Her cell buzzed with a text message, so she clicked it open. It was from Brad. I’m thinking about you. Please call me once Tom has left. Love you.
She smiled and texted back. Love you, too. I’ll call you after he leaves.
Was she crazy to be starting a new relationship before she’d even ended her first one? And yet, she’d be crazy not to want Brad as her boyfriend. He was so amazing and wonderfully sweet. She was very lucky to have found him.
Her heart lightened as she dressed for the day. Knowing that Brad was on her side supporting her made all the difference in the world. As she fixed her hair and applied her make-up, courage built inside of her stronger than she thought was possible. She was actually looking forward to confronting Tom and telling him that they were through. In fact, she might even drop in and visit him instead of waiting for him to come see her. Since he lived at the hotel where he worked—and because he had the day off—she would be able to get in, deliver him the bad news, and then quickly leave. Once that weight was off her shoulders, she would be able to spend more time with the man she truly loved.
Driving to his work, she was surprised that she wasn’t nervous. Well, maybe a little, but she was mostly anxious to get Tom out of her life. The hotel was easy to find, and she quickly parked and climbed out of her car. She didn’t expect the place to look so rundown. It reminded her of the dumps that the criminals hung out at on the TV police shows. Some of the windows were made out of cardboard. The building was in need of a major paint job, and the roof…well, she wouldn’t want to stay here during a rainstorm.
When she walked inside, she realized it matched the outer conditions. How sad. Did anyone come to stay in this piece of crap? And if they did, were they expected to pay? She wouldn’t pay more than a dime a night for this place.
Behind the counter sat a shabbily dressed man who smoked a cigar. The bushy whiskers on his face, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look sick. But when she noticed the white and yellow food stains on his gray and blue flannel shirt, she wondered why he was working at all. Unless, of course, the owners couldn’t find anyone better to replace Tom during the days he’d be gone on vacation.
“Can I help you?” the man asked roughly.
“Umm, yes. I’m looking for Tom. I don’t know what room he’s staying in.”
“Tom? What’s his last name?”
“Patterson.”
The man’s thick, black eyebrows drew together. “We don’t have anyone staying here with that name.”
Was this man stupid? “Tom actually works here as the night clerk, but he’s taking a few days off. He also lives in one of the rooms.”
The man shook his head. “Sorry, lady. The night clerk is Joel, not Tom. Are you sure you have the right hotel?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m sure. I’ve known Tom for five years. I’d think by now I’d know where he works.”
“But, nobody works here—or lives here—by that name.”
Growling in frustration, she reached into her wallet and found a picture they had taken of them the first year they’d been going out. “See. This is Tom Patterson.”
The man took the picture from her. His gaze narrowed for a few moments, and then he widened his eyes.
“Oh, yeah. I remember him, but his name isn’t Tom. I can’t remember what name he used, but it definitely wasn’t Tom. I think it started with an H… And his last name is Olsen. That’s what we would call him.” He chuckled and handed her back the photo. “Anyway, he used to work here, but one night the pigs tracked him down and made him run like a jackrabbit.” He laughed loudly.
Pigs? Jackrabbit? What was this, a farm? “Sir, I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.”
“Ya know, the cops were here looking for him about a year ago. When he found out, he ran like the coward he is and went back into hiding.” He scratched his bushy chin.
She shook her head. “No, I think you got the wrong man. Look at the picture closer.” She showed him the photo again. “His name is Tom Patterson.”
“Sorry, lady, but this man is Olsen. He has a small scar on his chin, right?”
She swallowed the lump growing in her throat. “Uh…yes.”
“I guess he told you his name was Tom because the pigs are looking for him. Apparently, the man has been breaking and entering at several different stores, and the pigs are trying to track him down.” He chuckled. “What an idiot. He thought changing his name would keep them away? Yeah, right.”
Her heart beat rapidly as dizziness swam in her head. Could this man be telling her the truth? Had Tom been lying to her all of these years? A dense pain started in her forehead, but she was sure by the time she returned home, it would be a full-fledged migraine.
“D-do you know where he lives now?”
“Nope, and I don’t care, either. He was a loser when he worked here. He sat around on his lazy butt and never did anything. I’m glad he’s gone.”
The tightness in her head squeezed tighter. Suffocation closed in around her, and made her struggle to even breathe. Were the walls closing in around her, too? She had to get out of here. Fast.
“Uh, thanks for your help.” She took a step back and swayed. No, she couldn’t lose control now. She must stay focused!
“Hey, lady? Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Do you need a little pick-me-up?”
His voice made her ears throb. “A what?”
“You know, an upper, speed, whatever you want to call it. The first one is on me just because I think you’re pretty, but after that, you have to pay for them, just like everyone else that comes in here.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was he really suggesting that this hotel sold drugs? “Uh, no thanks. I have my own at home,” she lied.
She turned and hurried out the door before he could stop her. When she climbed in her car, she breathed in deeply, and slowly exhaled. Confusion swam in her head. Tom didn’t work here? But, every time he talked to her about his job, he always referred to it as the hotel. Sometimes he even described his boring night as the desk clerk. Yet, the man inside mentioned the cops were trying to find Tom, but he ran to find another place to hide.
