Why do I have to make it so obvious how unnerved he makes me? Fear is power in Donny’s world.
“You think this is some game? You think I’m not being serious?”
“I think you have the wrong idea and need to walk away.” I try to keep a steady voice, but I know my eyes betray my unease and fear. He’s standing close enough to see it all.
“He can’t have you.” Donny shakes his head at me, smacking the door right by my head and causing me to flinch.
“Is there a problem here?” Declan’s voice booms over us, and I sag a little when Donny immediately steps back from me.
“I guess I need to remind you that we’re not playing some stupid game, then,” Donny says to me, uncaring that Declan is eyeing us both and intently listening.
Donny then shoves Declan out the way as he storms off. I listen as something metal knocks to the ground in the kitchen, as well as a few cries of outrage, leading me to believe he is leaving out the back.
He isn’t so brave and tough when there is a room full of customers, is he? Some of those customers being private investigators who likely know his face.
“Thanks,” I say to Declan while trying to breathe around the weight sitting over my lungs.
“Is that fucker one of your dad’s men?”
“Yeah.” I nod slowly, forcing myself to stand up straight and pull myself together.
“We got trouble here?” He eyes the broken door before he gazes over my office carefully, scanning for who knows what.
“No. At least, I don’t think so. Donny is … Doesn’t matter,” I finish, hoping he will leave me alone for a while now.
I attempt to step past Declan, already trying to compose myself so Harvey and Scarlett won’t pick up on anything, but I’m pulled up short when Declan grabs my arm.
“Is Harvey aware of this?”
I glance down at his hold. It doesn’t feel aggressive. Also, his question thaws me a little, making me realize how nice Harvey’s friends are. He deserves to have people who look out for him.
“Of Donny in general? Yes. Of him being here right now? No.”
“You need to tell him.” He doesn’t say this lightly; more like a command.
“I will,” I agree. “Just … maybe after dinner.”
He eyes me for a moment, not removing his hand from my arm. “I wouldn’t recommend waiting.”
“If I tell him now, then I’ll have to explain what that asshole said, which means he’ll be furious. Then I’ll have to try to calm him down and talk him out of going after him. If I manage to do that, he’ll be pissed off all night and will brood. You know that. Then the night will be tainted, and everyone will feel his mood and unintentionally begin to feel awkward.” I sigh heavily, feeling that weight over my lungs pressing down again.
I wasn’t thrilled about this night happening, but over the course of the last few days, I grew to hope it would be successful. And it was, up until about fifteen minutes ago.
But just because I feel like vomiting that doesn’t mean everyone else’s night needs to be ruined. That’s not fair, and it would probably make Donny happy to know he caused that, so I refuse to let it happen.
“I don’t know that,” Declan disagrees.
I try to follow his words, not understanding what he means. “Huh?”
“You said I know that, as if I would know that’s what Harvey would do. I don’t know that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve worked with the guy for about two and a half years, yet you know him a lot better than I do.”
“But I’ve only known him a week!” I protest.
“I know he’s good at his job, he doesn’t slack off, and he’s a good guy to have a beer with.”
“Okay …?”
“What I’m saying is, I’m leaving it with you. But tomorrow at lunch, I’m talking to him about it. So, if you think waiting is the right thing, then you wait, but don’t wait too long. I don’t know Harvey that well, but he’s still one of the team and deserves to know what he’s up against.” Declan is staring intently at me, his words a promise and maybe a threat, too.
I nod, agreeing to his terms.
“Why don’t you guys know him better?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me. “I mean, you said he’s a good guy to share a beer with; I tend to find it’s easier to talk when alcohol is involved.”
“Harvey is a vault when it comes to himself. He doesn’t really do opening up.”
He finally releases my arm. However, since I want to know as much as I can about Harvey, and since this conversation is taking my mind off my freaking out, I don’t move away. Neither does Declan. I guess dishing on his coworker is more appealing than hearing more birthing stories from Ava and Teagan.
“He’s opened up to me a bit,” I admit, thinking over the few things he has shared with me. It didn’t seem like a lot at the time, but with the way Declan is talking, maybe it’s a bigger deal than I realized.
“Men tend to get a little chattier when their dicks are involved. I’m not sleeping with the guy, so it’s not like he’s got much incentive to chat to me,” he points out, making me laugh.
It’s refreshing to not have something like that said with either disgust or an undercurrent of discomfort. Declan is clearly at ease with the topic.
“What are you guys doing down here?” Sasha barges through.
I immediately try to herd us back away from my office.
“Just chatting, but it’s time to see how the dessert is getting on,” I randomly blurt, waving my hands so she will turn and face her husband and not notice the destruction of my door or the condoms and lube sitting in the middle of my desk. Something Declan thankfully never commented on.
“Dessert was heavenly. I ate yours,” she tells Declan.
He doesn’t seem to mind, even giving her a smile. “Then you owe me some dessert later tonight.”
Now she’s the one grinning. “Deal.”
They make me feel a little trapped with them blocking the exit back into the restaurant.
