The initial fitting was fine when Chong himself did the measurements. I wasn’t comfortable with Ms. Flirt-a lot anywhere near my junk.
She tucked long strands of inky, dark hair behind one ear. Her hair fell to her narrow waist. The dress she wore was green, tight, and clung to her barely visible curves. The silver high-heeled shoes had to be uncomfortable if she were on her feet all day. But the store was empty except for the two of us. She could sit until the next client arrived.
Chong had aced the game by having his daughters work in a store designed mainly for men. He knew our dicks would release the tight hold our hands had on our wallets if the daughters suggested more items to purchase.
“Thanks but I can do it,” I insisted, and followed her to the rear of the store.
Jesus, I had to give more credit to people that lived with a disability. Having an arm out of commission had slowed my life to half the pace I was used to. It took me longer to dress, eat, shower, and, as disgusting as it sounded, use a toilet. It didn’t help I’d worn sneakers.
Getting them off wasn’t a problem—it was tying the fuckers up that gave me a major headache. But I managed to get the suit on and step out of the dressing room.
The glint that flashed in the saleswoman’s charcoal-colored eyes meant she approved how it fit.
“It fits perfectly, Mr. Pavlov,” she said. Her accent was thick but understandable.
“You think so?” I said, and admired my physique in the large wall mirror. It was a bit snug in the crotch for comfort, but most custom-made suits were this way.
“Yes. Are you attending a special event?”
I nodded. “Eighteenth birthday party for my twin sisters. Apparently, it will be a five-star event instead of a normal birthday party.”
She laughed and stooped down to check the hem. The dress was so low-cut that I couldn’t help but notice the small, creamy swells of her breasts.
“That sounds like a fun party. I love parties where I get to dress up and be elegant.”
“I’m sure it will be a circus,” I replied.
She then swept her hands over the pleats running down the front of the pants, her tiny, thin fingers feathering over the crotch. I didn’t have a problem with women going after what they wanted, but overly aggressive women who crossed the line didn’t sit well with me. However, I was a man, and my dick had a mind of its own and twitched. I cursed myself for that.
Her hand went to her lips as she said, “Oh, I’m so sorry; that was an accident.”
Her eyes reached mine, and I saw no signs of regret. She was not the first woman to hit on me.
And when I wore my uniform, the comments about my appearance were louder. To think of the women I’d passed over because of Joanie… Yeah, I’d been a fool in that relationship.
“Sure it was, sweetheart, but I don’t need anything but a suit today,” I said. She frowned. I stepped away from her when she stood up. Shit, I had pushed that magical button, and she was pissed. “I need to change.”
She growled what I knew were angry words in her native tongue as she stormed away from me.
Fortunately, I was able to get dressed without any hassles from the shoes. Ms. Chong rang up my purchase without making any eye contact with me. I should’ve apologized… Nah, she would get over it.
She passed me the hook of the garment bag, ensuring our fingers didn’t connect. “Thank you and come again,” she said dryly.
“Thanks,” I replied, went to the door, and left the store.
I checked my phone for any missed calls from Abbie. Her shift would be wrapping up soon. “Nothing… Dammit,” I muttered.
As I closed the passenger-side door of my truck, someone called out, “Hey, you.”
Since there was no one parked on either side of me in the nearly empty parking lot, I assumed the person was talking to me. I looked up and into the eyes of the last person I’d expected to see. Shit! What the hell did Eddie want?
There was nothing worse than facing an angry black man. I had been in the position before. Yup, me, a white man, standing in front of a crowd of angry black people wanting justice for what happened that night. I couldn’t be mad at them—they had a right to want the head of the man that took the life of that child, though they knew that man wasn’t me.
Eddie wanted to put the fear of God in me for another reason. What he didn’t know was that I didn’t fear any man, a mad one or not.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I need to talk to Abbie. Obviously, you hold the cards when it comes to her.”
Eddie stepped closer to me. He had about five inches on me and weighed at least fifty more pounds. Broad shoulders stretched the fabric of the cotton sleeveless T-shirt and exposed the dark tattoo of a lion’s head nuzzled against the belly of a woman on his shoulder.
That was new, not there the first time I’d met him. Apparently, it was done as a tribute to his now-pregnant fiancée.
“I can’t help you. She is adamant about not wanting anything to do with you,” I said, not moving.
“What happened to you?” Eddie pointed at my arm.
“Fight.” I didn’t go into details.
A grin curled the corners of his thick lips. “Really?”
“Well, the other guy is worse off than me.” That could be true, since I knew I’d shot him. Briggs said that not only my blood type was found in the condo.
His eyes were glassed over. “What are your intentions with Abbie? Are you curious and using her?”
I frowned. “Last I checked, you weren’t her father.” Then I got really pissed and pushed the envelope further. “Guess you could be asked the same question. Were you curious, but when you stuck your toe in the water, it backfired on you?”
The question seemed to punch him in the gut. He couldn’t be surprised I was standing up for myself.
“Keep Sasha and my baby out of this,” he growled.
“Then go to Sasha and your baby. Abbie is my responsibility now and doesn’t need your mind games.”
