Evie jerked awake to pounding against her apartment door, sending her heart slamming in her chest. She flinched at the second urgent sequence of knocks and pushed herself up. “Coming,” she forced out, her voice catching and not nearly loud enough to cut through the noise. She jogged over and stood on her toes to look out the peephole, taking in two men in suits standing on the other side. One checked his watch, the other glanced up and down the hall, tapping his foot.

Cops? Detectives? Evie unchained the door and flicked the lock for the deadbolt. The click vibrated through her, signaling her mistake when the door immediately swung inward. She stumbled back, feeling a hand clap over her mouth. Full panic kicked in, and she aimlessly flailed in a pathetic attempt to try to defend herself as the guy spun her around.

A woman’s voice rang out. “Hey, asshole!” 

The jab was followed by a crackling sound and a cry of surprise—a man’s voice—accompanied her immediate assailant’s tightening grip. It was countered by a blur resulting in sudden, backward momentum. He finally let her go.

A hand firmly gripped her arm, steadying her before she yelped and ripped free—a surprisingly easy feat that allowed her to take in the scene with wide eyes. The suits were on the floor, unmoving with a man and a woman in leather and nylon jackets looming over them.

The two from the lobby.

Shaking, Evie met the woman’s gaze, taking a step back as the woman took a tentative step forward. “Wh-what the hell?” Evie asked, pointing toward the two unstirring forms.

“Do you know these two?” the woman asked, glancing over to her friend—or whatever he was—who crouched down and began rooting through one of the attackers’ pockets.

“N-no!” She rapidly shook her head, hating how she stammered. “I-I thought they were investigators or something with the suits and—”

Almost as if it were an explanation, the woman lifted up the edge of her shirt, revealing a badge clipped at her belt. “Well, they’re not because we are. Likely the only thing the four of us have in common is that we’re looking for you.”

“Me?” One of her own fingers pointed to her chest with a squeak.

“You’re Evangelina Thatcher, correct?”

“E-Evie. Y-yes—Why? What’s going on?” No one had her unit number except Serina and her aunt. But Serina had just left, so why… She swayed slightly, a memory resurfacing of how she peeked down one of the hallways when her grandfather answered the door. Back when she had thought it was her parents coming home. “Oh, no—” She shook her head, the image of her aunt springing to the forefront of her thoughts. “Please tell me she’s okay. My aunt’s okay, right?”

“Just calm down,” she said, holding up a hand. “I’m sure your aunt’s fine. We’re here to protect you because you’re in danger.”

“I-I don’t understand. What’s going on? Who are you?”

“I’m Tarryn Fuentes.” She jerked her head towards the guy now flipping through a wallet belonging to one of the assailants. “This is my partner, Haven Bennett. Look, I promise to explain everything, but it’s possible that they have friends lurking nearby. As for us, we need to leave. Now.”

Tarryn offered her a hand. Evie stared down at it with so many questions tumbling through her mind. Then her eyes flicked over to Haven’s hand, held up with a glinting, round piece that almost looked like a coin. But it wasn’t metal. Instead, the gleam made it look more like a slick piece of plastic.

Tarryn grabbed her arm. “Sorry, but we don’t have time for this.” Pulling her towards the door, Evie dug the heels of her flats into the carpet.

“Wait—I need my bag.”

Tarryn stopped and slackened her grip, and Evie scooped up her crossbody. After a glance back at Haven, she shuffled behind her to the elevator. Tarryn repeatedly jammed her finger against the button to go down while looking over her shoulder to the stairwell door until it popped open. Haven ushered them both inside, where Evie awkwardly stood hunched between them. She nervously shifted while her eyes darted back and forth from Tarryn to Haven and back again.

