“My suite,” I finally get out with a shaky voice.
“What? You’ve been attacked at The Whitney?” she asks incredulously.
“Need you… please,” I beg, praying she arrives quickly. She’ll know what to do.
“Honey, Dex and I are in Paris on a holiday. I’m not in New York.”
True panic takes hold. Living through the attack was bad enough. I don’t know how I’m going to get through dealing with the police… and my parents… and the media… all on my own.
“Rowan? This is Dex. Tell me what happened.”
His demanding voice snaps me out of my spiral long enough to answer. “A stalker… approached me in the lobby bar… followed me upstairs. Forced his way in… and…”
And what? I couldn’t bring myself to say the next words.
“Is he still there? Are you in danger?”
Tears are flowing harder. “He’s dead,” I finally get out on a sob.
“Dead? What the fuck…” Dex pauses only a second before taking charge. “Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna make a call and in less than three minutes I’ll have someone there to help you figure this all out. Okay?” When I can’t answer through my hiccupping tears, he adds a softer, “Rowan, honey… can you hold it together for just a few more minutes?”
Can I?
I don’t really have a choice.
“I’ll try,” I finally get out.
“Good girl. Katja’s gonna take the phone back. She’ll stay with you while I make a call, okay?”
The only reply I can muster is a humming, “Uh ha.”
Katja’s voice returns to the call. Now that I know help is on the way, the burst of adrenaline that saved my life is deserting me. I don’t really hear the words she’s saying, but I let my friend’s voice serve as my lifeline.
Help is on the way. I just need to hold on a bit longer.
Time passes in fits and starts during a crisis. As I collapse back on the floor, getting more and more light-headed, fatigue hits hard. I lose my grip on my phone, letting it drop to the tile. I hate that the stench of cigarettes reminds me of how close my attacker’s dead body is to my own.
I jump at the sharp pounding on my door. My brain knows it’s someone here to help me, but that’s when I realize I’m nearly naked and covered in blood. I try to push to my feet so I can open the door but I’m grateful when I hear the click of the lock just before the door bursts open.
I’m in shock. I’m hallucinating.
“Fuck… What the hell…” my rescuer exclaims as I collapse back to the floor.
He’s on his knees, next to me, placing his arm behind my neck, and lifting me up as he cradles my broken body. His concerned face is just inches away, making it impossible for me to be mistaken.
My vision turns to spots, slowly wiping out the handsome face above me. My last thought is that at least I finally got Z in my room.
Don’t miss reserving your copy of Rowan and Z’s story, Dirty Ledger, now available at all vendors. After you grab your copy, be sure to come back here to keep reading the amazing bonus scenes from when Dex, Katja, and Simon were kids growing up in The Whitney.
Bonus Scene #1
Katja - Five Years Old
There’s a small box sitting on my bedside table when I wake up. I jump out of bed, excited to open my present, except it isn’t wrapped in paper like on Christmas morning or my birthday.
And there’s no card.
I take the top of the box off, ripping through the tissue paper inside until I uncover the mystery gift.