14. Dempsey
14
Dempsey
W hat a fucking nightmare. I listened to Katy sneak around the house this morning and pretended to be asleep like some coward. I thought the coast was clear and opened my eyes, not expecting her to look back but she did. She saw me looking at her.
Fucking coward.
You can’t even face the woman you made love to last night. All the beautiful words exchanged, down the fucking toilet because you ran from her bedroom like a little chicken shit when you realized you had taken her bare.
How could I have been so caught up in my feelings that I didn’t think about a condom? I wanted her to be in control and completely comfortable that I forgot the most basic rule of sex. Protection. Fucking protection.
I’ve never had sex without one. I knew it felt different with her, but I assumed it was the emotion behind it, not the literal rawness without a condom.
I couldn’t handle it. Knowing I took a decision away from her. She had already had it taken once from her. We were so lost in the moment we were making stupid decisions. I know she’s on birth control, and neither of us has been with anyone else, so I’m not worried about diseases.
Does she feel like I took advantage of her? She didn’t follow me when I ran out, so maybe she felt the same guilt I did. The fact that I even allowed myself to touch such a fucking goddess is enough to throw me into the pit of despair. I promised myself I’d never cross that line with her. She’s been through enough, and as much as I’m attracted to her inside and out, I needed to be her safe space, and I took that away. She made that very clear by hiding from me all day.
I was losing my mind when she walked out, and I had no idea where she was going. I couldn’t make myself get up to watch her walk across the lawn. Although I assumed that’s where she went, after a while, I needed the confirmation and messaged the group chat. I was relieved to know she was over there with them.
Lincoln came by after she left with Axel to let me know they were going out, and Tucker was watching Owen at their house. She didn’t even ask me to watch him, and that hurt.
I had no intentions of going over to the big house since I wasn’t sure what, if anything, she had told them, but judging by the look on Lincoln’s face, she definitely told them something. He didn’t say anything to me about it, which I respect. I’m also happy she felt comfortable enough to confide in at least one of them.
After twiddling my thumbs all day, not knowing what to do with myself if my purpose wasn’t to protect Katy and Owen, I’m watching her get ready to go out. She came home a few hours ago but didn’t come back to the pool house until about an hour ago.
Spencer told me she was going to The Beat Brew Cafe with Meghan, a friend from high school, and I was to be scarcely seen and not heard while I was there with them.
They have been in the bathroom for what feels like forever, getting Katy ready to go. At least I get to play with Owen before they take him for the night. I don’t like being without him for long. He’s not mine, but I treat him as if he was my blood. I’ve been here since the day he was born and will hopefully be in his life after Katy is no longer my job.
“Vik, Vik. Gag. Doggie.” Owen lays his head on Gage, Spencer’s German Shepherd, who’s lying on the floor next to my feet. Gage puts up with everything Owen does to him, but I’ve also seen him protect Owen when people come around who he doesn’t know. Spencer has him trained well.
“Mama, pitty.”
A few minutes earlier, Owen was in Katy’s room. I wonder what she’s doing in there?
“Your Mama looks pretty? I bet she does. Is she wearing blue?” His face scrunches as he thinks about my words.
“No boo.”
“Is she wearing pink?” He knows some basic colors, and I work with him every chance I get, as does Katy. He loves guessing colors when you point them out.
“No peek.”
“Hmmm. Is Mama wearing yellow?”
“No lellow.”
The more I guess with Owen, the more my anxiety increases. I haven’t seen Katy dressed up since her seventeenth birthday, and she looked stunning that night in a pink, flowy, strapless dress. I know she’s only going out with friends, but I have a feeling, based on how long she’s been in the bathroom with Spencer, that she’s dressing up.
“I don’t know, buddy. You’ve got me stumped. I wonder what Mama will be wearing.”
“Geen!”
“Green? Mama’s wearing green? Good job.” I lift my hand to him, and he gives me a high five.
She looks gorgeous in green. It contrasts beautifully with her chocolate hair and eyes.
Fuck. I shouldn’t be thinking things like that. Lines were blurred last night. No, fuck that. Lines were obliterated last night, and I need to get my head straight. I need to be on high alert at all times, and I can’t let last night cloud my judgment.
