by Sam Crescent
“How long has it been since you came here last?” she asked.
“A couple of years. The building has a cleaning service that makes sure nothing is wrong with the place.”
“Why has it been so long since you came here last?” She was curious about him. When she’d first met him, he had come across as a brutish man who had no consideration for women. He threw in her face the fact he slept with whores, and there was no filter between his brain and mouth.
“There are a lot of memories here.”
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. She followed behind him as he moved to the end of the hall and turned left. He stopped and used another key to get into his apartment.
Henry dropped her bag on the floor and allowed her inside.
Staring around the space, she stepped into his world. He closed the door, and she wasn’t afraid. She was learning fast that Henry wasn’t the kind of man she first thought. He was a killer, but he wouldn’t kill just anyone.
“This is going in my safe.” He pulled her gun from his back.
“Hey, I need to learn how to use that.”
“I’ll teach you how to use it soon, but I’m not doing it while you’re hurting.” He disappeared, and she stayed still within his space. She didn’t know what to do. This was his apartment, not hers.
“There, I feel happier having you here with your gun safely away.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“I’m not. You’re completely insane. I can’t believe you bought a gun and don’t have the first clue how to use it.” He picked up her case. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
She moved behind him looking at everything she saw. His apartment was clean, completely clean, but then she remembered there were cleaners who took care of the apartment.
The walls were white, and he had black furniture. From what she saw his space was normal for life as a bachelor. Nothing was out of place, and there was nothing personal to the rooms.
“This is my room. There is a connecting door between the two rooms, but you don’t have to worry about me hurting you or taking advantage.”
She glanced down at her awful clothing. No, she didn’t imagine he’d take advantage of her. He’d need to be attracted to her, and there was no chance of that.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” He tilted her chin back.
“Nothing. I know you won’t take advantage.” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. Lydia liked the touch of his fingers way too much. He made her think about how good it would feel to have those fingers playing with other parts of her.
“You’re thinking something completely different from what I am,” he said.
She shook her head. “It’s okay, really, I understand.”
He pressed her against the wall, locking his fingers with hers and keeping them by her side. “No, you’re not thinking right, baby. The only reason I won’t be taking advantage of you is because of your cracked ribs. I can’t bear the thought of causing you more pain, and I will never hurt you.”
Lydia went to say something else to dispute his claims.
“The shit I said to you on that night was exactly that, shit. I don’t think you’re fat, and you’re exactly what I love about a woman.” He released her hands and slid his own across her waist, over her rounded stomach. “I spend too much time imagining these curves and how you’d look on my bed.”
She stared up into his eyes, drawn to him.
He pressed closer until his lips were a breath away from her. “I stay away because I know you can do a hell of a lot better than me or Darren.”
His words shocked her. She didn’t know he thought that much about her, and yet, he did. He pulled back.
“It’s time for you to get some rest.”
Henry placed her case on the floor then headed toward the door. “Leave your clothes. I’ll help you with them in a little while.” He closed the door behind him leaving her alone with her thoughts.
There was far more to Henry than she first realized.
Chapter Six
Henry finished putting away the groceries he’d gone to get as Lydia made her appearance. She was no longer dressed in Donna’s maternity wear but in a pair of duck pajamas. Her hair was bound up on top of her head, and she rubbed her eyes as she walked out of her room.
“That bed is the best thing I’ve ever slept on.” She didn’t stretch or complain.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, watching her move as she took a seat at the kitchen counter. She’d been out for most of the day. He’d taken the time to clean and go shop. For the longest time he’d not been in this apartment, and he didn’t like the feelings it was all inspiring.
When he and Caleb went into business and had a successful, profitable year with Ecstasy along with their less legal businesses, he’d bought this place.
The entire apartment building was pure luxury, something he’d never lived in. His mother had been a whore and his father a pimp or a john. Growing up in the gutter he was used to being looked down upon. When he got older he’d learned to use his fists to get what he wanted. Fighting illegally got him away from his mother and the place where he grew up.
Meeting Caleb had been brilliant. They’d clicked instantly, neither wanting to spend the rest of their lives together fighting.
“I feel better, much better.”
One of her hands went to her bound ribs.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to kick you out on the streets if you’re feeling better.” He flicked the button on the kettle and turned back to gaze at her.
She looked so beautiful even without all the makeup she usually wore.
“I don’t know what to say to you,” she said.
“There’s nothing you need to say.”
“You’re like two different people, one that I like and the other that you need to be for the rest of the world to see.” She held her hands together in front of her. “Which one’s the truth?”
Neither was the truth. When he was around Lydia he wanted to be what she deserved. He was so used to women taking his money that he really didn’t know what to say to her.
Taking down a couple of cups from the cupboard, he started to make them both a coffee. The last time he’d been cruel to her he lowered his guard and they ended up getting taken. He didn’t want to put her in danger again.
