by Jamie Begley
Turning to leave the bedroom, her eyes caught on the lonely pet bed that laid against the wall. She promised herself that, as soon as her knee was strong again, she would resume the search for a dog of her own.
She missed Hannibal. The short time she’d had with him, he filled the emptiness that no amount of friends could erase.
Going to her kitchen, she fixed herself a piece of whole wheat toast, smearing peanut butter on it to tide her over until lunch. Grabbing a bright red apple, she took a picture of it and one of her flowery dress, tweeting it to her followers.
My morning snack matches my outfit.
Humming, she grabbed her cell phone and her wallet, putting them in her pockets. Jiggling her car keys in hand, she almost decided to leave the crutches, but she didn’t want to chance it. She might need them from the parking garage to her office.
Carrying them in one hand instead of using them, she closed her door, anxious for her first day back at work since dislocating her knee. She wanted to go back on Monday, but her appointments had delayed it. Now she would be working late for the next two weeks to get back on track.
“Good morning!”
Zoey returned the greeting to Kent as he walked to his car with a briefcase in his hand.
“How’s the leg today?”
“Much better, thanks.”
She sighed inwardly when, instead of going to his car, he strode toward her, taking the crutches out of her hand.
“They’re not going to be much help to you if you don’t use them.”
“Unless I’m doing a lot of walking, I don’t need too. Besides, they make my armpits sore.” She had hoped to turn him off by mentioning her sore armpits.
She gave another inward sigh when it didn’t work.
“I can sympathize. I broke my leg when I rolled my first car. You have to wrap a small towel around the rubber part. I could show you how….”
“That’s okay.” Zoey hurried to open the car door, taking the crutches from him and placing them in the passenger seat. “I’m hoping I won’t be needing them much longer.”
“Are you sure you can drive? I could drive you? I’m not in a rush—”
“It’s good exercise for my leg.” Reaching down to remove her brace, she tossed it onto the seat with the crutches. “Thanks for the offer, though. I appreciate it.” Getting into her car unabashedly, she reached for the door handle to close it. “Have a great day, Kent.”
She expected to see either frustration or annoyance on his tanned, handsome features. Instead, vivid green eyes wryly met hers.
“You, too.”
As he stepped away from the car, Zoey shut the door before giving a jaunty wave as she drove away.
Flicking her radio on, she began singing to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Bouncing in her seat as she drove, she ignored the honking horns as the morning traffic sped past her.
Checking her rearview mirror to gauge how many cars were behind her, she noticed a motorcycle two vehicles back. She had seen the same motorcycle yesterday and the other day when she went out to her appointments. Usually she never gave motorcyclists a second glance, but the biker behind her was distinctive in his height and build.
Pressing on the gas, she swerved between two cars, causing another round of furious honking. Coming to a turn-off on her left, she drove under the green light and dodged a FedEx truck to make the turn. Looking in her mirror, she saw Stump follow her.
Braking sharply, she entered a shopping center’s parking lot, bringing her car to a stop. Jerking her car door open, she got out, waiting for Stump to bring his motorcycle to a stop next to her.
With a leather-gloved hand, he raised the visor on his helmet. “Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“Why are you following me?” Remaining calm in front of the hostile man wasn’t easy, but she was determined to stop letting him intimidate her with his overpowering personality. Her own personality was much more subdued during confrontation, which gave Stump the upper hand. She preferred using a reasonable approach when dealing with men. However, some men needed to be shown she could push back if she had to.
“I’m not following you… I was just going in the same direction as you were.” He looked down the bridge of his nose at her arrogantly.
Zoey wasn’t going to let him get away with it this time.
“I’m not stupid. I see you every time I go out. Once is a coincidence, maybe even twice, but three times is deliberate.”
“You want me to be straight with you?”
“Yes, I do.” Nodding, she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for his answer.
“I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out sometime.” His arrogant attitude changed to flirtation, which she wasn’t buying for a second. The hard biker had no interest in her.
“I thought you said you were going to be straight with me? You’re lying. Being shy isn’t a problem with you. If you wanted to ask me out, you would have already done it. You wouldn’t have followed me through Queen City to do it.”
“I was picking my moment to approach you.”
Zoey stared at Stump. He was lying through his teeth.
“If you’re going to continue to lie, I’m going to call the police.” Taking her phone out of her pocket, she prepared to call 911.
“Go ahead.” Calling her bluff, Stump made no move to stop her. “You don’t have any proof that I was following you. It’s a free country.”
“That’s true.” Zoey pressed a number on her contact list, putting the phone to her ear.
“Who’re you calling?” His hard gaze turned suspicious.
“Grace.”
He snaked his hand out so quickly that she couldn’t prevent Stump from taking the phone or disconnecting the call.
“You’re not afraid of the cops, but you’re afraid of Grace?” Zoey couldn’t prevent the grin that came to her lips. “That’s hilarious.”
“I’m not afraid of Grace,” he denied.
“Oh, I see. It’s Ice who you’re afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid of him either. Just saving myself the headache.”
Zoey turned toward her car. “Keep the phone. I’ll have a chat with both Grace and Penni went I get to my office.”
