Security Risk

by MEGAN MATTHEWS

  If a heart could break, mine would be in pieces on the floor right now. I thought Ridge and I bonded, shared a connection over the last few days. Everything in my life felt lighter knowing he had my back. Well I thought he did. It turns out he was waiting to spy on me from his secret camera.

  “It’s for your safety.” Ridge leans back against the counter, but from his stiff stance he’s definitely on the defense in this argument.

  What if I had done something super embarrassing in my living room today? Oh my god, what if I already did? I try to remember every move I made in the house paying particular attention to anything horrible. Like tripping, lip singing songs, or walking around naked. Activities people do when they think they’re alone.

  “If it’s for my safety, why didn’t you tell me? What if I had walked around without a shirt? Spencer would have gotten quite the show.”

  He grins, covering a chuckle with the back of his hand. “Is that something you do often? Walk around naked?”

  I’m in no mood for him to make light of my situation. He obviously doesn’t understand how I feel or how mad I am. “Maybe I will. Give the girls a good shake.”

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he says sans grin this time.

  Good.

  I pop a hip out getting into full raging girl mode. “Oh really, why not?”

  “Because then I’d have to fire him.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  He narrows his eyes, his forehead wrinkling. “Try me.”

  “I am so changing your name to Ridley in my phone.” I stomp a foot, not ready to give up this argument.

  “What?”

  Now isn’t the time to mention it. “Never mind. This isn’t about me. It’s about you.”

  “Oh no, babe. It’s about you and the big ball of crazy you’re playing with right now.”

  He thinks I’m crazy? I haven’t even shown him crazy yet. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

  “What are you talking about? I did tell you.”

  “You did not.” I’d remember if Ridge discussed putting a camera in my living room.

  “Yes I did. I gave you the specs for the system and said it should only take one camera to hit the important parts of your house because of the layout. We discussed this the night of your break-in.”

  I fiddle with a piece of my hair, staring at him.

  Oh.

  It was that conversation?

  Oops.

  “Yeah, well…” I brace and pop the other hip. “Let’s pretend I was distraught that night after finding my house broken into and don’t remember all of it.”

  “Be pissy, but I’m not going to leave the girl I have warming my bed walking around her house unprotected. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Get used to it.”

  I sputter and work on a good retort, but nothing comes. I worry Ridge won this round. “Just show me this camera.”

  Ridge saunters into the living room like he knows he’s the winner. He stops in front of the fireplace and with a single finger points to a small black box next to one of Aunt Gertie’s figurines. How in the fuck did I not see that today in all my cleaning?

  “Where are the other ones?”

  Ridge sighs. “Just this one. It hits the important points in your house a robber would need to walk through to get in or out. We literally discussed this… tonight.”

  “Yeah but I was being pissy, remember?”

  He laughs. “Cameras with an advanced security system are common, Tabitha. I have them too.”

  “It’s still freaky.”

  Wait? He has cameras in his house? There are walls all over that place. There’s no way he only has one. “Not in your kitchen, I hope!”

  Ridge laughs like I’m the funniest person on the planet even when I narrow my eyes at him. “No.”

  For a long minute we stare at each other. There’s more I want to say, but I don’t know what. He’s so reasonable. He hasn’t sworn, raised his voice, or thrown anything. I’m not sure what to do. I’m not used to arguing with someone reasonable. It pisses me off. Is this what regular relationships are like? Plus, it’s as nice to know Ridge is looking out for me as I thought. Like we’re in the same corner fighting the world together. Or Benny, fighting Benny. Well he’s mostly fighting Benny and I’ve hung out around the house, but its close.

  Plus, I’m tired. I’m sure I’d have more fight in me if it wasn’t so late at night. Next time I’ll try harder.

  “Are you over it?” he asks.

  “I guess.” If I have to be.

  “Good because I’m tired and figured we’d sleep here tonight.”

