Page 20 of Under His Guard

At that point, I focus on the silly pop song playing on the radio. I concentrate so hard on each and every word sung by the artist, not willing to leave my brain unchecked for even a second.

I know where it will go.

It’s a few agonizing minutes before I finally reach my apartment. It’s small and downright depressing compared to Luke’s place.

Heading around to the back like normal, I pull into my spot, noticing an unfamiliar car sitting at the far end of the small lot.

It’s strange only because Mr. Chen’s shop isn’t currently open, and my spine tingles.

Shutting off the ignition, I reach across the passenger seat for my medical bag, using the opportunity to try and get a look inside the car.

It’s sunset and too dark to tell who’s inside—if there’s anyone at all.

“Jesus, Clara. Stop being so paranoid.”

I grab the satchel and get out of the car, walking toward the metal stairs that lead up to my home sweet home.

When I get to the bottom of the stairs, in front of the back door into Chen’s shop, I notice it’s open a crack.

“That’s not…”

Tension builds in my body, and I approach cautiously, searching for my phone in my bag.

My fingers tremble as I reach for the door and push. It creaks open, but the lights inside are still out.

It’s an antique shop without a huge till, but I remind myself a thief wouldn’t know that.

“Mr. Chen? Are you there?”

Robbers don’t like witnesses. And I’m probably being ridiculous, anyway.

My fingers brush something hard, and I pull out my phone.

“Are you okay, Mr. Chen? I’ve got my phone ready if you need me to call anyone.”

With each second of no response, my body tenses harder. My landlord is eighty-five, and the odds that I need to call an ambulance are equally as high as anything else.

Walking cautiously through the cluttered room filled with various antique pieces of furniture piled high with lamps, clothes, and other random odds and ends, dread drips down my spine, pooling in my stomach.

“Mr. Chen? Lee, sir, do you need?—”

Something charges into me out of the darkness, knocking both my phone and bag away, and they fall to the ground.

I spin around as I put some distance between us.

I’m poised to figure out who broke in here and use my latent self-defense skills honed when I moved out on my own until I realize who I’m looking at.

My mouth falls open, and I gasp.

“Hey there, doctor. I told you I’d be seeing you again.”

The man from the Cobras, the one who’d been up in my face after I delivered the news of his friend’s death, is standing right there. In Chen’s shop. Beneath my home.

“Eek.”

It’s the only thing that comes out of my mouth as I freeze, face-to-face with someone determined to kill me.

I realize I don’t exactly know that for sure, but I can see it in this guy’s eyes.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com