Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2)

by Statham, Mayra

Chapter Twenty-Two

  Liz

  Tess walks into my small office Wednesday morning, her face is serious, her body clearly tense as she shuts the door behind her.

  “Hey what’s up?” I ask and I can tell something is really wrong. Hoping that the problem isn’t her mom who's been sick.

  “The bank called after you left last night.”

  “Okay”

  “They sold our loan.” This had happened before, banks did that.

  “Okay.” I tell her wondering what could be wrong to make her look the way does.

  “The new holder wants to talk to you.”

  “What? Why?” I ask trying to read her, making sure she isn’t somehow playing a joke on me.

  “I have no idea. I thought it was weird. Not five minutes later, the leasing company called about the shop.” Dread is seeping into me.

  “Okay.”

  “Same thing, new owner and they want to speak to Elizabeth Grace Del Rio.”

  “What?” I say, so soft it’s almost a whisper.

  “It’s the same holding company too, K&S Enterprises. I looked them up online before coming in here this morning. At first I thought it had something to do with Parker or maybe even Jake, because of how he’s been trying to get a hold of you. But it’s an older company, one that’s attached to Judge Duke Keates.”

  “What?” I ask, my voice almost a whisper. No. Oh please no.

  “I think… I think our past might bite us in the ass, Liz.” She says softly, her eyes not meeting mine.

  “He can't do anything. I mean… He’s retired now...No way he could….,” I start to ramble. No! Please, this cannot be happening.

  “He wants to talk to you.”

  “Tess….”

  “I know. I know, babe.” And she did. Tess had been the only one I had told Belle’s warning about him. The entire time at Shine, I’d just thought he was a perverted old guy. I’d seriously underestimated him.

  “Shit,” I whisper.

  “Shit,” Tess repeats.

  “Maybe I can talk to Lucy or Belle directly?” I suggest, “Belle has connections she might be able to ….”

  “Babe…?”

  “Belle would help us,” I snap, my shoulders slumping forward.

  “Maybe, maybe not, but you need to talk to this guy.”

  “Okay honey, I will.” She looks at me for a long second, her green eyes lighter than usual, filled with worry and I hate that.

  Tess didn't stress about shit. She had enough to stress about at home with sick mom in chemo and a pre-teen sister that was going wild. Tess didn’t deal with shit she didn’t have too. But it’s clear that she’s worried. She hugs me, kisses my forehead and walks out, closing the door behind her.

  Picking up the phone I called Lucy, who after explaining the situation immediately puts me on hold and passes off me to Belle.

  I should’ve known better than to breathe easy when I had.

  Life had taught me better than that from an early age. I wasn’t the type of person to be allowed something beautiful. Something that was all my own. I didn't learn. Didn’t learn the lesson life had taught me over and over.

  Speaking to Belle doesn’t help. She tells me not to worry, that she’ll make some calls and call me back. She didn’t sound reassuring.

  Parker

  Flying back to LA in the morning, my day had been a lot smoother than it had been the past couple of days. I’m looking forward to seeing my angel. I hate that I haven’t been able to talk to her while I’d been gone. I’d called her during the day, and after lunch she’d sounded distracted, and I wonder if something had happened at the store. My assistant Joan called me to tell me Tim, my investigator had left the file I’d asked him to work up on Liz, and was now sitting in my office safe. I didn’t need to read it. I like getting to know her on my own. I love her. She’s mine. Miami had changed things.

  Pulling up to my house, parking my car in the drive I step out and into my house. The lights are on, but the soft music she usually likes after work isn’t. The house is quiet, too quiet. The only sound in the house is coming from my room.

  Standing at the doorway I watch as Ellie puts her stuff into a duffle bag, still in her work clothes, covered in sugar and flour.

  “Hey what's going on?” I ask, trying to keep calm as I watch her back stiffen. She doesn’t turn to look at me, a bright melon colored shirt in her hand in midair holding still, tension radiating off of her body.

