• Seventeen •
· Seventeen ·
“Wasting your time. She requires deeper pockets.”
Briar
A flat tire. Shit! I had to be at work in an hour, and I was going to go get some groceries first. Staring at the offending tire, I tried to think through my options. I didn’t have many. Changing a tire wasn’t something I’d ever had to do. Maybe I could pull up a YouTube video on how to do it.
“Need some help, neighbor?” a male voice asked behind me.
Turning. I saw Ajani Michel, Mr. Fourth Floor, walking up to me. I guessed taking help where it was offered was my only option.
“I thought I told you to run. Save yourself,” I replied in a teasing tone.
He gave me a small shrug. “I like to take chances. I’m a rebel like that.”
Great. He was still giving me a flirty smile. I hadn’t scared him off even a little bit. Fine. He was a man, and I had a flat tire.
I pointed at my tire. “Seems I do have a slight problem.”
Ajani studied the tire for a moment, then gave me a cocky grin. “You got a spare?”
I nodded. “That I do have. The knowledge on what to do with it though I don’t have.”
“Then, it’s your lucky day. I’ve changed many,” he said, then waved a hand toward my trunk. “Want to pop that open so I can see what we have to work with?”
I wasn’t going to have time to get groceries, but I would make it to work on time. I could just order a pizza for Dovie’s dinner. I’d hoped to get her something from the deli that was a little bit healthier, but this would have to do.
“You’re a lifesaver,” I said, taking my key from my pocket and pressing the button that sent the trunk slowly lifting.
“Eh, well, I didn’t say I was gonna do it for free.”
Of course not. I tried to hold my smile. “What’s your price?” I asked, already knowing he wasn’t about to give me a dollar amount. My warning speech of crazy hadn’t fazed him in the least.
“Dinner,” he replied.
I nodded. “Okay then, you want me to order you a pizza, or do you prefer Thai? Because I know a really good place not far from here. I can pick it up and bring it to you.”
His grin spread as he looked at me through his lashes. I was sure this worked with most women. He knew what he was doing clearly. But he was dealing with a pro, and I wasn’t biting.
“With you. I’ll take you to dinner.”
I placed a hand on my hip. “Do I need to remind you of all my faults?”
“Not necessary. They’re all up here,” he said, tapping his temple with his pointer finger.
I needed my tire changed, and if it meant dinner with the man, then so be it. “Well, if you’re willing to chance it.”
He did a quick scan of my body. “Definitely willing to take that chance.”
One meal wouldn’t kill me.
I waved a hand at the car. “Then, please work your magic.”
“That won’t be necessary,” a familiar deep voice came from my left.
I jerked my gaze from the car to see Storm walking toward us. I tensed immediately. The fact that the sight of him in a pair of faded jeans and another snug-fitting T-shirt—this one was blue—made my body tingle annoyed me to no end. I should accept that he made all female bodies tingle. It was something that was a given. But I could ignore it. I was stronger than that.
“Excuse me,” Ajani replied.
Storm cut his eyes to the other man. “I’m certain I spoke clearly.”
Ajani turned to me. “Briar? Is this a friend of yours?”
I was about to say no, but I stopped myself. Ajani did not need to die today, and he had no idea who he was dealing with.
I forced a smile. “You could call him that.”
Ajani frowned and looked back at Storm. “We’ve got things covered.”
Oh sweet Jesus. Ajani was gonna get himself killed over a stupid dinner date.
I stepped between the two of them before Storm decided to do something illegal. “Really, Ajani. Storm is here to help. I wasn’t expecting him so soon. But thank you for offering to help me. I really do appreciate it.”
Ajani looked over my shoulder, his jaw clenched, then back to me. “If you’re sure.”
I nodded. “Yes. Very.” So sure.
For real, dude, you need to run for your life. No joke.
He stood there, not leaving, like he needed to be doing. Why couldn’t he read my mind?
Look into my eyes, Ajani, and see that you are walking a line you do not want to walk for a woman who has no interest in you.
“You’re not wealthy enough for her,” Storm told him. “Wasting your time. She requires deeper pockets.”
I pressed my lips together and inhaled, trying to keep from turning around and slapping his stupid, handsome face. If it wasn’t for my fear of what he’d do if Ajani said or did the wrong thing, I’d shove him and tell him to go to hell or wherever he had come from.
“She mentioned that already,” Ajani replied. “But I think she’d find that I have more than enough to keep her attention.”
Stunned by my neighbor’s quick response, I stared at him. He was making this a situation, and we did not need a situation. Not today and not because of me.
“You don’t. Now, go,” Storm replied, sounding bored by the conversation.
Ajani looked back at me and took a step back toward Storm.
