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“I don’t like that guy. Do me a favor and try not to be on your own with him, okay?” he says it tenderly, so I take his advice on board.
“I’m sure he is fine, but his behavior is certainly odd,” I reply, taking one last glance at the door. Not wanting to talk about it any further, I turn and look back at the kids. Stephen picks up on my apprehension and drops the subject.
“I have to go, I have some meetings this afternoon, but I will meet you at the hospital later? I want to visit Shirley to see how she is doing with everything.”
I smile at his interest to catch up with gran. It’s like he knows that we’re a package deal, and he seems more than willing to look after both of us, which makes my stomach flip. I nod, then he gives me another quick peck on the cheek and squeezes my hand before he says goodbye to the kids and leaves.
Watching him leave, I notice the women are staring after him, our receptionist fanning herself with a book. Shaking my head, I laugh; those women have no shame. I take my time to have a quick one on one conversation with Jasmine and a few others before making my way back to my office to finalize some paperwork before I can leave for the day. Just as I am finishing up, Kelly walks into my office.
“Stephen Sullivan was here today.”
“Yes, I saw him earlier. Is that a problem?”
“Well, given that we currently have an open report on Jasmine and his club is somewhat involved, it may smudge the line a little, but it isn’t forbidden. I met with him while he was here and spoke to him about the work we do. He donated one million dollars to pay for the kids' school and educational needs for the foreseeable future.”
I drop my pen, and my jaw hits the floor. “What?! Can you repeat that?” I am sure I heard all that wrong. I am in total shock.
“One million dollars has been donated by Stephen and his cousins Scarlett and Shaun Marshall to the center.”
“Oh my God! That is a lot of money,” I state, sitting back in my chair and looking at Kelly, my eyes still bugging out of my head. “That is amazing,” I say, thinking of the ways the kids will benefit, now that all their educational needs can be met. He is so generous and empathetic to others. He has a bad boy image, but like an onion, I see his layers underneath and it is pure gold.
“Well, I’m not sure if he feels guilty about having Jasmine in his club or if it is a genuine donation, but we will take it. I just wanted to let you know because the two of you looked a little friendly out in the common room today. Just be careful with him, he isn’t cut from the same cloth as you or I. He grew up with money and not having to need or want for anything. He is different from us.”
I know Kelly means well, and I listen to her advice. I nod to her and thankfully she drops the subject, and we talk for a few more minutes about some new cases we have and some older files that we need to revisit. We are all a little on edge lately as we have had a few kids go missing the past few months. Kids do run away often, but usually they are found reasonably quickly, and no harm comes to them. But we have had three young girls disappear who still haven't turned up. Officially, they are listed as missing, but Kelly and I both feel uneasy about it.
Once she leaves, I sit back in my chair and think about Stephen. It has been a whirlwind, but at the same time, nothing feels rushed. We have seen or spoken to each other every day, and I continue to learn more about him and really enjoy spending time with him. But we are from different backgrounds, and I am not yet sure if that is a good or a bad thing. I guess only time will tell.
***
15
STEPHEN
After spending more time with Molly and Shirley at the hospital tonight, I come to enjoy the simple comfort it brings to be involved in a new family environment.
Shirley is light-hearted but sharp as a whip, and even though Molly is quiet, I enjoy being around her and the sense of calm she brings. She brings not only calm but a hell of a lot of heat to my body, and I crave her, morning, noon, and night. For so long I have been engrossed in the business, getting the clubs profitable and launching New York that I haven’t had time to think about anything or anyone else. But then this spark of joy comes crashing into me, literally, and my world has turned on its axis. I nearly lost all my self-control at Romeo’s restaurant last night when she moaned at the table after taking a bite of his freshly made bread. Fuck, just thinking about the sound she made is making me hard even now.
I offer Molly a ride home from the hospital again, one she accepts a little more willingly than last night. We don’t see Byron, and for that I am thankful. There is something off about that guy that I just can’t put my finger on. Sure, we both seem to be vying for Molly’s attention, but it is more than that. I have a bad feeling deep in my gut about him. I will get Jake to look into him and see what we find, although John and supporting the Feds is still our priority.
With Molly, I am softer and more like my old self. But when I think of Byron, my darkness comes out and I want to rip his eyes out and shove him in a shallow grave, so he never sees Molly again. A morbid description, yes. An accurate description, also yes.
I am sitting in the backseat of the car with Molly. Chris is driving us to her house, and I reach out and I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side.
She is so tiny and light that she slides straight across the soft leather seat, and she lets out a little squeal as she does. She grins and laughs which makes me do the same. Both of us are just like giggling kids. I put her at around 5 feet 4 inches, miniscule to me.
I tower over her, but she fits, and I like it. She is quiet and dainty but yet her day job has her playing with tough kids and adults, working in some very trying circumstances. So, while I like her softness, I am also in awe of her fierce side, which I have seen snippets of. I didn’t know that I would like a woman who has both qualities until I met Molly. Although, perhaps I just like Molly. She certainly has affected me like no other. She isn’t shy but seems reserved around me. I want to try and put her mind at ease but that is a really hard thing to do when all I want to do is take her to bed and make her mine over and over again.
We sit in comfortable silence in the car, we are both relaxed with each other, which is something I haven’t been for a very long time. As we pull up to her house, I take the time to look over the dwelling where she lives. It is homely and full of love, but it is also old and in need of repairs. I don’t enjoy leaving Molly here and would rather her somewhere more secure and in a place that doesn’t look like a strong breeze would push it over. I help her from the car and together we walk to the door, my hand tangled in hers. I breathe in her scent, and mixed with the flowers from the garden path, she smells of springtime and new beginnings. I fill my lungs with her.
As she unlocks the front door and turns on the lights, she looks to me. “Do you want to come in?”
I look at her and smile. “Sure, I would love to.” With that, her grin widens, and she takes my hand and leads me into her home.
I smile, having not actually been inside another woman’s home for a long time, I feel a little of the old Stephen coming back. Perhaps that is what I love about Molly the most, she is bringing me back. Out of my darkness and into her light.
As we walk in, I look around and feel like I have stepped back in time. All the furniture looks like it is from the eighties and the soft furnishings are similar. It is obviously very old, but you can tell that the house is clean, tidy, and maintained. Sure, it doesn’t have any mod cons, but it has everything that you need. I see a bookshelf full of books along with a knitting basket and a crossword puzzle book next to an armchair in the living room. The sofa is covered in blankets, most of them either knitted or crocheted, no doubt Shirley’s hard work. There is a shelf full of photos and I walk over and pick one up. It is of a younger Molly. She has cute pigtails and a big smile, and she is standing with two adults, a male and a female. The woman looks just like Molly, the same eye and hair color, and the man looks very much like a free spirit with longer hair and a very hippie vibe.
“They are my parents,” she states as I place the photo back in place and turn to look at her.
