AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ha! Is implying good enough for a court of law?”
“This is not a court of law. He’s dangerous, Cherise.”
“So is Chad, which is why we need Tobin, who turned his life around and went in t
he military. That’s a damn good redemption story if you asked me.”
She jabbed a finger my way. “I didn’t ask you, and wait a minute. You like him.”
I couldn’t lie to her even if I wanted to. “I wished I didn’t, Malaysia.”
She coiled her arms over her chest and rested her weight on the foot positioned behind her. “Fire with fire, huh?”
“Basically. Chad is at least two hundred fifty pounds of solid muscles and experienced crazy. I don’t want anyone hurt because he’s after me, Malaysia.” If that didn’t convince her we should take advantage of Tobin’s expertise with defense, nothing would. I let her chew over it in peace.
Finally, she voiced her decision. “Well, you’ve had a bad day. There might be many more on the way with Chad on the loose, so Tobin can come over when you want him to within reason. He has to stay out of my bathroom and bedroom.” He’d show himself right back out our home if he saw how junky both rooms were at this moment.
Good thing I had a neat bedroom and bathroom on the other end of the condo. “Deal.”
“No deal. I have conditions.” And there were a lot of them, like Tobin teaching her to use a firearm too. It might be better for him if he didn’t.
I had to make her promise to be civil to him. She approved being civil, not hospitable. I agreed to ask him about the gun lessons anyway. Malaysia stipulated I had to clean up the guestroom alone. That wasn’t happening. Half of that crap in there was hers. At least, I thought so. We’d moved in before the ink dried on the lease weeks ago. Between our two startup businesses and figuring out what should go where, it was a miracle the essentials got unpacked.
The extra bedroom was a confusion of stacked boxes and random pieces belonging to us both. We just didn’t know what box belonged to who anymore. Neither of us wanted to figure it out. After bargaining for us both to unpack a box in there every day, she stumbled to her room to faceplant on her bed and stayed that way until morning. I didn’t sleep, didn’t see any reason not to leave for work a little earlier.
Surprisingly, I met Tobin outside the gate around eight. He hadn’t specified he’d be following me to the office. Glad for it, I picked up Athena walking from the bus stop along the way. It wasn’t long after I quickly came to regret leaving the condo. More construction workers and other affiliate contractors had clogged the front lot with their work vehicles. We had to park around the back.
Tobin was not happy about that as we poured through the back door. “Tomorrow, we make them clear a few spaces for you and your customers, or I’ll move them my way.”
Seeing no problems with that, I didn’t question what he meant by his way. Deciding to start his session early, Tobin and I went straight in my office. Athena hadn’t been at her work station a minute when she yelled my name. Sure Chad had come back, we scurried out to her. Without a word, she pointed at the ground just outside the door.
“Dammit!” I spat.
Chad had been by for sure. He had dropped off unwanted presents again and left it on the sidewalk.
My stomach plummeted into my black leather pumps. There was a food tray with a single red rose, a healthy breakfast in containers, and the makings for mimosas. As if I’d drink at work. Oh, but I wanted to. The bottle of Moet with matching bow and attached card around its neck looked real good right then no matter who it was from. Instead of gulping it down, I whirled in an aimless circle on the carpet, slapping my thigh in frustration.
“I’m so sick of this shit!” I yelled. So close to bawling like a baby and considering moving again, I pressed fists to my eyes to shut the waterworks down. “He’s like a goddamn ghost living just at the edge of my world. I never see him, but I know he’s there.”
“Cherise.” Tobin clasped my shoulders, shaking me gently and saying my name until I focused on him. “We’re going to stop this. It’s going to take a little time. You’re strong. Just hold on for me, please. Okay?”
His plea worked some. I calmed down just enough to fall into the hypnotic storm of emotions swirling in his face. Damn, a kiss from this man would work wonders for my own emotional upheaval right now. A hug would do as well.
“Okay, Cherise?” he urged.
I nodded. Then, I was snatched into his body, powerful arms sweeping around me. My world was suddenly not as upside down as it was. I held on tight to him for as long as he allowed. Turned out, Athena clearing her throat was all it took to break up that moment. I backstepped to escape the bubble he had created. It would’ve taken nothing for me to hold on to him forever.
Tobin peered down at me, his arms still around me. “I’ll get the stuff from outside and add it to the trashcan behind Athena’s desk with the other stuff.”
That was as close to tossing out the gifts as he would let me. We decided to store it all in the waiting area. I wanted to haul Chad’s tactics to initiate me into his crazy to the nearest dumpster. Tobin vetoed that, stating we should keep everything as evidence for when the shit hit the fan, and the cops had to get involved. In my opinion, the shit was already spraying everywhere. I’d be damned if I was going to get covered in it without enjoying something besides work first. Tobin went to grab the unwelcomed packages.
I walked over to the reception desk, where Athena sat expressionless behind it. “Athena, I don’t think you should keep working here. Chad is—”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “You can’t fire me. I’m not going anywhere.”
The twenty-one-year-old, determined to stick by my side, just endeared herself to me in a little sister kind of way. “I’m not firing you, honey. You’ll be on paid leave until Chad is caught, stopped, dead. At this point, I don’t give a damn.” He had no right to harass me, track me up the east coast, then harass me some more.
Athena kept rocking her head side to side. “You can’t do intake and see patients too. We stick together when we’re here and eat or drink nothing that we can’t prove came from one of us. Besides, we have Tobin. He’s huge and knows how to fight, I think. I do suggest we get a lock for that door so no one can just walk in anymore, though.”
