“With more conviction.”
“I am perfect the way I am.”
“Good girl, now what’s going on? You look upset.”
She bit her lip.
“Twink,” he warned. “Stop chewing on your lip. Tell me.”
“Just tired of my job, I guess. And Gladys. The bitch.”
“Language,” Xavier scolded. “What did she do?”
“Nothing much.”
“Twink. Tell me.”
“Just her usual stuff. Talking down to me. Leaving me all the jobs I hate. Being a regular old meanie-pants.”
Whoops. She hadn’t meant to say it like that.
Xavier frowned. “Have you told Darin?”
She snorted. “What use would that be? Her nose is brown from sucking up to him.”
“Juliet!” He tried to sound horrified, but she saw his lips twitching.
“I should put salt in her coffee,” she told him.
“Or glue on her chair,” Xavier added.
“Ooh, good one, Xavy.” Just talking to him was making her feel so much better.
Then Xavier scowled. “I’m not happy about the way she treats you. And Darin should do something about her. Soon as we hang up, I’m calling the weasel.”
He was such a weasel. But she shook her head. “You can’t.”
“I can,” he countered.
Okay, she hadn’t expected this.
“It will make it worse. Trust me.”
“I don’t like it,” he stated. “Quit that job. It’s not making you happy and I hate when you’re not happy.”
So sweet.
“I hate when you’re not happy too. I wish you were here.”
“Me too, Twink.”
“You look a bit pale. Is there anything else going on? Are you sleeping? Eating? Taking your medication? Bowel movements okay?”
“Xavier!” she cried. “You can’t ask me that.”
“What? If you’re sleeping?” He gave her an innocent look.
“No, about . . . urgh, stop teasing me,” she told him as he grinned. “You’re so mean.”
“What? Being regular is important.”
“Xavier!”
He chuckled. “You going to put salt in my coffee, Twink?”
“Maybe,” she threatened.
“Seriously, are you sure you’re all right? I can come home if you need me.”
He really was an amazing friend. She was lucky to have him, even if he could never feel the same way about her that she did about him.
“I’m fine, Xavy. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’ll always worry about you. You’re my best girl. Now, have you eaten dinner?”
“Not yet. I’m hungry.”
“You need to eat. Be a good girl and I’ll bring you back a present.”
Ooh. “A present? What is it? I love presents!”
“You best behave yourself then, huh?” he replied.
“Eh, you’ll bring me one anyway.”
“Brat,” he said affectionately. “I want you to eat dinner, maybe watch some TV but no zombies! Then get a good night’s sleep. Okay? Doctor’s orders.”
Hm. What happened if she didn’t obey? But she wasn’t brave enough to ask that.
“All right, I’ll do that. Miss you, Xavy.”
“Miss you more.”
“What do you mean there’s some bitch at her work being mean to her?”
Brick glared at Elias as they stood outside the pool house. He was supposed to keep her safe.
Elias sent him an impatient look. “Just what I said. Bitter. Mean. I think she bullies Juliet.”
He’d kill the bitch.
“Maybe she needs to stop working.” It wasn’t like she needed to. Her brother was rich.
Elias ran his hand over his face. “Maybe she likes it. I need to go make lunch for tomorrow. For both of us. Juliet doesn’t eat enough to keep a mouse going.”
“She didn’t eat?” he asked sharply. “Why didn’t you make her?”
“Because she’s a client, not a child or your sub. You can’t force her to do things.”
Be much easier if he could.
“If you’re so pissed off with my decisions, then maybe tomorrow you should take her to work.” Elias turned and stormed off.
Fuck. He was messing this up with everyone.
10
She shot a look at Brick as he walked her over to his truck. It was even higher than the one that Elias had taken her to work in yesterday.
This morning, she hadn’t come down until five minutes before they were due to leave so she didn’t run the risk of him trying to make her breakfast. He’d been waiting in the foyer, pacing back and forth.
