I proceed slowly, watching the house numbers as I go, and as I near the address, I spot Sam’s Maserati in the driveway of a huge place on the right. The house sits back from the road and has a fairly long driveway before it opens up into a circle in front of the house. There’s a large three-tiered fountain in the center of the circular driveway and a second car is sitting right outside the front door, a black Mercedes, and I can’t help wondering what the heck is going on as I pull into the drive.
I park the Charger right outside the circle and get out, eyeing the place warily. The grounds are immaculately landscaped and obviously well kept and the house itself looks like it could go for a couple million dollars easy. It’s two stories, an almost burnt orange colored, smooth stucco with lots of stone work, dark wood accents and a slate roof. There are two large columns supporting the roof of the portico at the front door. It’s gorgeous, but very clearly way out of my league.
As I’m studying the outside of the place, I suddenly hear Samantha squeal and I turn to see her running out of the front door and heading straight for me. She’s grinning like a loon and she practically leaps into my arms and I can’t help smiling as I hold her. And I want to ask her what’s going on but, I don’t get a chance because she is off and running.
“Oh, my God! Josh, I am so excited! I fell completely in love with it the minute I pulled into the driveway. Well, not the very minute I pulled in because, at first, I really wasn’t too sure about the color of the place. I mean, it’s sort of dark, don’t you think? But, I don’t know … the more I look at it, the more I kind of like the color, you know?”
“Um…”
“Oh, but that’s not really important because when I went inside, I knew immediately that it was perfect!” She takes my hands and pulls gently, leading me toward the house and still chattering away a mile a minute. “And I know that you’re not supposed to let the realtor know how excited you are about a place but, I just couldn’t hide it. And I’m terrible about this kind of stuff so, I called Lucas and told him all about it and asked him what he thought and he said it sounded like an amazing investment so … I did it! I made an offer!”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her quite this excited and her enthusiasm is adorable. But my mind is reeling from the thought that she’s already put an offer on this house. Something about this is making me a tiny bit uneasy and I’m not quite sure why. We enter the front door and my eyes are darting around at the hardwood floors, the stone and marble fireplaces and pillars, and the sweeping staircase off to the right of the door. And Samantha is still chattering away.
“It has all the space we could want and wait until you see the master suite, oh my God, it’s so beautiful! But first, I can’t wait … I have to show you the coolest part!” She’s squealing again, and bouncing around like a five year old. Still pulling me along by the hand she leads me off to the right, through a large living room that’s furnished in shades of chocolate with cream and muted pink accents. The place looks to be mostly furnished and I frown at that. Maybe someone is still living here?
We enter a large kitchen with a huge granite island, and off to one side of it, there is a wall of floor to ceiling windows that look out onto a garden, and an abundance of light is streaming through.
“Isn’t the kitchen amazing?” Sam asks excitedly. “The appliances are all brand new and top of the line; it’s going to be a dream to cook in! But what I want you to see is this way!” She pulls me to a door off to the side of the kitchen and we step into a large mud room and over to another door, and Samantha opens it, pulling me through.
“Well? What do you think?”
I look around the space and I’m not quite sure what it is that she wants me to say. “Uh … it’s a garage,” I say, somewhat bewildered. I can feel myself getting a little agitated, and again, I have no clue why.
“It’s not just a garage,” she admonishes me. “It’s a spacious, climate-controlled, four car garage, right?”
She asks the question and looks at me expectantly. I shrug at her. “Right,” I answer, still feeling like I’m in the Twilight Zone or something. What is she getting at?
“Wrong!” She bounces over to the wall near the door we just came through and pushes a button on a small control panel, and the sound of an electric door jerks to life behind me. I turn and look to the end of the garage and I see a door lifting to reveal the space of another car length. Sam takes my hand again and leads me over to the extension. “Apparently the previous owner was something of a car enthusiast, and his prized possession was his classic barracuda, or piranha, or some type of fish car. But anyway, he always wanted it kept safely away from the rest of the family’s cars so, he had this extension put on. So it’s actually a five car garage, isn’t that awesome?”
She is so cute when she’s this excited but, for some reason, I can’t fully appreciate it right now. That uneasy feeling in my gut is growing and I can’t figure out exactly why. “Sam…”
“I knew it was perfect the minute I saw it, Josh! The Charger will be snug and cozy in her own little personal spot, and there’s still plenty of room left for my car and your truck, and other toys if you want!”
She looks so cute and so proud of herself but I can’t return her excitement because, in that moment, I understand exactly why I’m feeling so uneasy with all of this when it hits me that she obviously means for us to live in this place together! I am instantly pissed, my jaw clenches and my hands fist into balls so tight, I can feel my fingernails digging into my palms.
“Don’t automatically get angry at the situation. Take a deep breath and try to look at things from her point of view. Remember that she’s grown up differently than you.”
My mother’s voice echoes in my head and I take a deep breath, stuffing my clenched fists into the pockets of my jeans and exhaling slowly. Just breathe, Pierce. Take a few minutes and just keep breathing.
“Josh?” Sam’s excited voice is suddenly laced with concern.
