Chapter 3
Laurie
While Heather left to have her nails done, I’d taken a chance and snuck out of the office for fifteen minutes to look at a room that’s available to rent.
Taking time off from work was nerve-racking enough, but then those men appeared out of nowhere outside the club, and the massive one slammed me against the wall.
My shoulder blades feel tender from the force he used, and angry red marks circle my neck. I have no idea how I’m going to explain it if someone notices.
And I almost got run over.
Ugh, today is not my day.
But holy hell! Those men. The vibe I got from them put the fear of God in me. Jesus, I don’t know which one was scarier, the mammoth or the handsome one who looked at me like he was about to end my life as I ran across the road.
I swallow hard on the nerves still spinning wildly in my stomach.
All of that for nothing. The room is nothing more than a closet, and the owner looked like a serial killer. The place was filthy, and the air smelled sour.
While I open the spreadsheet I’m working on, my thoughts mull over the crazy incident.
I think the attractive man was the same one I saw a couple of nights ago. I have to admit, he’s even more good-looking up close.
I shake my head, trying to get the image of him out of my mind, but it only works for a few seconds.
It’s weird. As handsome as he was, one look from him had every survival instinct in my body screaming at me to run.
Which is insane because he was, without question, the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. A face like his shouldn’t come with such cold eyes that turned my blood to ice.
Forget about the guy and focus on your work!
It takes a couple of minutes, but I finally manage to keep my attention on the spreadsheet until Heather walks into the office.
My gaze locks on her hands, and I force a smile to my face. “Your nails look pretty.”
Heather glares at my hands that are resting over the keyboard. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to put in some effort with your appearance. Your man-hands are an embarrassment whenever a client comes in.”
The fake smile vanishes from my face as I stare after her while she walks to her office.
I would love to get my nails done, but I don’t have the money or time.
I’d call her a bitch, but that would be an insult to all other bitches.
Doing my best to ignore the blow to my self-esteem, I stare at my computer screen. Once again, Heather’s mean words get to me, and my gaze lowers to my hands.
I always keep my nails short and neat, but I notice how dry my skin is.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I shake my head and read over the numbers I’ve put into the spreadsheet.
An hour or so later, the doorbell buzzes. I lean to the left so I can see through the glass panel by the door.
“It’s my lunch,” Heather yells from her office.
I buzz the deliver guy in before opening the petty cash box in my middle drawer.
“Delivery for Heather,” the young guy says.
The delicious aroma of pizza fills the air as I ask, “How much do we owe you?”
When he gives me the amount, I count the notes from the box and hand the cash to him. Noticing there’s a lot less money than the last time I opened the box, I frown.
I check that the delivery guy shuts the door behind himself before I carry the pizza to Heather’s office. “Did you take money from petty cash?”
A wicked smile curves her lips as I set her lunch down on her desk, then she says, “Of course not. There better not be any money missing, or it will come out of your pay.”
I stare at her while the urge to tell her to go to hell surges through me.
Wiggling her index finger in the door’s direction, she drawls, “Shut the door on your way out.”
Biting my tongue, I do as I’m told, and when I sit down at my desk, I check the balance left in the box.
Shit. Two hundred dollars is missing.
My eyes dart to Heather’s office window, and I watch as she grins at me before sinking her teeth into a slice of pizza.
God, I wish I could afford to get up and leave this shitty job.
Just as I turn my attention back to my computer screen, my phone rings. Seeing it’s an internal call, I groan softly.
“Yes, Heather?”
“You better finish the projections by the end of the month.”
“But that’s in four days!” I gasp. “You know it takes much longer than that to get it all done.”
“Not this year. I want it completed by the thirtieth, Laurie.”
I look at her through the window. Seeing the cruel smile on her face as she hangs up sends me over the edge.
Darting to my feet, I stalk to her shut door and shove it open. “Stop treating me like crap, Heather. I’ve given this place six years of my life, and I’m a hard worker. The least you could do is show me some respect. You know it always takes around six weeks to get those spreadsheets done.”
Her eyebrows fly up. “That attitude’s not going to look good when I tell my brother why I fired you.”
A familiar fear creeps into my chest. “You can’t seriously be threatening my job, because I asked you to treat me like a human being?”
