Woman in the Wind: The Predator Prey Thriller Series: Book Four by Valerie Brandy

Author:Valerie Brandy [Brandy, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emerald Lion Press
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

A short car ride later, and I’m strolling through a terrible part of town. The kind of place where you keep your keys in your hand as a makeshift weapon when walking late at night. I’ve left my car parked down the block, and am heading towards the place I know Mike has taken Zoe. I realized where he was headed as soon as we exited the freeway— it’s a familiar stop, and I’ve followed Mike here many times before. He comes here when he’s lonely or upset. It’s open 24/7. Mike gets upset a lot, so it’s a kind of emotional support crutch on his worst days.

I can’t believe he brought her here, I think, angry at Mike that he never thought to invite me to his secret spot. It’s a place he only started frequenting after we broke up, but still— he could have asked me.

I make a left and spot the place I’m seeking: a churro shop, its simple storefront a metal bar, the scent of burned sugar clinging to the air. There’s a couple of sad tables outside. At one of them sit Mike and Zoe, each of them holding a churro in hand.

I pull my sweatshirt tighter over my head and dip into the open-air clothing store next door. Cheap dresses hang on the wall, bordered by nylon shirts. Nothing costs more than ten dollars. A sales girl chewing gum tries to approach me, but I wave her away. I move toward the clearance racks that overflow onto the sidewalk, pretending to look through one so I can listen to what Mike and Zoe are saying.

“You’re right,” Zoe laughs. “This is way better than ice cream.”

“I come here a lot,” Mike says. “It makes me feel alright about everything.”

“How often do you feel like things aren’t alright?” Zoe asks. I roll my eyes. Who does she think she is— his therapist?

“A lot of the time,” Mike shrugs. Leave it to him to be honest. Doesn’t he know you’re supposed to pretend to be a well-adjusted adult during the first few dates. “But right now, I have to be honest— feels like things are looking up.” He smiles at her.

There’s a pause as Zoe takes the opportunity to say something I can tell she’s been waiting to say. It’s there in her eyes, like a question. “I hope it’s okay— I get to know people slowly,” Zoe says. “I’ve just been through a lot and I really like you, but I don’t want you to think it’s weird if I’m not fast to open up. It’s not because of you, it’s just...”

“The world?” Mike asks, nodding as if he understands. “Hey, that’s okay,” he puts his hands up. “I can take my time. Carpenters don’t have a reputation for being impatient.”

“Is that so?”

“Kind of the opposite, actually,” he says. “We take our time. Roll through life. Let me be your friend first and see where it takes us.”

“Where do you think it’s taking us?” Zoe smiles.

“To the point where you find me completely, utterly irresistible,” Mike says as if it’s obvious.

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