Electra Chapter 9
The weekend had crawled by for me. I tried to stay busy, and I did, but it wasn’t enough to keep my mind off Swerve, my situation with him, and the reasons why I had to put the genie back in the bottle. The genie was my uncontrollable attraction to him.
Everything about Swerve seemed to draw me in. There was his intelligence, his drive, his protective nature, and how he cared for others, among many other qualities. Add to that his physical handsomeness and his physique, and I was hopelessly captivated by him.
I’d had sexual relationships throughout my life with a few men.
Not a single one came anywhere close to making me feel what I did for Swerve.
I wanted to cry. Why did it have to happen with him and in this instance?
I was beginning to worry that I would let those counting on me down. It was the last thing I wanted to do.
Rhodes had called me yesterday evening to check in.
I’d lied and told him I was better. He asked if I’d spoken to Swerve and ironed out our misunderstanding.
I confessed that I hadn’t and why. Rhodes told me to do it first thing Monday.
I promised I would. He knew how much was riding on my not messing this up.
It was six-thirty on Sunday evening. I had just over twelve hours to go before I hopefully sat down to smooth things out with Swerve.
The only thing that could mess it up was if he didn’t come into the office tomorrow, which was a possibility.
Would he call me to let me know, or would he leave it to Annette to inform me when I arrived?
Typically, he texted to tell me. The weekend had come at the worst time. Why hadn’t we disagreed on Thursday?
Trying to distract myself, I was mindlessly flipping through the channels on my television. Nothing appealed to me, but I kept going. Surely, I could find one show or movie.
A loud knock at my door caught me by surprise.
I jumped, dropping the remote. I bent over to pick it up.
I barely had it on the end table when there was another knock.
Coming out of my chair, I headed to the door to see who it could be.
No one came around without me knowing they were coming.
It had to be a neighbor in need of something. I wasn’t expecting a delivery.
Right as I got to the door and was about to look through the peephole, my name was called, and I froze. My heart kicked up.
“Electra, it’s Swerve. We need to talk.”
Stupidly, for a second, I thought to stay quiet and let him think I wasn’t home. He dashed it. Damn it, had he read my mind?
“I know you’re here. Your car is in the parking lot. We need to talk this out before work tomorrow.”
Swerve was right. I would hate to do this with Annette as a witness—anything to keep her in the dark and out of my hair.
My irritation with her was one thing that hadn’t abated.
Taking a deep breath, I made sure to have a pleasant smile on my face as I unlocked and opened my door.
Sitting there with Dozer at his side was Swerve.
“Hello, Swerve. I wasn’t expecting visitors this evening. Won’t you come in?”
I stood back, swinging my door open far enough for him to enter.
As Dozer passed me, he nudged my thigh with his head.
I chuckled as I rubbed his head and ears.
I knew what he wanted. I gave him a good rub for a minute, then patted his back.
He took the hint and moved all the way inside so I could close the door.
Swerve was in the entrance of my small living area. I hurried over and shifted a chair out of his way, so he could fully enter it and be next to the couch where I could sit.
“Can I get you something to drink? What about Dozer?”
Swerve shook his head. “We don’t need anything, but thank you for offering. I’d like us to talk about Friday at the office. It upset you. I’d like to know why.”
Not wanting to tell him, but knowing I had to do something, I sank onto the couch. Dozer came over and placed his head on my knee. I automatically began rubbing him.
“Alright, we can do that. Where would you like to start?”
“How about you tell me why you got so angry when Micro and especially I got on you for entering the building alone when you believed it could be occupied? Surely, you see our point. You could’ve been severely hurt or killed if someone was in there.”
“Let me ask you something first. If Micro or one of your other club brothers had been the one to come to the office and find the door open, would you have reprimanded him? If he believes someone is there who shouldn’t be.
Dozens of people could be harmed. He decides not to call the club or police.
He’s armed, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s had self-defense training.
Based on that, he enters to see if there is anyone inside.
