in?

Chapter Twelve

I’m buzzed and desperately trying to find a quiet spot where I can make a call and track Kady down. It’s Friday night, and we’ve been out for three hours, hoping Raide would show at one of his favorite local clubs. No such luck. After giving up hope of finding him tonight, I nursed two martinis while Kady got her groove on on the dance floor. But it’s been an exhausting week, and like the granny I am, I have decided it’s time for home and bed.

But I can’t leave Kady here alone, so I need to find her first.

I didn’t plan on drinking much tonight since I needed to stay sharp, but the stress of my job lately and my disappointment at not finding Raide called for it. I manage to find a quiet spot and press my body against a brick wall and start scrolling through my phone to find Kady’s number.

“Well, hello there.”

I lift my head to see a young man standing, smoke hanging from his lips. He looks pervy, and quite frankly, I’ve had enough of them tonight. “Go away,” I mutter, focusing back on the phone.

“That ain’t no way to talk to a man,” he says, stepping closer. “I was just sayin’ hello.”

I shoot him an angry glare and push off the wall. “I’m not interested, perv. Now, move.”

I try to step past him but