“Wait.”
The short command had her turning back.
“Penni and Grace are worried about your stalker.”
“I do not have a stalker.” She heatedly took a step toward him. “They shouldn’t have asked you to watch me.”
“They didn’t. Ice did. And before you get on your high horse, both Ice and Jackal don’t want their wives caught in the crossfire between you and the fucker who is determined to see you dead.”
Paling, Zoey started shaking. “They seriously think someone is going to hurt me?”
“They don’t want to take the chance with their wives’ lives.”
“I see. How much?”
“How much what?” Stump frowned in confusion.
“To pay you to be my bodyguard. Isn’t that what Ice wants you to do?”
“I wouldn’t say bodyguard… Ice wants me to find out who sent you the flowers, notes, and who set off the fire alarm.”
“Ice thinks it’s the same person?”
“We know it is.”
Stump’s firm assertion had her stomach starting to churn. Taking a deep breath, she unconsciously started rubbing her abdomen.
“How does he know for sure?”
“We watched the security tapes.”
“How did they get access?” Zoey saw his jaw clench stubbornly. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. Maybe if I saw the video, I could recognize who it is?”
“The fucker concealed his face both times. He pretended to be a firefighter when he set the alarm. You wouldn’t recognize him if you stood right next to him.”
“Okay, then how much to find out who it is?”
“Why would you want to pay me for that? I’m already doing it for free.”
“Because I can’
t accept help without paying for it. That’s just how I am.”
“Then you’re a bigger kook than I thought.”
“I’m not a kook.” Hurt at the way he thought of her had her staring out at the busy parking lot. “Do the Predators normally help other people for free?”
“No. And it’s not for you that I’m doing the job. It’s to make sure Penni and Grace aren’t hurt.”
“Do they know?”
“That I’m watching you?”
“Yes.”
“No, Ice and Jackal are keeping that fact from them.”
“Why? That’s a lot of time and effort just to keep them from being worried.”
“Grace and Penni won’t just sit back and leave you alone if they knew for sure that someone is stalking you.”
“Ahh… they have their own self-interest at heart. Ice doesn’t want an uninvited house guest or have Grace spending time away from him.”
“You could say it that way.” Stump shrugged, taking a packet of cigarettes out of front T-shirt pocket.
“Do you mind not smoking around me?”
He put his cigarettes back in his pocket, beginning to look harassed.
“Look, I’ll keep back so you won’t notice me—that’ll make everyone happy—and then we can go on our merry way when I find the fucker. Cool?”
“Do I look happy?”
Stump gave a long-suffering sigh. “What’s going to make you happy, other than me not doing the job that Ice ordered me to do? Which, by the way, isn’t gonna happen.”
“I want to pay you. That way, I can set limits on what I will and will not allow.” Staring him down, she refused to back away from the fury that was filling his eyes. Nor was she going to be afraid of him, no matter how threatening he was glaring at her.
“Like what?” His jaw clenched tighter.
“I don’t have time to discuss them with you right now. I have an appointment this morning. We can talk tonight after my last client leaves. Where are you supposed to watch me when I’m in my office?”
“I was going to hang out in the lobby and go to your floor if I saw someone get off on your floor.”
“I have clients coming all day, so that’s not going to work. If something does happen, you’ll be too late. I have a better idea. Let’s go.” Making sure to turn without hurting her knee, she started to open her car door.
“Hold up! Let me hear this idea.”
“I’m going to ask Penni if you can stay in her office. That way, you’ll be able to prevent something from happening before anyone is hurt.”
“Meaning Penni and Grace?”
“Yes, I don’t want them hurt either. I love them.”
“If they know I’m watching you, they’ll figure out the flowers and notes are more serious than Jackal told them.”
“If I can take care of it so that they will be content to leave my safety in your hands, will that satisfy Ice and Jackal?”
“I suppose so… if you can manage it.”
“I will. Now, can I please go to work?”
“Go for it.”
He was laughing at her, and he thought she was too stupid to know.
Exasperated, she got into her car, cranking her radio up to recapture the carefree attitude she had before she spotted him.
Could someone really be stalking her? She hadn’t received any overtly threatening messages from the social media sites she regularly posted to. Why go to so much trouble to draw attention when it would be much easier to remain anonymous on the web?
As she parked in the parking garage, she thought of everyone who she had been in contact with who acted suspiciously or had a grudge against something she’d said or done.
Getting out, she took her crutches, wincing as she put them under her arms. She hadn’t lied to Kent. Her armpits were sore.
As he came to mind, it only took a second to rule him out from being the stalker. He seemed more amused at her constant refusal of his overtures than angry.
Stump parked beside her car, catching up with her before she could go five steps.
“From now on, park on the street. Someone could fucking kidnap you—”
Zoey stopped, giving him a stern glance. “This is one of the things we need to discuss. If I’m going to pay you as a bodyguard, I expect to be treated like any of your other bosses, and that means refraining from cursing in front of me.”
Stump ran a hand through his long hair. “I’m not your bodyguard, and I sure as fuck don’t work for you.”
