Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Monica
I underestimated how noisy Em’s house was. Like, seriously underestimated. Twin preschoolers, a toddler, and a ten-year-old make a ridiculous amount of noise. Sounds like a herd of elephants traipsing through the desert most of the time.
My theory of working from their house? Not the best idea.
Also, my best friend, my person, the sweetest girl I know? She’s at the end of her pregnancy, and she’s just mean . She must give one hell of a blow job because I don’t know how Nathan puts up with her. Em doesn’t talk. She just growls now. In normal circumstances, I’d find this comical. But right now, I’m overwhelmed, exhausted, sexually frustrated, and so fucking confused I don’t know which way is up anymore. So Em is just pissing me off.
I’ve been staying in their basement and trying to avoid everyone as much as possible. Thank goodness for noise-canceling headphones, or I’d lose my damn mind. I love those kids, but damn. They’re a lot.
It’s been a few weeks since Em picked me up from Gabriel’s condo, and I haven’t spoken to him since. I’d like to say the distance has given me clarity, but it’s just made me even more confused. It hasn’t helped that Marcus has been calling and texting me nonstop. Em keeps telling me to block him, but I can’t seem to do it.
My mind tells me to block Marcus. Be single. Take some time away from men. But my heart … man, my heart is screaming at me to be with Gabriel. Then my vagina gets involved in the argument and demands some dick. I am the ultimate definition of a hot mess right now.
I’m a bundle of nerves when I head into the office for the first time since leaving Gabriel’s house. I held off as long as I could, but I have so much paperwork I need to file and a bunch of things I need to pick up. I decide to sneak in during lunch, hoping Gabriel is out somewhere.
As soon as I see his car, my heart skips a beat. Go to him , it screams. Go .
As I quietly walk into the office, Gabriel rounds the corner from the kitchen and stops dead in his tracks as he makes eye contact.
“Monica,” he says quietly. “I didn’t realize you were coming in today. How are you?”
When I realize he called me Monica instead of querida , I’m hurt. Has he already given up on me? Are we done before we even begin?
“Uh, I’m okay, I guess,” I stammer.
“Can I see you in my office for a moment?” he says abruptly and turns to head to his office without waiting for an answer. I follow him, unsure and anxious about his attitude toward me. As I walk into his office, he stands at the door. I get a whiff of his cologne as he closes the door before he sweeps me into his arms and buries his head against my shoulder. “I’ve missed you so fucking much, querida .”
Tears fill my eyes as I hug him back. God, this feels so good. So right. I’ve never felt this way before.
“I’ve missed you, too,” I murmur. Gabriel raises his head to look at me, and his thumbs wipe away the fallen tears.
“Why are you crying, querida ?” he asks.
“I don’t even know,” I respond shakily. I jolt as my cell phone blares out the ringtone I’ve set for Marcus. It’s techno music with a voiceover that just keeps saying ‘asshole alert.’
“What the hell is that?” Gabriel chuckles.
“It’s Marcus. Again. He won’t leave me alone,” I whisper. The phone stops ringing, and a slew of text alerts come through.
Marcus: Answer your fucking phone, Monica!
Marcus: Enough is enough.
Marcus: I’m warning you.
Marcus: You don’t get to leave ME.
Marcus: Babe, come on. We can work through this.
Marcus: You know I love you, right?
“ Querida , block him. He’s obviously scaring you. You need to keep him out of your life,” Gabriel says softly as he rests his forehead against mine.
“I don’t even know how to block his number. How sad am I?” I joke miserably .
“I can show you. Will you let me?” Gabriel asks as he holds out his hand. I nod and place my phone against his palm. “You just go into his contact, and at the bottom, it says ‘block this number.’ There you go. He’s blocked.”
I let out a relieved sigh. One less thing to worry about.
“Does he know where Emily lives?” Gabriel asks, and I nod. “Do they have a security system that is monitored?”
“Yeah, I think so. Why?”
“He’s a loose cannon, querida . I don’t trust him. I want to keep you safe,” Gabriel says deeply. I push away from him and step back, putting some distance between us.
“I can take care of myself,” I growl. Damn. Now I’m growling like Em. She’s rubbing off on me.
