She took a careful sip of hot coffee with enough sugar in it to complement her freshly baked donut and figured being unpredictable was a good thing. So she wasn’t going to give herself a hard time for not having decided what to do yet. Instead, she was going to enjoy her breakfast and the morning—just as they were right now.
The air had a cold bite to it, and she wrapped the fingers of one hand more securely around her cup to ward off the chill, relying on the wrist brace to keep her palm from getting burned. She made quick work of her donut, then held the cup carefully with both hands to nurse the warmth as much as the caffeine. This was autumn on the East Coast, and already colder than it got back in California.
A few thoughts crystalized with the clarity of caffeine. Apple cider donuts were amazing. Maybe she’d try following up with hot apple cider next time, but coffee had definitely been the right choice this morning. And she definitely liked the contrast of seasons here.
That established, her next choice could only be great, right?
She sighed. Maybe. It was still early.
Then she caught sight of a random guy in a hoodie and sweatpants leaning against the wall. Just…there. No coffee or paper in hand or any reason to be where he was. The store he was next to wasn’t open yet. He could be waiting for it, but somehow she doubted he was dying to get into a beauty supply shop. Nope. Everything about him was creepy, especially with the hood pulled up over his head.
She took another sip of her coffee and willed her hands not to shake. Looking out over the parking lot, she saw that only a few cars dotted the blacktop. Because it was still early. People were arriving to open up the bigger stores, but there weren’t many shoppers yet. Her car was parked where she’d left it, all the way on the other end of the shopping strip past the school because she’d wanted to leave it under a streetlight.
She risked a glance back over at the creepy guy. He was looking directly at her.
The martial arts school, and Gary and Greg, were closer.
Swallowing hard, she started walking toward Revolution MMA. The cold air burned as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying not to betray how utterly freaked out she was.
Turning her head slightly, she saw the man push away from the wall and step in her direction.
Oh no.
She picked up her pace, suddenly regretting having left the school at all.
As she passed the next store she could see only his feet in the reflection from the storefront glass because of the decals on the windows. But he was following and closing the distance.
Keep walking. Keep moving. Almost there.
The next storefront had broad, clean windows. She caught sight of him in the reflection as he took his hands out of his pockets and lengthened his stride.
He was almost on her.
She dropped her coffee and bolted for the front of Revolution MMA, yanking the door open and blundering straight into another man.
Elisa screamed.
“Hey!” The voice was low, urgent, and familiar. “Hey, Elisa. It’s okay. Come inside. You’re safe.”
The terse words cut through her blind terror. Her heart was going to pound a hole in her chest, but strong hands steadied her and released her. Alex gave her space and stepped over to the front door, shielding her from whomever was out there.
Gary and Greg were suddenly at her side, too, flanking her.
These people were here, ready to help, making sure she was safe. They’d dropped everything. She wrapped her arms across her chest, trying to pull herself together, literally.
Then Alex barked out an angry curse. “Cannon! What the fuck?”
Cannon? So they knew him? Elisa leaned to one side to peer around Alex, abruptly conscious again of how imposing the man was. It was a weird kind of comfort to have him standing between her and the rest of the world. The man she’d seen earlier was standing a few feet from the door with his hands held out to his sides and spread wide. A sheepish grin split his unshaven face.
“Sorry, man!” Cannon called to them. “I was just hanging out waiting for her to come out of the donut place.”
Gary and Greg instantly relaxed. Gary muttered a quieter curse of his own. “I sent Cannon to keep an eye out for Elisa since I was on the phone. He came in to pick up some gear he left last night and I figured it couldn’t hurt to keep a pair of eyes on her. I didn’t think he’d be a thug about it.”
*
Elisa still considered hopping in her car and driving until she ran out of gas a valid option. Even as she stepped into the reception area of Hope’s Crossing Kennels at eight a.m., sharp.
She hated herself for it.
Of course, Alex had driven her here to the kennels since she’d been a complete mess after freaking them all out this morning. So she’d have to ask for a ride back in order to make her escape. Not exactly practical. And she still wasn’t sure it was what she wanted to do.