Beck

by Toye Lawson Brown

  Anyhow, too much had taken place to think about calling her. I’d slept with Abbie. I could imagine her reaction if she found out I'd taken the woman out. It would humiliate her, labeling me a hypocrite for sure.

  I ditched the donut and dug into the bacon and eggs that weren’t prepared by the bakery. My mouth was pleased, but everything else about me was confused as hell. I was never confused until I met Abbie Parker.

  *****

  I ambled to my truck after a fucking long shift. Every muscle in my body ached after the training session; the shit was harder than any training I’d had at the academy. That training didn’t make the bad day I was having any better.

  The bar was crowded when I walked in. Happy hour was ending, and the regular Friday night crowd was filling up the seats. Carson’s was a full-service sports bar that served food. The odor of fried food hung heavy in the place.

  I walked up to the bar and took a seat on a stool, hoping the people seated next to me wouldn’t make small talk. My mood was atrocious, and I couldn’t shake it. Since I had to drive home, I could not consume the drinks that would alleviate it.

  It wasn’t long before Zane came through the door. His tall frame, buffed body, and intimidating resting face made him stand out in a crowd. I could easily see him belonging to a biker club, but as a bodyguard… no.

  But he had been at GDB three months before I came, and backed up Briggs or Leo whenever they needed help. He was quiet, but I’d heard he had a similar background to Gio. I didn’t know his story, but he had one, and it probably wasn’t pretty.

  Zane flopped on a barstool and immediately tapped for the bartender’s attention. “Beer and a shot of whiskey,” he barked.

  The bartender looked at me and asked, “What will you have?”

  I saw her annoyance with Zane. I guessed she expected the same from me. “Whatever beer you have on tap, thanks.”

  The petite bartender, dressed in all black, with a white bow tie around her neck, smiled. She was attractive, with cocoa-colored skin. Her dreads were pulled away from her face and had blond-tipped ends.

  She was a beauty, but not as beautiful as my Abbie.

  I had to stop thinking of her that way.

  Zane threw back the shot and followed it with a drag on his beer. “That’s better,” he said as he unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt.

  Zane was tattooed all over but managed to cover them with clothing. “The first beer is the best,” I said. “So did you want to talk to me about something?”

  “Not about anything specific. We’re both new to the company and don’t really have any friends there or in the city. I get tired of going home and looking at those four walls.”

  “I get it. It does get lonely when you don’t have family around. Where are you from?”

  “Idaho. I was lucky and have a distant relative who got me the job at GDB,” he said.

  “Oh yeah? He hooked you up with the job?”

  “Yup. He put up money for the bigwigs to start the business. Long story short, Brad Andretti changed my life. Where are you from?”

  “Chicago. Not a long way from home, but far enough,” I said. “And I applied for the job—no hookups for me.”

  “You made the cut since they only take the best.”

  “I guess so.” I took a long swig of my beer. Breakfast had worn off, and I’d skipped lunch to soak in the whirlpool. Eating was necessary, since I was drinking, but paying twenty bucks for a burger was not up my alley. I wasn’t cheap, but I’d decided I wanted to buy a house. Cutting any unnecessary expenses from my budget meant I would not treat myself a lot.

  I took a few mini pretzels from the bowl and threw a few into my mouth to munch on. The television behind the bar was tuned into the local news, while other TVs around the bar had on sports and CNN.

  “Hey, look, the woman you were protecting is on TV.”

  My eyes went to the television. Clear as day, Abbie was on the big-ass high-definition screen. My heart thudded as I watched her. Those beautiful brown eyes appeared focused only on me. The sound was down too low for me to hear what she was saying, but the banner scrolling under her image reported a shooting had recently happened in the area and three people were dead.

  My mind went to her safety. Who was with her? Had they captured the shooter, and was Abbie in any danger? The urge to go to her swept through me like a raging tornado.

  Zane put his hand over my forearm. “Dude, calm down. What is wrong with you?”