  “Fine.” I take off the black polka dot shirt I wore over my tank top and flip off the camera before throwing the shirt on top of it. Ridge’s crap about bed warming be damned. There’s no way I’d sleep knowing someone is sitting in a room somewhere waiting for me to wake up and walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

  “That makes my fancy system ineffective.”

  “Deal with it.” I point to my bedroom. “Now get in my bed. You are going to cuddle the shit out of me.”

  “Baby, I don’t cuddle,” he says but walks toward my room.

  “You do tonight.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Sunlight filters in through my kitchen window brightening the room. It reflects off the bright yellow walls and I raise a hand to shield my eyes from the glare. Maybe yellow wasn’t a great choice for this room. I shuffle to the fridge, but before the door’s fully open, there’s a muffled ringing from the living room.

  The phone hidden in the desk.

  A new home for that needs to happen sooner rather than later. Better yet, an upgrade, cordless. With voicemail.

  So far I haven’t uncovered a hidden answering machine, and the phone is too old school to have voicemail, so I hustle to answer. It rings when I open the drawer and pull the phone out, answering with a muffled hello. No one responds. I’m about to hang up when a voice I’d hoped to never hear again shouts.

  “It’s about time you answer one of my calls, Tabby.”

  I’m tempted to match his volume, but it’s too early for yelling. “I’m tired. What do you want, Mario?”

  “You know what I want.” He lowers his voice to a normal decibel range.

  I’m too tired for this. I rub a hand to my forehead to stave off the headache. “Listen, asshole, I don’t have your diamonds. Maybe Benny stole them from you.”

  “This is not a game! I’m not someone you want to make angry.”

  Maybe it’s because we’re thousands of miles apart. Maybe it’s because I have a big hulky hero next door who has my back, but Mario doesn’t scare me anymore. “Shut up, Mario. I won’t listen to your shit.”

  “You are nowhere near being done listening to my shit, bitch. I will make you pay for everything you’ve put me through.”

  “Me?” Now I’ve lost my patience. How did I date this man for four years and not realize the level of extreme douchiness? There are a few thousand… no million comebacks I’d like to hurl his way, but when you’re dealing with a man like Mario Fanelli, it’s pointless. “Drop dead,” I say and slam the receiver on the base. These old phones were much better at getting your point across than cellphones.

  I’m wired from the exchange. Mario is lucky Ridge already left for the day, giving me his early morning forehead kiss before he said good-bye, or else he’d have Ridge to contend with. My angry footsteps get me to the kitchen faster this time. Each of my movements is more pronounced as I throw open the fridge door, and it bangs on the counter beside it. I hope I didn’t leave a dent, but I’m not about to check now. I’m making a statement at this point, even if I’m the only one here. The large blue can of coffee sits on a wire shelf. I grab it and slide it over the counter. It bumps against the white tile backsplash and stops.

  Turning on the faucet, I set the pot under it to fill with water. Mario’s call woke me up, but I’ll need caffeine to get me through the rest of
the day. I stand by the sink, my foot tapping with impatience as I watch the pot slowly fill. This is taking way too long. I shut off the tap and dump the water out, returning it to the base of the coffeemaker. The can of grounds goes back in the fridge with a slam of the door and I grab my jacket off a chair by the kitchen table. I’m going to follow the Jefferson motto. Why make my own when Anessa will have a pot already brewing?

  Technically I’m not supposed to leave the house, but there’s a black SUV parked across the street that with enough enticement will take me there. I’ve gotten better at spotting the person Ridge has on constant lookout for me. Honestly, it’s because he’s parked directly in front of my front door. They haven’t worked to be inconspicuous the last few days.

  It’s chilly, so I wrap the coat around me and run for the truck not looking. I jump in the side seat closing the door behind me.

  “Oh, it’s you,” I blurt out in surprise when it’s Bennett in the driver’s seat.

  He cocks his head at me with one eyebrow lifted in question. “Who did you think it was?”

  Riley.

  “No one.” Bennett will be harder to talk into this impromptu trip to the bakery, but I’m not ready to give in yet.

