I glared at Shadow who hadn’t even twitched during my rampage.
“You done?” he asked.
“Am I done?” I ground out. “Am I done?” I was yelling now, but I didn’t care. “No, I’m not fucking done! You’re not seeing where I’m coming from,” I accused. “You stand there all stoic and smug, asking me a dumbass question like, ‘Are you done?’ Maybe ask me something like, ‘how can I help?’, or ‘what do you need from me?’, but you don’t. Instead you’re a total snot and ask, ‘Are you done?’ What I am, is done with you, so go ahead and take that great ass out my door.”
Shadow grinned. “No.”
“Why are you smiling? You shouldn’t be smiling. I just gave you a dress down and that means you need to get your ass out of my house.”
“No.”
I let out a frustrated groan. “When a woman asks you to leave her home, you leave her home.”
“Considerin’ you don’t have all the information, I’m gonna pass on that offer.” He grinned wider. “Plus, half your rant was delivered in angry air quotes which is fuckin’ adorable, so I’m gonna just stay right here.”
“What do you mean I don’t have all the information?”
“You have a place to go, Posey.”
“I’m not moving in with you.”
He shook his head. “Not with me. Do you want to take a second and breathe and I’ll fill you in?”
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t know.”
“You remember meetin’ Otter and Shiloh?”
“No.”
“Otter’s the big guy with the long beard and Shiloh’s the redhead who was attached to him all night.”
“Oh, right. Yes. She was sweet.”
He pulled his phone out and fired off a text, then focused back on me. “Well, they have a guest house. Doom and Otter just finished the reno and it now has a bedroom, bathroom, small living room and kitchenette, so it’s not as big as this place, but it’s a sweet pad and it’s available if you want it.”
“What’s the rent?”
“Less than here.”
“How do you know what I pay?” I challenged.
“Because I looked.”
I narrowed my eyes. “It’s confidential.”
He shrugged. “Do you want the place, baby?”
“I’m mad at you, don’t call me ‘baby.’”
“How about you pack up anything you don’t want seen by my brothers? They’ll take care of the rest and you’ll be out of here on Thursday.”
“What if I don’t like the guest house?” I asked snottily.
He closed the distance between us and handed me his phone. “I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.”
I glanced at the screen. “This is it?”
“Yeah. Otter just sent the pics.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line in an effort not to ooh and aah. Good lord, it was adorable. Shadow leaned down to get eye-to-eye with me and I made a big show of swiping through the pictures to avoid looking at him, and let out a quiet gasp when I landed on a photo of me. I was sitting on the edge of my bed, my face turned toward the window and I was off in some other world, but I looked happy. “When did you take this?” I asked.
“Yesterday.”
“I look…”
“Beautiful.”
“Stop it,” I whispered.
“Stop what, baby?”
“Stop being nice to me when I’ve been a complete hippotwatamus to you.”
He settled his hands on my shoulders, sliding them gently down my arms. “Come here.”
I didn’t go there. “I’m still not happy you tried to run my life.”
“But you like the place.”
“Photos are just photos, Nolan,” I pointed out.
He pulled me against him and kissed my temple. “You workin’ tomorrow?”
“Yes, I have two clients in the morning and a class just after lunch.”
“Plan on going over to look at it in person tomorrow after your class. I’ll set it up and text you the details.”
“You’re still in the doghouse.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be allowed back inside after you see the place,” he retorted.
“No promises.”
He smiled. “I have to get to the station.”
I grabbed his vest. “Be careful.”
He leaned down and pressed his nose gently to mine, then kissed me. “Always.”
Then he was gone, and I felt totally deflated.
And insecure.
I called Jane.
“Well, hello there, bestie. How goes the delicious man?”
I bit my lip. “Um… well, we had our first fight.”
“Already?” she asked, but her tone was one of indifference, because the fact was, she knew me.
I filled her in on the past hour, not leaving anything out. Jane was the only person in this world to whom I told everything. All my sins, all my wins, total honesty.