The scowl he’d sent her almost had her freezing on the stairs. But then she’d forced herself to keep moving.
He’d simply grumbled something about women who took too long to get ready. She’d let that roll off her back. She didn’t care what he thought.
They reached his truck and he opened the door. She shot him a look.
“What? You don’t think I have manners?”
God, he was surly. Who peed in his Wheaties this morning? She grinned, wishing she had the courage to ask him.
“It’s amusing to keep me waiting? There’s a thing called common courtesy.”
She froze. Had she been rude, not coming down until the last moment?
“Get in,” he grumbled. “We’re already late.”
It was her job. Why was he so worried about being late? He wouldn’t get fired.
She glared at him. He was such a jerk, and she didn’t feel like getting in the truck with him in this mood. He let out a long sigh, filled with irritation.
“Come on. I hate being late. Although I guess when you’re rich, you don’t worry about losing your job.”
Far as she could tell, he hated everything. Grabbing out the small whiteboard in her purse, she wrote a message.
Where’s Elias? Why isn’t he taking me to work?
He glared at her. “Why don’t you just tell me what you want to say?”
She sucked in a breath. He knew. Was that why he was so surly this morning?
“Talked to your brother last night about your medical condition. You lied.”
Her heart raced, making her feel ill.
“You can talk. You just don’t want to.”
That wasn’t true. But she couldn’t explain how she struggled to talk to anyone beyond her closest circle. “Get in.”
Don’t react. Don’t show him how his words hurt.
If only he knew the truth.
She wrote another message. You’re a jerk.
The muscle in his jaw was ticking. It was clear he was angry. Yeah, she’d lied to him.
But she’d had her reasons. He just thought she was some sort of rich bitch.
Fine. Maybe she wouldn’t prove him wrong. Maybe she’d just be that rich bitch until he gave up and left.
You can’t do that. Think of Reuben.
Crap.
But she really, really wanted to.
“No Elias. You’re stuck with me. Problem, Duchess?” he asked.
She shot him a look then attempted to climb into his truck. But her long skirt got tangled in her feet and she went flying backward, falling into him. Thankfully, he had better balance than she did. He caught her, steadying them both.
A shiver of desire ran up her spine. What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t be attracted to this grumpy jerk. Even though he’d been grouchy since she’d first met him, he hadn’t been mean. Not until he’d found out she’d lied to him.
Tell him the truth then.
Yeah. Right. She never talked about what had happened.
“If you wanted to touch me, all you had to do was ask.”
She jabbed her elbow back into his gut. It didn’t do much. The guy was muscle everywhere. Damn, though, it felt good.
Until he grasped her around the waist and set her down, unceremoniously, on the passenger seat of the
truck. Hard.
Ouch.
“Kid gloves are off now, Duchess,” he told her in a cold voice as they drove out of the driveway. “Maybe your brother panders to your quirks because he thinks they’re cute or whatever. But not me. You need to grow up. This shit is serious.”
He thought she didn’t know that? Seriously?
Raising her fist slowly, she pushed up her middle finger. Take that, asshole.
He turned his head, his mouth dropping open. “Are you serious right now? What—fuck!” He’d spun his gaze back to the road, just as a dark-haired woman wearing a bright orange jumpsuit roller-skated across the road.
Brick slammed on the brakes, swearing. His arm moved across her chest so she barely even moved despite the way the truck came to a sudden stop. She wanted to point out that she was wearing a seatbelt, but she was too busy trying to catch her breath after they’d nearly hit . . .
Kiesha!
A fear-filled noise escaped her mouth as she scrambled for the seatbelt.
“Juliet! Juliet!
Gradually she became aware of Brick yelling. Finally, he grabbed her chin, turning her face towards his. “Are you all right?”
She nodded frantically. Of course, she was all right. She was in a truck with a safety belt around her. Kiesha had just skated past with nothing more to protect her than a helmet. She had to get out and check on her.
