AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey. How was practice?”
He sits down at the table with me and stares me down. “Don’t do that. Don’t make small talk to avoid talking about what happened.”
I set my pen down and run my hand through my hair, blowing out a breath. “I don’t even know where to start.”
He grips my hand, attempting to comfort me. “At the beginning, I guess. Walk me through everything.”
I watch his face transform through a wide array of emotions as I recant my interaction with Grant. A montage of anger, shock, and sadness make their way through his eyes. By the time I’m done, all that’s there is worry.
“I would never leave you. You know that, right?” I need to make absolutely sure he understands that I have zero intention of going back to Grant. Joey nods his head with a relieved smile. “If he thinks there’s even a chance he could find something to get your shop shut down, he’ll do it. Or he’ll find a way to get us both fired from the school. He’s a resourceful man, Joey — even if we get a protective order, he could still make life difficult for us.”
Joey cups my face in his hands. “He can fucking try, Angel, but he won’t get very far. I appreciate you trying to handle this, but I need you to let me take care of it now.”
My breath hitches in my throat and comes out shuddered. “How are you going to do that?”
He shakes his head and lets out a sigh. “I don’t know yet, but I know one thing for sure. I won’t let him take you away from me.”
Chapter 40
My legs feel unsteady underneath me as I walk into my lawyer’s office and check in. It’s been a week since Grant’s visit to my shop and his attempt to get Kelsey back — since then it’s been radio silence. That should be comforting, but it’s not. I’ve been on the defensive, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I’ve had Frankie keeping an eye on the street my shop was on, noting anything that looks suspicious. He’s already aware of what Grant’s car looks like, but I wouldn’t put it past that son of a bitch to hire a private investigator to follow Kelsey and me.
I’ve been reluctant to let Kelsey out of my sight for fear of what he might do to her. She thinks I’m being paranoid and overprotective, but I’ve dealt with people like Grant before. I know the depths someone like him will go to get what he wants.
“Mr. Brooks?” The receptionist calls from the doorway, and I look up in her direction. “Mr. D’Antonio is ready for you. Follow me.”
I can hear Max’s voice before I make it to his office — he lives up to the Italian stereotype of speaking in all caps.
“Joey! What’s up, man? Long time, no see!” he greets me excitedly with a fist bump. We’ve always had an informal relationship. “Have a seat. Can I have Alexis get you some water or something?”
“I’m okay, thanks.”
Alexis nods and leaves, closing the door behind her.
“You sounded kind of panicked on the phone — what’s going on?” Max sits back against his office chair, absent-mindedly clicking a pen while he swivels side to side.
“Are you familiar with Grant Davis? He works for the District Attorney’s office.”
Max lets out a low chuckle. “Yeah — he’s a ruthless little fuck, that one. What about him?”
“He’s my girlfriend’s ex, and he’s causing a lot of problems for her which, in turn, is causing problems for me.”
His casual demeanor dissipates as he leans forward over his desk. “What kind of problems are we talking about? Stalking? Death threats? Vandalism?”
“He’s been making weak attempts to get her back. You know, the typical bullshit — flowers, begging text messages, all that crap. He attacked her at a restaurant last weekend, telling her that she had no right to break up with him. He showed up at my shop, and when Kelsey went to talk to him about it, he threatened to —” I bring my fingers up into air quotes. “Make our lives a living hell if she doesn’t take him back.”
Max’s eyes are wide as saucers as he blows out a breath. “That’s, uh, that’s a lot to take in.” His interlocked fingers bang against the desk while he thinks. “Have you considered filing a protective order against him?”
I shake my head in response. “I mentioned it, but Kelsey thinks he’d get it thrown out.”
“She might be right, but it’s still worth a shot. I can draw up something that doesn’t have room for loopholes. It’ll make it more difficult for him to get it dismissed.”
Once again — this sentiment should be comforting, but it’s not. “It’s not enough, Max. What if he finds a way to mess with my business? Or tries to get Kelsey fired from the school?”
Max sighs defeatedly, shaking his head. A few moments pass by before he appears to have an idea. “What’s the likelihood that he’d be involved in something shady?”
Well, he’s shady enough to cheat on Kelsey, so I wouldn’t put it past him. “I’d say there’s a pretty high chance of it, why?”