It’s eight forty-five, and I know they have to be done soon, or we’ll be late. Axel came home with her friend’s information, and between everyone’s connections, Meghan was fully background-checked and vetted. Not that I was worried about a nineteen year old girl having ill will, but I can breathe a little easier knowing that Katy’s friend, at least on paper, has pure intentions with her invite tonight.
“Mama!” Owen jumps up from his lounging position on Gage and runs to her.
Fuck.
Katy looks…I have no words.
“Hi, buddy. What do you think?”
I know she’s talking to Owen, but I can’t help but stare. Katy is wearing white pants and a bright green sleeveless top that ties at the neck. Her hair is curled into big waves, and her eye shadow matches her shirt and makes her eyes pop.
My mouth is dry. Katy looks gorgeous. She’s wearing a casual outfit but also looks ready to take on the world. My breath hitches when she tucks a curl behind her ear, and I see she’s wearing the earrings I gave her for her eighteenth birthday last year. A pair of diamond studs that I convinced her weren’t real because I knew she wouldn’t have accepted them if she thought they were.
They sparkle like she does. A growl of possessiveness creeps up my chest, and I cover it with a cough. She’s marked by me tonight, and I like the idea of her walking around wearing something I gave her. Did she do it on purpose? Is this an olive branch?
“Alright. You better go before you’re too late.” Spencer picks up Owen and shoves Katy toward the door. Once Katy walks out, Spencer stops and turns to me.
“You will be on your best behavior, Dempsey. No one has shared with me what caused her to be upset this morning, but I know it involves you. If you or Katy want to talk, I’m here, but we respect each other’s privacy, so I won’t pry. Can you handle this?”
This is why I fucking respect Spencer. Straight to the point. No B.S. She understands there’s a problem, and she’s confronting me with it.
“Spencer, you know I take my job seriously, and if there ever comes a point where I don’t feel confident in my abilities, I’ll excuse myself.”
“You’re a good man, Dempsey. Go watch over our girl.”
Spencer steps aside and allows me to walk out ahead of her. I don’t miss the use of the words “our girl.” They probably have a different meaning to Spencer, or maybe not. She’s highly perceptive, and I know they have discussed the relationship between Katy and me. Spencer was probably the first one to notice.
When I get in, Katy is already in the car waiting and playing on her phone. She ignores me, as she’s been doing all evening. I feel the weight of her anger heavy on my chest as her presence takes up all the air in the car. She smells like vanilla and sunshine. It is so uniquely Katy and only a scent she wears on special occasions.
“You look beautiful, Pepper.”
Her fingers clench around her phone, and her crossed leg shakes. I can’t decipher her mood right now, and the tension is killing me.
“Thank you.”
I might as well have told her she looked ugly with the monotone response she gives me. I know I fucked up, but if we are going to get through tonight, there needs to be some semblance of peace between us. I always do my best to stay out of her way when she’s out with others besides me, even with any of the five from the main house. When I’m on duty, protection is my number one focus.
“Katy, can we—”
“No. We aren’t going to do this right now. I’m going out with friends and having a good time. I want you to be seen and not heard. Please.”
I don’t miss the identical phrasing Spencer used on me earlier. “Seen and not heard.” I can play my role as bodyguard tonight, but after, we’re talking. I can’t allow the silence to linger between us any longer than necessary.
“Alright. I’ll respect your wishes. But we will talk about it.”
Katy stares out the window for the rest of the drive, ignoring me.
From the outside, the Beat Brew Cafe looks like a regular coffee shop, but the atmosphere is entirely different once we step inside. The walls are decorated with old instruments, sheet music, and coffee paraphernalia. There’s a small stage in one corner and a DJ booth in another.
Someone waves at us near the stage, and I place my hand on the small of Katy’s back, directing her toward the table. She shimmies her shoulders, trying to shake me off, but I shoot her a look, and she rolls her eyes at me.
“Katy!” A strawberry blonde-haired girl greets her with an exuberant hug, and I assume this is Meghan.
