False Security

by Evan Grace

  We get him settled and then head back into the living room. “How was dinner?” I ask her.

  “It was good. We had both Charlie and Leif, so there was lots of baby snuggling. It was nice, and it was great to get to know them both better. Egan stayed out front when they dropped me off until he knew I was on the elevator.”

  We’ve been a little more watchful this past week with Shayla. Nothing’s happened, but we’re not taking any chances—I’m not taking any chances. She curls up with her Kindle against me while I finish the movie because, yes, I’m watching Jurassic Park by myself and not apologetic about it.

  Shayla starts nodding off so I send her to bed, telling her I’ll be in after the news.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shayla

  I stare at the pictures on my phone, and I feel a mixture of anger and sadness. Erik’s been out of the office a lot this week. He’s had a couple of cases he’s been working on, which have had him running all over Chicago.

  This morning had started like any other day. Erik woke me with his tongue between my legs until I came. We’re not using condoms anymore, so he slid inside of me with a groan and fucked me nice and slowly until I came again and he followed not far behind. We took a shower, and then I got Grant up and ready to go to Luna’s.

  We dropped him off, and then Erik dropped me off at the office. I’ve been busy all morning, checking everyone’s licenses to make sure they’re not close to expiring and ordering more security equipment for Egan.

  The first text came about an hour ago.

  Unknown: How does it feel to know that you can’t please anyone?

  At first I thought it was the wrong number so I ignored it, but then two more texts came.

  Unknown: You’re pathetic, and you’ve always been pathetic.

  Unknown: That new boyfriend of yours sure has women hanging off his dick, I wonder if he’s banging one of them right now.

  My stomach starts to turn, but I’m not letting someone I don’t know intimidate me.

  Shayla: I think you’re texting the wrong person.

  The dots begin to dance, and nausea swirls in my belly.

  Unknown: Oh you dumb bitch, I’m most definitely not texting the wrong person…Shayla.

  Tears burn my eyes. It has to be Ryan, and if it is, what does he know? My phone dings a few more times, but I don’t dare look right now because I’m terrified of what I might see.

  What if Erik’s just like Ryan? Sure, he’d never hit me, but what if he’s cheating on me? He’s admitted he’s never had a real relationship before. Maybe this is just too much for him. I mean, he went from being single and playing the field to being in a relationship with a single mom.

  I grab my phone and open up Messenger. The first picture is a close-up of Erik’s face, and he’s wearing that cocky grin of his. The second picture is him in a Starbucks, leaning against the counter talking to the girl behind the counter. It’s not hard to miss the way her eyes are bright and her smile is shy.

  The other two photos are much the same: He’s giving a woman his signature smile, and she’s leaning into him like she can’t help herself. But it’s the last picture that has me feeling truly sick. He’s sitting with a gorgeous, leggy blonde, and he’s leaning in so close it looks like they’re about to kiss.

  I have to get out of here—I can’t be here anymore. I grab all of my stuff off Delilah’s desk and shove it into my bag. Luckily, it’s just a few pictures—of course I leave the one picture of Erik, Grant, and me because I’m a delusional idiot. How did I ever think he’d be into someone like me?

  I’ll call Delilah later and let her know that I’m quitting, once I calm down. I love working here, but if he’s really played me for a fool, then I can’t stay. Everyone would be like, “That poor, stupid woman.”

  I quickly shut down my laptop, grab my coat and bag, and head out. I need to be quick—the fewer people to see me leave, the better. Unfortunately, Carrie is sitting behind her desk. “Shay? What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

  Instead of answering her, I make my way toward the stairs and head down. On quick feet, I make my way toward the Blue Line and stick my earbuds in while I wait. I dig inside my bag for my phone, but I don’t find it. “Shit,” I whisper. I suppose I’ll just have to get a new one.

  What if I’m making a mistake? My eyes burn, and my chest aches. I just want things to go back to the way they were this morning, not now when suddenly all my old insecurities are rushing back.

