Lunch was uncomfortable and awkward, to say the least. I would rather be probed and prodded at the lady doctor after having a fresh Brazilian wax than have to sit through a meal like that again. There was an almost palpable tension between Hilarie and Chase, and I didn’t have the first clue as to why. They both made ridiculous small talk and kept these horrific fake smiles plastered on their faces. By the end of the meal, I wanted to scream at both of them and demand they tell me what in the hell their problems were with each other. I wanted to, but I didn’t. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and returned to the office.
Chase walked in with me. I moved down the hall toward my office when one of the receptionists stopped me. “Harper, your cousin is waiting for you in your office.”
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
I turned my wide eyes to Chase.
“Go on. Keep him busy for a few minutes while I slip out of sight.” He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and then he was gone.
I slowly walked to my office, trying to force myself to relax. I lived with Judge from the age of 10 until he moved out when I was 15 years old. Judge was like a brother to me, a brother who could easily tell when I was lying to him or hiding something from him. I knew he was coming to install the system, but I wasn’t expecting to see him. I assumed he would leave instructions on the kitchen table or email them to me.
“Hey, Brother Judge! I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” I said excitedly. I was excited in a way. I hadn’t been able to spend any significant time with him in a while, and I missed him.
He stood and enveloped me in a bear hug. “Sister Cousin Harper! You didn’t really think I would drive all this way and not see you, did you?” He smiled down at me. “I came to take you to lunch, but the girl at the desk out there said you were already out for lunch.”
“I wish I had known you were coming. I would have rearranged my schedule for that,” I said.
He shrugged. “I didn’t know I was coming to take you for lunch either until I finished installing everything early. Your house had a security system at some point in the past. I was able to use most of the existing setup without having to start from scratch. Saved me a shitload of time.”
“That’s awesome! Thanks for getting it done for me on such short notice.”
Judge went over how to operate the security system and gave me the security code he had chosen. He also gave me a set of keys as he had replaced every lock in my house. He was nothing less than thorough. We talked for a half an hour or so, and he left with a promise from me to call him soon.
The rest of my day seemed to drag. All of the patients I saw that day were doing well, which was great for them, but meant my day was basically spent socializing with teenagers. By 5:00 pm I was anxious to see Chase. Right on cue, he strolled through the front door with that fake smile once again plastered across his handsome face.
“Hey, baby,” he greeted me, bending down to kiss my forehead. “How was your day?”
I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Good. How was your day?”
His creepy smile widened. “Great. I was wondering if Hilarie could take you home. I’ve got to run an errand before I get back to your place.”
I didn’t see why I couldn’t just go with him to run the errand, but I didn’t question him. He had been acting strange all day. As soon as Hilarie said she would give me a ride, Chase took one of the new keys to my house, pecked me on the lips, told me not to wait for him for dinner, and disappeared again.
“Do you want to grab something to eat on the way home?” Hilarie asked.
“Sure. Why not?” I replied, somewhat dejectedly. I had so been looking forward to spending the entire evening with him. I usually loved spending time with Hilarie, but she wasn’t who I wanted to be with right then.
Dinner wasn’t as stilted and awkward as lunch, but it didn’t have the natural ease that I usually had with Hilarie. My mind kept straying to Chase, trying to figure out what kind of errand he could be running. Hilarie seemed off as well.
“Is everything okay with you?” I asked. I was being a shitty friend and asked, not because I was genuinely concerned, but because I wanted to get my mind off of Chase.
“Since you asked, no, not really,” she snapped. “You were gone for two weeks and didn’t even bother to call me the entire time you were gone nor when you got back. Not only that, you came back with that monster of a man who guards you like a pit bull, and you seem perfectly okay with it! Are you going to be one of those friends who just disappear the second they are in a relationship?”
Her voice had grown much louder toward the end of her rant. “Hilarie, please lower your voice. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but in my defense, a lot was going on when I was in Croftridge. When I got back, I had a list of things to get done before this morning. As for Carbon, I didn’t know he was going to show up last night. On that note, I’m not going to be one of those friends who disappears when they are in a relationship because I am not in a relationship.”
She scoffed. “You might want to tell him that.”
“I don’t have to. He knows we aren’t in a relationship.”
She rolled her eyes. “His actions say otherwise. Anyway, so what happened in Croftridge that kept you too busy to use the phone?”
Crap. I couldn’t tell her what went on there. She didn’t know Chase, my brother, and several other members of my family were in a motorcycle club. It wasn’t information I readily volunteered. When girls my age found out about my association with a well-known motorcycle club, they tended to either look at me like I was a piece of trash, or they were a biker fangirl and tried to become my new best friend.
“Just a lot of stuff with my brother, his girlfriend, and their son. Sorry, Hilarie, that’s all I can give you. It isn’t my story to tell,” I explained, hoping she would understand.
“Fine, keep your secrets,” she huffed.
I tried to change the subject and keep some sort of conversation going, but she wouldn’t engage. She was obviously upset with me, but I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to do. I apologized for not calling, even though I really shouldn’t have. I didn’t answer to her or anyone else for that matter.