Heather picks up another slice of pizza and gathers a string of cheese with her freshly done claws. “Human beings earn respect, Laurie. They don’t storm into my office and scream at me.” She pops the cheese into her mouth and smirks at me while she chews.
My hands curl into fists at my sides. “I didn’t scream at you.”
“Get back to work before I decide to make today your last at this company.”
The threat cuts straight through my anger.
Heather knows how trapped I am in this underpaying job, and she’s used that threat on me before.
Swallowing hard, I step into the hallway, but as I take hold of the lever to pull the door shut, she adds, “And if I were you, I’d treat my brother with much more respect. You’re on thin ice.”
My gaze flies to hers, and once again, I wish I could tell both Heather and Austin to go to hell, but I can’t. Not yet.
Pulling her door shut, I return to my desk while it feels like lava is boiling in my chest.
How on earth am I going to get all this work done in less than a week?
My chin begins to tremble, but refusing to cry, I take deep breaths and force myself to calm down.
You have a plan. Just work until the end of the month so you can get your paycheck.
Luckily, I have another appointment to view an available room tomorrow at eight p.m., and it sounds more promising than the serial-killer-guy’s place.
You’ve held out this long. You can manage a few more days.
Adriano
Waiting down the street from the construction company, I’m wearing a hoodie beneath my leather jacket, the hood pulled over my head to shadow my face.
While Little Ricky waits in the SUV that’s parked in front of the club, I plan to follow Laurie on foot as soon as she gets off work.
I’m armed and have my tracker activated, so nothing should go wrong.
Yesterday, Rosie gave me everything she could find on my little butterfly.
Laurie has a predictable life, so it will be easy to keep an eye on her while I try to figure out what I’m going to do about this sudden obsession that’s caught me off guard.
It’s after eleven when she finally steps out onto the sidewalk. I watch as she locks the door behind her, and once she heads toward the intersection, I follow her at a safe distance.
Laurie waits for the traffic light to change, then crossing the road, she keeps glancing at the SUV.
I pull my phone out and send Little Ricky a quick text.
Adriano: Hang back. She’s aware of you.
Little Ricky: I saw. BTW, you look creepy, dude.
I slow my pace, letting the distance between Laurie and me grow so that if she looks back, she won’t notice she’s being followed.
She wraps her arms around herself and speedwalks all the way to the railroad station.
When an icy breeze picks up, I take in the pant suit she’s wearing.
My eyes narrow on her back as she hunches her shoulders, rubbing her hands up and down her biceps.
Knowing she’s cold makes me feel irritated.
For a second, I play with the idea of closing the distance between us so I can give her my jacket.
But it would give my presence away, and I’m not ready for that to happen.
At the station, the bright fluorescent lights shine a spotlight on her pale face, the only color the shadows beneath her eyes.
She looks fucking exhausted.
I lean against a pillar and pretend to be busy on my phone while I watch Laurie take a seat on one of the benches.
Besides the two of us, there’s a man who doesn’t even glance at us. He looks asleep on his feet.
My phone vibrates in my hand, and I open the text.
Little Ricky: The area is quiet. No sign of trouble.
Adriano: Thanks.
Looking at Laurie again, I see she’s pulling her phone out of her bag, and when she checks it, a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.
A moment later, she seems to send a voice note as she says, “Hi, friend. I’m waiting for my train.
My bitch of a boss wants the projections done by next week.
” A burst of incredulous laughter comes from her.
“Can you believe that? Ugh, sorry for complaining. I wish I was in Belgium with you. Tell me something good.”
Her voice is soft, sweet enough to make the possessiveness I’m already experiencing grow at a rapid pace.
After sending the message, Laurie continues to look at her phone, then scrunches her nose. “Jesus, why did you even bother to reply, Mom?” A heavy sigh escapes her while a fragile expression crosses her beautiful features.
The next second, I think Laurie’s playing a voice message because I hear a woman saying, “Hi, bestie. I just checked the time and see it’s almost midnight by you! Isn’t it dangerous for you to be out so late?”
Laurie’s features soften again. “I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”
Her phone begins to ring, and a stunning smile spreads over her full lips.
Fuck possessiveness. There’s no word for what explodes through me as I stare at the breathtaking creature who will belong to me.