“I never said you couldn’t. I’m worried Marcus is going to escalate things now. I’m worried he’s involved with other things …” he trails off.
“What do you mean?” I ask warily. Gabriel sighs and rubs his neck. I’ve noticed he has that tic when he’s a combination of nervous and frustrated.
“ Querida , I swear I know Marcus from somewhere. I can’t figure out where. I recognize him, and it’s been frustrating the hell out of me. I asked a buddy to look into him, and Marcus only had a cyber footprint for the last few years. He didn’t exist until then. I don’t think it’s his real name, and I don’t know how to protect you from someone who may or may not have a criminal past,” Gabriel explains. My mouth drops open in astonishment.
“You looked into my boyfriend?” I screech.
“No, I looked into a guy I think is bad news. I looked into a guy that I swear I know from the past. Whether or not you were still sleeping with him when I did it is moot. And he’s not your boyfriend.”
“You’re gonna argue this on a technicality?” I shout.
“I’m not the bad guy here, querida . He is. ”
The fact that Gabriel is remaining completely patient right now is frustrating the shit out of me.
“There’s a thin fucking line between good and bad right now, Gabriel.”
“You need to lower your voice.”
“No! You’re pissing me off! You had no right to look into him!”
“The fuck I didn’t! Jesus, woman, I’ve made my intentions with you crystal clear. Making sure you’re safe is my top priority right now. Marcus is bad news. I can feel it in my bones, querida ,” Gabriel says calmly, but the heat in his eyes and the subtle tremble of his hands tells me he’s holding onto his patience by a string.
“Oh, please. You just want a quick fuck. You’re like all men. You like a challenge. Once I give in, you’ll be done with me,” I shout as angry tears fill my eyes. I’ve never cried as much as I have within the past few months. Even everything that happened to me as a teenager in Texas didn’t make me this emotional.
“Do you really think that, querida ? Do you really think so lowly of me?” Gabriel whispers, stunned.
“It doesn’t really matter what I think. You men are all the same. Thinking you can make decisions for us frail women. How on earth could we survive without you?” I snarl derisively.
“ Querida , I know you can take care of yourself. I know you’re a strong and independent woman. It doesn’t mean you have to. You can let someone else shoulder your burden.”
“I’ve been fine on my own for years. I’ll be fine now. Step away from the door, Gabriel. I’d like to leave,” I say as I square my shoulders in defiance. Gabriel’s posture deflates as he lowers his eyes from mine and moves to the side. I wrench open the door and run to my cubicle to grab my needed things before returning to my car. I don’t look back at Gabriel. I would have seen his crestfallen expression and one tear sliding down his cheek if I had. If I had looked back, I’d have known to trust him. But in typical Monica fashion, I ignore my heart and let my brain rule the roost.
Two weeks pass before I force myself to head into the office again. I’m both relieved and sad when I don’t see Gabriel’s car in the office parking lot.
“Hey, stranger,” I hear from the kitchen.
“Hey, Chase,” I respond.
“How have you been? Haven’t seen you in at least a month,” he says.
“Yeah, working from home mostly right now,” I explain.
“Gabriel said your apartment burned down. Where are you staying?” Chase asks.
Just hearing his name makes butterflies erupt in my stomach.
“With my best friend and her family,” I say.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear about your apartment. I’ve got a friend on MSPD, and he said they’re thinking it was arson.”
“I know,” I answer. Liam and I talk regularly. While employed through the county sheriff’s office, he has friends with Mountain Springs Police, and he’s always kept an ear to the ground for anything Mountain Springs related.
“My guy said it looked like it was very much targeted at your apartment,” Chase says pointedly. Well, that’s news to me.
“Who is your ‘guy’ at MSPD?” I ask.
“Matt Turner. He and I went to high school together.”
Matt has been my contact with MSPD and the investigation. He’s also weirdly ingrained in all of our lives, as he was the officer who reported to Liv’s condo when it was broken into. He’s a nice kid. I keep forgetting that Chase is from here. He and Matt are a few years younger than me. Jailbait.
“Why were you talking to him about this case?” I ask.
“I told him I work with you.”
“He really shouldn’t be sharing details about the case with you. You know that, right?” I ask.
“It’s public knowledge, Mon. I read a news article the other day that said the same information,” Chase answers.
