Page 60 of Stanton Unconditional

“Can I have a description?” He keeps his eyes cast down as he tries to not embarrass me any further.

Jeez, I have hit the bottom of the barrel. “Pink,” I whisper, mortified.

He bites his lip to stifle his smile. “Pink,” he repeats. I nod. “Yes, pale pink.”

“Pale pink vibrator, anything else to add?” “Underwear.”

“Anything about the vibrator that is identifiable?” He lifts his eyes to meet mine in question.

Good grief, I’ve had enough. “Regular size, regular shape.

Pink!” I snap.

“I see,” he answers as he smirks.

I smile broadly at him as I raise my eyebrows. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is? This is every woman’s worst nightmare.” I rub my forehead as I giggle at this ridiculous turn of events. He smiles. “Looks like you might have to return to your boyfriend, it seems his opposition has disappeared. Maybe he took it to get you back.”

I fake a smile. “You’re hilarious. I didn’t realize police do stand up.”

He laughs. “Trust me, in this job if you don’t laugh, you will cry.”

We walk back into the lounge room where I see Max sitting at the kitchen counter glaring at me. Oh crap, I forgot about him.

The other policeman comes back through the front door. “Two other apartments have also been robbed.”

I nod, relieved, it was just a crazy coincidence.

“I will be in touch if we find anything and a fingerprint team will be around to do the door handle but I’ll bet any money that they wore gloves so we will wait and see.”

I nod and smile as Max shows them out. I walk back into my bedroom and a creepy feeling oozes over me. Who would want a secondhand vibrator? Surely a criminal wouldn’t go home and use it on his wife…would he? Who knows, they are the dregs of society so it wouldn’t surprise me. A cold shiver runs up my spine as the disgusting thought rolls through my head.

Max walks back up to my door. “You okay, Tash?”

I slowly nod. “Yeah, sorry I’ve been a bitch tonight. I can’t handle all of you guys ganging up on me,” I reply softly.

He puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Tash, we don’t try to gang up on you. We care about Joshua. He’s in love with you. We want him to be happy.”

My eyes tear up. “Can you stay in here in the spare room tonight? I’m a bit freaked out,” I whisper.

He nods. “What did they take from your bedroom that you’re not telling me?”

I shrug. “Nothing. I just wanted some privacy.”

He reluctantly nods and walks over to the door to leave, then he turns. “Tash.”

My eyes meet his. “Yes.”

“For the record, Amelie went to Joshua’s room that night, not the other way around. He was so upset about it he left without any guards and then nearly got killed by a hit man on the way home. He didn’t tell you this because he doesn’t want you frightened, not because he’s trying to keep secrets. He’s trying to protect you.”

I drop my head as I listen.

“We were all as shocked as you. Joshua tells us nothing, he only speaks to Cameron and Adrian. You underestimate him. He doesn’t talk about his private life to anyone.”

I nod with my eyes on the ground. “Thanks, Max,” I whisper through my tears as the hard lump of hurt balls in my throat.

I wait for Max to come around to the front of the building to pick me up for lunch. How is it I have come to depend on Max? We have become friends by default. I have been forced to hang out with him and it’s strangely…comforting. He has been the only constant male in my close circle since Dad’s death. We walk in comfortable silence to his car.

“Joshua is leaving tomorrow night,” he says matter of factly.