Horrified, I just stared at him. I’d been so blinded by my need to have something stable in my life that I hadn’t even seen him for what he was. Everyone else knew, but I’d wanted so desperately to have something good in my life.
“No,” I whispered. “We’re done, Ralph.”
Whirling around, I fled from the apartment. Penniless and alone, I stared at the unforgiving city and wondered what the hell I was supposed to do now.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Brick
I can’t do this anymore. I don’t expect to get paid, and I won’t talk to anyone, so please don’t worry about that. I’m sorry.
The note was under the diamonds. At first, I felt empty. She left me. I wanted to feel relief. It was over. I didn’t have to be strangled by the pull I felt towards her. She was gone and it was over.
But instead of relief, I just felt raw and unhinged. Grabbing the collar, I hurled it against the wall. When the cold stone didn’t break, I grabbed the lamp and threw it as well. The ceramic shattered, and a roar burst out of me.
She was mine, and I was not going to let her go. Grabbing my phone, I called the front desk of the building. Daisy had left here without any money. She couldn’t have gone far.
“Mr. Langston,” a pleasant voice answered. “How may I help you?”
“Did one of your cars drive my guest somewhere last night?” I demanded.
“Give me just a moment.” I clenched my jaw while the clacking of keys filled my ear. “Yes, sir. It looks like the doorman on duty last night called a car to drive your guest to an address in the Bronx. He returned without her. Is there anything else that I can help you with?”
I hung up without answering her. The Bronx? She either went to her father’s or she went to Ralph’s.
I love you.
Of course she went to her boyfriend’s. I’d taken her like she was no better than a two-bit hooker, and she thought Ralph was her savior. Every urge in me wanted to kill him, but how was I any better? He’d sold her, but I’d bought her. She fled in the middle of the night because of me, not him.
I needed to leave her alone. Let her live her life and move past this, but first, I wanted to make sure that Ralph treated her right.
After dressing for work, I left my place and found the night doorman still at his post. He nodded his head when I lingered. “Mr. Langston. I believe your car is waiting for you, but is there anything else I can help you with?”
I glared at him. “You called the driver for Daisy last night?”
He hesitated. “A young lady shouldn’t be walking around alone at night.”
“I know,” I said finally. “Thank you for that.”
“My condolences on her bad news.”
“Excuse me?”
“She was obviously upset. Crying. Distraught..”
Crying. Distraught.
“Thank you,” I said stiffly, assaulted by the mental image of her wandering the streets, crying and alone.
Fuck, I was the biggest monster in her life.
I was late to the office. Julie was already waiting for me with an annoyed look on her face and a stack of folders in her arms. “Ralph Cook,” I growled. “I want him in my office now.”
“What? Why?”
“I pay your fucking salary,” I said and whirled on her. “That means that you do what the fuck I tell you or you’re replaced with someone who does. I want Ralph Cook in my office now.”
Her eyes widened. “Brick,” she said in a low voice. “You need to calm down and tell me what’s going on. Is this about that woman? Can we get ahead of the situation or are we talking damage control?”
“You’re fired. Get the fuck out of my building.” My muscles were taut as I advanced on her. She pressed herself back against the wall as a hand clapped on my shoulder. Tense, I whirled around for a fight.
Jim released me. “Julia. Brick has a conference call later today. Will you please make sure that everything is in order for that,” he said softly. His hard stare never left mine.
“Sure,” she whispered as she slipped passed me. I knew that I owed her an apology, but just couldn’t get the words out.
“Come on,” Jim said slowly as he guided me into the office. “You need to calm down before you really do fire the best assistant that you’ve ever had. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“No,” I hissed. “I’ve already made myself clear. The only thing that I want is Ralph Cook in my office.”
“Are you planning on firing him?”
“Maybe.”
“Are you planning on killing him?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Did she leave you?”
I swallowed hard and gripped the edge of my desk. “Do I have to do every fucking thing myself?”
“Ralph Cook. I got it,” Jim said softly. He paused and shook his head. “You know, Gemma hasn’t had a single nightmare since we started doing stories and reading books at night.”
I didn’t answer him, and he quietly left the office. A few minutes later, there was a loud knock on my door before Ralph strolled in. “Mr. Langston! I was happy to hear from you. I wanted to explain about last night.”
I clenched my jaw. “Explain what?”
“I know that you’re probably worried about Daisy, but rest assured, she knows her place. You do whatever you want to her. She can take it. If she’s still giving you issues, you just let me know. I’ll break her for you. We can also tack on another week if you want. No charge.”
Rage swept through me. “What the fuck are you talking about? She went to your apartment last night.”
“Yeah. I think she was a little shaken up, but I straightened her out.”
“And you sent her back to me?”
“She was a little resistant, but it wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go,” Ralph laughed. “Hey, if there’s a problem, we can work it out. Just tell me what I can do.”
I had half a mind to fire him on the spot, but that was too good for a man like Ralph. I didn’t just want him fired. I wanted him dead and buried. “I just needed some information from you. You can return to work,” I said calmly.
“Sure. Thanks.” Ralph nodded his head as he backed out of the office.
