Faye hasn’t been able to sit down since the men left. She has been fluttering between the living room and the rest of the apartment, fixing tea and snacks. She even brought extra pillows and blankets from the hall closet to make all of us more comfortable. I know that she is worried, I am too. If it wasn’t for my slightly swollen and achy feet, I would probably be doing the same thing.
Nikki hasn’t moved or made a sound since Grayson led her to the sofa and tucked a quilted throw over her. Her hands are gripping a steaming mug of tea like it’s the only thing anchoring her in place. I don’t know what Grayson told her, but her tension is reflected on her pale, pinched face.
There is nothing we can do now but wait, so that is what we do, sitting silently in the dimly lit living room. The sound of the front door opening behind us is unexpected, and we all turn to look. Nikki jumps to her feet, turning to look at the door again, before skittering toward the hall with a look of horror on her face. Her fear prompts me to move. Without hesitation, I jump up and grab Faye’s arm pulling her with me as I run down the hall after Nikki and pull them both into Xavier’s office. A sound of a man’s laughter follows behind us. Nikki is whimpering softly as I slam the door and turn the lock. It’s just a standard interior door lock. I know it won’t hold up for long if someone tries to get in behind us.
“Oh my God, Oh my God,” Nikki is whispering quietly to herself, arms wrapped tight around her middle when loud banging starts on the door. Whoever it is, is coming in. I know from the sound that it will be sooner than I expected.
“In the closet,” I whisper, pushing in the code and sliding the heavy door open before I push them both into the closet that X had converted into a small panic room. He explained to me that once inside it can be locked down so no one can get in. It’s also bulletproof, and that can only be a good thing in this situation. That is what I want right now, to make sure that whoever is after us doesn’t have a chance to lay hands on any of us.
Even though we are all small, it’s a tight fit. The panic room wasn’t exactly designed for three people and the small armory, so it’s a tight squeeze. Faye pulls Nikki to the floor, rocking her as she sobs hysterically while I scramble in the dark for my phone. I don’t know who is out there, but it must be Dominic because I can’t imagine that anyone else would scare Nikki like this.
“We need to let Xavier and Travis know that he is here.” I slip my hand in the pocket of my cardigan, but I don’t have my phone. Shit!
“Faye, do you have your phone?” I ask her. There is rustling while she searches her pockets.
“Here!” she exclaims, the screen lighting up, revealing their terrified faces. I’m sure if I could see myself, I would have the same stunned look of dismay on my own face. The light calms me slightly as it illuminates the wall behind us. It is mostly filled with firearms. At least if the door is somehow breached, we can defend ourselves. My stomach is tight with anxiety and sorrow as I dial Xavier’s number from memory.
“What’s wrong?” He growls into my ear before a single ring is completed.
“Someone is in the apartment, X, ” I whisper. I don’t know if the man can hear us in here or not, but since we can hear him, I suspect that he could, if he would stop banging around in the office. I have no idea what he is doing out there, but from the sounds making their way through the wall, I’m sure that he is taking his anger out on Xavier’s belongings.
“Fuck!” His voice cracks through the phone loudly before I hear muffled voices talking. He’s covered up the phone.
“Where are you at?” His voice is softer when he comes back on the line.
“In your office, locked in the closet. He’s still out there. I think.” I’m not sure anymore, I can’t hear anything.
“Stay put,” he orders.
I can’t stop my small laugh at his words. “It’s not like we can leave,” I tell him.
“We’re on our way.” He ends the call before I can say another word.
Sliding to the floor beside Faye and Nikki, I lean against the wall to wait. “They’re coming.”
“Grayson?” Nikki squeaks her first intentional word since the doctor was here.
“Yeah,” Faye reassures her. “I’m sure Gray is coming back too.”
Nikki sniffles and wipes her face with the hem of her t-shirt. “Do you think he’s gone?” she asks with a shudder that runs through her whole body.
“I think so,” I tell her. “I can’t hear him out there anymore.”
With a soft sigh, she closes her eyes and drops her head back against the wall with a thunk. I do the same. All there is to do now is wait for rescue… again
“This shit is getting old.” I finally mumble into the heavy silence.
“I’m gonna ask Trav to teach me how to shoot,” Faye replies. “I’m sick of not knowing how to defend myself from these assholes.”
Nikki lifts her head and peers at us in the murky light of the phone screen. “Me too.” She says, a hint of the woman, I presume, she was before her world was turned upside down creeping into her voice. “No one is ever going to make me helpless again,” she whispers, her words almost a prayer. Or a promise.
Xavier
When my phone rings showing Faye’s number, I know something has gone terribly wrong. There is no reason that she would be calling me otherwise. I consider handing the phone to Travis, except she called me. Swiping my finger against the screen, I bark, “What’s wrong?”
Totally unprepared for Ana’s hushed voice to respond telling me that someone got into my apartment, I cover the phone with my hand so she can’t hear me.
“Son of a bitch!” I roar. Travis and Grayson both turn to me, questions on their lips.