Would you expect him not to do that?” I fired back.
“That’s not the same thing, Electra!”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“For one thing, my club brothers are responsible for what happens to everyone working for and living within one of our businesses. You’re not.
Not the same way we are. Secondly, his training has been extensive in clearing buildings and handling threats.
If we expected that from our employees, they would be trained by us to do that. ”
“You have no idea the extent of my capabilities. You automatically assume they’re inadequate.
However, now that I know this, I’ll remain outside if it happens again unless I know for sure someone is being actively harmed.
You can’t expect me to step back and wait for a rescue in that instance.
In those situations, seconds are sometimes the difference between life and death. ”
“I want you to be safe. No, we’d hate to have someone harmed, but by going into that situation, you could be as well. One person hurt is better than two. Let those trained to handle it do that.”
I gritted my teeth to keep from telling him I was more than trained for it. I wanted to dare him to put any of his brothers up against me and see if they were more so. But that wasn’t something I could do. If I did, he’d want to know why and how. Those were questions I couldn’t answer.
“Fine. I won’t do it,” I stated begrudgingly, praying he wouldn’t hear the lie in my voice.
Swerve’s eyes were steadily watching me. I worked to keep my body relaxed and my face showing the appropriate emotions.
“I truly hope you won’t, Electra.”
“Was that it? We could’ve talked about this in the morning at the office, unless you’re not going to be there,” I probed.
“No, that’s not all. There’s the matter of your remark regarding Annette and how you not only stormed away but also remained locked away. When I tried to speak to you, you said you were busy. And what was up with you leaving for lunch? You never do that.”
There was an edge to his voice. Swerve wasn’t thrilled with how I acted.
“I had a lunch date for once. Just because I’ve never left before doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t.
As for avoiding you, that wasn’t what it was.
I had work to do. When I returned from lunch, I found that you had left for the day.
I intended to speak to you about it upon my return. And then it was the weekend.”
“And the animosity toward Annette?”
“It’s not animosity. It’s irritation. No one enjoys being compared to a peer and found lacking. Annette and I are very different women. I know she’s your idea of the ideal female. Good for her. But don’t hold your breath thinking I’ll suddenly turn into her.” I let my vexation shade my tone.
“Electra, I don’t think any such thing about Annette.
How the hell did you get that impression?
I see her as a more delicate woman who isn’t used to standing up for herself.
She requires others to shield her. Her sensibilities are more tender.
In your case, I don’t see that. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I want to shield you the same as I would her. ”
“Maybe you don’t know her as well as you think,” I mumbled.
“What does that mean?” he asked. His frown had grown.
“It means that the Annette you see isn’t the one I see. She acts one way around you and other men and differently when she’s not being watched. She might not be at my level of independence and self-defense, but she’s not a delicate piece of china.”
His puzzlement told me he bought her helpless act. And if he wanted to cater to it, that was on him. I wouldn’t. Needing to get this meeting over with, I pushed it to a conclusion.
“I won’t enter the building even if I know someone is actively being harmed.
I won’t lock myself away, even when I’m working.
As for leaving for lunch, you’ll have to get used to that.
It’ll be happening a lot more often. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to work my full eight hours.
I did on Friday after I returned. If that’s all, I have things to do before the work week begins.
Will I see you in the office tomorrow, or are you working from home?
” I had to work to maintain a neutral tone.
Swerve used his arms to lift himself and adjust his body in his chair.
I wanted to moan. I was used to him wearing T-shirts or jeans to work.
He always had on his cut and typically dark denim jeans, but not like these.
His shirt was skintight, outlining his incredible arms, chest, and abdomen.
The play of his muscles when he moved made my mouth water.
His jeans were tight along his thighs, tighter than he wore to work.
His boots and cut completed his badass image.
His wheelchair didn’t detract from it a bit for me.
“Why the sudden change to outside lunches?” he asked abruptly.
I blinked at his question. It wasn’t one I expected.
“I-I just see myself taking more. Is there a policy against it?”