The breathing’s not working. I run a hand through my hair in frustration as I calmly ask through clenched teeth, “How much?”
“I don’t understand,” she says, frowning at me.
“You said you made an offer,” I clarify, my voice deathly quiet as I look her in the eye. “How much?”
“Oh. $865,000. It’s slightly less than what they’re asking for it but, the realtor thinks they’ll jump at it because they’re anxious to sell. They’ve already moved to London on business.”
She sounds like we’re talking about dropping a few dollars for a new set of sheets or something and my anger spikes, ready to explode. Just then, my cellphone starts to buzz. Checking the caller ID, I see that it’s Dave and I answer it thankfully. Grateful for the distraction.
“Yeah?” I can see Sam watching me with a puzzled expression as I talk, and my eyes never leave hers the whole time.
“Guy, I know you’re dealing with something but we just got our first break in that new case. Need you to get back as soon as you can.”
“Yeah, I’m on my way, Conner.” I hang up and we stare at each other for a beat, saying nothing. In fact, I am so angry with her right now, I’m afraid to say anything. And I think she can tell that I’m pissed. The look in her eyes is so uncertain. I have to get out of here. “That was the station. I have to go.” I turn to walk over to the door we entered through.
“Josh, I know you’re busy but … can we talk for a minute?” She knows I’m not happy, and she sounds worried now.
“No,” I answer gruffly without looking back as I walk over to the door and, on a hunch, I hit the first button on the control panel on the wall. The garage door springs to life, slowly raising to reveal the front of the house and the circular drive where Sam’s car sits. “I have to get back to work; we’ll talk about this when I get home.”
I turn and exit the garage, heading for the Charger, and Sam follows after me. “Josh?”
“What?” I say a little too curtly, finally stopping to turn
and look at her.
She looks like she wants to hash it out right here and now but, thinks better of it. Instead she says quietly, “Be careful. I love you.”
Her words instantly make me feel like shit. I know that my reaction to her news has put a great big damper on her earlier excitement but, that can’t be helped. I am angry, and I think I have good reason to be! That doesn’t give her the right to use those words as a weapon against me. Is that what she’s doing, Pierce? I frown slightly at that thought.
“I have to go, Sam,” I say harshly. “We’ll talk later.” She nods but says nothing more. And she looks hurt. Shit. I roll my eyes, and then swallow anxiously. And my voice softens slightly as I add, “I love you too.” I turn then and walk slowly to the Charger. But before I do, I see the little light come back on in her bright green eyes, and I know that I’ve said what she needed to hear.
I slide behind the wheel and run both my hands through my hair once more, taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly. What the fuck just happened? I start up the Charger and back out of the driveway and onto the road and head back to the station.
The rest of my day, I am on autopilot. I can’t concentrate for shit and my mind keeps wandering. Going back over that massive house and Samantha’s hurt look when I left. And the more I think about it, the angrier I get. What the hell was she thinking? By the end of the day, I am done. Completely pissed off and no clue what to do with all this anger. I certainly can’t take it home to Samantha. Sure, our first real argument taught me that it doesn’t have to end in violence, and that was a lesson I was happy to learn. But I was frustrated that night. More scared than anything else. Right now, all I feel is rage, and that’s a whole different kind of anger. Fuck!
After Conner leaves, I sit at my desk for a few seconds, wondering what the hell to do now, and I spot Lee still at his desk. He’s always saying that I can talk to him about anything. I clear my things and stand to leave. But before I clock out, I head over to Lee’s desk where he’s gathering up his things to go. “Hey, Lee … you got a minute?” I ask as he stands up and pushes in his chair.
“I always have a minute for you, Guy,” he says in that fatherly tone he always uses with me. “Maybe even two,” he smiles.
I glance around nervously and start to rethink talking to him at all. What the hell am I doing?
“Guy?”
I look back at him and Lee is staring at me with a puzzled expression. I swallow nervously. “You gotta rush home?” I ask him, my voice sounding timid to my ears. “Molly waiting on you?”
“I don’t need to rush,” he says after a short pause, looking at me speculatively now.
“You want to grab a beer with me?” I ask anxiously.
He seems to study my face for a minute and then he nods slowly. “Sure. Let me get my things and I’ll meet you at the pub down the street in five minutes.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” I nod at him and turn to leave. As I head out to the Charger, I pull out my phone and send Sam a quick text:
Going for a quick beer
with Lee after work.
Be home soon.
By the time I uncover the Charger and slide behind the wheel, I get a reply from her:
I’ve made dinner, Josh.
I answer her quickly and then drive off in the direction of the pub.
Keep it warm, I won’t be long.
30 minutes, tops.
Her response is immediate but, I don’t check it until I pull up outside the pub and park the Charger.
Ok.
Is everything all right, Josh?
I sigh, and nervously run a hand through my hair, staring at her words. Is everything all right? I’m honestly not sure.
Everything’s fine, baby.
Be home soon.
I get out of the car and venture inside and saddle up to the bar, ordering a Corona, and wait for Parson to show. Two minutes later I feel a slap on my shoulder and it’s him. He orders a beer, but instead of perching on the stool beside me he says, “Follow me.” He gets his beer and we head over to a table in the corner, sitting across from each other. “What’s on your mind, son?” he says, fixing me with a serious expression as he sips his Budweiser.
