that would only make a complicated situation even more so.
“We good?” asked Jason, standing at the door to the apartment, a pair of bags in his hands.
“Almost,” said Lexi, stuffing the few clothes she’d bought over the last few weeks into her bag and preparing to leave.
“We need to go, and we need to go now,” said Jason. “Whatever we can’t bring, we can replace.”
Lexi knew he was right.
“Let’s go, Lex,” said Shana. “Come on.”
Lexi sighed, standing up and taking a look at her room. There were a few decorations here and there, knick-knacks she’d picked up at local shops. They weren’t much, but they were hers. But she didn’t have room in her bag for all of them.
When she was ready, she grabbed her bag and headed down. Shana had come with nothing but the clothes on her back, and Jason only took with him a couple of bags of things.
“OK,” said Jason, clearly ready to go. “Let’s do this.”
Together, they left the apartment. Fear took hold of Lexi the moment she was down on the street, knowing that she was a target of Chad and whoever else he’d brought onto his side.
The short time that Seattle had been relatively safe, a refuge from the world she’d left behind, was over.
A cab awaited them, and Jason quickly opened the door so the three of them could climb inside. Once they were ready, the cab took off.
“This city’s huge,” said Shana. “I can’t believe it’s actually real.”
“It’s an amazing place,” said Lexi.
“I can tell,” said Shana. “I was sad when you left, but I got it. And now that I’m actually here...”
She trailed off, the cab taking them closer and closer to their destination.
Eventually, it pulled up in front of the tower, a gleaming silver building that rose into the cloudy sky.
“Come on,” said Jason. “The faster we get in, the better.”
He grabbed the bags from the trunk and the three of them went into the lobby. The space was huge and sleek and modern, the well-dressed residents of the luxurious apartment coming and going. Jason went to the front desk, and Lexi watched as she gave the clerk his name. Moments later, he had a set of keys, giving one to Lexi and another to Shana.
A private elevator took them all the way up to the penthouse. And Lexi couldn’t believe what she saw when the doors opened.
The place was huge, an enormous, two-storied mansion in the sky. The apartment they’d stayed in before was impressive, but this was on a whole other level. The floor-to-ceiling windows were tall, giving them a view of the city that was like nothing else.
“Holy crap,” said Shana, stepping over to the window, a huge balcony in front of her. “I bet I can see our territory from here.”
She glanced over at Jason, knowing that this apartment had been a dream for him, the home he’d had his eye on ever since he’d come to the city. But it was hardly a celebratory time—they were there to be safe, not for relaxing and enjoying what they’d earned.
“How the hell can you afford this place?” asked Shana. “It’s got to be worth millions.”
“I’m good at my work,” said Jason. His tone was serious, not screwing around. Lexi was surprised to see him like that, but in a strange way, it was comforting. Clearly, he was giving the situation the gravity it deserved.
“All right,” he said, turning around. “We’re not going anywhere for now. Part of the reason I picked this apartment was because it’s like a damn fort. We’re high up, the walls are reinforced glass, and unless Chad’s planning on coming in with an army, he’s not getting through the lobby. There’s a private security team in the building that’s made up of humans who’re all ex-military. For now, we’re safe.”
Lexi looked around. The place was furnished, and the kitchen was even stocked with groceries. She watched as Jason went over, opened the fridge, and took out a trio of beers.
“Please,” said Shana as he handed one over to her.
But when he gave one to Lexi, she reached and stopped short.
Fuck. I can’t drink. How the hell am I supposed to keep this from Jason? Or do I tell him?
“No thanks,” she said, pulling her hand back. “I...I want to keep a clear head.”
He appeared a little confused by her words but didn’t seem to think much of it. He set her beer down on the kitchen bar and cracked his open.
“We need