AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It should have felt good to get back in the rhythm of things. I was good at this, the whole keeping to schedule and getting to the grind.
Yet I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Everything was just so bland and repetitive to the point of boredom. To make matters worse, the penthouse was too fucking quiet.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t distract myself from her absence. I felt like there was a hole inside me, one I couldn’t fill with menial tasks or other meaningless distractions. I couldn’t count the number of times I turned expecting to see Vivian, only to find that she wasn’t there.
I knew that getting involved was going to be messy. I should have known that I’d get burned again.
Except this time, it was my own doing. I really had no one to blame but myself.
The guest bedroom still smelled like her, the faint trace of vanilla lingering on the sheets and in the air. I stared at her empty bed, remembering the sound of her lovely laugh or the brilliance of her smile. It made my chest hurt, knowing I could no longer experience it in person.
With a heavy sigh, I wandered into the kitchen for something to snack on. Not because I was hungry, just because I was bored and needed something to keep me occupied.
Had I really stooped to the level of stress eating? Vivian would laugh if she knew.
“Why is there so much damn tofu?” I grumbled bitterly, slamming the fridge door closed.
I didn’t like this. Any of it. Feeling listless… I wasn’t used to it. I was the kind of man who had a plan and stuck to it. Followed and completed tasks step-by-step. Now I had nothing to do and I didn’t know what to do with myself. It gave me way too much time to think, and being alone with my thoughts was proving to be a challenge.
My son wasn’t talking to me.
I couldn’t be with the woman of my dreams.
When did everything fall apart?
I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone buzzed. Was it Wally? Was it Vivian?
Nope. Just Theo.
“Hello?” I greeted, gruffer than I intended.
He chuckled. “Did you just wake up or something? You sound like death.”
“I’m fine. Anything to report?”
“All’s clear. Lance just messaged me. He’ll be arriving shortly to transfer Vivian to Ridge Point.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Lance was one of my more veteran bodyguards. He understood the ins and outs of the job, and most importantly, he was dedicated. If I couldn’t protect Vivian myself, at least I knew she was in good hands.
“Keep me posted,” I said.
“Ridge Point, huh?”
“Yes.” I squinted, unappreciative of his questioning tone. “What of it?”
“Oh, nothing. We normally reserve Ridge Point for our high rollers.”
“It was the only safehouse available on short notice.”
“Is that so? What about Bayview? It’s been sitting idle for months.”
“There’s too much traffic,” I argued. “It’d be a nightmare getting out of the area if she needed to make a quick escape.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I huffed. “What? You questioning my judgement?”
“Not at all. You’re the boss, you call the shots.”