  “Nothing, I just need to get my stuff,” she finally says, shoving her shirt into the duffle she’s been using to take clothes back and forth from my place to hers.

  “Why?” I ask seriously.

  “This thing between us, it’s not going to work,” she says still not looking at me.

  “What? I’m pretty sure it’s been working for the past…,” I start to calmly argue back, but she cuts me off.

  “It doesn't matter,” she says, her voice cold and serious. My heart rate is picking up. Is she being serious?

  “Look at me, angel.” I ask her.

  Her body straight and tense she turns. No hint of softness on her face anywhere. She’s clearly upset and angry. I’m just not sure about what. Is she pissed I didn’t call her when I was in New York?

  “What’s going on?” I demand.

  “You are…,” she starts to say, a flicker of pain in her eyes flashed quick, but as quickly as it appeared it’s gone. I watch her take visible deep breaths and then she continues, “You’re a nice guy, Park. Sex is great, and hell this place isn’t bad either. It’s been fun....”

  “Fun?” I growl, my body growing tense.

  Her eyes softening slightly, “It’s been really great,” her voice is soft. She quickly clears her throat and looks away from me as she continues packing. Throwing every piece of clothing she has here in that damn bag as she talks. My heart is beating hard against my ribcage when I realize she’s talking about us in past tense.

  “It’s been great, but you and I are not going to work. Trust me,” she says without one bit of emotion and I start to lose my cool. What the fuck is she doing?

  Liz

  “Why wouldn’t we work?” He asks, and I wish he wouldn't. It hurts so bad knowing that I have to walk away, but I have no choice. I can’t have him.

  “We just wouldn’t,” I say with no feeling and I amaze myself at the coldness I’m capable of. Especially not now, when I am dying inside.

  Parker, my Park, was Judge Duke Keate’s grandson. The mighty Judge was not happy that his grandson was slumming with the one stripper from Shine that wouldn’t give in to what he’d wanted. I had underestimated the old guy. Fuck. Had I ever.

  Parker called me to let me know he was going to be home tonight. I held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to get through the fact he was dating an ex-stripper. Stupid really, to have hope. To hope only made you weak. Right before I left, Belle called me and what little hope I had, quickly said sayonara. I found out that the Judge didn’t want me with Parker and he was shamelessly using Belle as his mediator. He didn’t want me with Parker. He was threatening me with the only thing he could threaten me with and the message was crystal clear.

  Stay away from Parker or my bakery was history.

  He would call in the loan for us to pay it immediately. It was over fifty grand that we obviously didn’t have. Even if we did, he’d evict us from the location we’d established ourselves in. He even had Belle hint that he had certain people within the city on his payroll that could ruin our reputation. Permits would be pulled. Health inspections wouldn’t be passed.

  It’s a power play on his part, a power play that I’m going to lose and the Judge is obviously going to win.

  It wasn’t just the bakery that would be affected. I could live with that. But my employees supported their families working at the bakery. Tess supported her mom and sister. They would all lose more than I would.

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Park hisses an
d I look at him. My eyes drink in the sight of him because I’m sure this is the last time I’d see him.

  “There is a lot you don’t know about me, Parker.” I start to say but he grabs me, his fingers digging into the flesh on my arms below my shoulders.

  “THEN TELL ME!” He roars. I’d obviously poked the sleeping bear.

  “Jake called me when you were gone,” I tell him and his eyes twitch, his jaw set hard.

  “He wanted to meet for dinner.”

  “And?” He bites out.

  “We went to Perch last night.” My voice is cold, emotionless. I am in complete ball busting mode.

  “What?” He hisses grinding his teeth. I know what I need to do sucks. It sucks big, but I need Parker to let me go.

  “He wants to get back together.”

  “Then too fucking bad since YOU… Are… Mine!” He roars in my face. He's so angry the room is filled with it.

