tabel sighed again. 'Maybe it's another look-alike.'
She had gotten used to hearing this from Kira
During the few drinking sessions they shared over the years, Kira would get plastered and then claim she'd just seen Austyn on the street. Hut her claims never panned out.
Kira wasn't surprised by Isabel's reaction
Like the lad who cried wolf too many times, she had lost all credibility with her friends when it came to this matter about Austyn.
In fact, Kira would not have believed it herself if she hadn't seen him with her own eyes.
'It's true, habel. I saw him."
Kira had seen him, touched him, and felt the warmth of his hands.
But then she was pushed away, and he went to hug another woman.
"He lost his memory, Kiracontinued. "It's going to take some time to convince him to come back to Stamford with me. He sees me as a total stranger now and seems to be wary of me." Austyn was slow to warm up to strangers to begin with.
He was even more guarded after Kira said she was responsible for that bullet hole in his shoulder.
"Wait, you're not making this up? You've really seen him? Isabel was incredulous.
Austyn was in Rincon
He'd lost his memory?
For real?
Isabel was bowled over by the news.
"I'm trying to talk to him, ora said. 'See if I can either jog his memory or cam his trust. He needs to come back to Stamford with me."
He had friends hack home who never gave up the search.
He had a mother who was waiting for him
was counting on Jesse to help Austyn regain his memory.
"You are right. "Isabel nodded. 'I'll hold off on telling Charlotte about the news, then!This belongs to - ©.
They chatted for a while longer, then Kira hung up.
She turned around and collided with aman
ney, watch where you are going!"
Kira caught the stink of alcohol from the man's breath.
She apologised again and tried to step around him.
""Hey, did I say you can leave
The man blocked her path
He crossed his beefy arms and sized Kira up
*Well, well, well, What have we here? A pretty lady, ipabar, all by her lonesome selt!"
Kira retreated a step and squared her shoulders.
She shot the man a look, meant to intimidate
"let out of my way!!
The drunkard was undeterred.
"You don't get to just walkoff after almost knocking me to the
Kira said nothing
Have a drink with me, then we'll call it even."
ground. Do you even know who I am?!
Girl Who Ched Wolf Too Many Times:
Kira ignored him and tried to find Rony's name on her contact
The man snatched her phone out of her hand.
try, give it back'
Kita glowered at him, but the man was taller than her and held up the phone out of her reach..
calling the cops, hah? You must be from out of town. Everyone In these parts knows the chief of police and are thick as thieves. We are practically brothers from different mothers." His speech was starred
His foul breath assaulted Kita's nose
Come on, it's just one drink I'll pay,
Kira shoved him back when he reached out a hand to grab her.
olve me back my phone she growled. "You have connections. So do I'
Kura said it to scare the monoff.
It would have given him pause if the man was sober
But alcohol dulled his brain
Instead of being wamed, he was provoked.
He took a menacing step forward.
"Who? Who's your connection? call him. Gall him now! We'll see who's the bigger shot"
Kira eyed her phone, still clutched in the man's meaty paws and out of her reach
This was her first visit to a bar in four years.
Yet she had the misfortune of running into a boorish drunkard
Kira decided that discretion was the better part of valour.
She could recover her phone later or buy a new one, but staying here a moment longer might lead to bigger, more unpleasant losses.
The guy sensed her intention to retreat.
For a man built like a tank and drunk out of his mind, he was surprisingly last on his feet,
With two quick strides, he blocked Kira's exit again.
she was trapped in a comer with her back against the wall.
"Are you leaving without saying goodbye? The min smirked. That's rude.!
He grabbed her wrist.
'Let me go!!
Kara struggled violently.
She raised her right leg and kicked him as hard as she could.
Her foot landed somewhere above his age but missed his groin.
The man grunted in pain.
'You bitch!!
Enraged, he raised his hand to slap her
His thick wrist was stopped mid-air and seized in a vice-like grip.
The next second, Kira felt herself being drawn into a warm embrace.
Herback was pressed against a man's chest.
She caught a whiff of the familiar citrus scent and her heart was instantly put at ease.
She felt his chest vibrate as he spoke. 'Get lost."
Austyn shook off the drunkard's wrist.
The gun swore and was about to charge again
But when he looked up, he gazed into a pair of dark, cold, fathomless eyes.
The man shivered.
He took two steps back without realising it.
Austyn threw an arm around Kira's shoulders and was about to leave.
"What?" Austyn El
glanced down at her.
"My phone. Ile's got my phone!!
The Girl Who Cried Wolf Too Many Times
The drunkard was still rooted to the spot, gawking at Austyn
Brainless Bimbo
"Stay here," Austyn strode back to the man and held out his hand.
The drunkard recolled even though Austyn had yet to touch him. 'Here, take it!'
He thrust out his hand
Austyn book the phone and gave it back to Kica.
She stuffed it into her pants pocket.
This was her third phone in as many years.
Her trusty old Samsung Galaxy Sio was stolen four years ago.
The loss was devastating
It was a gift from her father, and it contained photos of her and Austyn.
She had not gotten the chance to back up those photos to the cloud.
Kira held backca sigh
If she still had those photos, she wouldn't have needed to ask jesse to bring the marriage certificate as proot.
But then, for a man as cautious as Austyn, be'd probably claim those photos could be fake.
"Let's go!
"play." Kira walked alongside Austyn
e was about to ask him what he was doing here when a man stepped into their path
Shev
'Mr Taylor! I was wondering if you'd gotten lost."
He smelled and sounded drink