CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
-:- PENNY -:-
Looking out of the kitchen window, I still have a feeling someone is watching and something isn’t quite right.
“Are you okay, babe?” Ruger asks as he wraps his arms around my waist, kissing my neck as he snuggles me to him.
“I don’t know why, but it feels like I’m being watched, and it’s unnerving.” I’m scanning the yard but see nothing out of the ordinary.
Ruger steps away from me, looks out of the window, but when he sees nothing he steps out of the back door. Walking into the center of the yard, scanning the yard and the exterior around the fencing.
Hearing Arabella cry, I quickly rush to her room and pick her up, kissing her cheek and murmuring good morning. I make quick work of changing her from her nightwear, cleaning her and redressing her ready for the day.
Ruger is in the kitchen when I walk in with Arabella who is ready for her breakfast. “Morning, Punkin,” Ruger croons and takes her from me before sitting her in her highchair. He has a bowl of something ready for her, and I don’t even ask because he is already placing a spoonful into her mouth.
“Did you see anything in the yard?” I ask, and watch Ruger’s reaction because I don’t want him to keep anything from me.
“No, I didn’t. But I’m going to speak to Buzz as he’s good at checking things out. Even Meat would be able to see if anyone has been around. Leave it with me and I’ll check in with them.”
“Okay. Please tell me if they find anything. I would rather be prepared than be caught on the back foot.”
Ruger nods, points at Arabella, “Watch Punkin a minute.” Walking out of the kitchen into the living room, but back again in under two minutes. “I’ve got you a taser. Use it if you have to, do not hold back.”
I take the taser and check it out. It’s a simple one to use, and I watch Ruger take Arabella out of the highchair and pick up the formula he has ready on the counter. I fiddle with the taser as Ruger feeds Arabella, and once we are both done, we quickly get ready to leave for work.
Nyx stops by for Arabella, and after our usual round of good mornings, and anything else needed to be said Nyx fastens an excited Arabella into her SUV. I head to work in our SUV with Ruger following on his bike.
Finding Scarlett is my first job of the day, and I find her in the cleaner's room. “Morning, Scarlett.”
“Morning, Penny. I’ve got your office, reception and the corridor done on the first floor.
I’m having a break now before doing the security patrol office and the bunk room.
Have you smelled that bunk room? Gee, do they have smelly socks or what?
” Scarlett is scrunching her nose up, and I have to laugh lightly because she’s not wrong.
I went into the bunk room last week, and it was wicked.
Oh, “I agree, it’s a little on the disgusting side.” I check around the room, and everything looks neat and clean. It seems Scarlett has everything under control. “Do you need anything, Scarlett?”
“No, I’ve everything here that I need for now. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
“Okay, Scarlet. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Back in my office I look up when Lincoln walks inside.
He gives Jo a questioning look before shaking his head and turning to me.
“I’ve spoken with Ruger, and even though that nutjob is in the pyscho place I want you to have something to protect yourself with.
As an in case…” With that Lincoln holds out a brown bag, and after taking it and checking it out, I see it has a taser inside.
“Take it, put it in your purse, or jacket or whatever, but keep it handy.”
“Thank you, Lincoln.” Now, I don’t have the heart to tell him that Ruger already gave me one. Giving me a nod and another odd look at Jo before he leaves the office.
“Why is he giving you odd looks?” I ask Jo.
Shrugging her shoulders, Jo looks over her shoulder at me. “No idea. He’s not said anything to me this morning. I’ve been busy in here.”
Lunch came around quickly. I checked in with Nyx and Arabella is fine.
They have taken her to the garden center and are having lunch.
They do specials for small children, and she’s having something I’ve not tried making her.
Smashed banana and sweet potato. An odd mix, I’m thinking, but Nyx said she loved it.
Walking into the canteen, Ruger waves me over, and he’s taken the liberty of getting me a loaded baked potato.
He knows I love tuna and corn with cheese on top, and that’s exactly what he’s got me.
The warm look he gives me stops me from telling him off for choosing lunch without asking. “Thank you, Ruger.”
“Welcome, babe. Was Punkin okay?” He always asks, knowing I check in with Nyx at lunch.
“Yes. They’ve gone for lunch at that diner on the way to the small garden center, and they reckon it’s spot on. We’ll have to go sometime and see for ourselves.”
“We’ll do that.” Before Ruger can say anything else, we hear slightly raised voices and look over at Jo, who is having lunch with Lincoln.
“So, you don’t want me around here? That’s what you are saying to me?” Jo snaps at Lincoln.
Lincoln rubs the back of his neck before responding. “I didn’t say that, Jo. I said that you can’t be working from here. It’s a security company, and not your author office.”
