Chapter 6 #2
Who on earth had a doorman in their building? I had always known security paid well but this type of wealth was another level. I was itching to ask him questions about it but then I remembered I wasn’t talking to him. I did however greet his friendly doorman.
The inside of his apartment matched the outside, sleek and modern with minimal furniture.
Where my apartment was cluttered with endless ornaments, there was no clutter in his apartment.
And apartment wasn’t the word to describe the size of the space he lived in.
It was massive compared to my tiny apartment.
I wanted to comment but I wasn’t going to break my silence.
He set my stuff down in the living room .
“You can use this room while you stay here,” he said, leading me down the hall to a room that was bright with cream linen.
It was beautiful. My breath caught in my throat as I wandered over to the window and touched the fabric of the curtain. It was soft.
“You’re going to keep me here until what?” I finally broke my silence, turning around to face him.
“Until I know you’re safe.”
“I am safe. You’re overreacting, Mark.”
His eyes narrowed and he stalked over to me. Taking me by the arm, he led me to a room a few doors down that looked like a study with a desk and bookcase. He pushed me into a leather chair in front of the desk and walked around to take something out of the drawer behind the desk.
He slammed down a folder in front of me and I jumped slightly at the force he used.
“Have a look,” he ordered me with controlled anger.
Tentatively, I opened the folder and was horrified by a photo of a young girl with bruising on her face. When I didn’t look any further, Mark leaned over the desk and turned the photo to show another of another girl with markings over her back.
I swallowed as I took in the violence inflicted, and my eyes raised to Mark’s.
“This is what happens when you don’t take threats seriously.”
“Why would you show me this?” My voice trembled, revealing he had scared me.
“To show you the reality you don’t want to acknowledge.” He straightened before walking around to lean against the desk where I pushed the folder away. “You can’t put your head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening.”
“You’re trying to scare me. Why would you do that?” I was horrified. I half rose but he put a hand to me and pushed me back down into the seat .
“I want to scare some sense into you.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “I know people, I know how to read the signs that aren’t always glaringly obvious. And Jack isn’t as harmless as he seems. We saw it from the beginning.”
I knew the ‘we’ included my brother.
“Jack wouldn’t hurt me,” I murmured, sure he was wrong.
“You think tonight was the only stunt he would pull given the chance?”
I squirmed in the seat. “It’s enough.”
“Take your safety seriously. If not for yourself then do it at least for your family.” The anger that had been strong in every action and word faded. “You can’t take people at face value, Tracy. Most people have far more going on than what can be seen from the surface.”
“So, what you’re saying is I can’t date anyone unless they have had an extensive background check?” I asked sarcastically.
“Even that wouldn’t weed out all the weirdos.”
“What do you want from me, Mark?” I asked, feeling exasperated with his persistence.
“I want you to value your safety and to stop being so careless.”
“How about you bubble-wrap me and lock me up in the spare room. That way nothing will happen to me.”
Despite his seriousness, the one side of his mouth tilted in a half smile. “I may just have to do that.”
“So, what now?” I asked, leaning back into the chair as I resigned myself to the fate he had in store for me.
“You stay here until I’m sure Jack isn’t going to do something stupid.”
“What about when I need to work?” I couldn’t just put my life on hold because he was fearful something could happen to me. I had clients who depended on me and I couldn’t let them down.
It was tough building up my clientele and it had taken a lot of hard work to get to the stage where I had a steady stream of clients.
“I’ll come with you.” He stood.
“That’s going to make my clients really comfortable, having a bodyguard tag along for photo shoots.”
“It’s either that or you stay cooped up in here.” He raised an eyebrow. “Your choice.”
I frowned, not liking the options he was giving me. There was no real choice.
Tired, I let my eyes drift to another folder on his desk. I sat up as I recognized it.
No. It couldn’t be. I felt the heat creep into my cheeks and I so wanted to be anywhere but there.
Mark’s gaze followed mine to the folder.
“How…” I couldn’t quite form the words as I tried to figure out how the folder I had built up over the years was now sitting on his desk.
“Jack came to see me before I left on Friday.”
How? Then I remembered my missing address book from my apartment. It was the only way Jack would have known where he lived.
I swallowed. “What did he say?”
Remembering the conversation he had overheard outside Jack’s apartment just made it worse. My feelings that I had been keeping hidden for so many years were now in the open and I had no idea how to face him.
“He accused me of cheating with you.” His words crept over my skin and I reached for the folder, wanting to hide it.
His hand covered mine and stopped me from taking the folder.
“You going to explain this?” he asked softly. I closed my eyes, hoping I would wake up and this would just be a bad dream, but when I opened them he was still waiting for answer.