“Cops don’t bust down innocent people’s doors!”
“Look!” He had pulled out his wallet. Holding it in front of my face now, I could see an ID with a smiling, albeit big-headed, Mitch on one side and a gold badge on the other. It said he was a detective with the LAPD.
“If you’re a cop, you have a lot of explaining to do. This could be fake. Your behavior is sending out more of a thug vibe than a cop one. What kind of cop trashes a gym and scares a woman out of her wits by forcing his way into her apartment?”
“I didn’t trash any gym,” he said. “I don’t doubt that was your…friend Paul, trying to make me look bad.”
“Why would Paul want to do that? And don’t say “friend” like that, it’s creepy!” He was insinuating there was more between us. I didn’t like it coming from him. The big ape actually had the gall to laugh. That pissed me off more. “What are you laughing at?”
“Typical woman,” he said, shaking his head. “Worried about how things look or what people think. I don’t give a shit if you’re his friend or his lover, neither or both. If you were worried about it, you wouldn’t be sneaking over to his apartment midmorning for a quickie,” he said in a lewd voice. “The only people in Paul’s life I’m interested in are his sister and nephew.”
“Your son?” I suddenly wanted him to know I wasn’t as ill-informed as he might think.
“Yes, my son,” he said.
“Why are you traipsing around like a maniac scaring people and picking fights? Why not just go through the courts with this? If you’re such an upstanding citizen…a cop…why wouldn’t they give you custody?”
“I’m not worried about the custody hearing. I’ll win that hands down. Marie is running with my kid because she knows that she won’t. She’s been gone with him for a long time, and before she left she was wanted on charges of child abuse and neglect. All I intend to do is find her and take her in so she can stand trial for her charges. I also, most of all, want to make sure that my son is safe.”
I didn’t believe him. I saw Victor…he looked safe and comfortable, not neglected or abused. If Marie had been on the run with him so that she could keep him and abuse him, why would she let him stay with Paul? Wouldn’t Victor tell his uncle if he was being abused? I had also watched this guy pick a fight with Paul and the next day our gym was trashed. Too much coincidence for me. I didn’t buy that Paul went back after his MMA match and trashed it to make Mitch look bad. I needed to try and stay calm though. This guy was a live wire and who the hell knew what he was going to do?
“I’ll tell Paul you came by if I see him,” I told him in my calmest tone. I felt like I was talking down a bulldog that had his jaws primed to attack. “I have no idea where his sister or his nephew are. I don’t even know them. I’ve barely just met Paul.” Mitch raised an eyebrow at that. I’m not sure what he thought he knew about me and Paul, but the look on his face alone made me feel like I needed a shower. “I’d appreciate it if you leave now.” Before I got the words out, the man had his massive frame so close to me that I could feel the heat coming off his body. I could smell what he had for breakfast on his breath as he lowered his voice and said through gritted teeth, “You can get yourself arrested for withholding evidence in an active police investigation…or you can be smart and just tell me where Marie is hiding.”
I was shaking inwardly, but determined not to let him see it. I hoped my voice was steady as I gritted my own teeth and said, “I’ve already told you that I have no idea. Now, if you don’t leave, I’ll report you for…your inappropriate police behavior!”
The bastard laughed, again. “Inappropriate police behavior, huh? Oh please don’t report me for that! You’ll tarnish my sterling reputation.” We had a staring contest, then. It may have lasted five seconds, five minutes or five hours…I really didn’t know. He finally broke the silence by saying, “Look, if you’re worried about Paul wanting revenge on you, I’ll never tell him that you helped me out.”
“I don’t know where his sister and nephew are,” I said again, this time, firmer. “You’re wasting your time here, and I’m not afraid of Paul in the least.”
“Oh cut the crap. I know women. You’re sleeping with him and that means you think you have a right to know his business…” His tone was so disparaging that I wanted to punch him just for his trampling of women’s dignity alone.
“You do have a low opinion of women, don’t you?” I couldn’t help myself. I bet he had mommy issues. “I have a question for you. If you’re such a good detective, why not just follow Paul?” Mitch didn’t answer that, but I got the feeling from his silence that he’d been following him, with no results. Obviously he followed us here, and obviously he knew I’d just left Paul’s apartment. “You really need to go,” I told him again. I could see the vein in his neck pulsating and he was opening and closing his fists like he wanted to hit something. Since I was the only one in his path, it was safe to say I was worried, but I still wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. I’d never been hit in the face full-on with a fist, but I didn’t imagine it felt too good.
“I don’t like your attitude. I think I’ll take you down to the station and we can continue this conversation there.”
I felt like I was going to throw up. If I did, I was going to aim for his ugly shoes and hoped that it splashed all over him. My head was spinning. I didn’t want to believe this man, but when he started threatening to take me in, it made me think maybe there was something to it. Police couldn’t just go around hauling people down to the station if they weren’t under arrest or at least suspected of something, could they? Wouldn’t the other police have questions? Didn’t you have to check things like that with the DA, or was that just my Law and Order law degree talking? I wasn’t sure, but as much as he didn’t like my attitude, I didn’t like the look on his face that told me I’d actually be lucky if he took me in. He looked like he wanted to hurt me.