  Not taking my eyes from the screen, I asked, “What are you talking about?”

  “You! Your fist was in a ball; your spine is straight as a plank. Your body is in fighting mode.”

  I hadn’t noticed until Zane pointed that out to me. I was drawn tighter than a ball of yarn.

  “Oh, that—hard day of training. I guess I’m not fully relaxed yet.”

  Zane snorted into his beer. “Bullshit. You’re into her.”

  Abbie’s face disappeared from the screen, and another anchor’s face appeared. God, I wanted the camera to cut to her again so I could see her once more.

  I took a sip of beer. “Nope. That job is over. Time to move on.”

  “The job may be over, but that doesn’t mean you two have to be. Abbie is no longer a client. You can pursue her if you want.”

  I shook my head. “Not happening. She is back to her life and glad to be rid of me.”

  “Are you sure about that? Hey, I might not be an expert on women.”

  “I could tell that by the way you treated the bartender. You were a little mean.”

  He scoffed. “That’s between us—she knows I don’t mean anything by it.”

  “What? Are you two— She’s cute.”

  “Well, I haven’t made any moves on her yet, but I am interested,” Zane said.

  “Seems like we both need to work on our game.”

  “The TV reporter wants you. She didn’t hide her feelings at all when she thought you were hurt.”

  “Abbie is a caring person.”

  “Don’t wait too long to decide what you want, Beck.” Zane called for the bartender.

  When she came over to him, the look on her face was humorous annoyance. “You barked, sir,” she said.

  Zane leaned his long torso over the bar, getting close to her face. “You and me, tomorrow night.”

  “I have to work,” she replied.

  “Get somebody to cover you. We need to talk, and here ain’t gonna do it.”

  I pretended not to overhear their conversation, but Zane had proven me wrong. He knew what he wanted and was going for it no matter what the outcome might be.

  I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Abbie that last night. She ended shit with me because I didn't respond to her questions.

  I couldn't respond because I didn’t know what I wanted; now I know. I turned my eyes to the TV screen. Abbie was on again.

  The air around me grew thin. My vision blurred, and I felt like I’ve been punched in the stomach. There was a crowd of people behind Abbie as she reported on the story. As a trained police officer, I knew what to look for in a group.

  My muscles painfully ticked underneath my skin as I saw a man in the view of the camera. I blinked, giving myself one more opportunity to act like I didn’t see what I saw. His body language read danger, with his crossed arms and wide-legged stance. He was not looking at her in bewilderment, but anger and hate.

  I scrubbed my hands down my face. I wasn’t her bodyguard. There was no proof that fucking creep was stalking her; it was in my mind. Yet the dire vibe wouldn’t go away. I had to get down there and make sure Abbie was okay.

  Getting out of here was my first thought. I would do a drive-by and make sure Abbie was safe, then follow her back to the station. Maybe she would talk to me in her space.

  I tapped Zane on the shoulder. He was deep in conversation with the bartender now. “I’m leaving. I have to take care of something real quick.”

  He grinned. “I ho
pe it works out for you.”

  I looked at him, and at the bartender. They made a beautiful couple. My eyes were open to differences now. Everything didn’t have to be vanilla-coated; spice was the way of life.

  Standing up, I threw a few bills on the bar to cover my beer and said, “Thanks.”

  *****

  I sat in my truck for a good thirty minutes pondering what I was doing at Abbie’s home. We hadn’t spoken since the day I’d packed and left. That was not the worst part. She hadn’t returned the one text message I’d sent her just asking how she was. That said a lot. She was giving me the same treatment she’d given Eddie.

  The guy on TV didn’t fit the description of him, but then, I’d never seen him in person. I fiddled with my phone in my hand. This woman was determined to win my heart. But I couldn’t have her heart broken by me. I was in the process of healing my own broken heart and had become wary of commitment.

