Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tommy
I’m going to fucking kill him.
The sneaky little bastard has been pestering my girl for weeks pretending to be someone else. He has taken this shit to a whole other level. I’m torn between calling the police or dealing with him myself.
The only thing stopping me is the jail time I could possibly end up with, which would take me away from Maya. Again. And that is not going to happen. What’s the saying? It never rains, but it pours.
When bad things happen, more bad things are likely to follow.
That’s how life feels right now, the second I get her back, he has to pop up his weaselly head again. The conniving fucker. I can’t wrap my head around how he has the balls to do half of this shit.
“We need to call Bernie, now,” Gracie says.
I nod, “I agree.”
“I’ll make the call,” Max says as he wanders out of the room.
“He’s warped in the head. Maya, why didn’t you tell us you were seeing someone?” Fallon asks disappointed. Either in herself for not knowing or Maya for not telling her.
“I wanted to be around someone that didn’t know me.
You have all been so amazing, but I’ve been walking on eggshells for months.
It felt nice to talk to someone that didn’t know all my shit.
Or so I thought anyway.” Her eyes are swollen and red, cheeks blotchy and her hands still shake.
I pull her into me, needing her close. My heart aches for her.
“Tommy, I never actually dated him. It was just coffee.”
She looks so on edge. As if I would judge her for seeing someone else, she didn’t know who I was. I don’t like it, but she didn’t know. I can judge that fucker though.
“Stop worrying. We’re together now and that’s what matters,” I say trying to soften my voice, because on the inside I’m seething.
“They’re on their way,” Max states, coming back into the room. “Maya, I think you should stay here for a while. It safer here with Tommy’s security.”
So do fucking I. I just didn’t want to be the one to ask, again.
“Tommy has security?” Maya asks Max, but turns to me, confusion wrinkling her brow.
Oh shit. I never actually told her about that.
“Yeah. I knew you didn’t want me around, so once I found out it was malicious I couldn’t leave you unprotected,” I state, because I don’t regret doing it. I do feel bad that she found out like this though.
“So, you have been having me followed?” She asks, a look I can’t quite decipher on her face.
Fuck fuck fuck.
“I promise I never asked for any updates other than being informed that you were safe,” I swear to her.
“We will talk about this later.” She dismisses me turning back to the girls. “Did you all know about this?”
“Yes, it wasn’t just you. He had them looking after us too,” Fallon says, wording it in the best way possible.
“How bloody rich are you?” Blair asks bluntly. Cocking her head to the side as she assesses me.
“Rich enough to get by.” They don’t need to know I earn millions. Max does too, we just don’t like to flaunt it, other than my car collection.
“Maya, I think we should go and stay at my place,” I tell her, not taking my eyes away as I gage her reaction.
Her frown is back. “We are already here,” she states the obvious.
“No, my real home. It’s far enough without being hours away. The team would accompany us to make sure you’re safe.”
“But what about my job, the cabin? I don’t want him to win,” she whispers, this all seeming to be a bit much for her now. “Tommy?” Her eyes widen as they zero in on me. “Did you pay off my mortgage?”
“Yes.” Because I did, and that’s another thing I don’t regret either. “The last thing I wanted was for you to worry about money along with everything else.”
“We are definitely going to talk about this,” She scowls.
“Don’t be a bitch Maymay,” Blair interjects.
“Babes, he did it to make sure you were okay and had less worries. Take it easy on him,” Gracie adds.
The gruesome twosome are my heroes right now. Maya’s face softens slightly, but I know how fiercely independent she is. I knew it wouldn’t be plain sailing once she found out.
Still, no regrets.
Thirty minutes later, the alert goes that someone is on their way up. I go over to let Bernie in, he’s on his own today.
“How are you, Maya?” he asks as he goes to greet her.
“I’ve been better,” She admits. She looks unwell after the morning we’ve had.
“So, fill me in on everything. I hear you have recovered some of your memoires?”
Maya starts to fill him in on the things that have been happening, most of what we already know, until she gets to ‘Jack’.
