I See You (6 page)

I know exactly who she is. She’s the only other person that lives within a quarter mile. She’s eighty-four and really unlucky to have walked in here because now I can’t let her leave.

I approach her slowly. She looks around me at the monitors.

“I’m sorry you came here.” I tell her.

Before she can fathom what’s happening, I grasp her head and push it backwards against the wall. She crumbles unconscious against my chest. I carry her to a back room and lock her in there.

I call Noah and get his voicemail. “Noah, why do you never answer your phone? This is the emergency number and you still don’t fucking answer. I have a blip. I need you to take care of someone. I’m packing up and moving everything now. I left the problem in the back room. It will need to be cleaned.” Ending the call, I grab Ginger and shove her out the front door. I should never have fed the fucking thing. They always come back if you feed them.

I pack everything up and stealthily leave.

I
SHOULDN’T DRINK SO MUCH
. I won’t tell Devon I’ve left this old hag in here for six hours. I need to stay high on the latest mark for as long as possible, which causes me to zone out for long periods of time.

Old people are surprisingly durable. They have lived a long fucking life and survived it, after all. A little gasp leaves her mouth when I enter the room. Devon can’t take a life, he’s too soft. Killing Courtney broke something inside him, or perhaps that broke the rest of him. Our father had a way of chipping away at him, his main threat.
“If you speak about what happens in this house, I’ll open up your meat shirt and show you my fist crushing your traitorous heart.”

Hmm, fond memories.

I grab the old girl by her hair and drag her to her feet. I don’t waste time playing with her; she’s too frail to enjoy toying with. I snap her neck and sling her over my shoulder. She’s heavier than I assumed she’d be.

“Like having biscuits with your sweet tea, huh, Grandma?” I mock, slapping her dead ass.

I dump her at the bottom of the stairs in her own house, hoping her death will look accidental. This shit is unacceptable. He’s acting carelessly which isn’t like him. This whole fucking mark has him acting weird. The sooner I finish this the better.

I
SIGH UNDER MY BREATH
when I catch Mr. Ilavich peering over the fence to my right. Although he’s harmless, he’s constantly trying to become friendlier than I really want. At over double my age, I really can’t figure out what we would have in common that would merit a friendship.

“Nina?”

I push my sunglasses into my hair, sliding my bangs back on my head, and smile at him. “Good morning Mr. Ilavich.”

His eyes roam over my body and my skin blanches in my small bikini. Just once I would appreciate some privacy in my own back yard as I try and get a tan to my pale skin. “Just letting you know I’ll be leaving this afternoon for a couple of days.”

“Oh, taking a Vacation?” I ask as I can’t hold back the smile. My wish has been granted.

He shakes his head. “Not really, just a business trip. I was wondering if you could feed Teddy.”

I grimace. Teddy is Mr. Ilavich’s Chihuahua, and an evil little shit at that, but he always feeds Ginger when I’m working late so I can’t refuse. I nod and force a smile. “Of course.”

“You’re an angel.” I nod and slide down my glasses¸ hoping he’ll take the hint, but he doesn’t. “I will only be a couple of days.”

I nod again, not giving him the satisfaction of a conversation, but as always, the man is unwavering. “Oh by the way . . .” He pauses and waits. “Nina?”

Once again, I glide my glasses onto my head and look at him. Once again, his gaze creeps over my body then back to my face. “You had a parcel delivered. Just a minute.”

He disappears. Grabbing the moment, I hook up my sandals and run into the house, quietly closing the door so he doesn’t hear, and run up the stairs. It isn’t long before his familiar tap echoes on the glass in the back door. “Nina?”

I hang out of the bathroom window. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ilavich, but I think I’ve had too much sun. I’m vomiting like a rabid dog.” He grimaces which makes my lips twitch. “Can you leave the parcel by the door, please? I’ll fetch it in a while.” Without waiting for him to answer, I shut the window and giggle to myself at the picture of his face.

I’m not normally rude but my patience is wearing thin. He needs friends his own age.

I give the toilet another flush to make it convincing then leave the bathroom and flop onto my bed. The week has been tiring. One of the girls at the club got the virus that’s going around, and because I need the cash, I put my name down for all her shifts. Today is my first day off in ten days and I’m adamant my neighbor is not going to spoil my relaxing time.