Jo stands and gives Lincoln a look that should have him turning to ash with the fire in her body language. “I’ll see you at home later. Oh, and I’m not cooking, so feed yourself.”
I’m sitting with a fork loaded with tuna halfway to my mouth while I watch Jo storm out of the canteen. My eyes flick to Lincoln who is looking like he has shot himself in the foot. I glance at my plate because honestly, who wants to get involved in that sort of thing!
As Lincoln passes our table to leave the canteen, I hear him mutter, “Sisters…Women…”
I look at Ruger, who I now see has a shit-eating grin on his face. “He didn’t handle that very well at all.”
“Well, that’s an understatement,” I reply, and get back to my lunch.
Twenty minutes later I walk into my office, and the table Jo has been using is clear. She’s taken all her stuff and left. She has left everything just as she found it, even down to emptying the trash can next to her table.
Star appears in the middle of the afternoon and plonks herself down in my office.
“Right, Penny. I’ve made an appointment at the bridal place.
We’ll go on Saturday afternoon. I know you have an archery lesson with Winter, and she said if you go between nine and ten o’clock in the morning, then you can be back home by one o’clock. ”
“Okay,” I quickly reply, and make a mental note to speak with Ruger.
“Do you still want that theme you mentioned, and we’ve practiced for?” Star leans forward, grinning.
“Yes.” That’s all it takes before Star jumps to her feet.
“Okay. I’ll make sure Mia is aware and the bridal shop knows what we need.” I don’t get chance to say anything as Star rushes out of the office like her ass is on fire. I really hope I’m doing the right thing!
Delta walks into the office, and I raise my eyebrows because it’s unusual for her to come out of her office. She usually has her nose stuck to her computer monitor.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
Delta leans on the door frame as she replies. “Yeah, I just wanted to stretch my legs, to be honest. But I have the code for you for the storeroom door.”
Stepping over to my desk Delta hands me a small piece of paper with an eight-digit code. I give her a nod and place it in the top drawer of my desk. I make sure it’s between a notebook and a pack of pencils. “I’ll get rid of that as soon as I have the code memorized.”
“Okay, I thought you would. Anywhere else you want new locks?” Delta heads back to the door.
“No, nowhere.” I watch as Delta gets halfway through the door, then call her name. “Delta!”
“Yeah.”
“Would you like to come to my wedding?” I’m not sure I should ask without Ruger knowing first, but if they don’t want her at the wedding, then we’ll have it somewhere else.
“Wow. That would be nice. I don’t know many people in town, and it would be nice to meet a few new ones.
Maybe pick up a friend.” Delta gives me a toothy smile.
“Thanks, Penny. Let me know where and when, and I’ll be there.
” I nod and watch as she takes a step out, but turns back to say, “By the way, love your jacket.”
I grin widely because she’s talking about my property patch, and I’m really proud of it. Ruger loves to see me wearing it, and especially liked it last night when that was all I was wearing.
Once home I put a frozen pizza in the oven.
Not very exciting, but it’s been a long day, and I don’t want to stand in the kitchen cooking.
Ruger has changed Arabella and is playing with her in the living room while I get things organized.
Pizza is in the oven-check. Laundry in the washing machine-check.
Trash out-check. Formula made-check. I think I’m all done for now.
“Babe!” Ruger shouts, and I walk into the living room to see what he wants. “The freezers have been delivered from the house. Buzz, Drag, and Wings got them in the club vans and brought them. They’ve put them in the garage. All the food is good.”
“Oh. If you’d told me earlier, I would have got a better meal out for us. Anyway, it’s good they are here, but you’re having pizza.”
Ruger chuckles, “No problem, babe. I’ll eat most things, so pizza is fine with me.”
Walking into the kitchen again, I check the oven and see that the pizza isn’t quite ready.
Stepping over to the sink I rinse the dishes that we’d used this morning before work, and place them in the dishwasher.
Something I never usually do is leave dirty dishes, but we were a little late this morning.
The window explodes in front of me, and I step back and duck to get away from the glass. But a piece catches my arm, causing me to hiss for a moment.
Ruger rushes into the kitchen. “What the fuck happened? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just a cut on my arm. It’s not bad, though. The window just exploded.” I look at Ruger, but he’s looking at the wall opposite the window, and shock rocks me. It didn’t just explode because in the wall is a bullet hole.
“Get Arabella and anything you need. We are going to the clubhouse.” Ruger storms out of the kitchen and into the yard, looking for whoever fired at us I’m sure. He’s on his phone, and I imagine it won’t be long before some of his club brothers appear.