  His grip on my arms is harder, biting into the soft flesh, but I don’t flinch nor am I scared. Not of him. What I’d had with Parker had been beautiful, better than I could have ever imagined. He was going to be my memory at eighty-five that I held onto as I stared out windows of whatever retirement home I ended up in. He was going to be my beautiful dream that had become a reality, even if it had only been for a short while. No matter how much I wanted to be his and for him to be mine, I just can't be the reason that would cost Tess and me the humiliation of losing our shop. Tess needs the shop and the medical insurance that covers her mom. The salary she made helped to support her family. The shop also supported at least eight other full time employees that we had. The shop is too important. Even if it means having to give up the only man I will ever love.

  “No. I’m not. Jake is right. We had a past, shit that’s unfinished. I have to explore that. I never really moved on.” That’s complete bullshit on my part. I’m so over Jake it isn’t even funny. Sad thing is, I’d been over him before we actually ended. But the bullshit works. I tell it to him so honestly that I see it in his face.

  “What?” He asks softly, but there was something in his eyes. Something in those grey eyes that heated over in a way I’d never seen, making him very scary.

  “You deserve better.” I state, my face clear and emotionless. I only hope my eyes don’t give me away.

  “I deserve better?” He repeats, his fingers digging at my shoulder, my heart is breaking as I try to look like I don’t care.

  He lets go of me and steps back, his arms over his chest.

  “Fuck yeah I deserve better. If you're stupid enough to go back to that jackass, I seriously fucking deserve better,” He says. It hurts, but he’s not done lashing out, not even close.

  “I don’t even know why I’m so worked up.” He chuckles sarcastically, running his fingers through his hair. “Fuck baby, you’re nothing from nowhere. No fucking family, nothing. I deserve a whole hell of a lot more than some little baker, so far up her own ass she has no idea what the fucks she’s doing. You are NOTHING, nothing like the women I usually fuck. I must have been out of my fucking mind thinking YOU were more than you actually are,” he yells, his voice cold and filled with such disdain it literally hurts, but I have to stand there and let him do this.

  Even if all I wanted to do was sob and scream I hold it together. I turn from him. My back is to him, as I continue to pack my things. I hear him leave the room, and not even a minute later I hear the door to the backyard slam hard. Breathing in deep as I look around the room that I’d lived a real life fairy tale in, even if only for a little bit. I walk out. Leaving his key in the small silver bowl it’d originally been in.

  Getting into my car, throwing my duffle bag into the passenger side, I pick up my phone and make the call to Belle.

  “Yeah,” her raspy voice clearly worried.

  “Tell him it’s done.” My breathing is completely off. I want to yell and scream but I can’t. Keep your shit together, I silently chant.

  Belle didn’t surprise me, never had in the time I’d known her, but what she said next did.

  “Are you sure about this, honey? You guys could find a new place, and I could loan you….”

  “No, Belle. It’s over. Tell him I’ll be at Shine on Friday.”

  “Babe….”

  “Tell me it’s going to be okay, Belle.” I request, breathing deeply through my nose, holding my breath till my lungs burn, and my eyes sting, “That’s what I need right now.” I tell her, not recognizing my own voice.

  I have no idea how I can talk, but I do as I continue, “Women like you and I, we know that what… what I had going on was only temporary. It was only a matter of time till he found out the truth, especially with the circles he travels in. The moment he found out, Parker would have kicked me to the curb before I could utter a word. So I hold onto the memories I made and I will hold onto what’s stable in my life, what’s real….” My chest hurts. My throat feels tight and I almost feel like I can't breathe.

  “The Bakery.” Belle says softly in her raspy voice.

  “The bakery and my girls are what’s important. Tess needs that bakery just as much as I do. You know that. Plus if I don’t do this now, he might go after Carrie or Lucy or Tess. They can have their happily ever after. So tell me what I need to hear.” I tell her, my voice starting to crack, my vision blurry as my hands shake, and somehow Belle pulls her own shit together and in her cold emotionless voice tells me what I need to hear.

  “Liz. Everything will be okay. I’ll see you Friday.”

  “Right,” I whisper and hear the call disconnect.

  Tears are close to falling. I should leave, but I don’t.

