Free Surviving Brooklyn (Brooklyn Series Book 1) by Elizabeth York Page A

me. I was shaken when I felt my phone vibrate in my purse, then opened it to see a very angry text from Mark and nineteen missed calls.
    There was a little boy standing with his mother enjoying the view as the sun rose over New York City. I watched as he played with his teddy bear, unaware of the danger lurking in the city. He was safe as long as he didn’t have anything that resembled me, after all the killer only wanted women who looked like me. Then he looked at me, his bright blue eyes glimmering, and I nearly vomited with the thought that he could one day be a victim merely because his eyes matched mine.
    I downloaded a game to my phone and turned it on airplane mode, then I tip-toed over and handed it to him.
    “This is our secret,” I whispered, while his mother looked through the viewfinder. He immediately sat down by her feet and began playing without saying a word. I walked back inside and took the elevator to floor one hundred and two.
    As I stared out the windows, the storm in the distance kept me mesmerized. I watched the lighting jump, placing my hands on the glass and looking downward. It was so surreal, my brain was playing flashbacks of being against the glass the previous night.
    My nipples hardened and my heart raced. My body was betraying my heart. I could still feel every touch and kiss. I yearned for him to be with me, but my heart begged me to make him stay away. I didn’t even hear the man’s voice until he placed a hand on my shoulder.
    “Ma’am, are you all right?” he asked.
    I startled, then turned to find a very tall security guard behind me. He was broad shouldered, and something about his demeanor made him seem like a country boy. He had dirty blond hair and familiar green eyes.
    My stomach quivered with unease. I knew his eyes from the man in the park, but nothing else about him made him seem like the same man.
    “I am okay, just needed some air,” I replied, hoping he would understand the implication that I needed some space. He did not get the hint. Instead, he stood beside me, looking down on the buildings below.
    “I have always been told I am a great listener. Anything you need to get off your chest?” he asked.
    “I don’t know you. Why would I tell you?” I replied hastily.
    “Ma’am, you would be surprised what people have told me, when they come up here, and look at the world the way you are looking at it right now. You are standing against the glass as if you wish you could fall.”
    I took a step back and turned toward him, placing my hands on my hips.
    “I am not suicidal. I am working. I just needed some air, and furthermore, I just had my heart broken, which is why I needed to get some fresh air alone .”
    “I meant no harm, ma’am.” He lifted his hands in a defensive manner. Then, as he lowered his hands, he asked, “What did he do?”
    “He didn’t love me,” I replied, a tear rolling down my face. I turned back to the glass and faced the storm. I knew how it felt. So full of life and energy, but after a few raindrops it would feel weak and dissipate into the atmosphere.
    “Ma’am, I don’t know you or your story, but I can tell you what my momma always said. When someone breaks your heart, you coin toss. Heads, you give them one last chance. Tails, you forget they even existed. I have a coin, do you want to play a game with me?”
    I immediately turned and out of instinct I reached to pop the strap on my holster that I had surrendered before coming up in the elevator. I stared at him, watching as he flipped the coin and waited for my response.
    “Games are for children,” I retorted. “This is real life.” I backed away from him as he smiled like a Cheshire cat, and I suddenly missed my phone. It was him, I knew it was. I walked back through the doors as he followed me.
    “You really are a beautiful woman,” he said. “I love the way your hair accents your eyes. Whoever he was doesn’t deserve you. Maybe he should have his heart ripped