I tried to silence that part of me who hated to be pushed around and in the nicest voice I could manage at that moment I said, “Look. I honestly have no idea about any of this. Like I said, Paul and I just met this week. This is all new to me. We only talked family because of you, actually. We went for a run this morning after we found out the gym was trashed. He of course thought you did it. I asked him who you were and why you would do a thing like that and he said you’re his sister’s ex-boyfriend and Victor’s father. That is all I know.”
He chuckled and said, “He didn’t mention that I was a police detective, did he?”
“No, he didn’t mention that,” I said. “My point, once again, is that I barely know Paul. I’ve never met his family. I would have no reason to protect him and risk going to jail for it. I met him at the gym and I’ve only seen him there and on our jog today…My washer is broken and he let me use his to wash my clothes today…that’s it.”
Mitch eyed me suspiciously. I didn’t think he believed me any more than I did him. At least not the part about me not being any more involved with Paul than that. I had to admit that I was a little bit more suspicious of Paul at this point. Why hadn’t he told me…or mentioned to anyone at the gym after the break-in that Mitch was a cop…a detective no less?
Mitch had once again changed his tactics. Now he had his hands in his pockets and he was surveying my apartment. He looked at a picture of me and my mom on the wall and said, “Pretty, happy ladies.” I stayed silent and after a few seconds he said, “Your mother?” I reluctantly nodded and he smiled at me. I I was worried about him seeing my fear for no reason. He could actually already smell it. He really was like a dog. “She’s really pretty. I like red hair,” he said with a creepy smile. “I bet she’d be awfully disappointed if her little girl got into a bad situation because she fell for the wrong guy.” I thought about my mother’s relationship history and her entanglements in mine and I knew she’d be the last person with a right to judge me. I stayed silent and continued to stand with my arms crossed, looking at him. My
stomach still felt sick and my head had begun to pound. I didn’t know what I was going to have to do to get rid of this guy but I wanted him out of my apartment, like ten minutes ago. “Have you ever seen Paul fight?” He blindsided me with the question. Where was he going with it?
“I’ve seen him fight once and I’ve watched a few of his You Tube videos,” I told him.
Mitch nodded his head. Then he said in a calm, controlled voice, “He’s good. He’s an angry kid. He learned to fight when he was way too young…because of his father.”
Okay, was this suddenly a Paul history lesson? What the hell was I supposed to say to that? I finally settled on, “Hmm, interesting. I really have some things I need to do today…”
“His dad had a gambling addiction.” I didn’t even give that one an “hmm.” What the hell was he trying to do? “He used his own son, putting him in fights to win money for him.” He looked at me in the eyes, then, and smiled. “I see you’re wondering what my point is.”
“Or if you had one,” I said, sounding a lot braver and steadier than I felt.
“I have one. My point, my dear Jessie…may I call you Jessie?” Again, all he got from me was an icy green stare. “My point is, the apple never falls far from the tree. I met Marie under circumstances that were…criminal, we’ll say. Paul bashes men’s heads in for a living because that is what his father taught him to do. It’s the only way he knows to make his way in the world. It’s not a good way…it’s dangerous to be that angry all the time. These people should not be raising my son…anyone’s son. I will find Marie and when I do, pretty girl, I hope that I don’t also find out that you are helping her hide from the law. I also hope that it’s not too late for my boy because that will definitely take this game to a whole new level.” He turned and casually walked to the door. Before he got there he pulled a business card out of his pocket and laid it on the table where I threw my purse and keys when I came in the door. “That card has my work and cell numbers on it. Think all this over, Jessie, and when you’re ready to both do your civic duty and help a little boy who is in trouble, call me.”
I watched him leave and then rushed over to lock the door behind him. Shaking all over now, I leaned up against the door. I stood there for less than a minute before I had to make that trip to the bathroom and relieve my stomach of the toast and coffee I’d put in there hours ago. I sat on the bathroom floor and heaved a few more times before dragging myself up to the sink and splashing cold water on my face and then rinsing out my mouth with mouthwash. I stood there looking at myself in the mirror wondering what I’d gotten myself into. I didn’t trust Mitch, and I didn’t like him, at all. How did he even know my name? Was he watching me too? He was a cop…but not any kind of cop that I’d ever met. He made me more than just a little bit uncomfortable. But did that mean he was lying about everything? What if there was some truth to what he said? I went back into the living room and reached for my cell phone. I was going to call the gym and get Paul’s number so I could call and tell him about Mitch’s visit. My hands were still shaking as I started to dial the number and stopped myself halfway through. What if Mitch was right? What if, by protecting Paul, a man I really barely knew, I was inadvertently protecting a person who would hurt a child?
I pushed “End” and stopped the call before it went through. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I had already decided before Mitch showed up that I wasn’t going to keep seeing Paul. I had priors when it came to believing the BS men liked to feed me and that had worked out all bad. Paul might be a good guy, but “might” just wasn’t good enough anymore. I’d wasted too much of my young life already trying to “save” people. Paul would have to handle this one on his own. He was more than capable as he had proved when Mitch showed up at the gym. I sat the phone down. I was going to stay out of it. It wasn’t my business. The best I could do was say a prayer for poor Victor and hope that whoever was the best parent would win.