When she pulled into my driveway, I invited her to come inside, but she declined. I hoped she couldn’t tell how relieved I was that she decided just to drop me off. I pulled out my new keys and unlocked my front door. When I pushed the door open, a scream erupted from me at what I saw.
“Harper, baby, calm down. It’s okay,” Chase said as he rushed toward me.
“What the fuck is that?” I screeched.
“Your new dog,” he said excitedly.
“My what?” I asked incredulously.
“Your dog. He’s a trained guard dog. I got him to protect you if I wasn’t around. He’s also a certified service dog, so you can take him to work with you. Do you like him?”
I just stood there, looking back and forth between the two beasts standing in my doorway. “Um...I don’t know what to say. He’s beautiful and big, really big, but you didn’t have to do that. You really shouldn’t have…”
Chase’s face fell. “I can take him back,” he muttered.
I felt like such an ass. “No, don’t do that. I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting anything like this. I’ve never had a dog before. I have no idea how to take care of one.”
It must have dawned on Chase then that I was still standing on the front porch. He stepped back and motioned for me to come inside. “It’s not hard to take care of a dog. I’ll make sure you know everything you need to know before I leave.”
“You’re leaving?” I asked, instantly hating the shock and disappointment in my voice.
He pulled me to his chest and closed the door. “Not until Wednesday morning, baby. I’ll head out when you go to work.”
“Tell me about the dog,” I mumbled against his chest.
“His name is Titan. He’s a four-year-old Cane Corso and has been professionally trained by
a friend of mine. He will guard and protect you with the same ferocity that Duke or I would. You won’t have to command him to defend you. He will take his cues from your body language as well as the situation and respond accordingly. If he does subdue someone, he will not release them and stand down until you give him the command. Also, the collar he is wearing must stay on him at all times. Ruben is a well-known trainer in the Southeast and has worked with many law enforcement offices to educate the officers on how to identify service dogs and subdue a protection dog without using deadly force. When one of his dogs is matched with a client, he personally calls the head of each nearby law enforcement division to let them know one of his dogs is on duty in their area. If they aren’t familiar with his program, he emails an information packet and sets up a time for him or one of his associates to come speak with the officers. So, if something happens in Sugar Falls or Croftridge, as long as he has that collar on, he won’t be harmed by law enforcement,” he explained.
“I think I can handle that. He is beautiful—scary, but beautiful.” I paused and leaned back so I could meet his eyes. “Thank you, Chase. It was very thoughtful of you, and I do appreciate it.”
He smiled down at me. “Since I can’t stay and you won’t come back with me, I had to do something to make sure you’re safe when we aren’t together.”
“Chase—” I started, but he cut me off.
“No, Harper, let me finish. I know this isn’t what we talked about well over a year ago, but regardless of what we said back then, we have formed a relationship, and you can’t deny that. When I heard you on the phone, scared and crying, I knew you were lying to me, and I couldn’t get to you fast enough. All I could think about on the ride here was that I couldn’t lose you. I don’t know how you did it or when you did it, but you wormed your way in and I don’t want to let you go.” He spoke with such sincerity and honesty; I felt tears welling in my eyes.
“Then don’t,” I rasped out.
He didn’t, not until he was forced to so I could go to work the next morning. Once again, he disappeared into the shadows while I worked. I don’t know what he thought he would see while he was hiding out there, but he was adamant that it was necessary.
Personally, I thought he was going a bit overboard. Yes, someone broke into my house. Yes, it scared the hell out of me. But there was minimal damage done, nothing was stolen, and no threats were made. It was probably just some bored teenagers.
The first part of the day was pretty much the same as the day before, including another awkward lunch with Hilarie and Chase. I had back to back sessions after lunch which made the afternoon go by faster. Chase picked me up from work and drove us back to my house. We ate a quick dinner and spent the rest of the evening and night wrapped up in each other.
The next morning, after he helped me get Titan in the car, it was time to say goodbye, and I was struggling to keep my emotions at bay. I didn’t want him to leave. I knew he would be back in a few days, but that did nothing to ease the ache in my chest. I cared about him, probably loved him, and he was leaving, because he lived in a different city—hell, a different state—and he had his own life there.
“Harper, look at me,” his deep voice rumbled by my ear. I lifted my head and met his soulful green eyes. “You okay, baby?”
I sniffled. Damn it. I didn’t want to cry in front of him. Clearing my throat and trying desperately to swallow over the lump that had formed there, I barely managed to answer, “Yes, I’m fine.”
He chuckled. “Bullshit. Whenever a woman you’re involved with says she’s fine, it means she isn’t. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
“I don’t want you to go, okay?” I mumbled into his chest.
“Say again.”
We each repeated the same thing three more times before I finally yelled, “I don’t want you to go!” With that, the floodgates opened. Once the first tear fell, the others took that as the okay to follow.
Chase went right into full protector mode. “Are you still scared?” I shook my head. That wasn’t it at all, but I didn’t want to tell him the real reason. I didn’t have to because moments later, he figured it out on his own. “Oh, this is just about me. You’re going to miss me?”