“Henry?”
“Nothing is real. Okay. I’m being considerate.” He placed a cup in front of her.
Before she woke up, he’d gone into the room where he’d packed away all of his hobbies years ago. The business had come first above anything else.
The scars on his face had been the start of his spiral, and then something had snapped inside him and he hadn’t come back to this apartment.
“Something is real. This place, I wouldn’t expect it from you. You’ve never given me any sign that you’re not a, erm, a criminal.”
He lifted the cup he was holding to his lips and took a large swallow of the steaming liquid.
“All you’ve ever talked about is whores and being crude.” She stopped talking. He saw her cheeks were bright red, and he felt bad.
“I’m not anything important, baby. This place…” He didn’t know what to say. There were no lies inside this space. “When I bought it I was young, naive, and an idiot. I didn’t expect to become who I am now.”
“What did you expect?” she asked.
“I don’t know what I expected. I guess I wanted something a little different.”
“What do your parents think of who you are?”
“My parents don’t know who I am and don’t give a shit. Mother was a whore, and my dad was a pimp or a punter, I don’t know.” He kept drinking the steaming liquid while staring at her.
Her lips were calling to him with the way she kept nibbling her bottom lip. He wanted to kiss her earlier. The need to kiss her lips and touch her was like fire in his blood.
“I’m sorry to hear about that.”
“Do you want kids some day?”
“No. I live in a shit world with shit people. I don’t want to bring anyone else into my world.” He’d seen how precious Luke was to Caleb. There was no way he’d ever be able to handle the stress of keeping his son or daughter protected against everything. He didn’t know how Caleb was handling the stress. “What about you?”
“I wanted kids, but now I don’t think I’ll bother.” She sipped at her drink.
For the longest time neither of them spoke. He didn’t like the silence. This woman had him all in knots just by her company alone.
“Did you go shopping?” she asked, several minutes later.
“Yeah. There was nothing in the house. I didn’t take long. You were out of it for quite some time.”
“I can’t believe I slept like that. I don’t recall ever being so tired before in my life.”
“It happens to the best of us.”
Who was this man that was taking over his body? Lydia clearly didn’t know what to make of him and neither did he. Fuck, he was all over the place. “So, I rented a couple of movies for us tonight. I didn’t know what you liked, so I just went ahead and rented what I wanted to watch.”
“Okay, that’s fine by me. I don’t really watch much television anyway. I’m more of a cook and baker.” She finished sipping at her drink.
He couldn’t take his eyes away from her.
“Go and sit down.” He moved around the counter to get the television set up. This was all new territory to him, taking care of someone else. He helped her to get settled, propping her up with a couple of pillows. She didn’t argue with him as he moved her to help get her comfortable.
When she was comfortable she let out a sigh. He stepped back, setting up the movie. Sitting beside her, he lifted her feet onto his lap and simply sat back and watched the screen. Neither of them spoke, and he was shocked by how much he liked the peace of being with her.
“What movie did you put in?”
He mentioned the latest action movie that had a lot of gun fights and explosions but not a lot else.
She didn’t say anything else as they both relaxed while the time passed.
Toward the end of the movie his cell phone went off. Seeing it was Caleb calling him, he made his excuses and headed toward his bedroom.
“What do you have for me?” he asked, turning the phone on.
“They’re part of Drake Stone’s operation. He’s trying to get men we don’t know to make deals that will help him get on the inside.”
Henry cursed. “I was right.”
“Yeah, you were. Elijah is pissed, and he wants to take Drake and the men out. They may have come across as a shit operation, but these men are the real deal, Bill and Leon. They’ve got a reputation for being able to hide. They’re both wanted men and have avoided the law.”
“I don’t give a fuck about Drake. I want the men who hurt me and Lydia. I’ll find them. No one can hide for long.”
“This isn’t about you. You’ve got feelings for Donna’s friend,” Caleb said.
“I’ve not got any feelings. Look, I was a bastard to her, and because of what I said to her, she ended up in trouble. I’m not going to let it happen again.”
Caleb was silent for several seconds. “I’ll let Elijah know.”
“He can have Drake and the rest. I’m not interested in them. The only people I want are the ones who thought they could take us without any consequences. I won’t let it stand. Professionals they may be, but they’ve never had me looking for them.”
“How is babysitting duty?”
Getting to his feet he looked toward the sitting room. Lydia was leaning her head against the back of the sofa. She held the remote in her hand and was flicking through the channels.
“It’s fine.”
“Good. Donna’s worried about her staying with you. I’ve told her there’s nothing to worry about. I remembered you before when you actually cared.”
“I don’t care,” Henry said, lying.
He cared way too much, which was why he tried to keep as far away from temptation as possible. Lydia was a big temptation to him, one that he’d been denying himself for some time now.
