Felix gripped the handle of her Harley Softail, keeping the engine revved as she hurtled down the highway toward the lights of Chicago. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might have migrated to her head, but she ignored her body and focused on coming up with a plan. Who owed her a favor? Someone she didn't mind putting in harm's way.

Family was out. No way in hell was she sucking them into her crazy mess. Her friends were spread to the four winds, except for the few still living in Chicago, but she wasn't dragging them into her fucked-up life. She considered calling Rusty, her tattoo artist friend, but he had a wife and kid now, so that was a no-go. The most logical choice was Ryan, her former neighbor turned cop, but he had fallen off the social network radar. The only connection she had was through his mom.

The lights of the shopping center came into view, and Felix pulled into the parking lot. Despite the late hour, there were plenty of nighttime shoppers at the twenty-four hour market, giving her reasonable cover. She scanned her smart phone for the number of Bonnie Clark. Surely, she would remember Felix; the shy, geeky neighbor who spent most of her time sitting on the porch clutching a notebook. The only time her son, Ryan, showed any interest in her was when his football landed in her backyard and he needed it back. With a trembling finger, Felix hit the call icon.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end sounded tired, but Felix swallowed her pride and pressed on.

"Hi, Mrs. Clark, this is Felicity Taylor. I used to live next door to you."

There was a long pause, in which Felix prepared to be hung up on. "Felicity? Of course, I remember you. How are you? Is everything okay? What time is it?"

"It's about two in the morning. I'm sorry for calling so late, but I'm kind of in a pickle and I couldn't think of anyone else to call."

Felix heard muffled movement through the phone, probably Mrs. Clark climbing out of bed. "What has happened, dear? I'll do what I can to help you."

"I hate to drag you into this, Mrs. Clark. I was actually hoping you could put me in contact with Ryan. Is he still a cop?"

"Not as such. He left the police force to become an agent with the FBI. Are you in trouble? Have you been hurt?"

"Not yet, but I figure it's only a matter of time. I need a safe place to stay, preferably with someone who has license to carry a gun and knows self-defense, if you know what I mean. That's why I thought of Ryan."

There was an abrupt intake of breath and another long moment of silence. "Ryan lives on Lariat Drive in the Fairview building, apartment 2B. I'll have to text you his number because it's in my phone and I don't have it memorized. That's terrible, isn't it? Everything is on speed dial these days."

"Don't sweat it, Mrs. Clark. Thanks so much for helping me out. I totally owe you."

"I'll text Ryan so he'll be on the lookout for you. Take care, Felicity. I hope everything works out for you."

"Me too. Sorry to disturb you, like this. Take care, Mrs. Clark. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, dear."

Felix shoved the phone back into her jacket pocket, grateful she hadn't gotten any calls or texts from her boyfriend, Andy. With any luck, he would stay ignorant of her mad dash out of town until she found a place to crash. Swinging her bike onto the road, she made tracks for Lariat Drive. She knew exactly where she was going. Chicago had been her home for eighteen years. It wasn't until her second year of college that everything went to hell. Maybe she never should have left.

Her heart hadn't stopped thudding, even as she pulled up in front of Fairview Apartments. There was nowhere to hide her bike, so she left it parked out front, hoping it wouldn't be recognized by one of Andy's asshole friends. Not everyone owned a blue on white Harley Softail Deluxe with a license plate that read SMRTAS. She took the stairs to the second floor and found the door marked 2B. Taking a deep breath and crossing her fingers for luck, she knocked.