“Thanks again, but Storm will handle it now.”
He wasn’t happy about it, but my moving closer to Storm had been enough to finally make him give up and go. When he turned around to walk away, I wanted to sigh in relief.
“You’re welcome,” Storm said too close to my ear.
Narrowing my eyes, I turned to glare at him. “For what?”
He nodded his head toward Ajani’s retreating form. “Getting rid of him.”
“Maybe I wanted his help!” I hissed angrily.
Storm looked down at me as if I were being ridiculous. “He’s never gonna have enough money to get your interest,” he replied, then glanced back at my flat before turning to look at it closer.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tore my eyes off his backside and focused on the burger place we liked so much across the street.
“Someone sliced it.”
Storm’s words caught my attention, and I swung my gaze back to him. He was walking around the car to the other side.
“What?” I asked incredulously.
“You got a sliced one on this side too.”
“As in someone took a knife to it?” I asked, needing clarification.
He nodded his head once. “Yeah. You fucking someone’s man?”
“NO!” I spat angrily, stalking over to the car to get a closer inspection.
Who would have done this? I hadn’t made any enemies here. But I had enemies. My gaze scanned the parking lot. Had I been found? No. This place was too big. I had left no paper trails.
“Briar,” Storm said, and I looked back at him.
Panic starting to build in my chest. I didn’t want to leave here. I would have all the paperwork Dovie needed soon. She’d have a new identity. She could go to school. Eventually get a job. Have a life.
“Who do you think would have had a reason to do this?” he asked.
A humorless laugh bubbled from my chest. “You want a list?”
He scowled, looking back at the tire in front of him before making his way back around the car toward me. “What about the neighbor?”
Taken aback, I shook my head. “Ajani? I barely know him. Met him once in the gym.”
His steady, intent gaze made a slow scan of the parking lot. “Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do something stupid to get you to go out with him.”
“Storm, two of my tires are sliced. That is a threat. He wouldn’t have done that to get my attention.”
Storm shrugged. “Men can be idiots when they want something bad enough.”
I didn’t have time for this. “Why are you here?” I asked him.
“Checking on things,” he replied as if that were obvious.
I held up my hands. “Well, here I am. Happy?”
His brows drew together, but he said nothing.
“Listen, I need to get to work. I have two flat tires and only one spare. I’ve got to call Pepper.”
“I’ll drive you,” he told me.
I glanced back at the apartment. I needed to talk to Dovie. Explain things and make sure she didn’t open the door or leave tonight. The pizza. Crap. I couldn’t order her pizza.
Chewing on my bottom lip, I tried to figure out what I was going to tell Storm. Sure, I needed a ride, but before work came Dovie.
I’d not told Pepper who Dovie was or even given her a name. I just said it was someone who needed saving and I couldn’t say more. She’d trusted me and agreed to help me with the new identity. I owed her a lot. Which meant I couldn’t not show up tonight.
“I have to run up to my apartment real quick. I won’t be long,” I told him.
“I’ll go with you.”
“No,” I blurted.
He raised an eyebrow at me. I swallowed, thinking through this. I had to come up with a reason why he couldn’t.
“I’ll just be a second, and I’d rather you not know my apartment number.” Which wasn’t a lie.
“Two twenty-nine,” he replied without pause.
Shit. Did they know everything? No, they didn’t. They had no idea about Dovie. Just my location at all times, it seemed.
“Stalker,” I muttered.
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
With a roll of my eyes, I decided I’d have to just text Dovie. There were eggs in the fridge. She could make an egg sandwich or a grilled cheese and heat up the can of tomato soup to go with it. It wasn’t the best dinner, but it would have to do.
“I’m running out of time,” I said. “Let’s just go.”
He studied me for a moment, as if he was going to insist we go to my apartment, but finally, he turned and headed toward a matte-black Jeep. It was new and expensive. The kind of Jeep I would never be able to afford.
When the locks on the doors clicked, he headed for the driver’s side, and I went to climb in the passenger seat. Once we were inside, I glared straight ahead.
“This doesn’t change the fact that I hate you. I just need to get to work,” I clarified.
He backed out of the parking space. “I don’t particularly like you either.”
I’d done nothing to this man! Nothing. “Glad we can agree on something.”
He didn’t say anything more, and I remained silent. No need to talk and pretend like we were anything more than enemies. Even if his scent had saturated this Jeep, and it was hard not to think about how his fingers inside of me had felt. When his body had been pressed against mine.
UGH! No, no, no, no. I was not that weak. He had humiliated me.
My hands fisted in my lap, and I tried to think of anything other than him. If the damn vehicle didn’t smell so freaking good, I could.
Drive faster, asshole.