Chapter 13
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Maxim
I got home twenty-four hours later.
It was like I’d never left.
Of course I had left and all signs of that came when I’d still been at work. I was told Miss Sia Reynolds requested to leave the Petrov property.
I allowed it.
I’d more than allowed it. Hell, I was fucking relieved by it. Sia hadn’t told the gatekeeper why she wanted to leave, but I didn’t fucking care.
Good riddance, Miss Reynolds.
She didn’t belong in my world, and Val was right about that. And Sia most certainly didn’t belong around me.
I washed my hands later that night in my master’s bathroom. Well, it was more so morning. It was around 3 AM, and I was ready for fucking bed. It’d been a long day, and I’d chosen to work in my office at Peters & Burg after Sia left, doing a little bookkeeping. I liked to know where my money was.
It also gave my mind something to do, and, after drying my hands, I left the bathroom. I started to unbutton my shirt for bed when a call hit my line.
I squinted at it before deciding to answer. “What?”
This was my usual greeting. Only close confidants had my line, which was why the lack of an immediate answer put me off.
“Who the fuck is this?” I barked, realizing now only a number came up on my phone and not a name. This person calling wasn’t in my contacts. I started to threaten the caller again, but hesitated when faint laughter hit the line.
“God, you’re such a dick,” slurred into my ear, the soft voice sloppy and messy. Whoever was on the other end of the phone sniffed before laughing again. “And God it feels good to say that.”
I knew right away who this was. I mean, I knew her voice. “Miss Reynolds?”
Why was she calling me, and why in the fuck did she have my line?
I didn’t get a chance to ask either question. Like airy wind chimes, Sia’s light laughter flowed into the line again, and my eyes narrowed.
“It’s Sia,” she slurred again, and I growled. How was she not even here and still defying me? “And you’ll call me that because I don’t work for you. I quit, asshole, in case you didn’t know.”
“I know,” I said. I tucked a hand under my arm. “Were you able to get all your things? If not, I’ll have someone gather anything you left and bring it to wherever you’re staying.”
More of that soft laughter, and I ground my teeth.
“I have everything,” she bit out. “And I have Polly. I took her with me in case you hadn’t noticed.”
I actually hadn’t noticed. My people hadn’t informed me, but that was fine. I’d wanted to be rid of both her and the dog anyway.
“Very well,” I said, now wondering where she was. There was chatter in the background, loud talking somewhere in the room with her. It was multiple voices, and I found myself analyzing the carpet as I attempted to filter through conversations. This was just instinct and had nothing to do with her. I didn’t care where she was.
“You don’t deserve her you know,” she said, chuckling and clearly drunk. “She’s a good dog. A great dog.”
“Miss Reynolds?” I didn’t have to cut her off. She’d done that herself as she suddenly threw herself into a fit of giggles. I gripped the phone. “Miss Reynolds, are you listening to me?”
“Miss Reynolds. Miss Reynolds,” she singsonged, but anger laced her voice. She huffed into the phone. “I said it’s Sia.”
“Sia then.” I dampened my lips, patience not my strong suit. “Sia, why would you jeopardize your sobriety?”
I had no idea why I asked her this, but found the words tumbling out of my mouth.
And I was listening hard again, my ears searching that background noise. It sounded as if she were at a bar with all that ruckus, and there were many in the area that would serve a minor. Especially, if they were young like her, vulnerable…
“I was in rehab for drugs not alcohol you ass wipe.” She laughed, and my teeth gnashed. “And I wouldn’t have been drinking if you actually kept jellybeans stocked like I asked.”
I had no idea what she was talking about. None, but she sounded like a little kid barking at me. She was a kid a young, vulnerable kid.
Where was she?
“I guess Sophia forgot,” she continued on, her voice suddenly sad. “I don’t ask you for anything, you know? That was like the only fucking thing. It was the only thing I wanted from you while being there, the only thing I needed…”
Emotion touched her voice, making it thick, defeated. She sounded nothing like the girl who gave me hell on a regular basis. I scanned the floor. “Sia?—”
“Anyway, why do you care about my sobriety?” she questioned, trying to downplay the emotion in her voice. She was doing a terrible job. It bled through completely. Especially with the last thing she said. Her breathing was soft. “You don’t care about it.”
She was right. I didn’t care.
I forced my attention back on the call instead of where she could be. I ignored it all and that went double for the emotion in her voice. “Forward your new address to the house line, and I’ll make sure you get your last check.” I had no idea how she’d gotten my personal line, but with how upset Val had been with me I wouldn’t put it past her to share it with Sia. I could trust Val, but she was obviously getting attached to this girl.
This was another reason she needed to go. My jaw shifted. “I wish you luck in all your future endeavors, Miss Reynolds.”
It was the proper thing to say, the decent thing. I started to hang up, but heard yelling in the background. Sia called someone an asshole next, and my hand dropped from under my arm. My eyes narrowed.
“Miss Reynolds?” She didn’t speak to me, too busy yelling at someone else. “Sia, where the fuck are you?”
Again, it sounded like a bar, but I wasn’t sure which one. The closest was Rasputin’s Pub, and if she was on foot (with a dog), she’d probably go there. There was a motel next door.
“Shut your filthy mouth and back off, dick!” Sia shouted. Then, the line went dead. In fact, it went eerily silent, deathly silent. I could hear the blood pulsing in my ears but not for long. I was too busy analyzing the different ways to kill someone with what I had on my person. I could have stopped by my personal armory in the house, but didn’t before getting to my car. I honestly hadn’t even thought to go there I was moving so quickly. I just acted without thought.
I never acted without thought.