“Send me the article,” I tell him as I turn and head to my desk.
“You got it. Glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks,” I mumble as I set my purse on my desk and pull out my laptop. By the time I’m logged on, Chase has forwarded me the article in an email. I click the link to a Colorado Springs news channel, and it lists everything Chase just told me. Lovely. While Liam had hinted that arson seemed the most likely culprit, it’s hitting me harder seeing it in print. I close the article and shake my head to remove the negative thoughts. Nothing I can do about the investigation now.
Liam took me over to the apartment about a week after the fire, and I was able to see firsthand what was left. I’ve never been one to feel connected to physical objects, but it still bummed me out to see the destruction. A couple of my grandmother’s things were ruined, and that was the most devastating part of the entire ordeal. However, I found a couple of her pieces of jewelry still intact and a photo album that somehow survived. I had forgotten that Em made me buy a fireproof box for important documents a few months ago, so I was incredibly relieved to find my birth certificate, my realtor license, and many other hard-to-replace items were safe.
I’ve had hardships over the past fifteen years, but I’ve also remained optimistic about what I do have. I may not have blood family, but my chosen family is amazing. I’ve never known the kind of support I receive from the crew here. It’s mind-boggling to think that if Dan hadn’t cheated on Emily, we wouldn’t be where we are today. She’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Well, when she’s not a million months pregnant and growling. And while my life has been a tumultuous roller coaster, I love my life. I love living here. I’m happy and content. Most of the time.
I finish my work and grab my things before heading into the parking lot. I abruptly halt when I see Marcus leaning against my car door.
“Hey, babe. Missed you,” he says with a smile.
“What do you want, Marcus?” I ask warily.
“I want a kiss from my girl, obviously,” he laughs as he leans in to kiss me. I turn my head, forcing him to kiss my cheek. “Gimme those lips, babe.”
Marcus grabs my head tightly and smashes our lips together. I feel his fingers dig into my scalp and whimper in pain. This isn’t the kiss of lovers. This is Marcus kissing me to assert dominance over me. To establish power. To make me recognize I’m beneath him.
“Marcus, stop,” I cry as he bites my lip and draws blood.
“I’ve missed you. Guess it got away from me a little. This is what happens when you keep yourself from me. I can’t control myself,” Marcus jokes. Wait. Did he really just blame me for that kiss?
“I have to go. I have a showing,” I mumble.
“Meet me tomorrow at Pines and Peaks Bar. We have some things to discuss.”
“No. That’s not a good idea.”
“Oh? You think it’s not a good idea?” Marcus’s voice has risen weirdly. He cocks his head to the side and studies me.
“I’m not interested in doing anything with you, Marcus. It’s over.” I attempt to walk past him and get in my car, but he grabs my arm forcefully.
“I don’t think so, Monica. I decide if and when we’re over, not you. Meet me at that bar tomorrow at 6. I’m not joking.”
He presses another harsh kiss against my lips, and when he steps away, his lips are covered in my blood. He licks his lips and groans. “Tastes good, babe.”
I shudder in disgust as I unlock my car door and open it.
“Oh, babe?” Marcus calls out in that weird voice. It’s incredibly off-putting. I turn to him, and he smiles maliciously. “You’ll want to show up tomorrow.”
“Why?” I ask warily.
“Because if not, I’ll take matters into my own hands. Take those little screaming demons of toddlers you live with. They certainly were loud this morning, weren’t they? It sure is a pity Nathan’s security system isn’t as good as y’all think. I enjoyed hanging out with the girls in their rooms. They’d fetch a pretty penny on the dark web. Men love to break little girls.”
Marcus blows me a kiss as he turns and struts away. I’m left standing in shocked silence next to my car as Marcus begins to drive out of the parking lot. He stops his car next to me and rolls down the window.
“Don’t even think about calling the cops or Liam, Monica. Meet me tomorrow so we can discuss what’s going to happen in the future. If you don’t show up, I’m taking the twins. You get me?” he asks. I nod numbly as he drives out of the parking lot.
Gabriel was right. Marcus isn’t who I think he is, and I have no idea how I will protect those beautiful girls.
The lovely life I finally found in Colorado just blew up in my face.