I immediately placed a call to Jim. “I want to run a quiet in-house investigation on Ralph Cook.”
“Why?”
“It’s either this or I murder him. I also need a quiet investigation run on Daisy Smith.”
“Brick, I want to help you, but I need to know what’s going on.”
“You were right. Daisy left me,” I admitted. “She went to Ralph for help, and he turned her out on the streets. She has no money and no place to go. I want her found, Jim. And I want him dead.”
“When we find her? What then? Should I deliver her to you?”
I closed my eyes. “Just find her, Jim. Just fucking find her.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Daisy
I carefully tucked the sheets under my cot and smoothed out the wrinkles, the routine of it helped calm me. After three months, the pain in my chest had finally started to ease. It was worse at night. When I laid down at night and closed my eyes, when my hands stilled and my mind took over, the yearning for Brick’s arms to be around me took over. Even my dreams were filled by him. I tried to remind myself that he wasn’t the kind of man who deserved my pain, but it didn’t help.
During the day, I helped out around the shelter. Nadia, the woman who ran and owned it, was my lifesaver. She’d found me three days into living on the streets, huddled under an awning while the rain poured down with a hungry stomach, dark circles under my eyes, and a nasty cold. Nadia took me in, cleaned me up, and cared for me until I was back on my feet. I had nothing to offer her in return besides helping her out around the women’s shelter. When she asked for help, I quickly agreed.
I didn’t understand why she’d ask me when she’d just met me. If I couldn’t even take care of myself, how was someone in my
situation supposed to help anyone else? I was a wreck. But after meeting with some of the other women, it was obvious I was one of the most able-bodied women in the shelter.
My pain was nothing compared to theirs. Victims of violent rape. Spousal abuse. Child abuse. One teenager had gotten pregnant and her father beat her so bad that she miscarried. My broken heart was nothing compared to what they had experienced, and helping them had slowly helped me heal.
Last week, I finally started to enter the real world. Nadia and I worked out a new schedule so I could get a job. I wasn’t leaving the women’s shelter, but it was time for me to stand on my own two feet. Not just financially but mentally as well.
The job at Burger Mac was hardly glamorous, but the fast food world was easy for me to navigate, and I needed that right now.
There was a soft knock on my door. I looked up and smiled at Nadia. The elderly woman had a brutal history herself, and she’d used that pain to help others. Her past was etched in every wrinkle of her face, but when she smiled, it warmed my heart. She was a beautiful person inside and out.
“Good morning, Daisy. A generous donor is bringing us a new washer and dryer today, so we won’t have to keep using the coin laundry. I’m going out now to meet them. Everyone is already eating breakfast in the kitchen, but Sarah is still in her room. Will you check on her before you leave for work today?”
“Of course. I wanted to spend some extra time with her this morning. She still hasn’t unpacked her duffel bag.”
“You should know as well as anyone that it takes time for them to feel safe,” Nadia said sadly.
Sarah had been at the shelter for a week now. She’d had bruises on her arms and abdomen. One of the police officers that Nadia works with had accompanied Sarah to the shelter, but the woman had barely said a word since she got here.
After I finished straightening up the room, I headed downstairs to grab a box of cereal, a cup of milk, and a bowl. I didn’t think that I’d be able to convince Sarah to eat with the rest of the women, but I wanted to make sure that she got breakfast.
“Sarah. It’s Daisy.” When I knocked softly on the door and didn’t get an answer, I eased it open. The twenty-something-year-old woman was sitting on the bed and staring out the window. I recognized the blank look in her eyes all too well. “I brought you some breakfast. Granola and berries. I’m a fan of Cocoa Pebbles myself, but Holly keeps eating it all before I get down there.”
Keeping my voice light and cheery, I sat the tray of items on the bed. Opening the window to let in some fresh air, I poured myself a bowl and settled into the small chair. The rooms here at the shelter were sparse. There were fifteen bedrooms total. Most of them had two beds in each room, but a few were singles. It helped cases like Sarah to feel more comfortable in the shelter before bunking with someone else.
Nadia’s shelter was set up for twenty-five women. Right now, there were only fifteen women living there. A few weeks after I arrived, a few of the women had saved up enough money to get their own places and moved out. Nadia had thrown them a going-away party. It was then that I knew this would be a good place for me. It was obvious that the women were close. They had found a family here, something I desperately needed.
“Officer Jenkins said that he was going to stop by later. I know it might be hard to talk to him, but it’ll be easier if you’ve eaten and showered.”
Sarah turned her head and stared at me. “He arrested my boyfriend. He’s supposed to tell me today if the judge set bail for Donnie.”
“You don’t have to worry. Even if your ex did make bail, Nadia and the police are very careful about keeping your whereabouts a secret. He won’t get you here. No matter what happens, you’ll have a place here for as long as you need it.”
Nodding, Sarah slowly reached for the bowl, and I mentally pumped my fist in victory. I didn’t want to push Sarah for her story, just wanted her to make sure she ate.
“How long have you been here?” she asked, pouring the cereal and milk.