  I get off at my stop and walk the three blocks to my apartment. I’m ready for spring; I am so sick of the cold already. I reach my street and head up to Luna and Rocco’s place. It’s time to put on an act so they don’t suspect something is wrong, because honestly, I don’t know for sure if there is something wrong.

  When I knock, Rocco opens the door. “Hey, come on in. The kids are reading.” Sure enough, all three kids are sitting around the living room with books in their hands. Once Grant sees I’m here, he puts his book down. While he’s getting his coat on, Luna comes out and gives me a hug.

  When we head down the stairs, he looks at me with a confused expression. “Where’s Erik, Mommy?”

  “Umm…he’s working. I just thought it might be nice to stay here. We can have some macaroni and cheese.” That seems to appease him as we step inside. It’s cold and smells a little musty—after I turn the heat up, I open a couple of windows. While Grant sits on the couch watching TV, I quickly dust every surface that’s covered in the stuff.

  While I get the water going, I lean against the counter and lower my head. I wish I had my phone, but then maybe it’s good I don’t. I don’t want to see those pictures ever again.

  ***

  Erik

  The minute I step off the elevator, I realize something’s wrong. Carrie’s behind her desk looking troubled. “What’s up? What’s going on?” I step close to her desk.

  “Egan needs to see you.”

  I open the doors to the back and make my way toward Egan’s space. I give a knock and open the door. Egan’s watching the screen. “What’s going on, man?”

  “About an hour and a half ago, Carrie came back to let me know that Shayla left urgently, and wouldn’t answer when she called her, but then we realized it was because she must’ve forgotten her phone because it was sitting on her desk.” He hands me her phone. “I may have hacked it since it was locked. Look at the text messages. We didn’t want to look, but it was like something spooked her.”

  I open her messages. “That motherfucker!” I growl. Every picture was taken just right to make me look bad. I read what that piece of shit said to her before he sent the pictures—it’s got to be her ex. He knew exactly what to say to her and what to send to get a reaction from her.

  “She’s in her apartment, and they’re okay, but she’s freaking out,” Egan says. “You can see whatever mental war she’s fighting all over her face.” I sit down and stare at the screen. She’s leaning against the counter and staring at the camera. When they’d been installed, I showed her where they were all placed.

  Shayla moves to a drawer, and I watch her pull out paper and start writing. When she’s done, she walks to the counter and holds the sign up.

  Can someone call Erik? I need him.

  I’m out the door without a second thought. I drive a little faster than I should, but I need to get to her. I have no clue what’s going through her mind right now. It takes me thirty minutes to get to her place due to traffic. I find a spot down the street, hop out, and rush toward her apartment.

  Shayla’s standing in the doorway when I reach her, and she begins to cry. I scoop her up in my arms and hug her tight to my chest. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”

  “I’m sorry I even let those thoughts enter my mind. He just-just wanted to hurt me.” She buries her face in my neck. “I should’ve called you instead of assuming the worst.”

  I set her down on her feet and cup her face. “It’s okay.”

  “Erik!” I
’m pleasantly surprised when Grant comes running toward me. I pick him up and he wraps his arms around my neck. “Mommy said you were working late. Are we going home now?”

  “Yeah buddy, we’re going home.” God, that sounds so fucking good to say. “Do you need to do anything?” I ask her. I reach into my coat pocket and pull out her cell phone. “And here, Egan kept this for you.”

  “Thanks. I just need to clean up dishes from dinner, and then I need to make a call.”

  I put Grant’s coat on. “Sit right here, bud. I’ll be right back.” In the kitchen, Shayla’s scrubbing the dishes and quickly putting them in the dish rack. She grabs her phone off the counter, pushes a couple of buttons, and then holds it to her ear.

  “You son of a bitch—how dare you try and weasel your way back into our lives—” I snatch the phone away from her. “Hey, I wasn’t done.”