“Good. Stay here. I’ve got to check on that fool who raced out in front of us.” Brick climbed out of the truck.
Stay there? Yeah, there was no way that was happening.
* * *
Brick climbed quickly from the truck, looking around him carefully. If this was some sort of trap, he didn’t want to fall for it. Best thing to do was lock Juliet in the truck and call Sterling. He turned, just in time to spot Juliet jumping from the truck and running towards the woman lying on the side of the road. He hadn’t hit her, so he was guessing she’d just fallen. But the noises she was making indicated that she could be badly injured.
Still, she wasn’t his priority.
The brat falling to her knees beside her was.
“Juliet!” he roared. “Get back in the truck. Now.”
Juliet ignored him, helping the woman sit up. Her helmet, which had googly eyes at the top, was off to one side. She was wearing a bright orange outfit and skates that lit up when she moved.
“Hey! Don’t you yell at Juliet.”
Wait. Juliet knew this woman?
“Juliet, you know her?”
Juliet nodded. She patted down her friend frantically.
“Hey, Juliet, I’m fine,” the woman said soothingly. “I’m fine. I’ve just got some bruises and skinned knees. I’m going to be all right. This idiot didn’t hit me.”
“I’m the idiot? You raced out onto the road in front of me.” She was just lucky that he had good reflexes, or he might have hit her. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”
Juliet leaned into the other woman who put her arms around her, as though Juliet was the one who’d been hurt.
Or as though Juliet needed protection. From him.
His temper, which hadn’t been doing very well, went up another level.
“I’m calling the cops and an ambulance,” he stated.
“Fine. You do that!” the woman said with a sneer. “And you can explain to Ed why you nearly hit me.”
“You skated out in front of me,” he said with exasperation.
“Who the hell are you anyway?” she asked after he’d spoken to the dispatcher. She eyed him suspiciously then turned to Juliet. “Why were you in a vehicle with this asshole? Is he an Uber driver or something? Where’d he come from? Assholeland?”
What the fuck?
“Listen here, lady. You’re the one in the wrong here, not me. Juliet, get back in the truck. I’ll keep an eye on . . .”
“Kiesha,” the other woman said reluctantly. “And Juliet isn’t going anywhere with you. You’re obviously unhinged. Trying to hit helpless women just skating along the road, minding their own business.”
“You skated in front of me!” he yelled, making Juliet jump.
Kiesha actually pushed Juliet partially behind her. Was she seriously trying to protect Juliet? From him?
He stepped forward just as Juliet put her lips close to Kiesha’s ear.
“What? Bodyguard?” Kiesha asked. “Are you serious?”
Juliet was speaking to her. Whispering something to her. She really could speak. There had been a part of him that hadn’t quite believed it when her brother told him that there was no medical reason for her muteness.
Who the hell would choose not to speak? He didn’t get it. But that didn’t matter. Or at least that wasn’t why he was angry. Sure, it was kind of odd and sometimes confusing as fuck not to be able to communicate with her easily. But it wasn’t a big deal.
What pissed him off was the fact that she’d lied to him. When he’d asked her if she couldn’t talk due to a medical reason, she’d nodded.
He couldn’t stand liars.
His ex had been a liar. She’d lied about everything.
That was something he couldn’t forgive.
Best he knew this about Juliet now, though. He was feeling more protective and invested in her than he should.
“So, you do speak,” he said coldly.
Juliet stared up at him. But there was no remorse or anger. She just looked infinitely sad. A siren sounded in the distance as the woman wearing the skates sat up straighter, glaring at him.
“Hey, asshole. Don’t you judge her. You don’t know anything about her.”
He studied the woman. “How badly injured are you?”
“None of your business.” She turned to look at Juliet. “Why the hell have you got a bodyguard? This is because of Reuben, right? What did that asshat do now? Piss off the wrong people with his charming personality?”
Juliet leaned in again.
“Do not,” he said sharply.
