I pat Connor‘s bicep and he sets me down. “Nick.” He stops and turns around on a sigh as I say his name. “We need to talk.” I look at Connor and his face turns dark again.
“What’s up guys? Sorry I ditched you last night.” He says looking at Connor with a twitch in his jaw. “I had some unfinished business to take care of.” Connor just shakes his head and heads to the living room so Nick and I follow suit. I sit on Connor’s lap in one of the chairs and Nick plops down in the other.
“Nick they found us.” Connor says and Nick’s expression changes from tired to alert. “They took a picture of Nina while she was walking the dog the other day. The same day she called you. They left it for us this morning with a message on top of the paper.”
“They threatened you with her. Let me guess it was some vague note that can’t really be traced back to Holden if you decide to retract your statement and clear his name.” Nick says and Connor nods in acknowledgement. “Did you call the cops?”
“Yea they just left. Nick man, are you sure you want to stay?”
Nick chuckles at his friend. “As if I’d leave.” Connor nods once more then stands and grabs my hand and pulls me up with him.
“Where are we going baby?” I ask him, wishing that for once Connor and I could be together without something or someone coming between us.
“We need a bubble bath. Extra bubbles.” And just like that, with only a few words Connor makes everything okay. I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck and hang on. I look over my shoulder to see Nick retreating to his room. I push my worry for him and Toni, Lo and Drake and Max and Lucas out of my mind and focus on Connor. Tonight is just for us. Tomorrow we go back to work and the rest of the real world. Everyone else will just have to wait till tomorrow.
“Don’t go anywhere alone, or without telling me.” Connor is attaching his pocket watch to his vest the following morning and continues to dress while bossing me around. Multitasking at its finest.
“Yes Mr. Wright.” I say in my best impression of a snotty student.
“Cut the attitude or I’ll make you call me that in bed.” Connor says but I can see he’s smiling so I know he’s joking.
“Quit bossing me around or you won’t get me in bed.” I say sweetly and Connor quirks an eyebrow.
“Princess I’m very serious. Please be careful. Until they find Max you need to think on the defensive. Don’t trust anyone. Don’t go anywhere alone. Be aware of what’s going on around you. And never, give anyone any information they can use against you.” This time I raise my eyebrow at him.
“Excuse me, but have you forgotten the day we met? I’ve been on the defensive my entire adult life so I don’t need the lecture.” I pull on my ballet flats and stand with my hands on my hips and give him my “don’t mess with me” look.
“You look beautiful baby let’s get going.” Subject closed. Good boy. We head out the door and neither of us has seen or heard from Nick since last night, but we don’t mention it.
Connor is still putting together an outline of the program and working on getting the office set up with several outreach programs supported by local businesses and groups. He has a community service program, martial arts, study groups, peer groups, a phone tree so that the kids can hold each other responsible and he even set up awards, commendations and leadership positions to give the kids incentive to participate. Mark and the school board were so impressed they told him to take the rest of the day off, so he takes the opportunity to sit in on my last two classes. During the last of the two, a couple of little girls were whispering to each other instead of doing their voice warm ups with the rest of the class
“Camille, Stephanie? Is there something you would like to share with the class?” I address them. Camille giggles and Stephanie sits up a little straighter.
“No, Miss Ryan,” Camille sing songs, but Stephanie ignores me and stares at Connor. I turn around and Connor gives me a shy smile and shrugs.
“Stephanie? Is there something you want to ask Mr. Wright?” Stephanie contemplates this for a second, then stands up.
“Is he your boyfriend? He’s cute.” She says and all the girls in the class start snickering. This makes Stephanie braver so she asks, “Can I touch his muscles?” I’m completely shocked and look at Connor for confirmation that I just heard her correctly. He is actually blushing and trying not to laugh.
“I think you embarrassed Mr. Wright Stephanie. And no you may not touch his muscles that would be inappropriate. Can we finish class please?” I say trying to hide my smile.
“Yes Miss Ryan.”
