“Steel, baby. You are made of steel.”
But it didn’t feel like that when, physically and emotionally spent, I crawled into bed and fell asleep.
I woke up in the middle of the night hungry as hell. I felt for my phone and looked at the time. When I saw a text message from an unknown number, my heart skipped a beat.
Sitting up, I typed in my passcode. My lips parted, and a quick, soft breath came out as I read the message.
8 a.m. tomorrow. My place.
Chapter 14
Kara
The sky was as bleak and dark as my day promised to be. I shouldn’t even be able to function right now—exhausted as I felt—but my body was keyed up for some reason.
I slid into my car with sluggish movements, flicked back my hood that was wet with rain. There had been a deluge late last night, and the forecast today stated that it was going to rain all day. Perfect day for a murder, wouldn’t you say?
The rain would erase most of the evidence.
I threw my backpack on the passenger seat, yawned, and fitted my coffee cup in the holder. The mud on my boots stained the plastic mat on the floor of my car. It looked like smeared shit.
The dials on my ancient stereo system were worn, the color faded. There was a coffee stain on the passenger seat the size of Texas, and the smell inside my car didn’t scream Yo, I clean this once a week. It smelled more like Yo, I clean this once a month…or year. Maybe.
I should’ve taken Ekon’s offer to detail my car the other day. I turned on the ignition and the windshield wiper blades, blasted the heat, and leaned back against the seat.
He was going to be here in a few minutes. Inside my car. With me.
Shit.
That was the reason why my body was on edge.
My heart was doing somersaults inside my rib cage, and I sucked in deep breaths to calm it.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. If he doesn’t like it, he can kiss my fine flat ass.”
That he squeezed the other night.
Screw you, voice in my head. Screw you.
Anything pertaining to what happened that night was taboo.
I shook off my thoughts, nudged the rearview mirror, yawned again, checked my makeup. I had done a great job hiding the bruise under my eye. I couldn’t tell it was there. The huge, chic glasses covering half of my face also helped.
“Your eyebrows are on fleek.” I winked at myself, fixed the rearview mirror back into its place. “You’re gorgeous. You’re perfect. You’re all set. Let’s do this.”
7:48 a.m.
It was a five-minute drive to his place. Why did I leave early?
Could it be that you’re excited?
“Of course not.” I rolled my eyes. “Puh-lease. Be serious.”
I just didn’t want to be late. I wanted to show him I was a pro at adulting and serious about fulfilling my part of the deal.
The heat often emphasized smells, made them stronger, I thought as I eased my foot on the gas pedal. Maybe a couple sprays of perfume would make the car smell better.
Eyes on the road, I zipped open my bag using my right hand, felt around inside for my perfume, and spritzed a couple times. Five seconds later, I was hacking my lungs out.