More Than Friends

Chapter 14: Ain't Nowhere Safe

Nicole's heart started poundin' soon as she read the latest message. You think the cops can protect you? She ain't know what to do. This wasn't no joke. Somebody was really out here watchin' her every move, and it was messin' with her head bad.

Her hands was shakin' as she showed the message to Devin. He leaned in, eyes darkenin' as he read it.

"They know, Dev. They knew I went to the cops. How they know that?" Nicole's voice was shaky, the fear creepin' in.

Devin's jaw tightened, lookin' real serious. "Whoever this is, they close. They gotta be watchin' you, followin' you or somethin'."

Nicole's chest felt tight. The thought of somebody out there, lurkin' around, watchin' her every step—it was too much. "What we gon' do?"

Devin started pacin', hands on his head. "We can't just sit here and wait for the cops to figure it out. You can't be goin' nowhere alone till we know who this is."

Nicole nodded, her mind racin'. "But who would it be, though? I ain't got no beef with nobody. Why they comin' after me?"

Devin paused, thinkin'. "It could be somebody from work, maybe somebody from the crew. Hell, it could be somebody you met recently. But I ain't takin' no chances. I'm stayin' close."

Nicole felt her stomach churn. The idea that it could be somebody in her circle? That scared her more than anything. "I don't even know who to trust anymore."

Devin stepped up to her, grabbin' her hands, his voice softer now. "You can trust me, Nic. I ain't lettin' nothin' happen to you. We gon' figure this out."

She looked into his eyes, feelin' a little calmer. Devin was her rock right now, but deep down, that fear wasn't goin' nowhere. Whoever was doin' this wasn't gon' stop till they got what they wanted, and she had no idea what that was.

The Next Day

Nicole couldn't focus on nothin'. Everything felt like it was fallin' apart. She kept lookin' over her shoulder, feelin' like eyes was on her even when she was alone. Every time her phone buzzed, she jumped, expectin' another message.

She sat at the coffee shop with Tasha, explainin' what was goin' down. Tasha's eyes widened as she read the latest text. "Girl, this serious. You need to stick close to Devin. Don't be out here by yourself."

Nicole nodded, voice low. "I know. I been stayin' at his spot. But still... I don't know what to do."

Tasha grabbed her hand, givin' it a squeeze. "We gon' figure this out. You got Devin, you got me. Whoever doin' this gon' slip up, and when they do, we gon' handle it."

Nicole nodded, but the idea of somebody close to her bein' behind this? It made her sick to her stomach. "What if it's somebody we know?"

Tasha frowned, leanin' back in her chair. "If it is, we gotta start lookin' at everybody. Somebody been keepin' too close of an eye on you. That's how they know so much."

Nicole nodded again, but the whole situation was weighin' heavy on her. Could it really be somebody she trusted? She hated even thinkin' like that, but what other choice did she have?

That Night

Back at Devin's crib, the tension was thick. Nicole sat on the couch, phone in hand, waitin' for the next text, feelin' like it was only a matter of time. Devin was in the kitchen, pacin', clearly as frustrated as she was scared.

Every minute felt like an hour. Nicole's mind kept racin', runnin' through all the people in her life, tryna figure out who could be doin' this. She ain't notice nobody actin' strange, but maybe she missed somethin'. Maybe she wasn't payin' enough attention.

Her phone buzzed, and her heart damn near stopped. She looked at the screen, feelin' like the ground just fell out from under her.

You ain't safe anywhere.

Nicole's breath caught in her throat. The words felt like a death sentence, like somebody was comin' for her. Her hand shook as she showed the message to Devin.

He read it, and his face darkened with anger. "That's it. We can't keep waitin' around for this person to make another move. We gotta figure out who it is."

Nicole swallowed, her voice small. "But how, Dev? How we gon' find 'em?"

Devin's eyes were hard, focused. "We gon' start with the people around us. Somebody slippin', and when they do, we gon' be ready."

Later That Night

Nicole lay awake, starin' at the ceiling. Even with Devin close by, she couldn't shake the fear. It felt like no matter where she was, this person was always watchin', always lurkin'. She just wanted it to stop.

Her phone buzzed again, and her heart dropped. She reached for it, dread settlin' in as she read the message.

It's only a matter of time.

Nicole's heart raced, fear wrappin' tight around her. This wasn't gon' stop. And now, she was more scared than ever.