After class I’m packing my things and I notice Connor looking out the window like there’s a trained assassin about to attack through it at any moment. I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk up behind him. “Connor, you need to calm down.”
“I can’t calm down Nina. Someone threatened you. They took pictures of you and they know where we live.” He sits down on the risers and runs both hands through his hair.
“Hey, we can’t live our lives looking over our shoulder and wondering if the guy behind us is one of them. We have a gun in the house, the police know about it and are looking for him and we are being careful. It will just have to be enough because I refuse to make myself crazy over this and I’m not going to let you either.” Connor raises his eyebrows and smiles slightly.
“I thought I was the one who gave the motivational speeches in this relationship? What happened to trust no one? What happened to being careful?”
“I’m still careful and I still have a hard time trusting people. That’s not going to change. I’m not proposing we go out and introduce ourselves to every person we come across and gallivant around Cheyenne with no care in the world. I just think that we can find a balance.”
Connor seems to think about that for a moment. He looks down at where I’m holding his hand and he smiles when he sees my bracelet. He touches it with his finger tip and takes a deep breath. “You’re right. Let’s go home Princess. I say we order Chinese and watch some Kung Fu movies. Have you ever seen “Ip Man?”
Back to Top
CHAPTER 15
A week passes and we don’t get any more notes from Max. I’m starting to think that Connor’s old boss has decided to cut his losses and move to some remote island. The detectives however, are not so sure.
“Smart criminals wait a while before acting on any threats. It gives the victim and the police a false sense of safety. Until we actually catch the guy you need to keep being smart. So far we haven’t heard anything from the NYPD on Maxwell Holden’s whereabouts so I’m assuming that means they still can’t find him.” Detective Wheeler and Gasner had stopped by to follow up with us and see if there was anything new or if we remembered anything else that had happened.
“Also, we asked around about that Lucas guy and no one around here knows who he is or has seen him. We found a record of a Lucas Smith renting a black Ford Explorer in Colorado but the phone number and address given were fakes and so was the driver’s license. The man in the picture had brown hair and a mustache but those could have easily been false.” Gasner finished his coffee and set the mug in the sink. “We’ll get out of your hair but we will be in touch if we find anything else.” The two men walk to the door and thank us for the coffee and leave.
Connor and I go back to cooking dinner. Neither of us says anything for a while and I think we were both separately going over what the detectives had said. We haven’t spoken of the danger hovering over our heads since the day in my music room. We don’t want to jinx it. Finally Connor kisses the top of my head and turns the radio on, the silence was starting to grate on us both. While the pot pie cooks in the oven, we curl up in our usual position, just enjoying the music. This is one of my favorite things about us. We could talk and banter for hours on end or sit together and never say a word. I love that I can tell what he is feeling with just a look or a touch and he seems to feel the same.
“Don’t make plans for this Thursda
y I’m taking you to dinner.” He says casually.
“What’s happening on Thursday Connor?” I ask smiling. Connor turns further on his back and shifts me till I am fully on top of him and looks up at me.
“Hmm maybe the big red heart on the calendar was drawn by Nick. I could have sworn it was you marking the three month date of our first meeting.” He says straight faced and I laugh.
“Took the hint did you.” I tease.
Connor gives me a reproaching look. “Like I ever needed to be reminded of the best day of my life.”
“I hardly think small talk with a rude woman on a bus and then watching her get her head sewed up qualifies as the best day of your life.”
Connor shakes his head at me. “You really don’t know do you?” He asks searching my face.
“Know what?”
“That I was half in love with you already the first day I met you. I almost followed Lo’s car to your apartment. I felt like a crazy person. I just couldn’t leave you alone.”
I fall in love with him all over again at his words. “I’m glad you didn’t”
I’m just finishing setting the table as Nick comes home. Connor and I aren’t really sure what he had been doing with his time the last week but we have a pretty good idea. I’m sure it has something to do with Toni, but I don’t know him well enough to ask.
