AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guys had been quiet all week. Even though I was the one that left, it hurt that it seemed like they were able to let me go so easily. I was fairly sure Frank was giving Gideon regular updates on my safety, or I knew there would be a Harley parked outside my apartment building.
The good morning and good night messages would come, but there wasn’t anything deeper, no emotion in their messages. It made my mind play tricks on me and I was often wondering about the woman from the club that clearly knew all the guys. The idea of her in their home made me sick to my stomach, and I had to breathe deeply to prevent my stomach contents from making an appearance.
When I finally decided I had to lie down, I had to try to get some sleep. I curled up under my blanket and practically hid my head. It reminded me of being a child, never feeling protected by my own mother, and thinking if I just hid under a blanket, the boogie man couldn’t find me and hurt me. Now the boogie man was in my head and he was a real man, not a fictional tale I had made up as a six-year-old.
The next morning, I was determined to make the day good and to pull myself out of the funk I was wallowing in. I had a busy week and now maybe I’d be able to think through what to do with the guys. I missed them. That was my first thought. But we had to have some serious discussions if we were going to continue what we had going on. And I would have to somehow deal with the fallout of Aiden.
I went with a power outfit, something to make me feel strong and sexy. Black pencil skirt that stopped just below my knees, a sleeveless red blouse that I tucked in, and black stiletto heels. All things Oliver had bought me when he replaced my wardrobe. I smiled, thinking of him and his unruly curls. My hand involuntarily fisted for a moment as I thought about how I liked to run my hands through it.
Ugh, stop it Brooklyn, I thought to myself as I stomped to the front door and flung it open to find Frank waiting as usual. He smiled at me and I huffed out a breath.
“Are we having a morning?”He asked.
He descended the stairs ahead of me, to ensure I didn’t walk out on the street first. He glanced over his shoulder when I didn’t answer the question.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Absolutely not,”I replied.
“Just trying to be a friend, Brooklyn,”Frank said, his voice bristling at my tone.
I sighed, internally reminding myself that Frank wasn’t my enemy. And we did have a friendship. He had helped me with my classes without turning me into Gideon.
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m having a morning. I’ve been having a week, really. But the ranch was a nice change of pace. I’m just trying to rally, getting back into the swing of things,”I said.
“You could always go home,”he said.“You know the Knights want you to.”
“That’s not my home,”I replied quietly.
At the curb, Frank opened the sedan door for me and I slid into the car. Once he was behind the wheel, he clicked the doors locked and turned to look at me.
“Do you really think that after this Lyle thing is handled, they would just want you to leave? They care about you, Brooklyn,”he said.
“Not like they’re showing it right now,”I mumbled, looking out the window.
Frank sighed, giving up his therapist act. He didn’t try to talk again all the way to the office. In the reception area, he stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“Are you going to your lunch appointment today?”He asked.
“Absolutely. I’m ready to get back into it,”I said with a bright smile.
Frank frowned at me, but didn’t disagree as I walked down the hall to my office. A week off of my Muay Thai lessons had been enough. If I could have made it back into the city for lessons each day, I would have. But the ranch visits were too important for the kids, and I wasn’t going to mess those up.
I opened my laptop and smiled when I immediately saw an email from Ruth. We were building a friendship, but her email was professional and they were offering additional services for whenever we were ready. I forwarded the email to the company President and cc’d my team, letting them know how great the event was for the boys that went. I suggested monthly trips, dependent on the ranch availability.
Funding would become a question, so I started to think about funds I could earmark for it. Having something I enjoyed sinking my teeth in caused my morning to fly by. I was answering emails and composing my funding suggestions when Pam stuck her head into my office.
“Hi. I know lunch is coming, and you were probably going out, but there’s a woman here who says she had a meeting with you? I don’t have anything on your calendar?”
I frowned, pulling up my calendar as well. I didn’t have anything scheduled for the time and nothing with anyone outside of the foundation for the day.
“I don’t show anything either,”I reply.
“I can ask her to leave. I only came to let you know, well, because she looks like a donor or someone that would attend one of our events,”Pam said as she twisted her fingers in front of her.
Pam’s paranoia since I had been attacked was at an all-time high. I smiled softly at her, appreciating her wanting to protect me. I stood and straightened my skirt, moving to stand with her at the door.
“It’s ok, Pam. I’m sure it’s someone that has a date confused. I’ll speak with them quickly and get it all cleared up,”I said.
