Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
For the next three days, Derek spent as much of his spare time with Sonja as he could. She wondered if it was to protect her or to be with her.
Don’t be so insecure, girl. He might want to shield you, but he likes to be with you.
Funny thing was her internal voice sounded a lot like her gran’s. Paula called daily with updates, but Angie seemed to have vanished.
The window-breaking had a positive effect on business at The Sweet and Savory Table. The regular customers seemed to have taken it as a personal affront and came back in force, while visitors showed up, evidently hoping for more excitement then staying for the great food. It was a week later before Angie made her presence felt again. Sonja had stayed after closing to work on her books as usual, and it was almost dark when she finished. She texted Derek before she went out the door and made sure to lock it. She headed to her car and stood, stunned. Her tires were flat, and her car was covered in garbage from the dumpster.
Sonja shook her head the way Snuggles did when he accidentally ran into a wall. She straightened and pivoted to go back into the café. Now, she was pissed!
First, her reputation, then, her café, and now her car! Angie had to be stopped. Sonja marched back into the café and called Derek first. He told her to stay put until he got there and to make sure the doors of the café were locked. Then she called Paula, who promised to come as quickly as she could.
Sonja was in the office trying to pull up the security footage when she someone started pounding on the front door. It took her a moment to realize it had to be Derek or Paula. She got up and went into the main room, was pleased to see it was both and she wouldn’t have to deal with a second round of pounding. She let them in.
“We have to go out the back to see what she did,” Sonja said.
“We did that already, baby,” Derek replied.
“Oh, I guess I didn’t think of that. I’ve been trying to work the security system, but I can’t get it to show me the parking lot camera. Come back to the office. Maybe one of you can do it.” Sonja turned.
Derek sat down behind the computer screen and started clicking around the program. It took him only a few minutes to find the right spot. “Here’s the camera. Now, you click here to rewind the feed.”
They quickly took it back to the point where only Sonja’s car was left then moved forward again. About an hour into the footage, a small figure wearing a hooded sweatshirt appeared at the corner of the building.
Sonja leaned forward, her stomach twisting into a hard knot.
The person methodically slashed her tires then pulled a bag out of the dumpster and opened it over the car, repeating the action when appearing dissatisfied with the results from only one bag.
Sonja’s breath hitched. First the café. Now this.
The same sickening violation twisted through her—her space, her things, her life being so casually desecrated.
When they were finished, the figure turned toward the camera and looked around. Derek said, “That’s Angie. Got her, red-handed.”
“Are you sure, Derek?” Paula asked.
“As sure as I’m sitting here with the two of you,” he answered.
Paula studied the screen, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll accept your identification. Maybe our techs can blow the image up a little for a better view. This is pretty small for court. We can certainly get her locked up for the vandalism as well as violating the restraining order. I’ll see if we can’t look a little harder to find her. Can you email me a copy of the footage?”
“Easily,” Derek said. “Is there anything else we can do?”
“I’ll get a team over here to see if she left any evidence behind. It looks like she’s wearing gloves, but she could have left footprints. Otherwise, I suggest you two get out of here and save the car for tomorrow.” Paula got up. “I’ll wait out back for the lab boys.”
Derek turned to Sonja. “Let’s go, babygirl.”
Sonja didn’t move, her arms wrapped around her body, her fingers gripping the fabric of her sleeves like she could physically hold herself together.
“I don’t want to leave my car here like this,” Sonja said. Her throat was tight with the effort to keep her voice steady. “What if she comes back later and does something more permanent?”
“You’re going to have to have it towed anyway.” Derek turned on his Dom voice. “It can wait. The cameras are still on. I doubt she’ll be back tonight.”
Sonja stared at the screen, at the image of Angie’s hooded figure, at the casual destruction she had left behind. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and the muscles in her jaw ached from clenching.
She wanted to scream. To throw something. To march outside and rip what was left of her tires right off the damn car.
But none of that would fix anything.
She sucked in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
Derek didn’t push. He just held out his hand.
After a long moment, she took it, letting him pull her up.
“Can I have a hug, Daddy?”
