And there it was. Franky and his balls driving down the street at a speed that must have been illegal, disappearing from view.

Except it wasn’t only the decal I couldn’t see. “Rewind it,” I told Jake, hoping against all hope… nothing. I couldn’t tell who was in the driver’s seat, even though I was sure that was Franky’s car.

“That’s him, isn’t it?” Jake asked, already reading my thoughts.

“I… it’s his car. I just can’t see him. But it has to be.”

A slash of anger crossed over Jake’s features. Pure and fiery, the kind of anger reserved only for someone who proved to be vile, the scummiest of scums. His brow furrowed, and his cheek flinched as he bit down on it, jaw tensed. It was so starkly different from the loving and sensual man I’d experienced for hours on end, his eyes as soft as silk even though his body proved to be as hard as diamonds.

“This ends today,” he said, just as the doorbell rang, the police announcing their presence loud enough for the entire block to hear.

“Huh?” I asked, following behind him, walking into the dark hall and feeling my mouth go instantly dry, imagining all kinds of horrors in the shadows. They were immediately banished once Jake flipped on the lights, washing away any fear of the unknown as we continued down the steps and toward the front door.

“I’m going to talk to him,” Jake said. “You’re giving me Franky’s information, and I’m going to speak to him.”

My mouth fell into a slant, my head cocked to the side. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s the only idea I’ve got. I doubt the police can do anything without having an actual ID or proof that it was him trying to break in and not just driving through the neighborhood. So I’m going to confront him and ask him why the fuck he’s harassing my, eh, good friend.”

The pause before the title made me stumble a bit.

“Let’s just talk to the police and figure out what they say.” I crossed my arms, shaking my head. “I don’t want you getting involved in this. At all.”

“I think it’s a little late for that,” he said, hand on the doorknob. “But it’s going to be okay, alright? I promise you.” He reached out and rubbed my arm, his cool blue eyes swirling with confidence. I believed him, even though I wasn’t sure how the hell this would turn out alright. Not unless Franky was in handcuffs and behind bars by the end of the day. That’s the only outcome I could see as being a positive one; everything else left me living in a constant state of fear and anxiety.