Her stomach lurched. Had Tom been running from the police? Was he doing it now? Could that be the real reason he needed to get away, blaming it on a trip to see his parents?
For some reason, she didn’t believe him. How could she after discovering this? And yet, if he didn’t work here, where did he work? He still made money, so why didn’t he want to tell her he’d gotten a new job?
Once she reached home, she laid on the couch with a cold rag on her forehead. She’d taken some medication for the headache, and hopefully it would work quickly. Her head pounded with uncertainly, and she didn’t want to talk to Tom…or whatever his name was. She wanted to think clearly when she screamed at him for lying to her. And she definitely wanted to be in full use of her head when she kicked him out of her life for good.
Breathing slowly and deeply, she tried to calm herself, but her breathing exercises weren’t working this time. The only thing that had worked to calm her lately was Brad.
She smiled and her mind eased a bit. He’d been like a drug to her since meeting him. His nearness stirred feelings within her, and his smile and laugh was like a shining ray of sun on a rainy day. If only he were here with her now, she wouldn’t have a headache.
Should she call him and tell him to come over? She really wanted to, and yet, she didn’t want him here when Tom arrived. Then again…did she care about Tom’s feelings at all? He’d been lying to her, so why should she care what he thought?
She sat up and the damp rag dropped to her lap. If seeing Brad would make her feel better, she’d do it!
She grabbed her phone and started punching in his number, but before she could finish, she heard a truck with a bad muffler stop outside. She hitched a breath. Could Tom be here already? Sh
e hoped not.
Her worried nerves caused her body to shake as she walked to the door. She tried to convince herself it wasn’t Tom. It wasn’t even afternoon yet. Why would he come ahead of schedule? That never happened in the five years they’d been dating, so why now?
* * * *
Brad didn’t trust Tom as far as he could spit on him. Which was why Brad decided to hang around Breanna’s apartment and wait for the jerk to come to her place.
Dressed in dirty-white coveralls, and brown hiker-boots, and a white ball cap pulled low on his forehead, Brad stood by Tyger’s neighbor apartment as he pretended to be working on their window. He’d previously gotten permission from the landlord to do this, mainly because the neighbors were on vacation. Beth had never liked Tom, which made it easy for Brad to ask her if he could spy on them. Of course, he had to tolerate the way the older woman ran the palm of her hand up and down Brad’s chest as she stood too close to him, batting her fake eyelashes and puckering her neon-red pouty lips. But thankfully, he wasn’t in her presence for very long. That woman scared him!
His cell vibrated in his pocket, and he quickly withdrew it and glanced at caller ID. It was his father.
“Hey,” Brad said quietly as he answered.
“How are you and Breanna doing today?”
“So far we’re good. Thanks for asking.”
“I’m glad.” His father released a heavy sigh. “The police just finished questioning Howard, and our warehouse manager denies having anything to do with last night’s attempted robbery.”
“Do you believe him?” Brad asked.
“Yes. I’ve known Howard for years, and I can’t see him stealing from the magazine.”
Brad adjusted his ball cap on his head. “So are you saying it could be someone else?”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“Did you look at the security camera’s footage?”
“Yes, and all it showed was the three guys from last night.”
Brad released an agitated sigh. “Don’t worry Dad. We’ll catch him.”
“I sure hope so. But you and Breanna just rest today.”
“We will, Dad. Talk to you later.”
He clicked off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
Brad fidgeted back and forth, pretending to be working on the window, but his mind was on Breanna. What was she doing inside her apartment…and would she come outside and notice him?
He’d only been standing out here for about a half hour when a truck pulled into the parking and stopped next to Tyger’s car. Loud music boomed from the truck, but it still wasn’t loud enough to cover up the roar of his bad muffler. The owner killed the engine and climbed out. He carried in his hand a bouquet of flowers that looked wilted.
Brad gnashed his teeth. This must be Tom. The idiot looked pompous enough. His middle section was slightly flabby, and when he walked, his shoulders hunched. He dressed in what looked to be new jeans and an ugly shirt—which also looked new. As the man passed Brad, his gaze dropped to the gold Rolex on his wrist.
Seriously? The man could afford a Rolex, but couldn’t buy Tyger fresher flowers? What an idiot!
Tom glanced at Brad, so he gave him a sharp nod and pretended to return to working on the window. Tom continued to Tyger’s front door and knocked.
When the door opened, Brad peeked at Tyger. His heart broke. It was obvious by her strained smile and pale face that she wasn’t happy to see her ex-boyfriend. Brad now realized how important it was to spy on her during this meeting. She’d told him that she could handle it, but now after seeing Tom in person, Brad was grateful he went with his first instincts with trying to protect her.
“Tom,” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here so early?”
“I told you I was coming.”
“Yes, but…it’s still morning.”
Tom shrugged. “Close enough.”
Brad rolled his eyes and mumbled, idiot again.
The other man handed her the flowers. “These are for you. I want to apologize for getting upset with you about changing your looks. You really are pretty.”
