Chapter 2

I looked around nervously, sweat starting to bead on my forehead. My bag was still by the front door. I hadn't brought it in, and my phone was buried inside.

Seriously, was the universe out to get me? It was just a few steps, but right now it felt like the longest walk in the world.

From what I overheard in my previous life, these people were part of an organized gang. They'd already killed more than once.

Now I was a sitting duck, completely at their mercy.

What if I just holed up in here and refused to go out?

I glanced at the door and felt despair wash over me. It was so flimsy that a single guy could probably smash it to pieces.

I couldn't just sit here and wait for them to come for me.

Then I spotted the bookshelf and a plan started forming in my mind. There were pads under it, so I could slide it around without messing up the floor.

I went over and tried to shove it, but the thing wouldn't move an inch. I took a deep breath and started yanking all the books out as fast as I could. Finally, I got it to budge.

Just as I was about to push it into place, someone knocked on the door again.

"Quinn, come on out," Ruby called from outside the door.

"You guys go ahead and eat first. I'm gonna take a shower and get changed," I called out, forcing myself to sound brave.

Then I headed straight for the bathroom and turned on the faucet, letting the water roar.

Ruby really walked away, just as I'd hoped.

Outside, things got noisy fast. They were packing up the cards and moving chairs and tables around. These guys were total rude, and the living room was instantly filled with chaos.

Taking advantage of the commotion, I hurried to shove the bookshelf in front of the door, and then stuffed whatever I could inside to add some weight.

The door opened inward, so if those four guys decided to use brute force, the bookshelf would only hold for a little while, just buying myself a few precious minutes.

But I still needed a real escape plan.

I rushed to the windowsill, peered outside, and let out a heavy sigh.

I was on the nineteenth floor. How the hell was I supposed to get down from here?

The north and south balconies were only accessible from the living room. My place was just a bedroom, a bathroom, and a tiny living room.

The only way out was the window, but it was sealed shut with steel bars. Even the little vent window was way up high and barely big enough for my hand.

How could I get someone's attention out there and make them call the police for me?

Who would ever imagine that, in broad daylight, someone could be teetering right on the edge between life and death?

I hurried to grab a pen and some paper, scribbled "Call 911" in big letters, and pressed it up against the window, praying someone outside would notice.

I checked to see if it worked, but it was pretty bad. The words were so small that there was no way anyone downstairs would notice.

The building across the street was a bit closer, but hardly anyone lived there. Even if someone saw it, would they care enough to do anything?

Then I suddenly remembered that there was a hot guy in the building across the way who was always working out on his balcony. Sometimes I'd sneak a look at him, but I had no clue if he was home now.

I grabbed my binoculars, adjusted the focus, and scanned his balcony. The lens landed right on his face.

But how was I supposed to make him notice me?

Ruby banged on the door again, and she called out, sounding annoyed. "Quinn, come on out!"

"I'm going to bed. I'm not having dinner. I'm trying to lose some weight," I shot back.

"It's just my family here. Come say hi," Ruby said, trying to push the door open.

"I'm not feeling well. I think I've got a fever," I insisted stubbornly.

"Open the door. Let me take a look and get you some medicine," Ruby said, sounding even more anxious now.

"I already took some medicine. I just need to sleep it off. I'll be fine. You guys go ahead and eat," I said, trying to reassure her.

Then I added, "Once I've rested and feel better, I'll come out. Just save me some food, okay?"

They hadn't stuffed themselves yet, so nobody was in a rush to meet me.

Ruby grumbled as she walked away, clearly not happy about it.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief and got back to work. In a crisis like this, my brain felt totally frozen. All I could do was panic, and my usual quick thinking had completely deserted me.

How could I get the guy across the way to notice me? Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me out of nowhere.

I grabbed a makeup mirror and started fiddling with it, trying to catch the sunlight just right. After a while, I finally managed to bounce a beam straight onto the guy's face across the way.

He squinted and looked uncomfortable, turning his head away from the light. I quickly flashed the mirror at him a few more times. Looking pretty irritated, he finally walked over to the window.

My heart was pounding out of my chest as I murmured, "Come on, look over here, look over here!"

But all he did was lower the blinds.

Dude, for real? How could you be so careless?

I was so desperate that I almost hurled the mirror across the room.

I tried to steady myself. Freaking out wouldn't do me any good right now. Time to use every trick I could think of.

I murmured desperately, "Please, just get bored and bail before I have to come out."