Free Dying To Be Heard (Book 1): Outcry by Jennifer Michiels Page B

actually water under it or not because of a large levee blocking the view. She could imagine it would be an amazing place for a sunset walk.
    Leaning forward and pressing her forehead to the glass, she tried to look straight down at what was on the street below. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, only her curiosity was guiding her, but what she found was a little unnerving. A tall, bulky man leaned against a “no parking” sign, smoking a cigarette. He looked greasy and dirty even from this distance, and she could only presume how he smelled.
    But what was odd was that she could have sworn he was looking directly at her. What were the odds that of all the windows on this side of the building, he chose to stare at hers?
    He brought the slender white stick to his mouth and blew a puff of smoke into the air, eyes never leaving hers.
    Is he smirking at me ?
    She shook her head and backed away. She was becoming more and more paranoid by the second and hated the feeling. She didn't want to suspect or worry that someone was following her, hiding in her closet or under the bed. It left a sinking pit in the bottom of her stomach where anxiousness and fear flipped and flopped in a nauseating sort of tango. She couldn't even begin to count the number of times she'd repeated the same phrase over and over in her head: I just want it all to end.
    She had a feeling it wouldn't be happening anytime soon. It was just the beginning. She'd only just managed to get some minor bits of information from Camden. There was much more work to be done still.
    Just the thought made her temples throb and sharp pains shoot through her skull. Lovely. Just lovely. She really could have done without the migraine. Sighing and squinting her eyes against the pain, she noticed, for the first time, an open door on the other side of the room. She strode over and was amazed when she stepped inside.
    Everything was beyond exquisite. Tan marble countertops matched the tile in the giant walk-in shower that sported four or five chrome shower heads and contrasted magnificently with the slate gray covering the floor. The walls were a smooth shade of cream that she wouldn't have guessed would have actually worked with the palette, but it did.
    It was her own personal heaven.
    She excitedly reached inside the shower and turned the faucet all the way to hot. She couldn't wait to feel the steam on her skin, and undressed as fast as she could. A sharp hiss escaped through clenched teeth as the initial sting subsided. There was nothing better than a long, hot shower to wash away the tension and burden that somehow had found a resting place within her.
    Since yesterday, she had been nothing but one tight ball of everything she hated. It wasn't like her to get worked up easily or let things bother her to the point that it was physically tiresome. Even circumstances like these should be nothing. Life had thrown her some wicked curveballs, including having to quit college one semester before graduation because her mother was dying of cancer. Then, after her passing, she couldn't afford to pay funeral costs, student loans, rent, and utilities while attending school, so she'd made the choice to drop out and join the workforce early.
    It was by no means easy for her, but she'd managed it all without completely drowning, and came out on the other side a better person because of it. Her mother had been the most precious thing in her universe, and Rayne would have given her own life to have one more day with her.
    It shouldn't be that upsetting to have that very same existence threatened by whoever was after her. Rayne turned to face one of the spouts and lifted her head to let the water cascade down her neck and over her chest, hoping that it would cleanse her mind as well. She wasn't fond of digging up the past. Dwelling on things only made her feel sorry for herself, and that never helped anyone accomplish anything. It always could be worse. She remembered that every time