Deeming it safe, I venture downstairs, my grumbling belly telling me it’s way past lunch time. Cranking up the volume on the music, I pull out some ingredients from the fridge and dance along the tiled floor in bare feet as I prepare a salad. Treating myself to a cold glass of wine, I carry both through to the lounge and sigh in pleasure as the cool room and food bring back my good mood.

My phone rings and I glance at the name displayed. “Oh, God,” I grumble when the club’s number ruins my previous mood.

“Nina?” Todd screeches down the phone. “Mary hasn’t turned in again.”

“Really?”

“Mmm. You couldn’t cover could you? Unless you’re busy with a date or. .?”

Closing my eyes, I grit my teeth. “Nothing that can’t happen another time. What time do you need me in?” God he is so nosey and can’t take a freaking hint. I really need to toughen up. Although the money is good, I’m exhausted. I had the bug Mary has last week and I’m still trying to build myself back up.

“Thanks, sweetness. Four until midnight. See you later.”

“See you later.” I sigh into the dead line. “Again!”

Placing my wine on the table, now unable to drink it because I have to drive, I chew on the lettuce like a bear at a slice of rump as I chunter to myself. The image of the shoes I saw in town pop into my head and I purse my lips. “Well, Nina, at least you can afford them now.”

Small things.

The club is wild for a Wednesday night. The new DJ Todd employed brings in the crowds from his old place. At nine o’clock, I manage to slide into the back room and grab a quick break.

“Hi, Nina.” Todd smiles as I tear off the lid to my water, and chug the liquid down.

“Hey.” I return his smile but Todd gives me the creeps. He’s been asking me for a date for months but there’s something about him that makes my skin crawl. He’s always touching me, and whenever I turn around behind the bar, he’s there, his close proximity a little alarming.

“You’re on ’til closing?”

Shaking my head I snatch up a bag of chips and dive in. “No, just midnight tonight you said.”

He nods and smiles wider. “I can get off then. You wanna go somewhere after?”

Trying to stop myself from growling, I give him an apologetic smile and shoulder shrug. “Sorry, I’m exhausted. Busy week, and I’m still getting over the stomach bug I had.”

His face darkens which surprises me. I thought he was used to my rejections by now. He’s had enough of them. “I thought you blew off a date to work?”

“I didn’t say that, and if I did, that means I wouldn’t really be available to date you, right?”

He grabs my wrist, halting me. “Are you dating anyone?”

Peeling his fingers from my wrist, I shove his hand away. “No.”

“Oh well, maybe another day then. When you’re feeling better?”

I nod faintly. His mood swing is a little concerning, and I try to give him a reassuring smile but he just blew any chance, which was slim to start with. “Sure.”

Rolling my eyes when he slams the door behind him, I kick off my heels and lift my feet onto the small wooden table in between the two couches, and rest the back of my head against the sofa.

“You look beat, babe.”

I open my eyes and smile at Tricia, my head nodding to confirm her statement. “I am. I’m going to sleep so hard tonight. Ginger can sit on my face and lick my eyeballs as much as he wants because I won’t feel anything.”

Tricia laughs and sits on the opposite couch. “That cat has absolutely no manners and gets more action out of you than anyone else. What was Todd saying to you? He looked a bit intense.”

“He wants to take me to dinner.” I shudder. A thought occurs to me and I groan. “Oh, crap. I have to feed my neighbor’s damn dog too because he’s gone away.”

“Surely that won’t take long?” Her tone appears off but I put it down to the busy night, her eyes revealing how tired she is.

I blow out a huff and lift a brow at her. “Are you kidding? The damn thing is the slowest shitter on the planet! He has to pee on all twenty four conifers and then he will wipe his ass on every inch of lawn!”

She chuckles but grimaces. “Can’t you leave him ’til morning?”

“Not unless I want to hear him bark all night.”

She nods and pouts sympathetically. “No way round it then, Nee. You should tell Todd that you can’t cover for everyone.”

I nod and slip my shoes back on. “I know. I need to grow some balls.”

She cracks a smile and waggles her eyebrows. “That would also get Todd off your back, instead of trying to get you on it. I don’t know why he bothers. Now I’m single he can have me on mine.” She flicks her hair and pushes her boobs together.