A Vigilante

012

"When you said you had a place for me to stay, I expected some sort of safe house, not an apartment on the uppermost side," I chime, keeping my head down as Ace leads me out the elevator. When I see that the wide and clean carpeted hallway is empty, I raise my head just a little. Only enough to allow myself to look past my hoodie. Six brown doors line the halls- three on either side. Ace strides to the last one and I grimace at the distance of the door to the elevator. Awful for a quick escape.

We had spent hours at the bar. Mainly discussing and planning our next moves. We are pushed into a corner now, the best we could do was prepare. We had created plans for the police if they were to find out who I am. Well, from the looks of things, when they find out. We also agreed that I would stay with Ace until I was no longer in danger. Thing is, I don't quite know when that will be. Three people in the span of three hours pulled guns on me. From Ace's intel, a lot more people were finding out about me.But with no solid proof, Ace has been trying to counter rumors- claiming them to be false. But as it shows his word is not strong when angry criminals now have a face to put to their most hated executioner.

All Epifano had to do was start a rumor and now my life is in grave danger.

"Well no one but me knows about this place so it's the safest place for you right now." He opens the door with a key, standing aside for me to go in.

I finally remove the hood covering my head, allowing myself free movement to survey Ace's apparent apartment. We walk in further. It is twice the size of mine with white walls and black furniture. I didn't peg Ace to be one for interior design but his abode says otherwise. It gives a modern ambience as we make our way to the living room, with a stretched black sofa in the middle of the room and a flat-screen hanging across from it. The wall behind the sofa is covered by black louvers, probably blocking a magnificent view of the city below. I am silently thankful for it. I do not want to see the city.

"You know, I kind of thought you just lived at the bar," I say, truthfully, my eyes still roaming the room. No personal pictures of himself or anyone else. Just generic art hanging on the otherwise plain walls.

"That would be awful," He states. "Make yourself at home."

Staying with Ace isn't exactly my first choice. I had been alone with him several times but something about staying in his apartment feels different. Though currently, I am too exhausted to bring myself on edge. I am tired of the paranoia. I could only hope that Ace is truly safe at this point.

"I'm crashing on the couch right?" I ask though it's something we had already spoken about briefly.

"Well it's a one room apartment so unless you wanna sleep on my bed?"He raises an eyebrow suggestively.

"Yeah, no. Do you have coffee?" I ask, dropping my duffel bag filled with clothes and necessities on the couch. We had stopped by my apartment before coming here. To my frustration, I had to stay in the car while Aaleyah got me my things. She would currently be staying in an apartment above ours by herself.

"Yes. But you aren't getting any," Ace answers my question while walking towards what I assume is his kitchen.

"What? Why?" I follow him in. I am correct as we enter a pristine kitchen. I also did not peg Ace as being someone this neat. The kitchen looks like one on display at the furniture store, still carrying the black and white theme of the rest of the apartment.

"Well for starters, you look like you haven't slept for days," he looks over to me before his fridge.

"Ouch." I lean forward against the black marble counter. "You try sleeping when a crime lord knows your identity."