I quickly walk around the counter and place my hand gently on Abram’s arm.
“Please, let him go,” I say to him in a pleading tone, avoiding Jack’s brimming glare.
Abram closes his eyes and lets out a string of curse words. He opens his eyes and glances at me.
His eyes seem to soften a little, and he drops Jack like a bag of crap.
“Get the hell out of here,” Abram says in a quiet voice that does nothing to hide his boiling anger.
Jack pulls himself up, cradling his bloody jaw.
He scurries out of the store, but not before throwing a scalding glance at me over Abram’s shoulder. I swallow hard and tear my gaze away from his creepy black eyes.
Abram steps in front of me and takes my hand gently in his. A muscle ticks in his jaw, the only indication of his residual anger. Yet, his eyes are gentle when he raises them to meet mine.
“Let’s go get this checked out. Your skin is bruising up.”
“I’m fine,” I mutter monotonously, staring detachedly at the angry red marks that Jack’s grip left on my wrist.
What would have happened if Abram hadn’t shown up…? I don’t want to think about that. I don’t want to think about anything.
“That looks painful,” Abram insists. He mutters a soft curse and lets out a sigh of frustration. “That bastard,” he mutters almost to himself. “I should have dragged him to the police station. How could he do that thing to you?”
“It’s fine,” I say, mustering a small smile. “I just need to put some ice on it.”
“Come,” Abram says, already pulling me toward the customers’ waiting area. “Sit down. I’ll get the ice.”
I obey quietly, too tired and overwhelmed to argue otherwise.
Abram hurries to the refrigerator and pulls out a bag of ice. He returns to my side in long, almost hurried strides. He stoops in front of me and gently places the ice pack on the bruised skin.
When he raises his eyes to mine again, his face holds a pained expression that makes my heart clench with some unknown emotion.
He looks genuinely concerned for me.
“Who was that earlier?” Abram asks quietly.
I search his eyes because I can’t tell what he’s thinking from his impassive tone.
My heart dangerously skips a beat when our eyes meet.
His hand is still cradling mine beneath the ice pack, sending tingles to every part of my body.
I bite my lip and lower my gaze.
“Jack,” I reply with a deep sigh. “He’s my landlord.”
Abram blinks up at me, looking a little confused. “What does he want?”
I wish I knew.
I sigh deeply, a familiar sinking feeling settling in my chest.
“I don’t know what he wants from me. He breaks into my apartment under the guise of maintenance, and I feel his eyes on me almost everywhere I turn. The first night I slept in your place…it was because Jack broke into my apartment even after I changed my locks. I couldn’t stay there anymore. I don’t know how he found me here.”
Abram drops the icepack on the ground and runs a hand through his hair in frustration.
He raises his eyes to mine and sighs deeply in frustration.