“Uh…thank you, Tom. Please come in. We have a lot to discuss.”
Once the dork walked inside and closed the door, Brad crept to Tyger’s window and looked inside. Thankfully, the curtains were opened and he could see what was going on—as long as they didn’t notice him, anyway.
“Tom,” she began as she stared at the flowers, “I have been doing a lot of serious thinking lately, and well, I’ve come to realize something.”
Brad was glad he could hear their conversation, too. Thankfully, her window was opened about an inch.
Tom swept a dismissal wave through the air. “Never mind about that now. Let’s talk about our wedding.”
Brad scowled. Didn’t Tom just hear what she said? Of course not. All the jerk cared about was his own feelings.
“Tom, I’m trying to tell you—”
“I’m not quite sure how much money my parents will give me,” Tom continued again as if he’d never heard Tyger, “but I’m sure it’ll be enough for a small wedding. We really don’t have to invite a lot of people. I’ll invite Kevin and Trish, and some guys you met at the bar. Since you don’t have many friends, you can pick one to be your bridesmaid.”
Anger rose in Brad and he bunched his hands. How he’d like to wrap his fingers around Tom’s throat and squeeze…
“No, Tom,” she snapped as she stomped her foot. “You’re not listening. There isn’t going to be a wedding.”
“I’ve been thinking about having it one of those fancy chapels. And if your baseball star brother comes—”
“Tom!” she yelled, which finally stopped the blabbering idiot from continuing. “Would you listen to me for once in your miserable life?”
Brad bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. That’s my girl!
The other man’s face had hardened and he folded his arms across his chest. “Excuse me? You’re raising your voice to me?”
Tyger took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Apparently, it’s the only way to get your attention.”
“Well, you have it now.”
She nodded. “Okay, so like I was saying before, I have been doing some serious thinking lately, and I’ve come to realize that…that…”
Brad sucked in his breath. Don’t give up. You can do it!
Her hands flexed by her sides. “That…well, that I don’t love you any longer and I definitely don’t want to marry you.”
Brad blew out a relieved breath. Of course, he was sure Tom wouldn’t take this news very well.
Tom’s expression wavered a little as his dark brown eyebrows drew together. Even his jaw tightened. “When did you decide this?”
“Oh, Tom.” She moved to the couch and sat. Her fingers nervously twisted the edge of her shirt. “I’ve been feeling this way for a while. I can’t marry a man I don’t love and I can’t trust.”
“There is another man, isn’t there?” he barked.
She frowned and shook her head. “Why do you always ask me that? Can’t I decide I don’t want to marry you on my own?”
“No!” Tom growled as he marched toward her. “Because everything was going perfect for us before you had that party.”
Her face lost more color. “No, Tom. Everything was going good for you, not me.”
“What does that mean?”
She sighed, leaning her arms on her knees as she leaned forward. “It means that you got everything you wanted from me—a good girlfriend who would shut her mouth and do as she was told, who would come to your beck and call whenever you needed her. And I was stupid enough to think you were telling me the truth.”
Tom narrowed his mean glare at her.
“Yes, Tom, I know all about the lies you told me. I know that you haven’t worked at the hotel as a night clerk for at least a year. And I know they sell drugs at that place. For all I know, you’re a drug dealer yourself. Why else would you run when the p
olice came asking about you at the hotel? And is your real name Tom Patterson, or is it Olsen? And is Tom your name at all?”
Shock shook through Brad. It didn’t surprise him that a low-life, lying scumbag like Tom would be a drug-dealer, but it surprised him that Tyger would actually tell him what she knew. Brad would definitely have to protect her now. Who knows what the idiot would do to someone who knew the truth about his dealings?
Brad could see her trembling, but he was still proud of her for finally releasing her anger.
Tom grasped her shoulders and jerked her off the couch to stand in front of him. “How dare you talk to me that way and treat me with such disrespect? You owe me, lady. Don’t forget it was I who took pity on you, started dating you, and made you feel like a woman.”
“Ha,” she snipped. “You have never made me feel like a woman. You’ve only made me feel like a timid mouse that was afraid of her own shadow. You tried to make me believe that you were the only man for me, and that I wasn’t good enough to have anyone else. You made me feel like it was a sin to touch and kiss me, but now I know better. I now know that the feelings I thought I had for you weren’t real. You were the problem with our relationship, Tom. Not me!”
Fire practically shot out of Tom’s eyes. “There is another man. Who is he? Who is the man that you think loves you and makes you feel better than I do?” In a split second, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. Tyger screamed and placed her hand on her cheek.
Brad jumped into action. He pushed past the bushes and rammed his shoulder into her door, opening it. Tom’s hand was lifted as if he was ready to strike her again. When Tyger’s gaze landed on Brad, she sobbed.
Brad headed right for Tom. He gripped the jerk by the shirt, yanking him away from Tyger before slamming his fist into Tom’s face. The man fell to the ground. Brad knelt and hit the jerk again, and again, and again…
You Are My Everything (Your Every Day Hero Book 3) Page 14
