15. Chapter 15
Scarlett was waiting outside her office, when she got downstairs the next morning. “Don’t tell me you’re going to start every day out by coming here,” she said and tried to make it sound like a joke. It fell flat.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t even like me,” Scarlett said, following her into the office. It was true but a little harsh for so early. Melanie rolled her eyes and moved around her desk. “I was actually hoping to find Levi with you.”
“He went somewhere last night. I haven’t heard from him.” More like he got a call and left just before she had been about to invite him to bed with her. Scarlett should’ve known he left HQ.
“Well, I just got back. I’ve been at the mansion.”
“What can I do for you?” she asked, sitting down to get focused.
“Nothing.” Scarlett turned and pulled the door open to reveal one of the security guys with his hand raised to knock and a box in his other. “What’s that?”
The guy shifted and glanced in the office at her. “There’s a package for Ms. Davis,” he said nervously.
“Did you check it?” Scarlett asked, stepping back and looking at it suspiciously.
“Check it?”
“Jesus Christ. What’s your name?” she said with a huff, taking the box away from him.
“Dalton.”
“How long have you worked here Dalton?” Scarlett really could be a bitch sometimes, especially early in the morning.
“Two weeks. The guy downstairs asked me to give it to her.” He looked like he was about to start sweating.
“What guy?” She put the package on the desk and waved for Melanie to back up.
“I don’t know. He was in the lobby.”
She rolled backward in her chair as Scarlett pulled out a knife and slit it open. “If this blows me up, Dalton, I’m going to kill you.” Melanie couldn’t help but laugh. Such a fucking drama queen. They collectively held their breath as she lifted the flaps to look inside. “This is why new people suck,” she said, looking at Melanie.
Scarlett pulled her radio off her hip and took a deep breath. “Two to Control.”
Control, go.
“A package was just dropped off in the lobby of HQ. Figure out who dropped it off.”
Roger, Two.
Turning around to Dalton, she said, “Go downstairs and wait for me. Tell whoever is on the security desk in the lobby that I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Uh, I’m going to be late to training.”
“Do you fucking know who I am?” Scarlett asked, stepping closer to him.
“No.”
“I’m the God damn Underboss so go to the fucking lobby like I said!” Dalton scrambled away from the door and down the hall. When she turned around, she had a smirk on her face and Melanie chuckled. “I’ve found it’s best to scare them early,” she said with a shrug.
“Well, he might have to go change pants after that.” She stood up and walked to the box, but Scarlett shut it quickly. “Just show me.” If she didn’t want her to see it, then there was a reason she should.
“Ok but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Looking inside, Melanie covered her mouth and stepped away. After her initial shock, she looked inside again. Laying on some tissue paper was a collage of photos. They were all of her in her apartment. She was in different states of undress. Two of them showed her completely naked and about to step into the shower. In the back of her mind she had known this was a possibility because of all the cameras Levi found, but it was no less horrifying. Written at the top was: You’re beautiful…
It made her feel disgusting.
Scarlett lifted it out. Underneath was a picture of her and Levi kissing in her kitchen that first night he came over. Only Levi’s face had been replaced by a photoshopped image of Kenneth.
“This guy is sick,” Scarlett said and put everything back.
“Please don’t show that to anyone.” The last thing she needed were her naked images floating around all of DeLaney Security.
“I won’t, but we need to hold on to it for evidence. If we don’t kill this guy, then I at least want there to be enough to prosecute him with.”
The radio on Scarlett’s hip crackled.
Control to Two.
“Go ahead,” she said when she put it to her lips.
Suspect who delivered the package is in custody. Caught fleeing from HQ on a bike. Moving to B1 and awaiting instructions.
“Copy.” She put the radio on her hip and folded the box up. “Let’s go see who we got.”
Unfortunately, the guy in custody wasn’t Kenneth. He turned out to just be a kid who had a bike messenger business. For a hundred bucks he had picked up the package from a locker at the bus station and brought it to HQ. It was annoying, disheartening, and frustrating as fuck. When they walked out of the room and watched the guys escort the messenger down the hall, Scarlett said, “Maybe you should take the day off.”
Compassion from the ice queen herself?
“What good would that do? It’s barely eight, the day is just getting started.” She had a lot to do. Payroll was tomorrow, and she needed to check the accounts for the other businesses. The past week or two her focus had been on the new apartment complex and HQ accounts. There was a lot to get done.
“It’s what Andrea would say, so I said it because she’s not here. That’s my job.” She looked at her watch and sighed. “I don’t care either way, but if you need to, then take some time.”
“I’m fine.” Without waiting, she walked off into the stairwell. Climbing the stairs was better for her anyway.
But actually she wasn’t ok. She did her work, but just barely. Her mind kept drifting and imagining all these terrible things. Until today, she had felt like this whole stalker thing was more like something out of a bad crime show. It helped her to keep her distance emotionally when she thought about it like that. Seeing those pictures and then letting all the other things Kenneth had done add up in her mind, left her feeling paralyzed. There was nowhere to go and nothing she could do about it. He had decided that he was obsessed with her and because of it, she was the one who had to pay the price.