“I met him in Bewdley the first time. He came into the sweet shop near the river, introduced himself as Jack and asked me on a date. I said no and left, but after a few minutes he jogged up the road and ask if I’d like to go for a coffee and for my number.
The second time I met with him was after work one morning in a café, we had a nice time, and I left again.
It was the last time I saw him that he started to get intimidating.
I was leaving the hospital from my appointment with Dr Smyth.
He was angry, so angry. He lashed out and grabbed me because I told him I didn’t want to see him romantically.
He was convinced there was someone else,” Her eyes slide to me, worry filling them.
“The bruises. They were from him.” Its not a question, it’s a fact. That little fucker. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“No, you won’t. You have to let me deal with this,” Bernie says, staring me down. “Maya, is there anything he has told you that might suggest where he could be staying?”
“He did say he travels with work, which we know is a lie, and that he’s staying in hotels.”
“Okay, leave it with me and I’ll see what we can find. Please, be careful,” He shakes Maya’s hand, leaving in a hurry to go over the new information.
After packing a bag and a quick trip to Maya’s, we’re on the road heading towards my house. I’m nervous of how she is going to react when we get there.
“So, should we talk about earlier?” she asks.
Do we have to.
“Yeah, I guess we should.”
“Well, for one, I’m going to pay you back for the cabin. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way,” she says firmly. “But thank you. I don’t know how I would have coped.”
This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
“You’re welcome, but baby you don’t need to pay me back.”
“Maybe I don’t need to, but I want to.”
I nod, giving in. for now.
“Two… tell me more about the security.”
“Basically, they monitor your house and work. Stay in the areas where you frequented and always close enough to see you, but not close enough to intrude on your privacy,” I explain.
“Why did no one tell me?” She asks, sounding kind of sad.
“Because we didn’t want to upset you. I was anxious that I couldn’t be there for you, and this way I knew you were looked after.”
“Tommy, this must have cost you an absolute fortune. How can I ever repay you?” She really doesn’t know, does she?
“Maya, I have worked hard, and my company is doing very well. Money isn’t a worry for me,” I try to explain without blurting out Money isn’t an issue because I’m a millionaire.
“Still, it makes me feel uncomfortable.” She twiddles her thumbs as she stares out of the car window. This woman has me wrapped around her little finger, and she doesn’t even know it.
“Are you excited to get away for a while?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood.
“I see what you’re doing.” She releases a small smile. “But yes, I can’t wait to see your house!” excitement bubbling out of her now. “Fal has told me of some places you have to take me.”
“Oh has she now. I’ll think about it,” I wink, knowing I would take her to the fucking moon and back if she asked me to.
The hour drive passes by quickly, more than likely because of the company I have with me this time and the fact that we haven’t stopped talking or laughing for the entire journey.
Driving through the village of Broadway always makes me feel at home.
We pass boutique shops and gastro pubs as we get closer to my house and Maya takes it all in, commenting on each things that sparks her interest. The yellow brick houses and buildings, the large trees that encase the streets and the fields that stretch for miles all around us.
My heart starts to work double time as we pull up to the gates at my property. If she was still unsure of how much money I had before, she will know now. I punch in the code and wait whilst the large electric gates open onto the driveway.
“Wait a minute, this is where you live?” she gasps, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
“Not quite here, we’ll be at the house in a minute though.”
I look around myself, taking in what she is seeing for the first time. The house isn’t in sight yet, but all the flowers and conifers that surround us do look like were entering a state park. Another minute passes before the house comes into view.
“Fuck. Off,” She dead pans, her face pale. “Tommy. That is not your house.”
“It is, I can’t wait to show you around,” I smile anxiously.
“No. That’s not a house, it’s a bloody mansion. What king used to live here?” she can’t be serious, but with her expression I can’t tell if she is.
“Do you not like it?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s amazing! I love it.” She’s vibrating with enthusiasm. “Can we go in now?”
I laugh at that. I hope she does love it here. One day, hopefully soon, she could be living here with me.