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Andrew stomped around the car and yanked her door open before training the gun on her. “Get out.”
It was as though the words went in one ear, swam through her brain, and fell back out without registering. She blinked, unable to move a muscle to follow his command.
He reached in and grabbed a fistful of her hair with his free hand. “I said, get out,” he snarled, yanking with all his might.
Instinct had her reaching up for his hand as her legs kicked into gear, and she climbed out of the car. Once outside and standing, she caught sight of his maniacal expression.
“Get ready to see how a real man takes care of the competition.” He jammed the gun into the small of her back. “Walk!”
She stumbled forward on shaking legs with a brick of dread low in her stomach.
“Now, here’s what you’re going to say when we get in there…”
He rattled off a script that answered her previous question—Andrew Tinsley was not sane.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
HOW LONG DID a man have to stare at his phone to make it ring?
Ten minutes?
Twenty?
Thirty?
Wrong.
Kelsie’s meeting at the college should have ended half an hour ago, and that was being generous. Last night, he’d made her promise to call the second she walked out of the building. Furthering her education before working with the ol’ ladies meant a lot to her, and he was fully on board. She deserved a career she loved and felt secure in. Kelsie deserved to flourish and shine, and he’d support her in any way possible. That started with hyping her up and celebrating every win, no matter how small. Registering for classes when she had so much anxiety about it was a win in his book.
But, radio silence.
And there he was, sitting in his office with a brick in his gut, wondering if he should reach out or if she’d prefer space.
Christ, he sucked at relationships.
A knock on his window had him jumping, for fuck’s sake. He needed to pull his head out of his ass and get it back at work before his employees noticed.
His office had a wall of windows facing his shop's main lobby. It allowed him to view everything going on without being in his employees' faces all the time.
AJ stood at the window. “It’s one,” he shouted through the glass. “I’m gonna take lunch. Jinx is at the register.”
Ty lifted a hand in understanding.
“Want anything?” AJ asked.
He shook his head. He’d eat with Kelsie later. “Tell Jinx to holler at me if he needs a hand.”
AJ gave him a thumbs-up and then turned. He and Jinx exchanged a few words, and then he left to grab some grub.
Ty swiveled his chair away from the window and rested his head back. Shutting his eyes, he inhaled and then took his time blowing out the air. He’d love to open his eyes and find Kelsie standing on the other side of his desk. The need and desire to be around a specific person all the time were new to him. Even in his marriage's early, happy days, he hadn’t felt this pull to Trina. With Kelsie, he wanted her around all the damn time. He constantly wanted his eyes, hands, and mouth on her.
He was fucked if a few hours of no communication had him this spun up.
The jangle of bells announced an arrival at his shop. He didn’t bother glancing up. Jinx had it under control. The man knew the business as well as Ty.
A muffled shout raised the hair on the back of his neck. On a good day, Jinx spoke as loud as hell but always with an undertone of humor.
This was not that.