“Always, babygirl. Always.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
Derek sat at his desk the next day with his head in his hands and pressed the heels against his eyes and rubbed. He couldn’t erase the pain from what he was about to do. Despite the restraining order, despite the support from the police and his friends, Angie kept stirring up trouble. Derek couldn’t and wouldn’t risk Sonja’s safety. Derek lifted his head and groaned as he considered the ramifications of breaking up with Sonja where his family was concerned. As he leaned back in his chair, it seemed to groan in sympathy with his troubles. His family was over the moon for Sonja now that his mother had abandoned the idea of more grandchildren. They were going to give him hell for breaking up with her so soon after he’d introduced her. He rose from the chair and started to pace the room, trying to come up with a plan.
He pushed himself away from the desk, stood up, and started pacing the room. Why did I tell Angie about Sonja? It’s like I aimed a loaded gun at the woman I love!
The idea of losing his precious, his babygirl, felt like an abscessed tooth—painful as hell! The idea of Sonja getting injured or hurt even more by Angie was unbearable. The worst thing about this was that he not only would lose her but, also, wouldn’t be able to visit his friends at Club Indigo. Being there without Sonja or—god forbid—bumping into her on a Friday or Saturday night was unimaginable.
Derek resumed pacing. Their breakup had to be public, and they had to put on a good show, otherwise Angie would see right through it. After all, she was a cunning bitch.
“You can’t be serious.” Sonja scowled at Derek from behind her desk. “You’re breaking up with me? Now?”
“Babygirl.” Derek’s low voice held an edge she’d never heard before. He stroked his beard and sighed. “Listen, by revealing your existence, I basically painted a bull’s-eye on your back. I need to take her attention off you.” He sighed again and looked at her wearily. “I could never live with myself if something happened to you because of me.”
Of course, he was leaving. Everybody left her eventually. Her father, her mother, her grandmother, Colton. Even Carol had left her. Her eyes burned, but she wouldn’t give in. She wouldn’t cry. Not here, not now!
“Fuck her, fuck this, fuck you!” Sonja threw her hands in the air.
And the man had the audacity to scowl at her. “Language, babygirl.”
Sonja rose from her chair and placed her fists on her hips. “Oh no, you do not ‘babygirl’ me.” She cursed again and ignored his disapproving glare. “First, you pull me into this ageplay thing, make me fall in love, and then, when shit hits the fan, you dump me.”
“Babygi—” He flinched as he noticed her dead stare and held up his hands in surrender. “Sonja, listen.” Derek sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “It’s not forever. Just until Angie can be arrested and out of our lives.”
She took a good look at him, and her anger and grief dissipated. It was her own insecurity that was making her mad. Derek had helped her grow in ways she hadn’t realized. She could trust him. This was temporary. She wouldn’t doubt their relationship. He didn’t want to do this. This was a stupid male thing, some Domly attempt to keep her safe. Sonja drew a big gulp of air and settled back into her chair. She wanted to comfort him and draw comfort from him, but they had to talk first.
“What do you suggest?” she asked.
He looked up in surprise, and she raised an eyebrow. Had he expected a tantrum from her?
“We have a public breakup. Either Angie is somewhere lurking and watching or, what’s more likely, she has her spies set up to watch us.”
The idea that Angie had spies in the places they felt the safest, or were supposed to, anyway, sent a shiver down Sonja’s spine, strengthening her resolve that what Derek was asking her to do was the right thing.
“I quit Club Indigo for now, and I avoid the café for a while.”
“Won’t she come after you even harder if she thinks you’re available?”
Derek shrugged. “Maybe.”
“It’s a big maybe, Derek. Angie isn’t rational, is she?”
Derek sighed and hung his head. “I don’t know, precious. I need to get you out of the war zone. All the damage she’s already done to the café, your reputation, and now your car is bad enough. I’m scared she’ll come after you next.”
“How is it possible she’s running around freely? I don’t get it. It’s not like the police don’t have any evidence against her.” Sonja shook her head.
“They can’t arrest her if they can’t find her, babygirl.”
“How is someone who is so obviously unbalanced also so smart?” Sonja asked.
“The two characteristics aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“Okay, I don’t like it, but I agree. Let’s get this breakup over with. How about I throw you out of the café?” Sonja stood up and tried to smile, but she knew it didn’t reach her eyes.