I find myself having a hard time looking him in the eye and I’m not sure why. And I think about Sam’s text asking me if everything’s all right, and all I know is that it’s not. I feel so mixed up right now and I’m not at all sure how to articulate it. Anger. Fear. Anxiety. I focus on a point in the label of my bottle of Corona and say nothing.
“How’s Olivia?” Lee asks finally, and I think he’s trying to get a handle on what’s going on with me.
“Mom’s good,” I say quietly, glancing at him, and still trying to figure out where to begin.
He nods slowly at my words and tries again. “Everything all right with you and Samantha?” he asks tentatively.
I look up at him and I feel all the air leave my lungs. Fuck. Breathe, Pierce. I swallow nervously and nod my head. “Yeah.” My voice is barely audible and I know that it didn’t sound the least bit convincing. But I can see that my uncertainty has registered with Lee and he’s giving me his full attention.
“Yeah?” he asks, and I can hear the concern in his voice.
“Yeah,” I say with a little more confidence, nodding again. I take a deep breath and dive in. “Things may be going a little too well,” I mutter.
“Too well,” he smiles. “Is that possible?”
I roll my eyes and take a swig of my beer. “You know … ever since we caught that fucker Echols, Sam’s been staying with me. She said she just didn’t feel comfortable at her apartment anymore. The memories of that asshole attacking her and knowing that he was in there, God knows how many times … just watching her.”
“Um hm. I don’t blame her,” Lee says.
“Yeah, me neither,” I agree. “So she’s been at my place ever since.”
“Yeah, I know. Is that what this is about?” he asks me with a slight smile. “Things getting a little too close for comfort?”
I give him a weak smile. “No, that’s not it. I love having her there. It’s been nice,” I say, looking him in the eye, and he smiles at me. “But I’m not so naïve to think that a girl like Samantha would ever be really happy living in a place like mine. It is so far away from what she’s used to. So, I knew that she would eventually look for her own place.”
“And you don’t want her to go?” he asks.
“That’s not it,” I repeat in frustration. “She needs to move. Hell, she’s only been at my place for a couple of weeks and my closets and drawers are already begging for relief. Her lifestyle would never fit into my small place for any length of time. I realize that. So this morning when she said she was spending some time with a realtor, I thought it was a good thing.”
“Okay,” he says slowly, trying to follow my train of thought, and I know that I’m not making any sense. I need to get to the real issue. What is the real issue, Pierce? I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I get this text from her this afternoon asking me to meet her, and she gives me an address in the Redmond area.”
He whistles. “Pricey neighborhood.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I mumble. “I get there and she is all excited, bouncing around like a five year old, telling me how she fell instantly in love with this place as soon as she saw it.” I pause and take another deep breath. “I thought she’d be looking for another apartment, you know? But she starts showing me around this house, and it’s … big. Her mom and her brother and her uncle … you know, they all live out in Bellevue and their homes are serious mansions. This place … it’s not quite that grandiose but … it’s damn near close. Certainly looks like a mansion compared to my place.
He raises his eyebrows and nods at me, saying nothing, and I’m not sure what he’s thinking. So, I continue.
“She takes me into the over-sized, climate-controlled, five car garage and starts going on an
d on about how the Charger is going to feel right at home, and it hits me then that she means for us to move into this place together.” I can hear the anxiety in my voice and I know that I must look panicked right about now.
Lee lets a slow smile spread across his lips. “And you don’t know if you’re ready for that kind of commitment?”
I sigh, running both my hands through my hair in aggravation as my breathing shallows slightly. Is that what this is about? Or is it something else? “Lee, I love having Samantha at my place. Before we caught Echols, I spent every single night at her apartment. Hell, we have practically been living together since our relationship began. I love being with her; that’s not why I’m freaking out right now!”
“Then what is it, Guy?” He is looking at me as if I have three heads, and I know that my own expression mirrors his.
“Lee … she bought this house,” I tell him forcefully. “Made an offer on the spot. Prepared to pay for it right then and there with her own money. A fucking $865,000 home!” My voice is raised in frustration and I look him in the eye and see realization slowly dawning. “You tell me … how the fuck am I ever supposed to feel like the man in this relationship when she’s buying million dollar houses for me and my car to live in?!”
He takes a deep breath and looks at me sternly. “Is that what’s got you so upset, Guy? That her rich daddy left her a few million dollars when he died? Are you telling me you can’t deal with that?”
“A few million dollars?” My voice is low and full of sarcasm and I roll my eyes at him. “Just between you and me, Lee, it’s a hell of lot more than ‘a few million dollars,’ okay? Between her trust fund and her share of the family business, Samantha is worth a couple billion dollars all on her own.”
His eyebrows reach for the heavens and he takes another breath. Then he nods his head slowly. “Okay. That’s a lot of money. But let me ask you something, Guy … is that her fault?” I give him a puzzled look and he continues. “Let me put it this way … are you upset with her because she was born with money? Because that would be just as wrong as her looking down on you because you were born without it.”
Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set Page 76