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His taunting eyes move up and down my body, and though he’s trying to appear relaxed as he leans against the rail at the bottom of my porch, I can see the twitch in his fingers, and other subtle hints that he’s high on something, but already flirting with withdrawal.
“It’s been a long time, Nathan,” I say between clenched teeth. I’m afraid if I unclench them, they’ll begin to chatter and show this man weakness. Not acceptable. What is he doing at my home, at my refuge?
“It would’ve been much sooner, but I lost track of you after you ran away. I’ve searched for a very long time. You can imagine my surprise when I found out you were running a top-notch whorehouse,” he says, a gleam lighting his eyes. “I was disappointed the doors were closed by the time I was able to get here. I would’ve loved to taste your offerings.”
I’m sure he would love that, but that wasn’t the business I was running. It won’t do me any good to argue, and I don’t care about his opinion enough to try to explain what I’d been trying to do. Never in a million years would I inflict him on any woman I know.
“What do you want?” My temper’s escalating the more he looks and speaks to me.
“Now, now, McKenzie, I’m not feeling very welcomed. Why don’t you invite me inside for a nice drink so we can reminisce about old times?” How had I ever found him attractive? How had I ever fallen for his lies?
“I told you the last night we were together — iftogetheris the right word — that I never wanted to see you again,” I remind him. Yes, I’m afraid of him, and I have good reasons to be, but I’m not about to pretend I feel anything for him but disgust. Dealing with him has always been a lose-lose proposition, and that hasn’t changed no matter how long we’ve been apart.
“Ah, those are just words spoken in a lovers’ spat, baby doll,” he says, his lips twisting up in his sick attempt at a smile. The man never smiles, not really, not with any warmth. He’s a predator of the most despicable kind, and I was unlucky enough to find out too late.
“Please tell me why you’re here.” My exhaustion returns, and it’s overwhelming me. Not good. The last thing I want is to pass out. I did that once in his presence, and the result was unthinkably horrific.
“You stole from me, McKenzie. I want what’s owed to me.” My mouth drops open at his words. I can’t have heard what I think I just heard. Not a chance. I’m silent for several moments as he squirms on my bottom step, and I gape at him.
“Would you care to repeat that?” I ask, my voice colder than ice.
He shifts again and breaks eye contact, as if unable to face my wrath. He’s pathetic, but I’m not foolish enough to underestimate a desperate man. While speaking with him, I pulled out my pepper spray, gripping the small bottle in my hand, ready to use it if necessary.
“You ran away with the money from that night...” He trails off at the outrageous gasp coming from me, but adds, “Myshare as well as yours.”
“I took nothing from you, Nathan,” I tightly say. “And if I were you, I wouldn’t bring up that night.” Cold fury — or is it hot? — is pouring through me.
Desperation must be making him brave, because he straightens at my words and his eyes dart around, maybe searching for witnesses. I don’t know. But if he takes one step toward me, I’ll make him regret it.
“That’s where you’re wrong, sex kitten. I spent time and money on you, trained you, prepared you, and got you a good first job. You thanked me by running away in the middle of the night withmymoney. That, in my book, is theft.”
“I didn’t know I was being trained,” I tell him. “I thought we were a couple.”
“Ah, but you see, don’t you, that you used what I taught you to create a very successful business?”
“You didn’t help me with anything,” I spit out.
“You’ve been successful because of me. I’d think you’d want to give me a little bit of your take as a thank-you.”
“Are you kidding me?” I gasp. He shrinks back the tiniest bit at my show of outrage, but then he stands back up and glares at me. I need to be careful. A desperate man equals a crazy one. My hand grips the pepper spray a little tighter, my finger on the trigger.
“There’s no way you’ll get a single dime from me. Do you understand?” Rage is the only thing keeping me on my feet right now.
“Youdoowe me, McKenzie, and youwillpay it — one way or another.” His eyes drift up and down my body, making my stomach turn. Never, ever will this man touch me again, not while I’m still breathing.
Nathan makes a big mistake — he takes a step toward me. I don’t budge an inch. I stretch out my arm and blast him with the pepper spray. The man who’s responsible for the most nightmarish night of my life lets forth an ear-piercing scream as he stumbles down my front steps and collapses on the ground, grinding his hands into his eyes.
“You bitch!” he screams over and over again as he writhes on the ground in agony. I’m not going to take another second of this. Reaching for my phone, I dial the police and sit at the top of the steps, my eyes not moving from his twisting body.
After about fifteen minutes, he lays in a fetal position, crying. I still don’t trust taking my eyes off of him. When the police show up ten minutes later, I take my first deep breath.
The next forty-five minutes are some of the longest of my life. I watch Nathan get cuffed and placed in the back of the squad car, and then I answer the officers’ questions before they finally drive away.
I don’t know whether I’ve seen the last of that... slimeball, but I’d be a fool to underestimate him. He looks to be out of choices, and this makes him dangerous. I won’t stroll down any dark alleys anytime soon.
Once inside my house, I engage the locks and determinedly move through my place, checking every window. When I’m assured everything’s locked up tight, or seems to be, I go to my bedroom and collapse across the bed.
The tears finally fall. I curl up in a ball on top of my blankets and cry out my frustration. I should’ve known it’s never over with a man like that. How had I been such a fool as to ever trust him? I might’ve been young, but I should’ve known even back then. Now there are two men in my life who want the impossible from me... and neither is going to get a damn thing.