He cocked his large, bald head to one side. “You’re worried she isn’t over me.”
I kept my eyes on him. I didn’t trust him, but he was goading me. We could stand here and go barb for barb, but I had shit to do.
“Dude, you’re no more than a bad memory. Every time I touch her body. When she’s coming…” I paused. “You remember how that sounds, right?” Eddie’s features darkened. If he could punch the shit out of me, he would. “She has not mistaken me for you while she’s screaming my name.”
Fists balled at his side, Eddie growled, “You ain’t nothing but a lowlife sonofabitch.”
That statement pulled a roaring laugh from me. “That’s special. You’re the one that fucked another woman and got her pregnant, yet I’m the lowlife.”
“If you ass weren’t crippled, I’d wipe this entire parking lot with your fucking face.”
My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it from my pocket. “Hold that thought. Hello,” I said into the phone, then grinned. “Hey, baby. What a coincidence you called. Eddie is here and threatening to wipe my face across the parking lot.”
If Eddie got any angrier, steam would blow from his ears. There was a possibility he’d shoot my ass in broad daylight, too. I didn’t know if he was packing. I wasn’t, since Zane was on Abbie’s detail today.
He continued to huff impatiently as I talked on the phone. “Oh, Abbie said to fuck off,” I said to him. When Eddie said nothing, I replied to Abbie, “No reply, babe. He’s waiting to clean up the parking lot with me. But a wise man shouldn’t assume he could do that just by looking at me.”
Abbie pleaded with me to walk away and not to get into a fight with Eddie. I had no intentions of fighting.
“Get off the phone and deal with me like a man,” he said. “Or do you want Abbie to hear you get fucked up?”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and clutched it to my chest, muffling any conversation Abbie might hear. “Don’t let my injury fool you. I’m
as capable with one arm as I am with two. And if you want to test that theory, I’m all for it.”
Eddie paused, lips twitching, deep in thought. To prove my point, there was a piece of wood on the ground. It was about the size of a patio plank. A Home Depot customer had probably dropped it.
I switched the phone to my other hand and flipped the wood with my foot. It flew up, and I caught it with my hand and broke it in half over my knee. Eddie’s throat worked. He knew I was done with him and the conversation.
Eddie waved a hand dismissively and muttered as he walked away, “Fuck you, man.”
There was no need to pursue a confrontation with him. I heard Abbie yelling and remembered she was on the phone. “Hey, sorry about that.”
“What is going on, Beck? Are you and Eddie fighting?”
“We’re not fighting; he left. Are you on your way home?”
“I will be in a minute. I’m glad you aren’t making a spectacle of yourself in public because of me.”
“I would never do that. But to set the record straight, I would make a spectacle of myself for you.” Fuck! Where did that come from?
Silence on the phone before Abbie said, “Umm, did you take any pain medication today?”
“Nope. Don’t need it anymore,” I said.
“Exactly where are you that you ran into Eddie?”
“I’m leaving the mall. I had to pick up a suit for the birthday party.”
“Birthday party?”
“I guess I didn’t mention my sisters are turning eighteen.” Now was as good a time as any to ask her to come with me. “You wouldn’t happen to have any vacation time available? About three days, and next weekend. I’d love to take you with me.”
“Beck, I don’t know what to say. Can we talk about it when I get to your apartment? Zane is dropping me off there. Stella needs her place to herself for the night. I hope that’s okay—if not, I’ll go to my father’s house.”
She would absolutely not go to Dr. Parker’s house. “You don’t have to ask. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Chapter Thirty
Beck
I beat Abbie to my place and had time to throw together lunch. I got the chicken already cooked from a restaurant and salad in a bag from the grocery store. Couldn’t get any easier than that.
I didn’t cook many meals for myself. My skills in the kitchen were limited. Joanie was an expensive date, but I could not afford to treat her like a princess each and every time we went out, and she had the nerve to criticize the meals I made for her. I hoped Abbie would appreciate the effort.
I took the chicken from the container, sliced it thin, and tossed it with the greens and a garlic vinaigrette. Maybe garlic was a bad idea, but if we both had garlic breath, what difference would it make?
Food was done, the apartment was clean, and I had lit candles to freshen up the room. With Abbie staying with Stella until she decided what to do with her condo, I’d had a chance to get a few necessities for the apartment.
She’d wanted to stay with me to nurse me back to health, but my mother was a threat to pop up unannounced. We both decided it would be best if she stayed with Stella.
Zane and Stella had a weird something going on. They hated each other, yet couldn’t stay away from one another. I was sure they had something planned tonight that Stella let slip, which made Abbie uncomfortable as the third wheel.
My phone rang, and I reached for it. “What’s up, Zane?”
“Two minutes from your place.”
“Copy. I’ll be downstairs waiting.”
Thank goodness Mrs. Whitney hadn’t surfaced. Her suspicion would definitely be upped if she caught the beautiful television personality at my dumpy apartment again.
I leaned against the building, and a car slowed as it passed. The passenger-side window was lowered enough for the driver to see out, but I couldn't see the driver.
