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Icould feel Mercutio’s disapproving glances at me as we rode in his car towards my apartment. It made my skin feel itchy. That, the adrenaline crash, the stress of almost being kidnapped, my confusion about Roman, the lateness of the hour, all conspired to put me in a foul mood. “If you have something to say, spit it out,” I snapped.

Mercutio focused back on the road. “And have you arrest me for speaking my mind? No, thanks.”

I’d gotten this kind of animosity from civilians before. “For this car ride, pretend I’m not a cop.”

“Yeah, right. I don’t trust cops.”

I let out a sigh and tucked my head against the glass. “Suit yourself.”

Mercutio said nothing. Several minutes went by, the street lights brightening up the skin behind my closed lids in a series of flashes. I felt my body grow heavy, sleep lapping at the edges of my consciousness.

“Why is he helping you?”

I opened my eyes at Mercutio’s question. Why indeed? I looked out the window at the familiar city streets flashing past. We were still several minutes away from my apartment. There was no way to avoid this conversation. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’ve asked him. He won’t tell me.”

“You’re putting him in danger.”

I rubbed my face. The last thing I needed right now was a lecture. I needed sleep. And an aspirin. And for Roman to stop confusing the shit out of me. “He’s a danger to himself.”

Mercutio gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles went pale. “You don’t understand what his father would do to him if he found out that he helped a cop.”

I straightened up in my seat. “Don’t you think I know that? I told him he shouldn’t be doing all of,” I waved my hand around uselessly, “…this for me.”

“You have something on him. That’s why he’s helping you.”

I wanted to punch something. Nothing I was saying was getting through to Mercutio. But I was quickly losing the strength to argue. I let out a sigh and leaned against the cool glass again, letting it soothe my jaw. “Believe what you want.”

Mercifully, Mercutio didn’t say another word until we came to my apartment. He parked in the tow away zone in front of my building. I almost said something about illegal parking, then clamped my mouth shut. He wouldn’t be staying long. I halted when he followed me out of the car.

“I’m coming in with you,” he said, his tone making it clear that it was the last thing he wanted to do.

“I’m fine.”

“No,” Mercutio said firmly. “Roman asked me to check your apartment before I left. That’s what I’m going to do.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “You’ll have to get through me to get into my apartment.”

Mercutio gave me a small smile. “No offense, but I’m more scared of him than you.”

I let out a sigh. The quicker I let him in, the faster he’d be gone. “Fine, but wipe your feet on the mat before you come in.”

In my apartment, Mercutio checked each room including the closets. His phone rang and he answered. “Yeah, we’re here at her apartment.”

It was Roman. It had to be. My ears prickled.

“I’m just doing that now but it all looks clear.” There was a pause where Mercutio’s eyes darted over to me. Did Roman want to speak to me? “Yeah, no worries.” Mercutio hung up.

I frowned as a wave of disappointment rolled over me, making me uneasy. I wanted to hear his voice in my ear even just for a few seconds. Why did he call Mercutio and not me?

Because Mercutio’s his best friend and you’re just a girl who is turning into a problem for him.

“Was that Roman?” I asked, trying for casual and failing. My voice sounded too tight and unnaturally high.

“Yeah.”

“Is…is he okay?”

Mercutio froze, then shot me a look before he opened my linen closet; no monsters in there. “He’s fine.”

Fine?I wanted to know where he was. Was he okay? What was he doing? What happened to Eddie? Fine was not enough. It appeared “fine” was all I was getting. I held my tongue as Mercutio finished checking my apartment.

“See? No boogeymen,” I said, holding the door open for him. “You can go now.”

Mercutio paused just outside my front door and turned to me. “Do you care what happens to Roman?” Mercutio’s eyes, sharp and intelligent, were studying me.

There was no use denying it. “Of course,” I said quietly.

“Then stay away from him.”