  I sit in my small car, my head on the steering wheel as I look at his house. Tears freely falling, my vision of his house is a messy blur. Sobs escape from somewhere so deep inside of me, I didn’t even know that depth existed within me.

  I hit the steering wheel. I hit it over and over again, hitting it with my closed fist. Harder and harder, my hand aching but I can’t stop. I need to feel the pain somewhere other than where my heart had existed. So caught up in my own emotions and temper tantrum, that I completely miss the fact that there are two different sets of eyes on me.

  One set, grey and completely filled with anger and confusion as he takes in the sight of me acting like a crazy person in my car from the window of the second bedroom inside his house.

  The other set of eyes are dark brown in an SUV parked across the street.

  An SUV, I have no idea followed me home.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Liz

  Grabbing my duffle bag and purse I walk to my apartment.

  I hate how dark it is already, but the darkness fits my mood. My head is throbbing and I know it’s a migraine coming on strong and fast. When I reach my apartment, I’m surprised to see Jake standing there. One leg over the other, as his long lean body rested against my door. His body tense.

  His eyes are staring so hard at me that I feel them boring into me.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” I tell him with attitude, as I search for my keys, not once looking at him.

  “Lucy told me what happened.” He says and his voice is clearly worried.

  “She shouldn’t have. It’s not any of your business or hers….” I answer, knowing I sound bitchy but I don’t care.

  “I made her tell me!” He insists but I’m too angry and too hurt to listen.

  “She still shouldn't have said anything to you.” I argue back.

  “Let me pay it and buy you a new building.”

  His words hit deep, making me freeze. I hadn’t expected them, especially from Jake. It’s a generous offer and even if at that moment I didn’t have it in me to show him my gratitude, I felt it. I felt it deep. I felt it help and give me a boost of strength. One day, I’d tell him that, just not today.

  “I can’t.” I said, my voice clearly softer as I’m looking down, still pretending to look for my keys, even though my eyes are right on them, everything in
my purse had suddenly gone blurry.

  “He can’t do this to you.” Jake growls and I look up at him.

  “It’s done. By the way you know how I have a favor I can call in?” I say to him and I watch him raise an eyebrow, his jaw set hard.

  “Yeah?” He said cautiously.

  “Not anymore.” I said still gripping on to my poker face for dear life.

  “What?” He asks but I ignore him.

  When I have my keys out of my purse, he moves closer to me, taking the keys from my shaking hands. Opening the door for me in silence, I walk into my place, and hear him lock the door behind me.

  “I told Parker I’m giving you a second chance.” I tell him, taking in his clear frown but I don’t care I had to spit it out so I could get Jake out of my apartment and have my meltdown alone, “So he might say something to you. Just go with it. I’ll explain it to Luce, she’ll understand.”

  “Nothing is going on with Luce.” He says immediately and I roll my eyes.

  “It’s just for a few days. He’ll get over me fast. I’m...I’m nothing….” I can’t finish repeating Parker’s words because my voice cracks. Luckily Jake picks that moment to pull me in close because my knees instantly buckle, completely giving out beneath me.

  What I’d done hitting me.

  Hitting me hard, so hard it literally brought me to my knees.

  From the moment that Tess had walked out of my office that morning, I’d been going on instinct and sheer survival mode. Having been placed in various foster homes, I’d been able to learn this. I’d learned early in life that no matter what, just keep going. To keep going till the job is done. Not to let anyone close and only count on myself.

  Holding onto every survival skill I’d picked up in my life was how I’d survived my day. From dealing with Belle and finding out what the Judge wanted, what he can take away.

  Realizing that I had to actually let go of Parker, of everything we were together, even if we had only been together for a small amount of time. Pain sears through me so strongly I feel like I’m going to die.

  For the first time in almost two decades my life had had a chance to go back to the original path it’d been destined to, before a fire wiped it away. I’d had a great first ten. I’d had it good and it’d been taken away. Park was good and clean... and not mine. Not anymore. Not ever again.