“You filled it out on the application,” he says, and he looks around, and I have to wonder if he is judging me because of the apartment. I know it’s not much, and his closet is probably the size of my whole apartment, but it’s clean, and it’s ours. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?” His eyes are now on mine, and I see that his jaw is tight.

“I didn’t get them,” I say, closing the door and closing my eyes before turning around and getting ready to lie out of my ass.

“Really?” he says, never once blinking. “So the four times I just called and you didn’t answer, you didn’t hear?”

“How …?” I ask, and he holds up his hand.

“I’ve been standing outside your door for the past thirty minutes,” he says. “I didn’t hear anything, so I called.” He puts his hands on his hips. “I thought something happened to you.”

“Well, as you can see, we are fine,” I say, ignoring the fact that my heart just skipped when he said he was worried about me. I don’t think anyone has ever worried about me. “So if that was all you came here for …” I’m about to tell him he can go when there is another knock on the door, and this time, it’s not soft like his was. Suddenly, my neck starts to burn, and my heart beats faster for a whole different reason. “Were you expecting someone?” he asks, and I just shake my head. He must see that my hands are shaking when he walks past me and opens the door, coming face-to-face with a man who I knew it would be only a matter of time until he paid me another visit.

“Who are you?” he asks, and he makes my skin crawl. I spot him dressed up in his usual camo pants and white T-shirt and a jean jacket. He is wearing a jean jacket to probably hide the fact he has a gun tucked into the back of his pants. He looks over Justin, spotting me, and calls my name. “Caroline.”

“Can I help you with something?” Justin says, and Vince laughs and looks down and then up.

“He isn’t here,” I say, walking to the door and trying to stand in front of Justin, but he puts his arm out and stops me from standing in front of him.

“Where is he?” Vince looks at me.

“I don’t know,” I say softly.

“He owes me five large,” he says, and I close my eyes. “Took off with some of my shit.”

“Well, he isn’t here,” I say again.

“That doesn’t help you,” Vince says.

“Well, I guess she tried,” Justin now says.