Blown Away. Elle James

one with cars parked along the side. Cutting her headlights, she downshifted to slow her car without using the breaks, sliding into a spot behind another car against the curb. Before the headlights appeared, she’d killed the engine.

      She ducked low in her seat and waited. Less than a minute went by and the headlights moved slowly along the other street, passing the one she’d turned on.

      Even after the car passed, TJ remained where she was, her heart pounding in her ears. How long should she wait? Was she being paranoid?

      Headlights appeared at the end of the street in front of her and TJ’s heart skipped a beat. Crud. Maybe she wasn’t just paranoid. Maybe someone was following her.

      TJ sank lower in her seat as the car drifted by. Unable to see over the top of the dash or the side of the door, she held her breath as the sound of an automobile engine passed. It did pass, and shortly after, TJ eased her head up. The car was gone and the street was empty of any oncoming traffic.

      Turning the key in the ignition, TJ almost had a heart attack when the little car wouldn’t start. On a second twist of the key, the engine sprang to life. The rest of her trip to her apartment remained blessedly uneventful.

      Outside her apartment door, her hands shook as she jammed the key into the lock. She’d glanced over her shoulder at least ten times before her apartment door opened, expecting the eerie headlights to reappear on the street or a bogeyman to jump out of the bushes at any minute.

      Once inside, she slammed her door shut and slid the bolt home. That wasn’t enough. A quick trip through the two bedrooms, kitchen and living space finally set her mind at ease. No one had come into her apartment while she’d been at work. A quick glance out the darkened windows confirmed no one lurked in the street.

      A shaky laugh escaped her and she collapsed onto the couch, dropping her head into her hands. Sean’s reappearance had shaken her more than she cared to admit.

      She forced a laugh, then almost choked on it when headlights shone through the filmy curtains of her living-room window. A car cruised by on her street like a snake sliding through the grass in search of its next meal.