7. Emmy
“Me?”
Inferno stands as still as a statue, his face registering the same shock I’m feeling. I never thought I’d see him again, let alone at work.
“Yeah, you,” I say after swallowing the lump in my throat. “What are you doing here?”
He glances down at the mop and bucket he’s pushing and then back to me. “Uh, isn’t it obvious?”
The email Linda sent earlier about the new janitor pops into my head. “You’re the guy Linda hired?”
He stands a little straighter, his shoulders stiffening at my tone. “Got a problem with that?”
“No, of course not,” I reply quickly as I shake my head. “Sorry, I, uh…” I tilt my head. “Do we know each other?”
His lips slowly curve into a smile. “Not unless you count our very brief encounter the other week at that Mexican restaurant.”
“Right.” I tuck a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. “It’s just, even then…”
“What?”
“You just look familiar, that’s all.”
“I get that a lot,” he says. “One of those faces, I guess.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Anyway, I can come back if you’re still working,” Inferno says. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. Honestly, I thought I was the only person in the building.”
“No, no, you’re fine.” I wave my hand dismissively. “I should’ve left a while ago, but I got caught up in notes. Gimme a few minutes, and I’ll get out of your way.”
“Take your time,” he says as he opens the door and begins to back out. “I’m in no rush, Emmy.”
“How do you know my name?” I snap, the note on my car rising to the forefront of my thoughts.
His eyes narrow, and for a moment, he looks like he feels guilty about something, but the moment quickly passes. “Your friend Steph told me.”
I release the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “Oh, right.”
“I’m—”
“Inferno.”
He grins. “Or Dean. Whichever you prefer is fine.”
“Dean,” I repeat, letting his name roll off my tongue.
His nostrils flare, and fire curls in my belly. Dammit, this man ties me into knots. His dark eyes give off a dangerous vibe, but his smile is enough to make me not care.
And I still can’t figure out why he’s so familiar.
Without another word, he nods and exits my office. I close down all the open apps on my computer and shut it off before grabbing my purse and jacket from the coat tree in the corner. I don’t see Dean—no, Inferno suits him better—again as I leave for the night.
Working late has its perks. There’s very little traffic on my way home, and after grabbing my mail, I park in the garage and head inside.
I heat up a bowl of leftover spaghetti, and as I eat, I look through the mail. It’s mostly bills, but one envelope catches my eye. It’s black, with white handwriting, and I immediately recognize that it belongs to whoever left the note on my car. There’s no return address to give me any indication as to who the sender is.
Trepidation slams into me, and my hands begin to shake as I open the flap. I pull out the black cardstock and take a deep breath before reading what it says.
Dear Emmaline Daniels,
Congrats! You’re the winner of a brand new… friend. Don’t worry, I’m not the kind of friend you have to make time for. I’ll take care of that for you. All that’s required of you is to go about your life and well, look over your shoulder from time to time. Our adventures are going to be so much fun! You’ll see.
Sincerely,
You’ll find out soon enough
The paper falls from my hand and flutters to the floor. Bile rises up the back of my throat, and I run for the half bath off the kitchen. I make it to my knees just in time to spew the minimal spaghetti I consumed.
As soon as I’m sure there’s nothing left in my stomach, I rise to my feet and rinse out my mouth. I have no idea who is doing this to me, but it seems ignoring it won’t make it go away.
I make my way back to the kitchen and grab my cell off the counter. My brain screams at me to call the police, but I don’t. Instead, I call Steph.
“What’s up?” she asks when she answers.
“C-can you come over?” I hate the tremor in my voice.
“Sure. What’s wrong?”
“I’ll fill you in when you get here.”
“Okay. I’m on my way.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m telling her about the note on my car and in the mail, and together, we call the police.