I extend my hand to the young lady and introduce myself. “Hello, I’m Dempsey. I’ll make myself scarce, but if you need me, I’ll be in the corner.” I point to a dark place where I can stand and view the room without looking like a creeper.
She smiles and shakes my hand. “I’m Meghan. Glad to meet you. You can join us if you want to.”
Before I can object, Katy does it for me. “He’s fine in the corner.” I smile and nod at the girls, and Katy gives me her back as Meghan introduces her to the others.
Three other people are at the table, all looking to be around Katy’s age. She recognizes the brunette female, and they hug before she’s introduced to the two boys sitting at the table. One kid wears a too big for him button-up shirt and gives Katy a polite smile. The other kid wears a backward baseball cap with dark hair curling around the edges and a band t-shirt. He stands and offers Katy a quick hug before they all sit. I can’t tell by her interaction if she knows him, but I don’t like someone else touching what’s mine.
The night goes by uneventfully, and when the open mic ends, the DJ plays music that makes people move tables and chairs around, and a small dance floor is formed in the middle of the room. It makes me uncomfortable not being able to see Katy as easily as I could when everyone was sitting.
I go to the coffee counter and order two bottles of water. After drinking mine, I slowly make my way toward Katy. I’ve only seen her drink a coffee, and she’s been dancing for well over thirty minutes. She needs to hydrate.
“Pepper?” She jumps when I lean over her shoulder to speak in her ear.
“What?”
There’s venom behind the word, and it’s obvious she doesn’t appreciate being interrupted. I hold up the bottle of water, and her brows scrunch. She wants to be mad, but she also wants the water. Which one will win?
“Thank you. Now go back to your corner.”
She dismisses me and gives me her back. The brunette with them comes up next to me and trails her eyes up my body.
“You got one of those for me too?”
“No, ma’am, but I’ll happily get you one as well.” She hooks her arm into my elbow and tilts her head toward the counter.
“I’ll come with you.”
I don’t like the idea of taking my eyes off Katy, but it’s a short walk before I can turn and see her again. I nod to the brunette, and we walk together. I feel Katy’s eyes staring at my back. When I reach the counter with her friend and turn around, Katy has her arms around the kid with the backward hat, dancing far closer than I’m comfortable with.
“I’m Sara, by the way. Your name began with a D, right?” I can feel her leaning close to me to be heard over the music.
“Dempsey, yes. Who are the friends you are with?” She follows my line of sight to the four people she’s here with.
“Meghan and I went to school with Katy. Jace and Logan go to the community college with Meghan. I think they have a class together or something. Jace seems sweet on your girl.”
I fucking see that. He’s getting way too comfortable with his hands on Katy’s lower back. A few more inches, and he won’t be on her back anymore.
“Did you want something?”
“Huh?” We’ve reached the front of the line, and I need to order. “Oh, two waters please. Thank you.” I swipe my card, keeping my eye on Katy the entire time. Sara takes the two waters from the barista and tries to hand one to me. “That’s for Meghan. You should all hydrate.”
“Do you want to come and dance with me?”
“No. I have to keep an eye on things. Go have fun.”
She runs her pink polished hand up my chest and stops to fiddle with the collar of my gray v-neck shirt.
“Are you sure?”
Is she flirting with me? I came here with Katy. Okay, fine. Not exactly with Katy, but she had to see that I’m here doing a job.
“I’m sure.” She pouts an exaggerated pout and saunters back to their group on the dance floor, handing Meghan the water, who gives me a big wave and thumbs up over the crowd. I smile back and find another corner to stand and watch.
I feel like a stalker. I don’t usually feel that way, but tonight feels different. Maybe last night changed something, and it’s making me struggle to watch from the wings, but that’s my job, and I can’t let my actions interfere with that.
Katy continues to dance with the douchebag. He could be a great guy for all I know, but he’s holding what’s mine, and I don’t like it.
The night slows down, and closing time approaches. Their group has been sitting for a while, talking and laughing. Douchebag’s hand is over the back of Katy’s chair, and he keeps whispering in her ear. She’s blushed and giggled more times than I’m comfortable with, and I’ve been chanting our safeword in my head over and over, convincing myself I have no right to go over there and sling her over my shoulder like some caveman staking my claim.