  This new city and job were supposed to renew me, make me a whole man again. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love.

  Wait… love? No.

  “Dammit! No, I didn’t love her yet, but I knew it would happen if I let my guard down,” I said. Saying it out loud made it seem less crazy than letting the thought bounce around in my head.

  I started the car, slowly putting it in reverse before I could change my mind. There had to be another way to see Abbie without storming her residence and going caveman on her. If I knocked on her door, she wouldn’t have a chance to throw me out. I’d be on her like a bull charging a red scarf.

  Chapter Twenty

  Abbie

  The alarm blaring jolted me from a restless sleep. The last few nights had been brutal. Since I covered those murders on the east side of Cleveland, I’d had an eerie feeling I was being followed.

  I was sure it was my active imagination taking over. But I lived in Eastlake, and those murders weren’t that far away. Then there was the bystander that just glared at me the whole time I was filming. Was it coincidence he’d left the area at the same time I’d left with the news crew?

  What if—

  I pushed the sheet off me and rolled out the bed. I had too much to do today. Breakfast with Dad—that should be a ball—and then the retirement party tonight.

  Beck was supposed to escort me to the party. I sighed as I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I missed him even when I shouldn’t.

  But two lonely hearts had a way of drawing people together for the wrong reasons. I stepped under the spray of the shower, and the warm water awoke my senses. I could recall every touch of Beck’s hands on my body. His lips and the taste of his skin.

  I ran the soapy sponge across my belly and closed my eyes. I missed Beck. He had called, and, like an idiot, I’d ignored it. Eddie had made constant calls, but Beck didn’t do that.

  The calls with Eddie had ended, and I was elated they had. As the warmth of the shower soothed me, more thoughts of Beck touching me penetrated my mind. I wasn’t big on pleasuring myself, but damn, I couldn’t get that man out of my system.

  As I reached for the shower hose, a loud noise from the other room caught my attention. I turned off the water, got out of the shower, and slipped into my robe.

  Who could be out there?

  Shit! My phone was on the charger in the bedroom. I started to tremble as I put my ear to the door to listen. There was nothing to use as a weapon in the bathroom. A flat iron, eyelash curlers, a lady razor? I was a sitting duck if someone was out there.

  I grabbed the bottle of hairspray—that would burn the hell out of someone’s eyes, if nothing else—and slowly opened the bathroom door.

  The bedroom was empty, but the closet door was closed. Finger on the sprayer, I opened the door—nothing.

  The door to my bedroom was closed too. Had I closed it last night? I never closed the door except for when Beck was here.

  Now I really was scared. I grabbed my phone to dial 911. If I called the police and it was nothing, I’d feel stupid. Not to mention it would be on the news. I was a reporter, and my station listened to the scanner, so I knew other news outlets were listening too.

  I called the security desk instead and instructed the guard to get inside using any means to do it. Minutes later, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

  “Ms. Parker? It’s Sam with security. Are you okay?”

  A weight lifted off my shoulders as I rushed to open the door for Sam. I recognized his voice. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  I walked with him to the living room. Sam was in his late forties, tall, and took care of himself. He had a beautiful body, large-ass arms, and a tight butt. He was a former bodybuilder that had won many competitions and trained bodybuilders to compete in his spare time.

  But he was off-limits to any of the women in the building, since he was married with kids. Flirting with a married man wasn’t my thing, and the kids should be a deal-breaker for any woman wanting to hit on him. But not all women had morals.

  “Doesn’t look as if anything has been disturbed, Ms. Parker. But did you know your door was unlocked?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. My wet body had the silk robe sticking to me. “I must be losing my mind along with hearing things. Thank you for coming so fast, Sam.”

  His eyes roved over my body, and my cheeks warmed. Why the hell hadn’t I changed clothes before he arrived?

  “That’s what I’m here for. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me,” Sam said.

  I opened the front door, and he passed by me without his big shoulders touching me. I closed the door then locked and chained it. I wasn’t afraid of Sam but made sure that I had secured the door this time.