“Three months.” I stirred the granola around and smiled encouragingly at Sarah. “I was in a strange situation. My boyfriend was sort of pimping me out to his boss for extra money. I was in a bad place. I’d just lost my home, and thought my boyfriend had my best interests in mind, but he was just after the money. Things didn’t go well, and I ended up leaving. I was homeless when Nadia found me.”
A horrified look crossed Sarah’s face. “You were sold as a sex slave?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. I was a willing participant—even thought his boss might have feelings for me, but I was wrong.”
“You fell in love with him?”
“Yeah.” It was easier for me to admit it now, after telling Nadia first. And the shame about that had been following me around since I’d left Brick’s condo was slowly starting to fade. I had fallen in love with Brick Langston. “I felt horribly guilty about it. I was supposed to be with my boyfriend, and here I was, falling in love with the man who had bought me. I wondered what kind of woman did that.”
“It’s not your fault,” Sarah said harshly. “You don’t have to feel guilty about it.”
Bingo. “You’re right. I don’t. And neither do you, Sarah. I know what your boyfriend did to you. And about the hospital visits and the death threats. I know that you tried to leave him before. What he did to you was not your fault.”
“He went after my sister. If I had left him sooner…”
“No.” Leaning over, I squeezed her hand. “Listen to me. It’s not your fault. What happen to you and what happened to your sister is because of your ex-boyfriend and no one else. Do you understand?”
“She’s never going to speak to me again.”
“How do you know that? Sarah, you haven’t visited your sister in the hospital. Officer Jenkins says that she’s been asking for you. You need to let go of this needless blame that you’re carrying and go visit her, okay?”
Slowly, she nodded. “Good. If you’re feeling up to it, Officer Jenkins will take you to see her today. If it makes you feel safer, your sister can stay here with you as well until things settle down.”
We finished our cereal, and by the time I left her, Sarah was getting ready to take a shower and walk around for a bit. I checked on the rest of the women. Two of them had job interviews, so we went through the community work outfits to find something that would fit them and went over some mock interview questions. I cleaned up the kitchen and got ready for work.
Burger Mac was slow when I clocked-in. Pulling my hair back, I signed into the register and quickly counted the cash. I had just finished setting up when a figure approached the counter.
“Welcome to Burger Mac,” I said, looking up, but under those familiar piercing eyes, my smile faded. “Brick.”
He looked horrible. His normally penetrating eyes were red-rimmed and heavy with dark circles. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were unkempt. He obviously hadn’t shaved in days, but despite all of this, he was still beautiful.
“Daisy,” he said hoarsely. “I’ve been looking for you.”
I glanced around uneasily, and my manager, Karen, immediately walked towards me. “Welcome to Burger Mac,” my manager echoed. “Daisy, I’ll be happy to take care of this customer.”
“No.” Brick reached out and grabbed my arm. “Daisy, I need to talk to you.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Karen said in a low voice. She didn’t know Brick, but she’d read the situation enough to know that I was uncomfortable. She was just trying to protect me.
Brick immediately pulled out his wallet and withdrew a few hundred dollars. He slapped it on the counter. “I need to talk to her. Leave us alone.”
“I’m not interested in your money,” Karen snapped.
“Karen, it’s okay.” I smiled at her. “Take the money. It’ll help pay for your sons soccer equipment. I’m going to talk to him for a few minutes. I’m okay.”
She hesitated, but nodded. I removed my hat and walked around
the counter. Grabbing Brick’s arm, I led him to a booth in the corner. He resisted. “You don’t belong here, Daisy. I’m here to take you away from all of this.”
“I’m not leaving,” I said mildly and sat down. “If you want to talk to me, you’re going to have to do it here.”
After a moment of hesitation, he slid into the booth and reached for me. I quickly pulled away, knowing just how alluring his touch could be. “Brick, what are you doing here?”
“You left me. I know why you left me, and I’m sorry. But when I found out what Ralph did, I took care of him.”
“What?” I blinked. “What do you mean, you took care of him?”
“I had him investigated. I thought I’d have to go deep to pull up some dirt, but it turned out that Ralph had been stealing from me—from my company. I had him arrested. You don’t have to worry about him. You can come home.”
Obviously, he expected me to just fall at his feet. I gritted my teeth. “And where is home, Brick?”
“With me, of course.”
“Ralph was a problem, Brick. But he wasn’t our problem. He was mine. He deserves to be in jail for what he did to you, but I wasn’t scared of him anymore. I left him. Just like I left you, and had no plans to return to him. Just like I don’t have any plans to return to you.”
“I’ve been looking for you, Daisy. You have to come home.” He stared at me like he couldn’t comprehend what I was saying.
“Ralph humiliated and used me, Brick. He made me feel like I was worthless, but so did you.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I was angry, not thinking. I didn’t mean to… You said that you loved him. I heard it. On the phone that night. He didn’t deserve you and it upset me. I’m sorry, Daisy. More than you’ll ever know. But I never meant to hurt you.”
Slowly, I took a deep breath. Every fiber of my being wanted to forgive him and wrap my arms around him. But I was stronger now and knew what I wanted.
My Boyfriend's Boss: A Forbidden Bad Boy Romance Page 17