My phone rings, and I answer it without looking.
“She looks pretty in green, doesn’t she?”
I pull the phone away from my ear and see it’s an unknown caller. “Who the fuck is this?”
“Awe, Dempsey. Don’t insult me. We know each other far too intimately for you to not know who I am. I’ve seen your insides. Or rather, caused them to spill.”
I’m seeing red. Shane is here. Or he can see her, which isn’t much better. I scan the room looking for him but don’t see anyone even remotely resembling Shane.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Get her away from that asshole. I don’t want any more competition.”
“How—” The call disconnects, and I’m already heading toward Katy’s group without conscious thought. When I approach her table, she looks up at me towering over her with pure disdain.
“What do you want, Dempsey?” I fucking hate it when she calls me that, and she knows it.
“We have to go.”
She scoffs. “I’m not ready to leave. We still have another hour before the cafe closes.”
“Katy, we need to go.”
I don’t want to explain the reasoning behind our hasty exit in front of her friends. “You know what? You have twenty minutes.”
“I’m not a child. You can’t just give me a countdown…” I walk away, leaving her ranting behind me, and pull out my phone.
“Dempsey. What’s wrong?” There’s loud music in the background, and I hear a door close before there’s silence.
“Tucker, Shane called me. He knows Katy is here. She won’t willingly leave, but I realized it’s probably not good to leave in our car anyway. I’m sure he knows which one is ours, and I’d rather have safety in numbers because of the last time.”
“Say no more. You’re at The Beat Brew Cafe, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll be there in ten.”
Tucker hangs up, and I continue to stare at Katy and her friends. She’s going to be pissed off that I called Tucker but fuck her feelings right now. This is about her safety. Feelings come second.
True to his word, ten minutes later, the cowboy hat-wearing, muscular man walks through the front door, and Katy’s eyes beeline right to him. Like a teenager caught after curfew, she jumps with panic in her eyes. He holds his gaze with hers for a few tense moments before releasing her and finding me. We shake hands when he approaches.
“So what’s going on, Dempsey?”
“He called me from an unknown number. Taunted me by saying Katy looks good in green, then told me to get her away from the asshole because he doesn’t want any more competition.”
“Fucker.”
“I tried to get Katy to leave calmly, but she’s pissed at me right now and will do anything to disagree. I’m sure the fact I called you is only going to piss her off more.”
He places a hand on my shoulder. “You did the right thing. It’s not always the easiest.” His hand squeezes a little too hard for my liking, and he leans close to my ear. “And the next time you make love to my daughter, she better walk away happy. Not whatever is going on between you two right now.”
My head snaps to look at him.
“Who—”
“No one has said a word. I know the face of a woman scorned. I don’t know what you did, but fix it, or you’ll be out of a job.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Fuck. Me. I should have known that nothing gets past Tucker.
“How much longer till she can leave?”
“I told her twenty minutes when I called you, but she wasn’t happy.”
“Well, her happiness isn’t my concern right now, and she was warned. Her time is up.”
Tucker stares in Katy’s direction and waits for her to look over at him. It doesn’t take long, and when she does, he simply tips his head toward the door, walks to it, and waits. Without hesitation, she tells her friends she has to leave.
After her goodbyes, Katy glares at me like I ran over her puppy or tattled on her. I imagine she does feel like I’ve tattled. From her perspective, without all of the information, that’s exactly what it looks like.
She hugs Tucker, and he whispers in her ear. Her face softens as she watches me approach, but then her head whips to Tucker, and her eyes widen in panic.
“Here.”
“We believe so. Dempsey didn’t want to take a chance that he tampered with your car, so he called me.” Tucker tucks her under his arm and opens the door for them to walk out.
“I’ll drive everyone home in my truck,” Tucker calls back to me once we’re all outside.
“If it’s alright with you, I’ll drive Katy’s car back. It will probably make her more comfortable to be without me.”
Katy stays under Tucker’s arm as he looks at me over his shoulder. For a long moment, we stand and stare at each other before he concedes, clearly seeing in my eyes what I’m trying to convey to him.
He nods, and we take off in different directions toward our vehicles.