The doors opened to an empty lobby, save the security guard who was fixated on his book, unaware of her pleading looks on the way out. These two weren’t really cops, were they? Nothing about them added up, and not to mention that Tarryn’s badge could easily be a prop. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as they started down the sidewalk. Tarryn rattled something nonsensical off with her phone to her ear, and Evie cursed herself for missing what it was since she was so focused on where they were going. Her grip tightened on the coffee-stained bag strap as she tried to get another look at the badge again.

They turned into the parking garage at the end of the street, and Evie sucked in a breath. This was it. Now or never. If she didn’t make a run for it now, then who the hell knew what they’d do to her. A slow, painful countdown from five rang out in her head. When she hit zero, her soles scraped against the concrete, and the other two continued forward for a couple more brisk steps. She spun on her heel, and ran—a full-tilt sprint, launching her straight toward the street. Shouts echoed in the garage behind her.

A fresh surge of adrenaline pumped through her veins. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to push past that imaginary limit before one of them caught up. Just as she was about to turn the corner and throw herself through the side entrance, a shadow filled the threshold. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she skidded to a stop. Perhaps she had made a mistake. The guy standing there took a menacing step toward her. Her own unsteady step back sent her falling to the pavement, and Tarryn dove between them.

Taser in hand, she stood her ground. “Back off.” It was a calm, deadly warning—or maybe it was more a threat, considering the weapon.

Evie scrambled to stand, her vision swaying before she even noticed the two other figures step out from the row of parked cars. “Oh, shit,” she whimpered.

Haven stepped between them and Evie on the other side, almost like he was patiently waiting for Tarryn to strike.

“You dumbasses have one chance to walk away before I lay you out,” she said coldly.

The one in front of her grinned. “I’d like to see you try, little girl.”

She should’ve just gotten in the damn car.

“Bring it, bitch,” Tarryn challenged.

He let out a growl and lunged for her, the other two going for Haven at that signal. Evie heard a wheeze from behind her, flinching as she witnessed Haven’s upper cut to another. The sound of a taser echoed through the garage as he grabbed the immediate attacker’s shoulders and kneed him in the stomach, sending him to the ground with a gasp for air. Swift footsteps pounded against pavement, and the third was met with a taser as well.

“Okay, I am begging you not to run,” Tarryn said, a little winded when she turned back to her. Haven firmly grasped her arm and steered her towards the back of the garage again. Tarryn jogged next to them, holstering her taser. “If you try that again, you’re going to either get kidnapped or killed, and that’s sort of the last thing I need right now.”

“Killed?”

Haven’s pace picked up, only halting when they reached a black SUV with tinted windows.

“Yes, killed,” she replied, opening the passenger’s door. “Now get in.”

“And how do I know that you two are really cops?”

Tarryn’s hand went to her face. “Please just get in the damn car, and I’ll answer that.”

Hesitantly, she complied, eyeing her wearily until the door shut. She clutched her bag on her lap, hugging it to her chest as they climbed in, and Tarryn started the car.

“For starters, it’s called being under cover. We track or hunt people down, so looking like a cop kind of doesn’t typically work in our favor.” The doors locked, and she put the car in reverse. “On top of that, we have your information. I know your name.”

“So, where are we going?” Evie tried to dry her hands on her pants.

“To a hotel.” Tarryn accelerated towards the street, glancing both ways before smoothly transitioning onto the blacktop. “Unfortunately, no one’s manning our safehouse besides security due to some scheduling conflicts. Everyone and their mother’s taking a damn spring break vacation. But we’ll get you there first thing in the morning.”

Evie’s eyes roamed the rearview mirror, fixing on Haven. He hadn’t said a single word yet. “Um… does your partner talk?”

“Oh—No, he can’t.”

“O-oh…”

“You get used to it.”

Haven’s eyes flicked up to meet hers in the mirror, and she froze, reddening. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t stress over it. Bennett’s an… acquired taste, honestly.”

His head snapped towards her, holding up his middle finger rather discreetly near the console for Tarryn’s eyes only. Evie pretended not to notice, gradually sliding down into her seat instead.