Treacherous.

4

By Friday I was tapping. Everything. My foot. My fingers. My pen.

It was the only way I could get the anxiety out.

It was noon thirty. The clerk would be setting up in the jury Assembly room right now.

I closed my laptop, getting up, and sliding my phone in my pocket.

I walked around the courthouse, standing outside of the Assembly room. I pulled my phone out and glanced at it before holding the locked phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I feigned, looking around and stepping into the room. "I'm sorry I can't hear you, there's so many people." I sent a look the the clerk that was setting stuff up. "Oh my God!" I gushed. "He did what? Is he okay?" I gasped, holding onto a chair.

The clerk sent me an odd look before wincing and pointing out of the door, signalling she'd leave. I lifted a hand, with a dramatic cringe on my face.

I rushed up to the podium, keeping my eye on the door. I opened my camera on my phone, and flipped open the folder. I snapped a picture of the witness list, then flipped a few more times finding the jurors. I snapped the last photo, closing the folder.

I jogged away from the podium to the door.

"Oh thank God! Okay yeah, bye." I moved my phone from my ear. The clerk gave me a once over. "False alarm." I held a hand over my heart. "Thank you though."

I walked away; my heart struggling to keep up with my over flowing anxiety.

I did my best to avoid Diego in the office. When I'd gotten home after our garage date- as Sammy put it, I noticed my neck was red and irritated. There was a light purple bruise right on my trachea. I used a little make up then just decided to wear a turtleneck.

I didn't have court today so I was out early. I changed into my jogging clothes and took my time strolling to my car, knowing Rio would be popping up somewhere.

But instead of Rio, I spotted a large man. He wore a black beanie and had a full beard. He was as tall as Rio but he was much bigger and had tattoos on his face.

I held my head high, ignoring his obvious attention to me.

I turned into the garage taking the stairs. I glanced up seeing a pair of lean legs and a pair of black Converse.

I let out a sigh before taking the next flight.

"Don't you get tired of ambushing small women in stairwells?" I shook my head, not even looking up at him as I climbed the steps.

"Nah. I switch it up sometimes. Y'know elevators." He offered. I sent a glare to him, ignoring the plummeting feeling scorch through my middle. "You do what I asked?" He raised his slit eyebrow.

"If I didn't?" I tilted my head, maintaining our eye contact.

He let out a gentle sigh before licking his teeth.

"Because I'm getting tired of these empty threats." I stepped forward, holding my head high.

He smirked at me before reaching behind him. Before I knew it a gold and black pistol was pointed between my eyes.

For a few moments I couldn't feel anything but the cool metal, and I thought maybe I was already dead. I couldn't feel my heart beating.

"This ain't empty Ma." He shook his head.

"Okay!" I turned my head, getting the sickening feeling of the gun off of my skin. "I got them!"

He smiled and lowered his gun.

"You're crazy. Know that?"

I nodded at him, grabbing my phone from my pocket.

"I took pictures of them- and for the record I acted my ass of to get these." I huffed, opening my photos.

"What?" He smirked. "What'chu want a Emmy?" He taunted.

I showed him my phone screen and swiped, showing him both lists.

"Listen if any of these people end up dead..."

"What are you gonna do darlin'?" He perked up at my words, pouting his lips in a condescending manner. He took my phone beginning to type something.

"What are you doing?" I questioned.

"Sending them to myself-"

"No!" I snapped. He looked up at me with his thick eyebrows pulled in. "Are you a moron?"

Now he raised a brow.

"You can't leave a trail. Just take a picture of it."

He lifted his hand in surrender.

"Okay, fair enough-" He stopped his actions and squinted at me. I froze in my spot when he stepped forward. His hand rose to push my hair behind my shoulder then lifted my chin.

The tenderness in my neck, made me tear myself from him.

"I didn't do this." He observed. "Who hurt you Mama?" His voice wasn't as throaty as it usually was.

"No one." I shook my head. "It wasn't like that."

"What's it like?" He took another step forward. The plummeting feeling was threatening to pour right out of my mouth in the sickening things I was thinking about this man.

Rio noticed the pink color of the girls lips spreading to her cheeks, and then flushing her chest.

"Mm." He nodded. "Your little boyfriend? The one you rush to your car for?" He bit his lip. "He do that?"

My mind raced. He's insane! He probably saw everything.

"Yeah- but he's not my boyfriend and like I said it wasn't like that- why am I explaining this to you?" I hissed at him.

"Well next time. You can tell your moron... Whatever he is..." His tongue darted out to taste his lips. He moved forward, looking at me with low eyes. "If he wants to kill you..." He lifted his hand.

I didn't move, I actually anticipated the feeling of his hand around my throat again.

"To choke you like this." The force of his hand made my back press against the wall, and my breathing hitched for a moment, making both of my hands grab at his wrist. He leaned in. His hot breath lingered over my ear and neck. "But if he wants to make you cum... just squeeze the sides."

My lips parted and I could feel my nipples harden under my bra, against my better judgement.

"Just enough to get the point across." He glanced down over the front of me then let out a small laugh. "Look at you. You like being bad don't you?"

Before I could react- or stop myself from reacting- my palm was radiating with pain, and he was staring at the wall with a shocked expression.

Holy shit I just slapped a man with a gun.

The words struck a nerve. I heard them before.

The dark sparkle in his eye always got me.

"Shh, you're gonna wake your parents up!" He warned, helping me through my window.

I giggled at him and pulled his face through the window kissing him.

"You like being bad, don't you?"

"I guess that answers my question." He huffed, surprising me with a big grin. He snapped his pictures and gave me my phone back.

"I did what you wanted, now leave me alone." I spat.

He nodded and took a few steps back.

"We'll see."

With that he was gone, leaving my blood boiling. He was doing this on purpose.

Taunting me.

I stalked to my car, immediately driving myself home. I threw myself in another hot shower, but I didn't feel like crying this time. I needed to get drunk. And quick.