  An hour after leaving home, I walked into the First Watch restaurant. I spotted my father sitting alone, thank God. There was a chance Trina could’ve invited herself, but my father could be strong-willed at times, and the tension between him and Trina was thick.

  Trina would be devastated if she lost Dad. He was tall, prominent, and loud. He reminded me of the father on Fresh Prince, only one hundred pounds lighter.

  “Good morning, Dad,” I said.

  He stood as I approached the table. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long,” I said, and took a seat. “This morning has been crazy.”

  “I haven’t been here long. What’s going on, Abbie?”

  I gave Dad the short version of my morning, minus the erotic shower scene that was interrupted. He appeared worried after I was done.

  “I know you feel it’s too late for me to act like a father. I’m worried about you. Eddie could be playing tricks on you.”

  “Eddie finally stopped contacting me, Dad. I honestly think the murders I’ve been covering are getting to me. I’m used to doing fluff stories.”

  The waitress came over to take our order. We both ordered the vegetable omelet, fresh fruit bowl, and coffee.

  “Sweetheart, I wanted to talk to you about Trina.”

  “I’m listening,” I said.

  “As you’ve noticed, we are having marital problems.”

  “Are you thinking about divorcing her?”

  He rubbed his hand down his clean-shaven face. “The thought is up there. Trina is out of control with spending and wants me to do things I feel are inappropriate.”

  My brow rose. “Inappropriate? Like what?”

  “That doesn’t matter, because I’m not doing it. You know me. When I dig my heels in, there is no removing them.”

  He was right. My father was stubborn as a goat. I guessed that was where I got it from. “I know. Dad, could you lose your license if you did do what she wants?” The daughter in me wanted to know, but so did the reporter.

  “No. But I’d lose a lot more, and at my age, I’m not willing to lose a damn thing. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am.”

  Our food arrived, and suddenly I wasn’t hungry. Dad’s cryptic message was all over the place. “Dad, you need to tell me what’s go
ing on.”

  “Honey, I want to reconnect with you. You’re my only child, and I’ve missed out on your life. Trina isn’t happy about that. She’s had me to herself long enough. For the sake of her happiness, I cut out the people I cared about the most.”

  I sipped my coffee. “Does that include Mom? I know you guys had problems too, but if Trina hadn’t been in the picture, I bet you could’ve overcome them.”

  Dad sighed. “That was a long time ago. I’m sure your mother is happy with her life.”

  I nodded. “She is happy. But Mom doesn’t date much. I don’t want her to be lonely or alone for the rest of her life.”

  “You feel that is because of me?”

  “Having someone break your heart is hard to overcome, and the affair with Trina hurt Mom.”

  “Elouise was the best, and I messed up. I’ll be in New York next week—maybe I’ll call her, take her out to dinner.”

  I shook my head. “No, Dad. Don’t give her false hope. If you plan to stay with Trina, stay away from Mom.”

  He patted my hand. “I won’t. I have amends to make to a lot of people. The two most important are you and Elouise. I have to do this.”

  “Are you sick? Please tell me the truth.”

  He chuckled. “No. My eyes have been opened. Now, about your safety. Where is Beck?”

  “The contract has been over for weeks.”

  “And you haven’t seen him outside of work? I thought you were friends.”

  After eating as much of the omelet as I could, I was full and threw my napkin over the rest. “I’ve been busy, and he is busy. Don’t forget, I have a crazy work schedule. Probably the reason Eddie found love elsewhere.”

  “Don’t make excuses for that asshole,” my Dad barked. “He didn’t deserve you to begin with.”

  That angered me. Dad should be the last person to speak to me about relationships. “Well, we all have our crosses and mistakes to bear.”

  “I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn,” he said.

  I looked away from him, and my blood ran cold.

  Dad must’ve seen my expression, as he said, “What’s wrong?”