“Hey Nick. Are you going to eat dinner with us?” I ask handing him a beer from the fridge.
“Sure Nina. Smells great!” He says enthusiastically. Nick is the moodiest man I have ever met but I can’t help but like him for his loyalty to Connor.
“Alright grab a plate.”
We sit down at the table and everyone digs in. Nick’s good mood seems to have drained Connor’s. I look back and forth between the two. Connor glares at Nick and Nick just shovels food into his mouth pretending not to notice. Eventually I give up on waiting for one of them to say something and attempt to cut through the tension myself.
“So Nick, how was your day?” I say feeling corny and lame, but it was the best I could come up with.
“Yea Nick. How was your day?” Connor repeats and I glance over at him nervously.
“It was good Nina, thanks for asking.” Nick says to me and ignores Connor.
“That’s goo….” I start to respond but Connor cuts me off.
“What did you do?”
“Hung out with an old friend not that’s any of your business.” Nick says around a mouthful of chicken pot pie.
“It is if the friend is my cousin.” Connor snarls at him. I’ve never seen Connor be so rude before and the shock has me frozen in a spectator’s state, unable to do anything but watch.
“Why don’t you just say what you need to say?” Nick says setting down his fork and wiping his mouth.
“She just went through a divorce Nick! She has a little girl to take care of and the last thing she needs is for you to come bouncing back into her life making things harder for her. You know she’s never been able to think straight where you’re concerned.” Connor shouts at him from across the table.
“You don’t think I know that!” Nick shouts back, pounding his fist into the wood and stands, leaning across the table. “Don’t try and preach to me about Toni and her daughter as if you know everything. You don’t know a damn thing! I care about her just as much as you do whether you believe it or not.” Nick walks to the door and grabs his coat. “Thanks for dinner Nina.” He mutters and then walks out the door.
I carefully set down my fork and look at Connor who is staring at the door that Nick just left through. “Connor.” I say and he snaps his head from the door to my face. “I think it’s time you tell me what’s been going on with those two.”
Connor sighs and runs his hand through his hair and pushes his plate to the middle of the table. “About six years ago my cousin came to stay with me in New York. That is where she met Nick.” He stops and looks back towards the door as if willing his best friend to reappear.
“Go on.” I say bringing him back to me.
“She was a little younger than us and was almost immediately infatuated with Nick. I tried to warn her off but she wouldn’t listen. Said that she was old enough to make her own decisions. Her parents are always trying to control her life so I understood that she needed to figure some things out on her own. I didn’t tell Nick to stay away from her against my better judgment and they ended up starting an affair. They ended it ten months later. Toni almost immediately met and started dating Joseph and within the month she found out she was pregnant and they were married two months later.”
I think about what he just told me and three things don’t make sense. An affair doesn’t just end unless someone ends it and an affair never lasts that long without being much more than just casual. Even more curious, is how do you end up pregnant within a one month relationship and not in a ten month one. I’m sure it’s possible but it doesn’t seem probable.
“Connor I think Nick’s right.” I say and by the surprised look on his face I can tell he wasn’t expecting that.
“Nina you of all people should understand wanting to protect someone after they have been hurt. I just don’t want to see Toni go through that again and her and Nick always had an intense relationship. It’s bound to end up badly.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because Toni is the kind of girl you marry. She has a child and she is sweet person who gets her heart broken too easily. I don’t think Nick has ever been in love, he doesn’t want to get married and his lifestyle isn’t exactly fit for children. It could never work.”
I understand what he is saying and to an extent I agree, but I’m also walking proof that sometimes the unexpected can happen. “I just think there is more to their relationship than you know. Nick is your friend, he cares about you and he knows you care about Toni. Give him a chance and maybe he will surprise you. Nothing about the heart is black and white Connor. You and I know that better than anyone.” Connor’s face softens and he shakes his head and smiles.
“When did you get so wise Princess?” He asks me.
“When this stubborn jackass made me fall in love with him.” I say and he laughs at me.
