“Tell me about this man who’s after you.”
“What do you want to know?” She sipped from her tea, her shaking reduced to a slight tremble of her fingers.
“How long were you together?”
“Long enough to figure out he wasn’t a good man.”
“Is he a criminal?” The question was somewhat rhetorical as he had to have criminal connections in order to put a bounty on her head. I was more curious how extensive her knowledge was about his activities.
She shrugged. “There’s no telling what all he’s into, but it wasn’t something we talked about. Why are you asking me about him? The degree of my past screwups doesn’t help me figure out a way out of this situation.” The teacup clanked against its saucer when she forcefully set it down.
I’d struck a nerve.
“Just trying to figure out the full picture, but we don’t have to talk about it if it bothers you. I haven’t had dinner and am starved. Would you like something to eat?”
“I haven’t eaten since lunch, aside from those couple of cookies, so food sounds good. Thank you.”
“If you’d like, you’re welcome to take a shower while I cook a little something for us.” I stood to retrieve a towel but paused when Emily’s eyes met mine. They were still guarded, but the defensiveness and fear had bled away, leaving her gaze tired and tinged with a wary hopefulness.
“Why are you doing this, Tamir? Why help me when being anywhere near me could be dangerous?”
“First, I’m not afraid of whatever idiots this man may send after you. And second … I had a sister who ended up in trouble many years ago. She had no one there to help her, and I regret that every day of my life.”
What I said was the truth, just not all of it. Perhaps it was more than I should have said, but something about her slipped and slithered under my skin. That, above anything else, was the one thing that was starting to worry me. Crazy ex-boyfriends and other hunters out to collect the bounty just made my normally dull days a little more colorful. The soft curves of a spirited woman who needed my help? Now that was dangerous.
Chapter 7
Emily
With the exception of several watercolor paintings on the white walls, Tamir’s apartment was nearly as sterile as mine. They were active, lively paintings, depicting colorful cityscapes and marketplaces. They didn’t seem to fit my vision of what Tamir would have chosen for himself. I would have thought he was more of a photography type of man—the city skyline at night, or something equally as beautiful but understated.
Maybe he had a decorator select them. His furniture and décor was all good quality and coordinated in a way that made the room come together. It wouldn’t have surprised me if there’d been a woman’s touch in the design. What did surprise me was how expensive it all looked. I knew why I was able to afford my apartment on my measly waitress’s wages, but he sure did surprisingly well for a self-defense instructor.
“I’ve set a towel on the counter for you,” he said as he showed me to the bathroom. “The only drawback about this apartment is the single bathroom. I don’t have company often, so it’s rarely an issue.”
I stepped past him in the narrow hallway, my body wanting to gravitate toward his warmth. “This is gorgeous. Did you remodel recently?” The glass stall shower was tiled with white marble, as was the entire floor and countertop. The fixtures were crisp and elegant without being too feminine. The overall look was stunning.
“About a year ago. I like to keep busy and learn new things, and the prior setup hadn’t been touched since the eighties.”
“You did it yourself?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. It’s not all that hard, if you have the time.”
“Sure,” I scoffed. “Loads of people can renovate an entire bathroom by themselves.”
He leaned his shoulder against the wall and crossed his arms, making his biceps stretch the fabric of his T-shirt. “Maybe they’re just too scared to try.”
I leaned against the doorframe and pressed my hand against the opposite side of the frame. “Maybe they just don’t have any clue what they’re doing.”
“Maybe they should check out YouTube. You can learn anything on YouTube.” He lifted a wry brow, and it was too much. I coughed out a chuckle and shook my head.
“All right, you win.” I started to close the door but paused, my eyes flashing briefly to his. “Thank you, Tamir. I’m not sure what I would have done without you tonight.”
He gave me a silent nod. “Try not to worry too much. You’re safe here, and we’ll sort out a plan soon enough.” He slipped away toward the kitchen, and I locked myself in the bathroom, having a moment alone for the first time since being attacked.
I set down my gym bag on the counter and took in my reflection in the large mirror. My hair was in disarray, half-fallen out of its ponytail from class, and my cheek had a small scrape from being pressed against the brick wall. Other than that, I didn’t look all that bad. My outer appearance wasn’t at all reflective of the turmoil going on inside.
I was so scared that it was all I could do not to break down. Just the thought brought the sting of tears to my eyes.
That’s not going to help, Em, so cut it out.
I grabbed my phone and the spare set of workout clothes I had in my gym bag and set them on the counter. When I’d gone home from work to change, I hadn’t used the clothes in my bag. Thank God for small miracles.
The sound of the water turning on was soothing. Like the falling rain, the gentle hum was cathartic and cleansing. The second it was warm enough, I stepped under the heavy spray and let it wash away the sticky memories of the attack. The heat was the perfect balm on my tense muscles, but it did nothing to ease the chaos in my mind.
All of the implications of being attacked bombarded me with varying degrees of intensity.
I was going to have to walk out on my job and the shelter without a single explanation or warning. It made me feel horribly guilty, and I hated for Olivia and the women at the shelter to worry. They were good people, but I had no choice. I didn’t think I could even go back to my apartment.
Leaving Mrs. Timmons was the worst part of all. She would be heartbroken for me. She didn’t deserve that after being nothing but thoughtful and kind to me.
It was all my fault. That was what happened when you associated with the wrong people. Their toxic influence spread and infected everything you touched, tainting the best parts of your life, even after you’d walked away.
It reinforced that I’d done the right thing, but the fallout still sucked. At least I was alive, and I would continue to fight until that wasn’t the case.
I talked a big game, but there was one main reason I wasn’t totally freaking out, and her name was Stephanie. As soon as I was out of the shower, I was going to text her. She would know what to do and be able to help me.
With Stephanie’s assistance, I wouldn’t have to rely on Tamir any further, which was important because I didn’t want to drag him into my problems. Despite my adamant insistence that Tamir was dangerous, and therefore, bad for me, he had been the one to save my life. I was willing to admit I might have misjudged him. Who was I to repay his kindness by making him a target right along with me?