Chapter Two
I made it through the rest of my day without incident, thank you, God. The washing machine repairman had come by by to fix the machine. I did have an issue with opening the door when he got there, and very likely made him think I was a little crazy by having him slip his ID under the door, but it turned out okay. All the washer needed was a little part, and he was a nice, grandfatherly and non-threatening kind of man that put me at ease. He talked to me while he fixed it and barely charged me anything. The best part was that I was able to wash my clothes. The difference between disheveled and clean and well-groomed did wonders for the soul. After that, I walked the eight blocks to Madison Gym to pick up my car and didn’t bother anyone for a ride. I was surprised to see the window had already been replaced. Greg must have kicked it into high gear…good for him and damn whoever would do this to such nice people as the Madisons. When I got home I tried to get ahold of Greg and couldn’t, so I finally ended up calling Jeff.
“Hey, how are things going at the gym? Should we be there for clean-up in the morning?”
“No, Greg hired someone to do it. He said the insurance will reimburse him and he couldn’t afford to be closed more than one day. I went by there a while ago. It looks good, minus the few pieces of equipment they had stolen.”
“Fantastic, so then we’re on for work in the morning?”
“Yep. You have clients scheduled?”
I laughed; I only had a few clients so far…but Mark was my only current one. I went in every day, though, to help out and get noticed. You never know… “Not yet, but I’m hopeful.”
Jeff laughed too and said, “I think you’re one of the best we have. Business will pick up.”
“Thanks! I’ll see you in the morning.”
I went to bed that night feeling a lot better than I had earlier in the day. I at least felt like some of the issues I’d been facing were resolving. I just had to remember to use my head when I saw Paul in the gym…Think with my brain and not my emotions. It wouldn’t be easy, but I knew I could do it.
I woke up in the morning rested and fresh and ready to take on the day. I did my positive self-talk, telling myself how strong and capable I was and that I should be proud of myself for standing up to Mitch and sticking to my own guns about not calling Paul. I had my career path mapped out and someday love would happen with the right guy. I just needed to sit back and let things take their natural course and stop trying to push it with these losers. No matter how attractive and sexy and virtually irresistible said current loser might be.
I had my morning toast, eggs, and protein drink, and headed out to work. In clean clothes! Victoria was at the desk when I went in. I stopped and punched my time card into the clock and then went over to say hello.
“Good morning, Victoria. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. I’m so glad they got the mess taken care of and reopened today. I got behind on the billing yesterday; I have a ton of work to do today.”
“Well, I don’t have anything scheduled today. I’m going to see what I can do to help Sam and Jeff. Let me know if I can help you with anything.”
“Thanks, Jessie…Oh wait! Paul Delport came in a while ago. He was asking for you. I think he went to the locker rooms.”
Shit! “Okay,” I told Victoria with a smile. “Thanks.”
I looked around the floor and didn’t see him. Sam and Jeff were each working with a client and there were three or four other guys working out. I could see behind the glass wall in back that Yolanda had a few of her private women clients. She had a few ladies that she did circuit training with, but they didn’t like to do it out where everyone could watch. I saw the blinds close just as I heard the loud Zumba type music come on.
I didn’t see Paul anywhere on the floor. I decided that he must still be in the locker room. I wondered what he wanted to talk to me about. Was he going to expect a relationship because we slept together? Was he worried that I was going to want one? I didn’t know why he would do this to me at work. It was no place to talk about our private
issues. He should have called me at home. It didn’t matter anyways. I told myself that I would just handle it by telling him straight out that our relationship…if any, had to be strictly professional from there on out.
I went over to talk to Sam and as I got there, I saw Paul coming out of the locker room. “Hey, Jessie!” Sam said. “Paul was looking for you.” Oh great, the whole gym knew my business. I looked up at Paul who was once again shirtless and in his work-out shorts. He was coming toward us and God help me if from one smoldering look he gave me didn’t already make me feel like I needed to change my clean panties.
“Yeah, Victoria told me,” I said as he walked up. “Hey,” I said to him.
“Hey,” he said. “Did Sam tell you that I needed to talk to you?”
I tried to smile as I said, “Yeah, it seems everyone knows…”
My voice did that little high-pitched thing it did when I got nervous or stressed out. Paul raised an eyebrow at me and said, “Oh, well…anyways, Sam has quite a few clients scheduled for today and he also needs to make up with the ones he missed yesterday. I was wondering if you had time to train me.”
That was not at all what I was expecting. I stared at him a little too long without speaking. He and Sam were both looking at me like they were afraid I’d had a seizure or something before I finally said, “Oh yeah, sure. Mark is the only one I have scheduled this week and he does his own cardio today.” What the hell was I saying? How was touching his hot, sweaty, sexy, hard, irresistibly delicious…shit! How was touching him all day going to help me think with my head? I took a deep breath and said, “What will we be working on?” If it was something on the weights…the machines…the ropes…I wouldn’t need to touch him…
Dirty Cowboy Page 58