  Bennett laughs his hair falling over his forehead.

  “What?” I didn’t say anything funny… yet.

  “You two are so much alike. Stubborn.” He pushes the fallen hair back and sighs. “He likes you. Couldn’t watch you himself and since you covered the camera, he called in the best… Me.” He puffs his chest out like being put on Tabitha guard duty is a primo job assignment.

  “Really?” Ridge likes me? He really likes me?

  “He’s paying me a lot to sit in a truck and listen to music all day. Especially since you aren’t supposed to leave the house.” He points back to my Cape-Cod prison.

  “The camera is freaky and I don’t need a bodyguard.”

  “You have an abusive ex-boyfriend in Oklahoma. His cronies searching for you in Pelican Bay. Seventy-five thousand dollars hidden throughout your house. A mysterious USB in your pocket, and a missing million dollars in diamonds. Apparently you do.”

  “Well when you put it that way.” It appears Ridge is the kiss-and-tell type. “Plus, it’s more like seventy-three thousand and some change now.” If we’re putting the facts out, let’s make sure they’re correct.

  “You might be worse than Katy.”

  There’s no way that’s right. Katy’s had years of causing trouble. “Why don’t you guard me from inside the house?” I make air quotes around guard.

  “Hell no.” Bennett’s quick to answer. “I like my job. There is no way I can handle another day of entering background check paperwork.”

  “Good, because we’re off to get coffee.” With overdramatic flair, I point out the front window. “To the bakery.”

  “No.” Bennett leans back in his seat not amused. Riley would have gone with it.

  It’s time for underhanded tactics. “Fine. I’ll get in my car and drive myself.”

  I reach for the door handle, but watch Bennett. He hesitates for a millisecond and then sighs and puts the SUV in gear.

  “Ridge will not like this.”

  I buckle my seatbelt pointing to his as well. It might only be a two-minute drive, but safety first.

  “He never needs to find out.”

  **

  “Hey, Nessa, are you here?” I hope so since the front door is unlocked, allowing Bennett and me to walk right in.

  Something metal falls to the floor with a clatter. “Be right there.”

  I haven’t visited in the last two days, but the place has undergone a transformation. Anessa is closer to opening than I imagined. She’s toned down the bright pink walls with the white chair rail and wainscoting. The fireplace has been cleaned, a display of tall white candles in the insert. A couch rests against the front window, those cute throw pillows we talked about tossed on top. There’s a circular rug over the tile floor with a large coffee table in the middle. Two tall backed fluffy chairs on either side of the couch make a half circle. Throughout the rest of the shop, small tables of different heights are placed in the open space, the colorful chairs we painted spaced around them.

  Anessa walks out from the kitchen area, dusting off her jeans.

  “The place looks amazing. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help put it together.”

  “Please.” She scoffs, turning back to grab two mugs from a stack behind the counter. “You’ve been shacked up with your hottie. If I had a four pack at my disposable, I’d do the same thing. A girl understands.”

  “Actually it’s six.” I stare out the window getting lost in a quick daydream about Ridge. It’s not his six-pack that first comes to mind anymore. It’s more. Thoughts of him in the morning when he brushes my sleep tousled hair from my eyes. Or the way he smooths his hand against the frame of my face, like I’m the most precious person he’s ever encountered.

  “Six? I’ve never felt a six-pack. What does it feel like?”

  Bumpy and magnificent.

  “Okay.” Bennett pulls out a chair from the table closest to the door. “I’m going to sit over here and pretend you’re not discussing my boss like he’s a pork chop.”

  “Oh no. Ridge isn’t a pork chop. He’s prime rib.”

  Bennett groans and slides his chair for a better view out the front window. “Didn’t you say there’d be coffee?”

  “I’ve got ya, big guy.” Anessa shakes her head at me rolling her eyes, but pours two mugs of coffee. She hands one to me and then drops the other off with Bennett. “Is prime rib going to let you out of the house for the town festival this weekend? Or do you think you’ll be too busy tasting his meat under the sheets?”

