Chapter 21 The Man Behind The Glass

• The air was thick with the scent of fresh espresso and baked bread as Jessica stepped out of Café Bliss. The paper bag in her left arm crinkled against her chest, still warm from the pastries Marina insisted she bring home. Her right hand clutched a to-go cup, steam curling lazily from the lid into the heavy city night.
• She took one step onto the crosswalk when a sharp hiss escaped her lips.
• The coffee sloshed from the lid and splattered down the front of her coat, stinging her chest and soaking through the fabric in a rush of heat. Jessica gasped, stumbling forward as she tried to steady the cup, but her knee buckled from the jolt of pain, and the paper bag slipped from her grasp.