  “I know, baby, but don’t sink to that fucker’s level. We don’t know what his end game is, and we don’t want to provoke him.”

  She nods. “I just wanted him to know that he isn’t going to come between us.”

  “Let’s get out of here. You know we should talk about upgrading to a bigger place.” I throw that out there—might as well. She just stares at me. I know she had a little drama earlier, but I know what I want.

  “Are you serious?” she asks. “Don’t you think it’s too soon? Plus, what if Ryan starts messing with me?”

  “As long as I live, I will not let him get anywhere near either of you.” I hope she can hear the conviction in my voice, because I mean it.

  “Okay. I won’t call him again.” I wrap my arms around her, hugging her to my chest.

  We lock up, and then get Grant loaded into my Explorer before heading home. Shayla’s quiet on the ride back and stares out the passenger-side window. I’m giving her the space she needs for now, but tonight once Grant’s asleep, we should talk. I should explain the pictures to her. I want to knock out any little kernel of doubt that might be still swirling around in her head.

  She needs to know that I’d never cheat on her. Even when I played the field I never made promises or let the women I took to bed think there was anything more between us than a casual thing.

  We get home, and I carry Grant inside. I set him down in the elevator and let him push the button for our floor. Once inside, Grant grabs Lucifer and takes him back into his bedroom. I hang up my coat, and then Shayla’s, in the closet. In our bedroom, I find Shayla sitting on the end of the bed and she’s looking at her phone.

  I get close and look down—she’s looking at the pictures he sent her. I don’t even know this stupid fuck, but I fucking hate him.

  Sitting down next to her, I take the phone from her hands. “I want to explain what these pictures are. It’s no question that I’ve fallen for you hard—I don’t want you to feel any doubts about us at all.” I scrub my face with my hands. “Yes, I’ve heavily flirted with women to get them to tell me stuff. I know it makes me sound like a shitty person, but sometimes we have to do what we have to do to get information.” I turn to look at her, and she’s staring at her hands.

  “Baby, I’ve never fucked someone for information. Yeah, I’ve flirted—heavily, but I’m not that big of a dick to cross that line.” I’ve come close to crossing it, but I couldn’t do it. “I would never cheat on you. I know you have no reason to believe me, but if it’s any consolation, you’re it for me. You and Grant mean so much to me.”

  She reaches out, laces her fingers through mine, and then rests her head on my shoulder. Grant comes in and climbs up on my lap. “Can I have a snack?”

  I kiss Shayla’s forehead and stand up with Grant in my arms. “How about I slice up an apple with some peanut butter?”

  “That sounds yummy.” In such a short amount of time, this little boy has wormed his way into my heart. At first he wouldn’t even acknowledge me, and now we’ve bonded.

  In the kitchen I have him sit down at the breakfast bar while I slice his apple, putting it on a plate with glob of peanut butter. In no time, Grant’s plate is empty and he’s licking the peanut butter off. “Okay, dude. I think you got it all.”

  “Erik, how did your arms get so big?” He looks at me curiously.

  “Come on, I’ll show you what I do.” I pick him up and set him on the ground. He follows me into the living room, where I get down on the floor. He watches me as I start doing pushups and then starts copying me. Up and down, we move together; I’m not even breaking a sweat, but I see his little arms shake as he keeps going.

  When we stop, I smile when I see Shayla watching us from the mouth of the hall. “Mommy, did you see me? I’m gonna have big muscles like Erik.” He jumps up and down, his excitement palpable. Grant flexes for us, showing us his “muscles.” We do some crunches while Shayla continues to watch.

  Then he sits on my back while I do some more pushups. His giggle is contagious as I go up and down with him on my back. I roll over on my back when he gets off and then grab him again and do some bench presses and curls.

  Shayla’s cell phone rings and I hop up, looking at her caller ID. “Give it to me?” She reluctantly hands it over. I take it down the hall to my room before I answer. “What?”

