Chapter 17

Livia's neighbor finally, blessedly, stopped harassing her that morning. That, and the creeping claustrophobia, were the only reasons she finally left the safety of her house to come here and work off some of her frustrations.

No, that wasn’t entirely true.

There was a part of her—a foolish, lonely part—that wanted those men, any of them, to find her, even if it meant putting herself in danger.

Luckily, the draw she’d felt that day was mostly absent, only present as a faint tug toward the east, easing the foolish temptation and leaving her feeling relatively safe.

Drawn from her thoughts by the sudden sense that someone was watching her, Livia tensed but contained any other outward reaction. As casually as she could, she rolled her head to the side so she was staring out her side window and scanned the dark parking lot.

It took only a moment to locate what looked like a homeless woman, standing in the shadows next to a dumpster at the edge of the lot.

So