Anxiety was not something she had ever dealt with for any length of time. Of course the normal nervousness about a meeting or new situation, but nothing like the absolute soul gripping heaviness that sat in her chest now. If this was how people with anxiety felt all the time, she didn’t know how they managed to live their lives. It was terrible. Even looking out the window in her office freaked her out. What if he was watching? The glass on the HQ was mirrored but still. He could be anywhere.
The knock on her door then the rattling of the knob made her jump. She locked it earlier because she wasn’t expecting any visitors today. It would at least give her a chance to get her gun if it was locked. “Who’s there?” she called.
“It’s Levi.”
She rushed to let him in. As soon as he was inside, she shut and locked it back. He gave her a weird look before opening up his arms for her to accept the hug if she wanted. She did and breathed him in. He smelled different though.
“Where’ve you been?”
“I had to go help one of my contacts get out of an unpleasant situation. I owed him a favor,” he said while rubbing her back. “Scarlett told me what happened.”
With a groan she pulled out of his embrace. “Did she show you?”
“No, cupcake.” He shook his head. The look he had made her believe him. “She told me though. I’m sorry he did that to you.”
“Yeah.” She sat back down in her chair. It felt pathetic to say, but she did anyway. “Will you stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
“For sure. I just need to get some stuff from my office then we can go up. Are you ready?”
It wasn’t even four yet. There was still a lot she needed to do, yet she knew she wouldn’t get anything else done today. “Yes.”
In the elevator, he reached over and grabbed her hand. When she looked at him, he squeezed it. “I’m glad you want me here with you.”
“Just don’t run out on me tonight.” The thought of being alone with her thoughts to run free all night terrified her. Not that she couldn’t be alone. Most of her adult life she’d been alone. It just felt nice to believe she could rely on him.
“I won’t,” he promised and helped her off the elevator. Something about holding his hand made everything more believable. Inside the apartment he put down their stuff and turned to look at her. “What should we do?”
“Will you just hold me while we watch a movie?” She sounded pathetic, but it wasn’t like they had a lot of options for entertainment in this place.
“Sure. Do you want to change?”
She looked down at her slacks and shirt. “Yeah, just give me a minute.”
They were halfway through the movie, cuddled under a blanket, when he slid his hand under her shirt and over her stomach. “Levi,” she warned. She already told him she didn’t feel like talking or doing anything. All she wanted was for him to hold her.
“I’m not trying anything. You’re just so warm,” he said and kissed her neck. That was a lie. They both knew it. When his thumb brushed the band of her bra, she wanted to roll her eyes. “How come you left it on? I thought you wanted to be comfy.”
“Because our relationship is new.” Obviously he wasn’t going to let her just watch the movie in peace while her mind tried to settle back down. She rolled over to face him. It really was unfair how beautiful his eyes were. Hers were just a boring green while his showed so much light and detail.
“So you’re not comfortable around me. That’s what you mean?”
“I don’t know, Levi…” She sighed and closed her eyes because she couldn’t think straight. “We’ve had one date that ended terribly, we had sex when I was feeling overwhelmed, and now you’re basically my bodyguard.” When she opened her eyes, he was frowning at her. “It’s not like we’re in love or anything. We haven’t moved past the point of me worrying that if you see me without my makeup or bra on, you’ll run in the opposite direction.”
“Don’t hold back on my account,” he said, still frowning. “I like that you’re honest, but damn.”
She closed her eyes again. That was always the problem. Her last boyfriend didn’t want to know what she was really thinking even though he asked her for her opinions. There was only so much of hearing “You’re a cold bitch” a person could handle. If that was how Levi was going to react too then it was best they just got that out of the way now before it turned their professional lives into a hellscape neither one of them wanted.
He didn’t let go of her. Even though they just laid there together with the sound of the movie playing in the background, he didn’t pull away. She was almost asleep when he kissed her forehead. “I shouldn’t have questioned you like that. I’m sorry,” he mumbled with his cheek on the top of her head.
“You don’t have to be sorry.” His heart was beating fast where her arm was against his chest. Somehow that made her feel better. “We hardly know each other, you can ask questions just don’t get mad when you don’t like the answer.”
“I want to know you, Melanie.” He adjusted to kiss her, and she cupped his cheek to lean into it more. There was something so natural about their lips moving together. Who knew how long this relationship would last though?
“Take me to bed,” she murmured against his lips. “I want to feel you against me.” The way he practically hopped over her and onto his feet made her laugh. Then he lifted her up off the couch as though she weighed nothing, making her squeal like a little girl. “Oh my God, put me down!”
“Not gonna happen, cupcake. You’re only leaving my arms long enough for me to get your clothes off,” he said as he carried her to the bedroom.