Juliet jolted as though he’d hit her. Fuck, he hadn’t meant to scare her. He took a step forward, ready to apologize, but the other woman growled up at him.
Like, actually growled. As though she was a dog protecting her owner.
“Stay back, asshat,” the woman said.
He glared down at her. “I’m not going to hurt her.”
“Newsflash, you already did. I’d give you a one out of ten for job performance. You’re in the negatives for personality.”
The sheriff’s vehicle pulled up and an ambulance soon parked behind it. A big man climbed out of the vehicle and scowled as he looked from him then over to the two girls.
“What the fuck happened here? Kiesha? Juliet? Are you all right? Who are you?” He turned to Brick, who’d stepped closer to Juliet. “Gonna ask you nicely to step away from the two women and over towards your truck. Keep your hands where I can see them.”
Brick didn’t move, but held his hands out to his side. “I’m not hurting them. I’m Brick Sampson. I’m Juliet’s bodyguard. We were driving to her work when this woman roller-skated out in front of my truck. I slammed on the brakes. I didn’t hit her but she looks to have fallen over.”
“That what happened, Kiesha?”
Great, so the sheriff and Kiesha obviously knew each other well. And the sheriff seemed like he would take the dirty-mouthed woman’s word over his. He guessed that was to be expected.
A car drifted slowly past them and the sheriff waved them on. There wasn’t much traffic out this way.
“He appeared out of nowhere!” Kiesha said in her defense. “I was in a rush because I was running late, and he just turned the corner all of a sudden.”
“All of a sudden?” Brick thundered. “It’s a damn road. Of course, I was driving along it. And I wasn’t even going that fast. You jumped out in front of me, lady. You’re lucky we didn’t crash. If Juliet had been hurt . . .”
“Juliet, you hurt?” the sheriff asked.
Juliet was pale and wide-eyed as sh
e shook her head. The medic was with Kiesha by now, checking her over and taking off her skates.
“I’m fine, Ryan,” the crazy lunatic said. “Just a bit bruised with some skinned knees.”
“Take her to the hospital, Ryan,” the sheriff barked. “I want her checked over.”
“I didn’t get hit, Ed. It’s no different than any other time I’ve fallen over. Juliet, can you get my shoes out of my backpack?”
Juliet jumped to grab them. Brick’s eyebrows rose as he saw her pull out two completely different shoes. She held them up and Kiesha nodded.
“I know they’re different shoes. It’s a new trend I’m starting, it’s going to be big.”
Why would that be big? But everyone just nodded at the strange woman’s declaration.
Juliet hadn’t been hurt, but she looked to be having a hard time processing everything. The need to take her into his arms and comfort her was almost overwhelming.
The medic put his arm around Kiesha’s waist, leading her over to the back of his rig. The sheriff turned to him. “Going to need to see some identification and registration. Juliet, honey, come here.”
Honey? Was he kidding him? Anger and jealousy raged inside him. Especially as Juliet walked over to the sheriff.
“You grab hold of my shirt if you need to, honey,” the sheriff said in a soft voice. He was far gentler with her than he had been with the other woman, who was complaining loudly about the way the medic was bandaging her up.
Brick’s jaw became so tight as she wrapped her hand up in the sheriff’s shirt that he thought he might crack a tooth. He could definitely feel a headache pounding in his temples.
“Juliet, why don’t we sit you down in my truck,” the sheriff said in that easy voice of his, but his gaze was wary as he stared at Brick. “You’re looking a bit pale.”
Brick shook his head, his hands curling into fists to hold himself back from grabbing her and slinging her over his shoulder. “Can’t let her do that. Juliet, come here.”
The sheriff raised his eyebrows. “You’re going to have to come back to the station to make a statement. Juliet can ride with me.”
Brick narrowed his gaze as the sheriff dictated to him. “I’m her bodyguard. She’s not leaving my sight.” There was going to be trouble if the sheriff forced him to leave her.
Her Daddies’ Saving Grace Page 8