“I told you the jackass always gets the girl.”
On Thursday I decide to with the theme of love and wear a red blouse with a long lacy white skirt. My bracelet glitters in the mirror as I swipe on some peach lip gloss and get a little on my cheek because I’m so nervous. Easy girl, it’s just Connor. My pulse is pounding and I can’t help but roll my eyes at my own thoughts. Just Connor my ass. Connor is not “just” anything. The object of my inner musings walks in the room and beams at me.
“I’m sure you get tired of hearing this Princess, but you take my breath away.” We look into the mirror at our reflection with him at my back and his arms around my waist and I scoff at him.
“Hello, female here. I’ll never get tired of hearing that. Especially from a hunk such as yourself. I am one lucky bitch.” Connor laughs at me and shakes his head.
“Be still my heart. You’re so romantic baby.” He keeps laughing and squeezes me harder. I shrug out of his grasp and kiss him once on the chin.
“Darn tootin! Let’s get going before I starve to death.” I love it when we do this. I’ve never considered myself particularly clever but Connor and I have a playful relationship. Everyone loves a good banter and apparently I am no different.
We get to the restaurant and we order some food. I, of course, get crab legs and Connor shoots me a disbelieving look when I ask for two pounds of them. I tie on the plastic bib for good measure and raise my eyebrow at him.
“That’s my girl!” He says laughing.
When my margarita comes I take a sip and hear Connor unconsciously start humming to the familiar song playing. “I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!” Connor sings out loud and my margarita goes down my air pipe. After I stop coughing I giggle at my very non-country boyfriend singing a country song. The meal is delicious and I manage to k
eep all the shells on my own plate this time. Well, at least on our own table. After I finish my crab I slip off my shoe and move my foot further under the table and run it up his leg slowly.
Connor chokes on his drink and coughs into his napkin. I keep running my foot higher up his thigh until I reach the top then I slide it slowly back down. I smile innocently at him when the waitress stops and asks if we would like any desert. “Not today.” I say to the waitress and then look back at Connor. “We’ll have desert at home tonight.” Connor’s eyes darken and I smile at the telltale sign that he wants me.
Connor pays the ticket and slips away to go to the restroom. I’m standing in the lobby uncomfortably full from the meal and a little light headed from my fishbowl margarita, so I step outside the doors to get some fresh air. I’m staring up at the stars and planning the seduction of my boyfriend when I’m suddenly blinded by bright lights. A white van drives strait for the front of the building and screeches to a halt. My instincts kick in and I run to the door and reach to grab the handle just as two thick arms band around my middle and yank me harshly from the front of the building and to the side where no one can see us through the glass.
I get the beginning of a scream out before a large dirty hand clamps over my mouth. I use what little self-defense I know and stomp on my attacker’s foot and slam the back of my head into his nose. I hear a satisfying crunch and he pulls back slightly cursing me under his breath. He retightens his hold and starts to drag me with one hand over my mouth and an arm around my waist to the van. He loosens his arm around my middle to get the door open and it gives me the opportunity to clamp my teeth down into his hand until I taste blood and ram my elbow into his stomach. He shoves me to the ground and spats another curse. When I jump to my feet to run I feel the back of his hand crack against my cheek and he practically throws me into the back of the van through the open door.
I’m face down on the seat with my legs hanging out the door when I hear Connor’s dull roar. I feel the man’s hands being ripped away from my legs, shredding my dress and leggings in the process. I scramble out of the car and drop to the pavement. When I get my bearings I’m two feet away from Connor holding my attacker up with one hand and slamming his fist into the man’s bloody face over and over. The grizzly man reaches up and tries to claw his way free, but Connor grabs a fist full of his hair and uses his grip to shove the man’s head down and brings his knee up, bouncing his skull off it with a loud crack. The man falls backwards and Connor straddles him and continues beating him relentlessly with an absolutely feral look on his face.
Sapphire Universe (The Universe Series) Page 19