2 Chapter 2

I shrugged, despite my body’s soreness. “Suit yourself. Fair warning—I live in a shitty complex, and my apartment is a mess due to my previous work schedule.” I led the way inside, the stranger right beside me. “Name’s Mel Stokes, by the way.”

“Lenny Mitchen,” the guy said, and his smile in the light of the lobby was a heart-stopper. He had gray eyes, too. I’d always been a sucker for that color. Not quite handsome, but striking. I would definitely have picked him up in a bar, or at the grocery store.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

We took the elevator to the third floor, then headed down the hall, the old carpet beneath our feet faded and filthy, and the wallpaper peeling in many places.

“You may be right about this place. ‘Decrepit’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. No offense meant.”