“Then the deal’s off.” Raising a finger, she pointed toward the doorway farthest away. “The lobby is through there.”
“You’re pissing me off; you know that, right?”
Her hands tightened on her crutches. “I . Do. Not. Care. Either we do this my way, or we don’t do it at all. The choice is yours.”
Without waiting for his answer, she began walking to the elevator. Pressing the button, she felt Stump stop behind her. When the doors opened, she walked inside, using the crutches to block his entrance and poising a finger over the lit button for the fifth floor.
“Well…?” she asked sarcastically.
“Fine,” he ground out. “No cussing.”
“Thank you.”
Being careful with her knee, she backed up, letting him inside. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he pressed the button. The tension increased as they passed each floor. Zoey refused to look away, keeping a tranquil picture of a slow-moving pond in her mind to restore her calm.
When the doors opened, Stump stepped forward, blocking her departure. “Let’s get one thing straight; you’re not my boss. Ice is the only one I take orders from. If Penni or Grace give their husbands a hard time, baby, you can bet I’ll return the favor.”
Zoey swallowed hard, nodding sharply.
Removing his arm, he allowed her out of the elevator.
She was relieved to no longer be so close to him. The clean scent of his body was in contrast to the expensive cologne that Kent had being wearing when he stood so close to her. While Kent was immaculately groomed from head to toe, Stump’s hair looked as if he hadn’t bothered to comb it before tying it back. The other man was cleanly shaven, his features indicating trustworthiness, while Stump’s dark beard made it seem as if didn’t have an ethical bone in his sinewy body.The black Harley T-shirt he wore was so old that pieces of the design were missing, and his jeans so worn that the dark denim was bleached out.
Zoey smiled at the man who was patiently waiting outside her door.
“Kristen, I’m sorry that I’m late.”
“It’s okay. These beautiful women have been keeping me company.”
Zoey smothered a smile as Penni and Grace blushed from the doorway across from hers. Their red faces then paled at seeing Stump behind her.
Unlocking the door, she opened it, motioning Kristen inside.
“Make yourself comfortable, Kristen. I won’t be but a moment.”
Closing the door, Zoey saw Grace and Penni arching their necks to get a last glimpse of her client.
“He’s new, isn’t he? I haven’t seen him before,” Penni asked once the door was closed.
“No, we usually meet at a Pour and Sip in the morning. He offered to meet here because of my accident.”
“Is he a model? He looks like one,” Grace asked as if she was an expert on models.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Stump was getting more and more peeved at the women’s reactions.
“You know I can’t discuss my clients.” Zoey started moving forward, leaving them no choice but to go back inside their office. “I can’t leave Kristen waiting long. I have a favor—”
“Damn, even his name sounds like a model’s. You might be right, Grace.”
Zoey snapped her fingers in front of the women’s faces. “Focus, girls. I need a favor.”
“You need me to help you into your office?” Grace’s face brightened at the thought of seeing the man waiting inside.
Penn
i nudged her stomach with her elbow. “You have work to do. I’ll help Zoey. She’s my new best friend.”
Zoey couldn’t help herself; she cracked up at her friends’ antics.
“Look at her. She’s having a coughing fit. You two stay here, and I’ll go get her a bottled water from her office. I don’t want my new best friend to choke to death.” Grace tried to sidle past her to get to the door.
“I’m not choking. I’m laughing,” Zoey finally managed to sputter out through rounds of giggles. Wiping tears of mirth away, she chastened the two women. “Behave before one of your husbands decides that Kristen is too good-looking. He gets nauseous at the sight of blood, especially when it’s his.”
“He’s a wimp?” Penni’s lips drooped. “Oh, well, something told me he was too perfect. So, what can I do for you?”
It took a choked sound from Stump for Zoey to remember.
“I was wondering if it would be okay for Stump to stay in your office during my office hours.”
Penni gave her and Stump a puzzled look. “I thought Ice sent him to see either me or Grace for some reason. He’s here with you?”
“Yes.” Zoey took a deep breath, hoping her plan would work. “I hired him to be my bodyguard.”
Penni’s and Grace’s faces grew ashen.
“You said those flowers and the note were nothing to worry about.”
“They aren’t. I’m just taking precautions to ensure my safety. I’m trying to be proactive. I know it will be an inconvenience having him around in your office, and I can understand if you refuse. I just won’t hire him during the day—”
“No, I don’t mind at all. Your safety must come first. Of course he can stay here,” Penni hastened to assure her. “What about the nights and weekend? Me or Grace could stay—”
“I already have that taken care of. I’ll be staying with a friend. Patrick would be more than able to handle anything that occurs outside of the office.”
“You have a boyfriend?”
“We’ve been seeing each other for a while.” Patrick was both a boy and a friend, so she technically wasn’t lying, Zoey consoled herself. “I hate to keep Kristen waiting much longer. Penni, I really appreciate you helping me out. I’m sure I’m just overreacting. If you need to put Stump to work, he’s on the clock.” Zoey couldn’t resist the triumphant look in her eyes, lowering them so Stump wouldn’t see.