Treacherous.

2

The altercation with the tattooed man was replaying in my mind all weekend. I was so shaken up that I'd made a B line straight to my car and went home, locking each lock.

Diego had sent me tons of messages asking where I was and why I bailed, but I decided to ignore him for now.

I found myself pushing the shower handle to the hottest it'd go. I stripped myself, not even waiting to wipe my make up off. I hauled myself into the shower, gasping at the sizzling beads over my skin.

My skin seemed to adjust to the heat, until I began scrubbing my skin red- particularly my neck and chest.

I could still feel the bruises that littered my skin all those years ago.

I let out an unwarranted yell, relieving the knots in my stomach.

"I can't do this." I let out a cry. "I can't fucking do it." I let my knees give out and fell to my knees, hard.

This stranger had resurfaced all the memories I worked so hard to heal from. But reliving them now I realized I hadn't healed from them. I never moved on- I only repressed them.

I swallowed hard, remembering the government-paid-for therapy that I took advantage of in my twenties.

I sat in my shower, recalling my first encounter with the man that ended up running my life.

"Zay?" I called, walking out of my bedroom. "Isaiah!" I banged my fist against the wall of his bedroom before I got to his door. I pushed it open, allowing the loud music to flow out, even louder.

"Izzy!" He yelled, pausing his music.

"I'm studying you asshole-" I cut myself off, catching the sparkling black eyes of his friend that was leaned back on his bed. He pushed himself up to his elbows, sending me a smirk.

I fluttered my eyes away from him glared at my brother. "It's noon. I'm trying to study." I lowered my voice.

"Yeah well it's Saturday. Weekend trump's noon." He shrugged, turning the blaring music back on.

His friend liked that I was feisty and fearless. When my brother moved from Detroit to Cleveland for school, is when he made his move on me. I can't even say I wasn't the least bit interested. He was older and the fact that we snuck around behind my brothers back made it fun. But once my brother dropped out and returned home... Things changed.

I didn't know how long I was on my shower floor, bawling my eyes out. But when I ran out of tears I picked myself up from the floor and dragged myself out and into my robe.

I didn't even dry myself. I just sat in my robe on my sofa, numb.

I was in shock from the close encounter with the stranger. Who was he? And how did he know my name?

Remembering his words about seeing me around the courthouse, I popped up from my seat, finding my laptop in my bag where I'd dropped it at the door.

I opened it, logging into the Michigan Supreme Court database.

As I looked at the search criteria I realized I didn't know this man's name, not even a nickname.

I scrolled down. Hispanic. Brown eyes. Black hair. My lips parted at the Identifiable Markings category. I selected it entering, Eagle tattoo.

I entered all the information and waited for it to load. I had three results. I clicked on the first one. Christopher. I clicked on it, and was immediately taken back at the mugshot. The same soft smirk and throat tattoo stared back at me.

Gang name. Gang name?

Rio.

This couldn't be happening.

On Monday, I knew I couldn't take pepper spray into the courthouse, so I left it in my car door, and I parked in a different parking garage. I knew I wouldn't be able to validate my parking ticket, but I'd rather pay for a day pass that take my chances with that neck tattoo again.

"Good morning." I breathed at the security guard in the back entrance.  He gave me a smile and a nod. I passed him moving down the stairs to the office.

"Isabel?" My eyes snapped up to Diego's voice and I instantly felt like an asshole.

"Hi." I whispered, forcing a smile on my face. "Um I am..." I glanced around, allowing him to follow me passed my desk to the coffee maker. "I'm so sorry-"

"No, no. Are you okay? I mean I texted you... All weekend?" He shrugged. His dark hair was slightly disheveled as usual.

"I'm fine. I just had a- I got a bug. I wasn't feeling well." I tilted my head at him.

He squinted his eyes and let out a small laugh. "Right..." He nodded and turned on his heels easily, walking away. I gaped at his back as he moved away from me.

"Okay..?" I huffed. I filled my coffee cup and took it to my desk.

"Hey." Sam rolled back in her chair and sent me a curious look. "What happened?"

I huffed, showing her my frustration with the man I'd just talked with.

"He just totally walked away from me-"

"Well you lied to him..? Right?" She peeked over her glasses at me.

I shook my head, not comprehending how she knew.

"What?"

"Iz... You do this-" She stopped to tilt her head to the right and parted her lips. "You do a little tilt when you lie-"

"Shut up-"

"You do!" She hissed. "What's going on?"

I rolled my eyes, opening my computer. "Meet me in the Assembly room on break." I rolled my eyes to my computer.

I enjoyed my job. I guess in some sick way I tried to psychoanalyze the defendants and even their attorneys sometimes. It probably wasn't a healthy way to cope with the early trauma in my life, but for some odd reason recording the grisly, murderous, details of these crimes made me feel better.

It made me feel like I wasn't alone. Like I wasn't the only one that was filled with a void of betrayal, guilt, and slight PTSD.

No one at work new of my past, not even Sammy- they could easily find out about it with a single search but, I'd never given them a reason. And I didn't plan on it.

"Okay, what's up?" Sam asked, shutting the door behind her.

I sat against the back of one of the rows of chairs.

"My brother was murdered, when I was 18."

I could recognize the shock saturate her face.

"What?" She shook her head.

I nodded.

"It was his friend- a friend that I..." I rolled my eyes. "That I dated behind his back."

"Oh my God, Iz." She shook her head.

"That's why I do this." I shrugged. "I guess it's my Freud brain getting off on-"

"No! Oh my God, I'm so sorry Iz. I had no idea. I would've never said that." She walked forward, hunching to sit her coffee on the floor before taking my hands in hers.

"Anyway..." I shook my head. "It all came flooding back to me after yesterday." I lifted my hands to my face, keeping my composure.

"After the hearing?" She asked gently, shaking her head.

"No." I shook my head. She furrowed her eyebrows at me. "I was going to meet D at his car." I shook my head. "I ran into this guy. He knew my name, he said he needed my help getting information."

"What? Where was this?"

"The stairwell of the parking garage."

"The stairwell- I'm sorry and you didn't kick this dude in the nuts?"

"He was... He was scary." I shrugged.

"Okay well-"

"I parked in a different garage today." I sighed. "I'll be fine."