“You can lie to everyone else but not to me. I’m not in the mood to be lied to. We both know how attached you become to others.”
“I’ve got to go.”
“I’ll let you know when Elijah wants to take out Drake once and for all.”
“Sure.” He hung up the phone and stood watching Lydia. It was about time they took Drake out. The little fucker didn’t know when to stay away. He was pissed off that the little shit had gotten to him. It wouldn’t have happened if he’d not been so fucking jealous of that bartender eyeing up his woman.
Fuck, when had she become his woman?
He didn’t know when he’d gotten to thinking about her as his.
She turned her head to glance back at him. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, Donna’s worried about you being alone with me.”
Lydia smiled. “She thinks you hate her.”
“I don’t hate her. I just don’t think she’s right for Caleb.”
“He loves her.”
“She’s too sweet, and he’s anything but sweet. This life is not for the easy loving people.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “Are you hungry?”
Lydia nodded.
“Donna’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I don’t hate Donna. I just don’t think this life is the right one for her.” He headed toward the kitchen, pulling out the packet mixes he’d picked up at the store.
“What are you cooking?” She walked slowly toward him, taking her time to get there.
He lifted the packet and gave it a shake. “It’s the best I can do.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Can you cook?”
“Yeah, it’s probably the only thing I can do well. Maybe when I’m better I can treat you to a dinner.”
“I’d like that.” He liked the idea of that way too much.
Henry felt her gaze on him as he moved around the kitchen. It took him several minutes of opening cupboards and drawers to find the saucepans.
Lydia giggled as he struggled to find what he was looking for. By the time he was set up, they were both chuckling.
What was worse, he couldn’t remember when he’d had this much fun. What had happened to him in the last few years? It felt like he was unrecognizable. Lydia was making him see the difference in his life. The whores were a convenience, and his life had become one long line of conveniences.
Once he finished making their food, he sat beside her at the counter, staring at the mess he’d made of his kitchen.
“I’ve not had this much fun before in my life, thank you.” She touched his shoulder, and he didn’t know why but Henry felt like a changed man.
There was no way he could go back, not after this.
The whores were gone, finished, and so was hiding. He wasn’t going to hide from his life anymore, and it was all because of Lydia.
****
One week later
She’d been confined to his apartment for the last week, but instead of being close to losing her mind, she was thriving in the space. Henry had bought her several cookbooks along with a few of her pans from her apartment. When he’d turned up with her equipment she’d been so surprised and had hugged him. Her ribs were feeling much better, and so he was letting her do odd jobs around the apartment. He wouldn’t let her overexert herself, which she liked.
Henry still made food for them, but he allowed her to play at baking cookies. She was sure in the week alone she’d put on over a pound of weight with how long she’d been sitting on the sofa. He left every day to go to work. She didn’t know if he was going to the women he liked to pay for, but she never called him out on it. The way he’d taken care of her she had no reason to complain. Neither of them had taken it
any further. She was scared of what his almost kiss meant.
Standing at the counter she stared into the fridge. It was past five, and she didn’t want to wait around for him to come home to eat. Deciding to surprise him, she grabbed the fresh ingredients she needed, and she took her time to make them some chicken with marinara sauce and pasta.
Her ribs were a dull ache. They no longer hurt so much.
Thirty minutes into cooking she heard the door open and close. Henry appeared in front of her. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked.
“I wanted to make you dinner.” She stood holding the spoon as he glared at her. His bruising had almost disappeared. Lydia had looked in the mirror to see her bruise fading but not totally gone.
“You’re supposed to be resting, not hurting yourself. If you keep this up, you’re not going to get better but worse.” He dropped his keys onto the counter. Looking at the stove where her labor of love was bubbling up, Lydia felt tears fill her eyes.
“Okay, I’m sorry.” She placed the wooden spoon on the counter and was about to step away.
“Fuck, are you crying?”
“I’m not crying.” She was close to crying, but she wasn’t actually crying.
“Why are you crying?” She looked up as he rounded the kitchen to get to her. He reached out, cupping her cheek.
“I told you, I’m not crying.” She made to move away, but he tightened his hands around her chin, stopping her. Lydia didn’t want to move away from him.
“You’re crying. What did I say to upset you?”
“Why are you angry at me for making dinner for us both? It’s late, and you’ve been to work. I wanted you to look forward to something to come home to.” She pointed at the dinner bubbling away. It would be another half an hour before it was done, but it would have been so worth it. Chicken with marinara was one of her favorites. She didn’t know why she was so sad about the fact she didn’t get what she wanted.
Life sucks sometimes, but this wasn’t a problem with life. This was because Henry didn’t want her cooking in his kitchen. Great, the very thought of him not wanting her around just depressed her more. He allowed Donna to visit with Luke, but her friend rarely stayed too long.