“What the hell?” I pushed off the wall to get a better look, and so the driver could get a good look at me. “Get a good look, asshole,” I mumbled to myself. “Because I’m coming for you.”
Horns blew from the traffic behind the driver. He sped up, but not before I got him on camera.
Two seconds later, Zane drove up, and I immediately ushered him to the back of the building. He parked between the dumpsters.
There was a code that police and folks who worked security details automatically knew: take care to protect the subject in the car by taking cover between dumpsters or walls.
When Zane got out of the car, he instructed Abbie to stay seated until we cleared the area.
Opening the door for her, I mentally checked her over. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, just confused. Why did you want me to stay in the car? What is going on?”
“Abbie, do me a favor and go upstairs. I have lunch on the table for you. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Beck, don’t shut me out. I want to know what you know.”
“I don’t have any answers for you. Let me talk to Zane, then we’ll discuss it, okay?”
A frown formed on her pretty face, but she didn’t fight me. “All right. I’ll wait upstairs. Hurry up, please.”
I watched her enter the apartment and close the door. She was safe inside alone; there wasn’t a front entrance that led upstairs.
I turned to Zane. He leaned against the car with his arms folded across his chest. “She’s one tough lady.”
“That she is,” I said. “And she isn’t the only one ready to end this shit. I want the person and now. I’m tired of dicking around with him.”
“Did you notice that car?” Zane asked.
“Yeah. When did you pick it up?”
“It wasn’t until I got past the television station. Thanks to traffic, I was able to maneuver through the side streets and get behind him. I got the license plate.”
“I got photos, too. Did Abbie realize what was going on?”
“Nope. But the person obviously knows you two are more than just client and bodyguard.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I have a theory, just not sure how to approach it.”
“Lay it on me, man.”
“The stepmother Trina. I feel it in my gut she is involved.”
“Okay. How are you gonna flush her out?”
“I’ll call you tonight to talk about it. I want to get inside before Abbie comes after my head.”
Zane scrubbed his hand down his face. “If I don’t answer right away, give me a few minutes before calling back.”
“Okay. What’s up with you and Stella?” I asked.
“We’re just having fun—nothing serious.”
“Shit has a way of sneaking up on you; be careful,” I said.
“Yeah, I’m not ready for love like you.”
“You’re delusional, man. We are not romantically involved.” But I want to be with her all day, every day.
Zane walked to the driver’s side of his car and paused. He was studying me with a scrutinizing gaze. “Keep telling yourself that, dude. There is that slight chance out of a million you might believe it. I gotta bounce.”
Zane didn’t know me, yet he’d read that I had feelings for Abbie. Who else saw what he saw? No time to worry about that now.
*****
Hours after she arrived, Abbie was exhausted as we lay together on the couch watching television. The fresh scent of my soap covered her body. She had showered to get rid of the layers of makeup, and to wash off the long day.
It wasn’t long before the music from downstairs lulled her to sleep. The T-shirt she wore rose above her hip, exposing soft, smooth skin to me. I didn’t have any shorts that would fit her. I didn’t mind the view, but I wasn’t a pervert that would touch her without her consent, either.
In her sleep, she had shifted, so she faced me, her head rested on my chest, and a slender leg curled against my thigh. It was good the old couch was deep enough to hold both of us comfortably, or my right side from the shoulder down would be
numb.
I didn’t mind her falling asleep on me. It had given me time to think on ways to identify that car. Davonte had called in a favor with an FBI agent to see if she could track down the owner.
If the car came back to her father, this case would get messy. Messier than if it was a stranger stalking Abbie. Dr. Parker would be in the middle of defending his wife or child. Trina had bitten off more than she could chew if she were behind terrorizing Abbie.
Abbie stirred and slowly opened her eyes. “Why did you let me fall asleep?”
“Because you were tired,” I said.
She moved her knee, and it brushed against my cock. “Been a strange day.”
Willing my cock not to jerk was stupid. Don’t think about her knee pressed against your dick.
“Yup, it’s been strange weeks, actually.”
She sighed and placed a hand on my chest. The heat from it burned through my T-shirt. “What is going on, Beck? Apparently my father is not the target, but why am I? I’m not in competition with anyone at work. Stella is my only true friend, and I have no enemies that I can recall.”
My shoulders bunched and relaxed. The tension sent pain down my entire left side. “An obsessed fan hasn’t been ruled out, or maybe a family member is trying to scare you.”
She immediately sat up. I followed her. Abbie’s expression heated and her dark eyes went heavy-lidded for a moment. “That’s the craziest thing you’ve ever said to me. Why would you consider my family doing this to me?”
My gaze fell to her mouth. My entire body tightened in a way that was becoming all too familiar around her. The sexy woman could bring me to my knees with a whisper of air.
Somehow I tore my gaze from hers. “We need to consider all the possibilities. I overheard the last conversation between Dr. Parker, Trina, and you. She’s starting to stand out as my number one suspect.”
Sighing, she shifted against the couch. “Yeah. I know that sounded bad. Trina is not a threat to me. But they had one hell of an argument the last night I was there. Dad threatened to divorce Trina if she didn’t back off me. I don’t know how serious he was, but he was mad.”
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