I wiped the tears from my face with my hands. “Of course I am, you big beast.”
He smiled a genuine, breathtaking smile. “I don’t want to go either, baby, but I have to. We’ll talk every night, and I’ll be back Friday night. So, really, that’s just one day you won’t see me.”
“You’re right. I’m being silly,” I said, shaking my head at my ridiculousness.
“Nah, baby, you’re not. I love that you’re already missing me and I haven’t even left yet. Now, quit your crying and kiss me.”
I did just that. After he helped me into my car and kissed me once more, he climbed onto his bike, and I watched him ride away with tears still in my eyes. I was still staring off in the direction he’d gone when a cold, wet nose nudged my cheek. I looked over to see Titan staring at me, his head cocked to one side like he knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what it was. I patted him on his big head to reassure him and then drove the two of us to work.
I was a little nervous about taking Titan into the office. I hadn’t mentioned anything about getting a service dog to any of the employees at the crisis center. I knew I was allowed to have one; I just didn’t want to deal with all the attention he would draw when we entered the building for the first time. Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the front door with Titan by my side.
Jackie, the receptionist, jumped out of her chair with an excited squeal. “Oh! Who do we have here?”
“This is my new service dog. His name is Titan.”
“Can I pet him?”
At my nod, she crouched down in front of him and started talking to him in a voice similar to the one people used when talking to a baby while she lightly scratched behind his ears. Her antics garnered the attention of most of my coworkers, who trickled over one by one to see what was going on. I looked around and sighed. “Everyone, this is Titan, my service dog. He’s well trained and very obedient. He will be accompanying me to work from now on. He’ll be by my side at all times and shouldn’t be a bother to any of you. If you have any issues with him, please come speak to me directly so we can address it.”
“Oh, who could possibly have any issues with him? He’s absolutely adorable!” Jackie squealed again. Adorable? Titan was not adorable. Beautiful? Yes. He reminded me of a black panther, beautiful, yet deadly.
I looked around the office again. “Where’s Hilarie?” I asked, directing my question to Jackie.
“She’s not here yet. She called about an hour ago and said she would be in late this morning. She didn’t give a reason or a specific time when she would arrive, but she assured me that everything was okay,” she told me.
I went on to my office and got started with my scheduled sessions. The day passed by quickly. All of the kids seemed to love Titan. I was beyond impressed with his behavior in my office. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. He picked a spot as soon as we entered my office and stayed put. He didn’t make any noise throughout the day, and I almost forgot he was there a few times.
At the end of the day, I assumed Hilarie would want to go somewhere for dinner since we didn’t eat lunch together. That was our usual routine. We either ate lunch together or dinner together during the work week. Grabbing my purse, I called Titan to my side and walked out to the front office to find Hilarie.
“Jackie, do you know where Hilarie is?”
“She went home early. Said she wasn’t feeling well.”
Before leaving the office, I tried to call her to make sure she was okay and to see if she wanted me to bring dinner over, but she didn’t answer. After my second unsuccessful attempt to call her, Titan and I climbed into my car, hit a drive-thru for dinner, and went home.
I tried to keep myself busy as I anxiously waited for Chase’s call. By 10:00 pm, he still hadn’t call
ed, so I gave in and called him. I was trying not to be clingy, but I missed him, and one phone call wouldn’t be considered being clingy. The call went straight to voicemail, which typically meant the person had their phone turned off. Maybe he was in Church. I knew Phoenix usually asked them to turn their phones off while they were meeting.
I waited an hour and called him again. Same thing, straight to voicemail. I told myself not to worry. They were probably still in Church. This wasn’t the day they usually met, so a meeting meant something was up, and Church might last longer than usual. Once I had myself convinced of my concocted story, I climbed into bed, turned on the television, and waited for his call.
I groaned when I heard my alarm clock. I had tossed and turned all night long, never really falling asleep. Reaching over and grabbing my phone, I checked the screen for any missed calls or texts, even though I knew there wouldn’t be any. My phone was right beside me all night, and I would have heard it if he called or sent a text.
I tried calling him again on my way to work. Straight to voicemail. Okay, maybe he lost his phone and hadn’t gotten a replacement yet. It had to be something like that. I tried again at lunch with the same results. When I still couldn’t get a hold of him on my way home from work, worry set in.
He wasn’t the kind of man to ignore phone calls or try to avoid someone. If he didn’t want to talk to me, he would answer the phone and tell me just that. But what if something happened to him? No one from the club would think to call me, that is, if they even knew.
Shit. There was only one way to know for sure, but that meant having to answer questions I didn’t want to answer just yet. I mentally debated the pros and cons before I finally decided to call Phoenix and hope he would keep as much of this to himself as possible.
“Phoenix,” he answered sharply.
“Hi, Phoenix, this is Harper. Um...are you free to talk right now?” I asked, trying to stay on top of my nerves.
“Just a minute,” he replied. I heard some rustling and then a door close. “I’m alone in my office now. What’s going on, Harper?”
Carbon (Blackwings MC Book 4) Page 7