Phantom by Helen Power

Author:Helen Power [Power, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CamCat Publishing

34

I had lunch plans with my mother for the following day at noon, but I told Jace to meet me at the address in Fuller Park at ten.

My head pounded as I hopped on the el. I’d hit the tables—and the bar—a little too hard last night. I’d lost, but at least the casino had kept me lubricated with complimentary drinks, which almost made up for the sting of being unlucky in every aspect of my life. This morning, I’d been up with the sun, making a pit stop at O’Malley’s for the hair of the dog before heading out to meet Jace.

Feeling woozy—likely from the lack of sleep—I closed my eyes and let my forehead lean against the cool glass of the windowpane. My body rocked to the gentle rhythm of the train. Before I could drift off, I felt someone’s presence beside me. Groaning, I opened my eyes one at a time, lifting my head. The reflection of a man sneering at me filled the window.

“What the fuck are you looking at?” I snarled, spinning around.

No one was there.

A woman across the aisle watched me nervously. Her arms curled protectively around her toddler. A few other passengers were staring too. None of them looked at all like the man I’d seen in the reflection.

Heart battering inside my chest, I twisted my features into a smile, which seemed to frighten the woman and her son even more. Whatever. I was hardly the scariest person they’d come across if they continued to ride public transit in this city.

I hopped off at the next stop, which was just a few blocks away from my destination. I saw Jace up ahead, leaning against a tree, his back to me. I slowed my pace, involuntarily running my eyes up and down his toned body. He had muscles in all the right places, but that was to be expected of an ex-Marine. He also had a swagger about him, one that wasn’t at all affected by his limp.

“Hey,” I called out. “You came.”

Jace turned around slowly and gave me his crooked grin. “Of course. You are paying me after all.”

How he had convinced me I needed his services as a bodyguard was beyond me. “Yeah, well. If you fail, and I die, you won’t get paid, so wipe that smirk off your face.”

Jace’s smile broadened. It was distracting, and I didn’t have time for distractions. I spun around and strode toward the apartment building that Sylvain—Lenny—lived in.

“Wait a minute,” Jace said. A strong hand clamped down on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. “What’s the game plan?”

“Game plan?”

“Yeah. Who is this guy? What are you planning on doing? What kind of reaction can I expect from him?”

I suddenly realized the fatal flaw in my plan. I couldn’t have Jace in there with me when I confronted Lenny. He would find out everything. I would be putting his life in danger as well as my own when Lenny realized I’d broken the “keep quiet” clause of our grisly contract.

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