  “Well, well, well. This must be the guy that’s trying to steal my family.”

  I roll my eyes. This guy is a complete moron. “Dude, they haven’t been yours since the first time you struck her.”

  “All I was trying to do was train her to be the type of wife that I wanted. It’s not my fault that she wouldn’t listen to me. She needed lots of lessons.” This guy is a real big fucking tool, and I really hope he shows his face so I can plant my fist into it.

  “Listen fuckface, I don’t know what you were trying to do by sending those pictures to her, but she knows I’m not you, and I don’t need to stick my dick in any available female to prove that I’m a real man.” I disconnect the call and block his number.

  I look up and find Shayla watching me from the doorway. When I hold my hand out to her, she walks hesitantly toward me and takes my hand. I wrap my arms around her waist, resting my forehead against her stomach. A sigh slips past my lips when I feel her fingers run through my hair. “I’ve never wanted to put my fist in someone’s face more,” I murmur.

  “I’m so sorry, Erik.”

  I hug her tighter. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  “I just don’t know why he’s messing with us all of a sudden,” she says quietly.

  “Baby, guys like that…there’s no rhyme or reason for why they do the things they do, but my guess he’s been on probation and didn’t want to screw that up.” Tilting my head back, I look up at her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you—or to Grant.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shayla

  Everyone’s been so sweet to me since I walked into the office with Erik earlier. A part of me wanted to just take today off, but I couldn’t do that to Carrie. When she saw me step out of the elevator she rushed me and gave me a hug. That was all I needed.

  I don’t have a ton of work to get caught up on, but that’s because I’ve worked my butt off this morning to make sure whatever I was working on before I left got finished first. I’m in the middle of checking emails when Jack stops by my office.

  “How are you doing?” He sits down across from me. The man is huge and intimidating, but he has an equally huge heart that makes him slightly less intimidating whenever he smiles or talks about his granddaughter.

  “I’m good. I’m sorry I left the way I did. That wasn’t very professional.” I look down at my lap, slightly embarrassed that I behaved the way I did.

  “Don’t be sorry.” I look up at him. “Tell me about your ex.” He’s not asking, but at least now I no longer feel shame when I talk about my marriage.

  While I tell him everything, he sits and listens without saying a word, but I can feel the anger coming off him in waves. I’m not sure if it’s just from me working with all these alpha male
s for so long, but their moods are palpable now—more so when they’re pissed off.

  By the time I’m done, I feel embarrassed all over again. When will that feeling end?

  “Sweetheart, don’t get embarrassed; I can see it on your face that you are. Sometimes we’re blinded by love, or lust, and it makes it hard for us to see the truth. After all the shit with Del’s mom, I felt like such an idiot because I didn’t see what she was truly capable of. Because of her and her actions I almost lost not only my daughter, but my granddaughter too. They’re narcissists with a little sociopath in them. It’s nothing we did, except to be manipulated.”

  We talk a little longer, and he shows me some pictures on his phone of little Charlie before he heads out.

  When I finish my work for the day, I stay right where I am per Erik’s orders. I know he’s going to be more protective of me, but I’m okay with that. Luna and Rocco were told about the situation and were given the choice if they still wanted to watch Grant, or if I should bring him to work, which Jack was fine with if that kept my son safe. Luna and Rocco chose to keep Grant with them.

  They know how to get ahold of us at the office, and I showed her the one photo I have of Ryan so they’ll know what he looks like. When Erik looked over my shoulder and saw the picture his body stiffened and he got real pissed. I still don’t know why, but I’m sure he’ll tell me eventually.

  While I sit in the break room, Dalton comes in and takes a seat across from me. I love Dalton—he’s so funny, but you can see the hint of badass swirling beneath the surface. “How are you doing, love?”

  “I’m okay, just waiting for Erik to pick me up. What are you doing here so late?” He teaches self-defense classes, especially in areas with higher crime rates.