“What’s going on here?” Harvey asks.
I quickly reverse my feelings, thinking how lucky it is the passageway is blocked so he can’t see into my office.
“I don’t know. I was just asking the same thing,” Sasha says, giving us both a look.
“Nothing.” I know I sound defensive, but I can’t help it. It’s going to be hard to keep this quiet until after dinner if everyone is going to crowd around my office.
“Nix! Need you!” Lola, my head night waitress, calls. I want to kiss her right now for giving me an easy out.
“Okay, everyone, back to the table.” I continue to herd them along, and once out of the hallway, Sasha and Declan make their way back to the table.
“Everything okay with Declan?” Harvey asks, watching them leave, his gaze narrowed on Declan, probably wondering if he needs to defend my honor or something.
“Yeah, he’s nice. He was taking my back actually with … something. I’ll tell you after dinner. It’s all good, though.” I take his hand and squeeze it to reassure him.
He nods, giving me a small smile before making his way back to the table.
I follow Lola to a table where a couple men are getting grabby and make quick work of putting them in their place and sending them on their way. They give zero tip, of course, and Lola is annoyed.
“I know we don’t get people like that in here very often, but I just … I get tongue-tied when they try to touch me.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. If you ever get customers like that in the future, I want to you get me or someone else. Even switch tables with one of the guys. Got me?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“I’ll cover their tip; don’t worry,” I tell her, and her shoulders visibly droop in relief.
I know she always has money issues. She picks up as many shifts as she can, and a few times when I have offered a free meal, she’s jumped at the chance. I don’t know much about h
er home life, but she appears to be struggling.
I make a mental note to make it an extra good tip as I head back down the hallway. I poke my head in through the kitchen to make sure everything is running smoothly after Donny’s exit, and then head back to my office where I place the lube and condoms back in my drawer, making sure nothing else looks disturbed, and then I attempt to close my door. It’s barely hanging on the hinges. I make another mental note to get someone out to fix it, which is another job that is going to be expensive and difficult, considering the time of year.
The best I can do for now is leave it ajar as I head back out to the table.
As soon as I sit down, Harvey wraps his arm around the back of my chair. I place my hand on his thigh, partially because it feels nice, but mostly because I need to feel him close to me to calm my nerves.
Every time I speak to Donny, I get a worse feeling from him. Something isn’t right. I fear, with his weird obsession with me, things are going to get messy soon.
I just don’t see how I can stop it or fix things.
***
“I got you something,” Harvey says as he leans over my bed, reaching down far enough that his ass is in my face and oh so tempting.
I trace my fingers around it, teasing them down his crack before he comes back up, a wrapped present in his hand and a cheeky grin on his lips.
It’s still freezing in my apartment, so while I appreciate the view, he doesn’t give me much time to enjoy it before his body is back under the covers, leaving the present sitting atop the bed.
“What’s this?” I ask, though the Christmas wrapping makes the question stupid. I had no idea we were doing presents. We only technically met a week ago, and while I feel close to Harvey, I’m not sure I am present ready.
This feels incredibly relationship-y. We haven’t labelled what we are doing or where this is heading, yet I can’t help thinking this is Harvey’s way of communicating that he wants more.
“It’s not a bomb!” Harvey snaps in exasperation. “Open it!”
“I didn’t get you—”
“That’s not what this is about. Just open it.”
He seems so excited that it builds my own excitement.
Braving the cold in my naked state, I sit up so I can place the present in my lap and rip open the gift.
Inside are two novelty hot water bottles. One is in the shape of a large glass of beer, and the other is light pink in the shape of a traditional hot water bottle. However, when Harvey turns it around in my hands, I see it has an actual material, fluffy penis stuck to it.
I burst out laughing, and he joins me, pulling me down for a quick kiss.
“I got the beer because it made me think of you, and then I saw this online the next day and had to get it.”
“This is awesome. Thank you,” I say, kissing him again.
“Now this bed can warm up a little before we get in.”
I smile at that, again reminded to question what we are doing here. I know I like Harvey, but what if this is all going to crash and burn when he realizes the only time I can give him are the odd hours I have? Could what we have now ever be enough for him?
“Are you happy with how things are? I mean, the time we have together?”
He stares at me intently. I get the feeling he’s trying to read my thoughts.
“Yes, of course. Aren’t you?”
“I … Well, yeah. I mean, I can’t exactly complain about the way you just fucked me,” I say lightly, laughing when his eyes light up with desire. “But, I just mean, I don’t have a lot of time to put into a relationship. The time we’ve spent together is basically what time I have to spare.”
His gaze softens as he pushes his fallen hair out of his eyes. Then he rests his hand atop mine over the hot water bottles. “I often work weird hours, too. Our schedules have lined up pretty well this week, but I’m sure that won’t always be the case. Still”—he shrugs, his grin never wavering—“I’m willing to give this a shot if you are.”
My heart skips a beat, excitement and butterflies building in my stomach. “Hell, yes.”
He smiles, leaning forward to kiss me, but when he moves to take it deeper, I pull away.
