The drive to Liam's took forever, and no time at all. The city seemed strangely quiet, as if aware that violence streaked the storm clouds brewing. Streets slick with fresh rain gleamed and the temperatures dropping threatened ice. More likely fog. A good night to find a new canvas, a spot to work in the shadows, where the chill and the fog would keep the audience at bay.
One block from Liam's, I slowed. The hair on the back of my neck prickled and I pulled into a side street and parked, lights off and waited. This spot gave me a good vantage to the entrance to Liam's garage.
And a better vantage on the car parked across the street with two people inside of it. It was too dark to make them out. This was an affluent area. Their car didn't fit. It was missing a hubcap on the front driver's side tire. Smoke rose in a steady blue stream from the passenger side. While there were stores along this stretch, they were all gourmet or featured limited hours, often closing as soon as the business day was done.
There was no reason for that car to be there, unless they were waiting for someone.
Liam?
Starling?
Unacceptable.
Instinct had me loosening the seatbelt and sliding into the backseat. It took a little maneuvering, but I was out the back passenger door and had it closed without ever worrying about the interior light turning on. After drawing the hood up to shield my hair, I zipped up the front.
The chill in the air barely touched me. I liked the cold. Always had. This wasn't a neighborhood for lurking, but it had its own alleys and shadowy paths. I knew them all. Liam and I had used them to our advantage more than once. It only took a few minutes to circle the block and approach the car from the opposite direction and on their side of the street. There was a way to move along the building fronts where the shadows were the deepest.
The butt of a cigarette flicked out the window to join the small stack of them littering the sidewalk. A car approached from the other direction and turned into the parking garage for Liam's building. The driver leaned forward and that's when I caught sight of the camera. Long lens. No flash.
I lingered another ten minutes, but they seemed settled back in for a long evening. Time to do something about that. Retracing my steps, I slid into the parking garage through a pedestrian entrance on the opposite side. Once in, I picked up the courtesy phone and dialed the police.
Might as well let them earn their keep. I reported suspicious behavior, the make and model of the vehicle and worry that they might be armed. One of them had been pointing something out the driver's side window.
I didn't give the operator any more info, just dropped the phone after I wiped the handle. Security cameras were placed throughout the garage. The place was a fortress. But I knew where they were. The blind spots we'd created so I could come and go when necessary.
Or Liam could leave without a trail.
I followed that one back out and made it to my own car, then pulled away. It took me less than ten minutes to find a drive through coffee place that was open, and I sent a warning to Liam while I waited for the coffee.
Me: watchers on the street.
Liam: How many?
Me: 2. Fed them to the pigs.
Liam: You couldn't wait for me?
That didn't even deserve an answer. Except...
Me: Not with Starling inside.
Liam: She's not.
I frowned.
Liam: Took her to the store.
I stared at the last two messages. The store.
Liam: She needs clothes.
My eyes narrowed. Yes, they'd left without her things. It was why I'd smuggled them down to the car for her. But her dance shoes and studio were back at the clubhouse.
Liam:???
He was worried.
I sent a single thumbs up emoji, though I didn't agree with the sentiment. Liam needed to know I was all right with his decision. I wasn't. But I wasn't sure why. Shutting off the phone, I put it away and accepted the coffee before heading out again. The flashing blue and red lights were visible a block away. The men who'd been in the car were out and one of them was even sitting handcuffed on the curb.
I made for the entrance of the garage and used my remote to open it. A friendly officer waved me through and I smiled at her while pretending to rubberneck.
That was what a normal resident would do.
Once inside, I maneuvered up two levels to the spot Liam kept secured for me. We didn't hide our relationship, but we also didn't advertise it. My mirror. My brother. We couldn't hide it if we tried. That said, we took precautions. I did a quiet sweep of the garage and paused near the wall overlooking the street below. I snapped a few pictures of the car and its passengers before I gathered the bags from the backseat and headed inside.
Silence greeted me. Most of the floors were empty, their absent owners only using them when they were in town. When I reached Liam's floor, I frowned at the package sitting right outside the door.
All deliveries went by the doorman downstairs.
Getting up here required codes.
I glanced at the cameras.
Both had been aimed elsewhere.
Not useful.
Shifting the bags, I took a photo of the package and sent it to Liam.
I didn't touch it as I keyed my way into his apartment. With care, I scanned the interior. Two lamps were on in the living area and one small light in the kitchen. The layout gave me a solid view of both rooms and the hall. Setting the bags down, I nudged the door closed and went to the painting. Behind it, Liam's security system included internal cameras.
Scrolling back, I found Liam and Emersyn leaving. Starling wore a mutinous expression. I smiled. Liam looked too amused. But he was careful with her. Scrolling back further, I found her pacing the apartment, her expression hollow, alternating between fury and hurt.
The hurt cut deeper.
Enough.
Whatever the package was, the delivery man hadn't been inside. I finished with a full sweep and paused in my own room when the elusive scent of Emersyn lingered there. The imprint on the covers showed she'd chosen my room to sleep in.
Good.
I carried her bags in there and set them on the bed so she couldn't miss them. I'd brought her things, the books she'd been reading, and the bear she'd kept in her bed since I put it there. He was old and careworn, but if he brought her comfort, then with her he would stay.
Running my fingers over the too familiar stitches, the worn spots from too many hugs, and the matted bits from getting wet, I hoped he could continue to help her here. There was a row of stitches along the back of the right arm. A repair after a fight had torn him. Another set of stitches behind a ratted ear. Those were harder to see.
Scars on the bear.
A shared life of mended wounds.
With care, I smoothed the covers and set him on the pillows to wait for her. The room here didn't have much in the way of personality. I'd not left a mark here. I should, I suppose. Particularly if it was Starling's room.
That in mind, I closed the door to the room and pulled one of the charcoal pencils from my pocket. It took no time to sketch something on the back of the door. As much as I wanted to wait for them, and to see her, I should get back. The watchers on the building, the box outside...Raptor...
No, I needed to get back to the clubhouse.
Stuffing the charcoal back into my pocket, I returned to the bed and opened one of the bags. There was a shirt inside that I'd worn the day we went to paint by the sea. I folded it and laid it on the pillow for her. Vaughn handed me his shirt when he'd seen me go for the bags. The one right off his back. He wanted her in his scent. I left it in the bag.