I looked at the walls, illuminated only by the faint glow of the streetlights outside.

I thought about James and the nights he had left me alone in our damp apartment.

He had taken my money, but his greed had finally brought him to the worst men in the city.

I did not want him dead, but I wanted him gone.

I wanted the fear to end for good.

I looked at the digital clock on the nightstand.

One o’clock.

Two o’clock.

Every distant car engine made my muscles tense.

Every creak of the old house made my breath hitch.

At three in the morning, headlights swept across the bedroom ceiling.

I stood up and crept to the window, parting the heavy curtains.

A black sedan parked in the driveway.

Dante got out of the driver’s seat, his coat unbuttoned.

He walked with a slow, heavy stride toward the porch.

I ran down the stairs, nearly tripping on the hem of my robe.

I unlocked the front door just as his key turned in the lock.

***

Dante stepped inside, bringing the smell of wet asphalt and cold wind with him.