“There is something you should know first.”
“You’re married, right? Or, let me guess, you’re one of those people who like pineapples on their pizza,” he teases, and I take a second to enjoy this side of Harvey.
“Are those two really as bad as each other?”
“You’re right; pineapple on pizza is way worse.”
I roll my eyes, hating that I’m about to put a damper on our good mood.
“Donny was in my office tonight,” I just blurt out, hating how the smile wipes off his lips.
“Wait. What?”
“He broke into my office. Lionel said someone was in there, and when I went to check it out, it was him.”
“Wait.” Harvey sits up now, the sheet falling to his lap as he turns to face me. “Are you talking about that snotty-nosed kid who interrupted us after the main meal?”
“Yeah …” I hesitantly answer, noticing the way he grows angrier. His lips purse, his eyes narrow, his forehead furrows, and his body grows tight.
“Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?” he demands.
“I didn’t know it was Donny who was in—”
“But you knew someone broke into your office? It could have been anyone, yet you didn’t say a word? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I …” I trail off, not sure why I didn’t say anything.
I’m not some hero spoiling for a fight, and I’m usually not someone to make stupid decisions. But, while Donny wasn’t the best outcome, it could have been worse. A madman with a gun could have been waiting for me. I would never want Harvey to have to face someone like that, yet having backup wouldn’t have hurt.
“I’m an idiot. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” I admit, hoping it will ease some of Harvey’s anger. “If there is ever a next time, I will say something. I promise.”
When Harvey doesn’t seem appeased or ready to say anything, I continue, deciding it’s probably best to just get this out.
“Donny threatened you again. He has it in his head that we’re meant to be together or something.” I can’t hold the disgust off my face just from uttering those words. Trust my father to not only constantly mess up my life, but now also put me in the pathway of an obsessed psycho, forcing me into constant close quarters with him. “He’s convinced I was in love with him as a kid and that I still am deep down. He doesn’t like that we’re together, and he said you are a dead man walking.”
“That fucking asshole.” Harvey finally displays something other than anger at me, though he just shifts it into rage at Donny. Still, I will take that.
“I told him I wasn’t interested, that I was never in love with him. He seemed pretty angry when he left. That was what I meant when I said Declan had my back. He interrupted before anything could get more heated.”
Harvey seems surprised Declan came to my aide, but he lets that go for the moment.
“I’ll kill him,” he threatens. “Why he is coming after you now? Why not before?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I think he’s losing it. He seemed more … I don’t know, maybe wilder, more on edge?” I shake my head, not able to put my finger on what was going on with Donny. “I don’t know what you can do when you’re not supposed to know about him.”
Dad made it clear I wasn’t supposed to talk about what’s happening to the police, or to Harvey. Donny has been paranoid enough with the meetings that he would have no reason to think Harvey would know of his existence.
“I’ll talk about it with the guys tomorrow; see if we can’t catch him on something else. They have to suspect we are looking into who else worked for your father since we took on his case.”
“I don’t want anyone else in danger over this.”
Now that he seems a little calmer, I pull him back down, settling aga
inst him and running patterns across his bare chest under the covers, dragging my fingertips along the fine hairs.
“No one will be,” he promises.
I’m not sure things will be that easy.
“Is that what your plans are for tomorrow? Seeing the guys?”
“Yeah. Apparently, it’s tradition for them to do a Christmas lunch at one of their houses. First year I declined going, and then I made a brief appearance last year. But if you’d rather do something else, we can,” he offers.
I try not to be obvious that I’m pleasantly surprised he expects us to hang out at all. I lied to my mother about us having plans, expecting to spend Christmas mostly alone.
“I wouldn’t want you to miss out just because of me. It sounds like fun,” I tell him, thinking how the entire day with Harvey in bed sounds a hell of a lot better. With the restaurant being open almost every day of the year, I don’t get many opportunities to do that.
“Why would I miss out? You want to go, we’ll go,” he says casually, like it would be no big deal to spend Christmas not only together, but at his friend’s place.
“I’m not invited,” I remind him.
“Of course you are. Ava mentioned bringing you three times in the past couple days.” My head moves as he shrugs.
I’m again struck by how much he makes this sound so simple.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“When were you going to bring this up?”
“I just did.”
“Harvey, it’s one in the morning,” I point out.
“I’m aware. I’m lucky you were able to close early. You ready for round two yet?” He jolts me with his hips, keeping his arms wrapped around me and in place beside him. He’s either not being serious, or he’s waiting for me to make a move.
“Ava’s met me twice; one of those times being tonight,” I point out. I do have a few random texts from her, too.
“Almost everyone at dinner tonight has no close family,” Harvey explains. “Zander has his newly created family, plus a brother who is home from college at the moment. Teagan has a big family, but they are so spread out that they are hardly all in the same place at once. Cynthia and Joey still have parents they see on occasion, but they’ve basically all adopted each other. This group sort of takes to adopting lonely people and enveloping them into the fold. So, trust me, you’re welcome.”
I Broke Into His Office (Love at First Crime Book 4) Page 17