Rafe (Inked Brotherhood 5)

“Really, Meggie, don’t you worry about me.”

“How can I not?” I clamp a hand over my mouth, because my voice is turning into a wail. “How can I not, Mom?”

Will I ever be rid of guilt for leaving her side?

“Listen to me.” She sounds sober. Can’t remember the last time she was sober. “I got bad news.”

Oh God. I rub a hand over my eyes. “Of course you do. What happened now?”

“Carson.”

I flinch at the sound of his name. The ex-boyfriend I sent behind bars. “What about him?”

“He’s out of prison.”

I open my mouth to reply but nothing comes out. My blood turns to ice. He’s out? So soon?

“He’s been paroled,” Mom goes on.

Oh holy crap.

“Be careful.” I swallow hard, lick my dry lips. “Mom, if he comes after you…”

“Not me, Meggie.”

“What?” I study the dirty sidewalk, unable to concentrate. “What do you mean?”

“He knows where you live.”

“That’s not true.” I shake my head, my heart hammering. “He can’t know that. Only you know where I live.”

“Baby… I told him.”

I’m on my feet and walking down the sidewalk before I even realize what I’m doing. A wind cold as knives is blowing. “What? Why the hell would you do that, Mom?”

“Oh Meg…” She sighs. “It was last year, before I met Jim. One of Carson’s friends visited me, and we got to talking. I don’t remember much, except that we talked about you and I told him where you are. So Carson has to know and I’m afraid he’ll…”

Her voice fades in the buzzing that starts in my ears. I stop walking and lower the cell from my ear.

I turn slowly. I think I see a tall shadow step back into an alley and vanish in the dark.

Now you’re being paranoid. Carson just got out of jail… Right?

I bring the cell back up to my ear. “Mom? When was Carson released?”

“A few days ago, baby. Just be careful.”

I swallow against a throat gone tight. Disconnecting, I turn around and run back into the café.

***

My heart won’t stop pounding. Every time the door of the café opens, I think Carson will walk in.

He can’t be that stupid. He has a restraining order, I’m sure. They explained this to me back then, that when he gets out of jail, he isn’t allow to approach my mom or me.

Doesn’t mean he won’t try, though. He’s one crazy bastard.

But he won’t. No. Will he? Would he travel all the way from Philly here to terrorize me and exact some sort of twisted revenge?