  “Oh my god, Anessa.” I laugh as Bennett’s groan of despair backdrops my giggles.

  She laughs with me, patting Bennett on the back. “I’m sorry. It was too good not to say. I never think of good comments.”

  “I’m not sure I’d classify it as good.” Bennett takes a sip of coffee and then hums a tune — probably a futile attempt to drown out any more talk about Ridge.

  With my mug of coffee, I plop down on Anessa’s couch in front of the window, making sure not to spill any on the light tan fabric.

  “I’m hoping to talk him into it. Aunt Mary said the Spring Fling is one of the largest parties the town hosts.” She also mentioned this one is locals so they skip the fancy time period costumes and use it as an excuse to drink and wander the streets. It sounds like my kind of party.

  “I’m waiting on the delivery of my new stove, but I’d like to have a soft opening for the bakery. Pass out samples, meet the people. Do you think Ridge will let you out of the house long enough to help out? If you want to, that is. I’ll totally pay you.”

  “Of course I’ll be here.” Maybe if I don’t suck, we can make it a long-term arrangement.

  Anessa sits in the dark red chair on the other side of the fireplace. “I haven’t had time to hire any help yet. Would you like to help out around here until you find something? If you’re looking, that is.”

  “Yes,” I answer before she’s closed her mouth all the way. “I’d love that.”

  Bennett clears his throat on the other side of the room and I flash him a dirty look to zip it. It’s apparent Anessa doesn’t know why I’ve been locked up in Ridge’s house the last few days, and I’d like to maintain the privacy. Sure, I’ll tell her parts of the story eventually, but not today.

  “I haven’t found a job yet.” With all the excitement I haven’t looked. “I’d love the chance to earn money.”

  “Can you bake?”

  “Um… no.” No one said baking was a requirement for working at a bakery. “But I have lots of waitressing experience and office work.”

  “So you’d feel comfortable running the front half of the place while I worked in the back?” Anessa asks clapping her hands together. “Take orders, run credit cards, clean tables?”

  Those are jo
b duties I have plenty of experience with. Looks like my time with Mario might not be a colossal waste after all. “Leave this side of things to me. Just never ask me to stick food in the oven.”

  She laughs like I’m kidding and then stares out the window. “What is that guy doing?”

  I turn when she points and Bennett stands up walking toward us.

  “It’s Benny.” The air stills around my words.

  Rather than run away after being spotted, Benny steps out of the shadows, a sick twisted grin on his face as he points at me with one outstretched finger.

  “Get down!” Bennett pushes on Nessa’s shoulder until she’s crouching on the floor. He starts after me, but there’s no way I’m hiding.

  This ends now. I sidestep Bennett and sprint for the Bakery door. Holding on to the door frame, I whip around the corner and take off down the street.

  “Tabitha, stop!” Bennett yells behind me, his feet hitting the sidewalk as fast as mine.

  Benny is fifty yards ahead of me. His stupid gelled hair doesn’t move with the breeze. He turns left on the corner and jumps in the seat of a waiting car, closing the door behind him. The car peels away and Benny smiles, making the shape of a gun with his hand and pretending to shoot me as they fly by.

  “What in the hell were you thinking?” Bennett grabs on to my shoulder and pulls me away from the curb.

  “I couldn’t let him get away!” I push away from him and start the walk back to the bakery. Anessa’s watched the entire spectacle from her large front window. Her wide eyes tell me I have explanations to give.

  Bennett jogs up, walking a few paces ahead. “What if he’d had a gun?”

  Hmm. What if he’d had a gun? “He didn’t.”

  “Ridge won’t be happy, Tabitha.” Bennett stops in front of the bakery door blocking my entrance.

  “Well maybe Ridge doesn’t need to know.”

  “Oh he’ll find out.” Bennett grimaces because he knows like I do exactly how Ridge will take the news. “It happened on Main Street. The whole town will know.”