When I was done spilling my guts, Jane laughed. “Oh my god. That poor man.”
“That poor man?” I cried. “I’m the abused one here.”
She snorted. “He just saved you five-grand by pointing out your landlord is really a slumlord, then he gets you back all your money, and then some, but on top of that, he finds you a place to live that’s way fucking cuter than where you are now, for less money,” she said. “Yes, you poor thing. The abuse and all.”
I flopped onto my sofa. “Maybe I overreacted a little.”
“You think?”
“It still doesn’t negate the fact he pushed in and bossed me around, not letting me figure it out.”
“Hmm-mm, yep, this is true. The monster.”
I dropped my head back and groaned. “I’m gonna have to apologize, huh?”
“Yup. You betcha. Ya sure do,” she said in a Fargo-esque accent.
“Will you ever be on my side?”
“This is me being on your side. Time for you to find some happy, Posey Mosey. And in order for you to do that, you’re gonna have to get your head outta your butt.”
“Whatever,” I breathed out.
She chuckled. “Do you need me to take your class tomorrow?”
“No, I’m going to see it after class.”
“Okey dokey, artichokey,” she said. “I’m off on Wednesday, so if you need help packing up, let me know.”
Unlike me, Jane had a full-time desk job. She worked dispatch for the sheriff’s office and although she loved it, it was stressful, so she found a great balance with yoga.
“I love you, Janie Brainy.”
“Love you too, babe. I’ll talk to you later.”
“’Bye.”
I hung up and stared at my phone for several minutes before calling Shadow’s number. He didn’t answer.
“You’ve reached Shadow. Leave a message.”
“Hi. It’s me. Um, you know, the woman who just went postal on your ass even though you were being sweet and trying to help me? I can’t promise it won’t happen again because I’m kind of a little bit, um, how do you say… reactionary? But I’m sorry I went a little crazy. I’ll go look at the place tomorrow. Call me if you have a break, honey, okay? Bye.”
I sighed, hauling myself off the sofa and heading back to my bedroom. Since I apparently needed to pack, I pulled a couple of suitcases out of my closet and dumped them on the bed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Shadow
MY PHONE BUZZED in my pocket and since I had a brief second to myself, I pulled it out and saw I had a voicemail from Posey. I stepped into the empty bunk room, put my phone to my ear, and girded up. I was ready for whatever abuse she had to throw at me.
“Hi. It’s me. Um, you know, the woman who just went postal on your ass even though you were being sweet and trying to help me? I can’t promise it won’t happen again because I’m kind of a little bit, um, how do you say… reactionary? But I’m sorry I went a little crazy. I’ll go look at the place tomorrow. Call me if you have a break, honey, ok
ay? Bye.”
I noticed the time she’d left the message was less than half-an-hour after I left her, and I couldn’t stop a grin. Jesus, she was gorgeous.
Before I could dial her number, however, the alarm pealed, and it was go-time. There were apparently folks stuck in an elevator, so I suited up and jumped up into the truck, grinning like a loon as we drove.
Until we pulled up to Posey’s building.
“Who’s stuck?” I demanded.
“Don’t know,” Cap said. “We just know we’ve got four people inside.”
Fuck.
I was on high alert as we pulled up and headed to the elevator bay. I hoped to god it wasn’t Posey. I wasn’t sure how deep her fear of small spaces went but being stuck in an elevator would scare pretty much anyone.
“Grant, you’re on point.”
I nodded and walked to where a group of people were milling on the first floor. My heart calmed when I saw Posey and she smiled at me. Her smile was tentative though and I wasn’t sure if it was because she felt insecure about earlier or if she was trying to let me be professional.
“Does anyone know what happened?” I asked.
“Sharon was riding up from the first floor and I think it’s stuck in between,” Posey said. “There are two others in there as well. Hailey’s one of them.”
I nodded, grabbing the elevator key and slipping it into the keyhole. “Everyone, stand back, please.”
As my crew kept the looky-loos back, my captain and I pried the doors open and saw the elevator had in fact stopped between floors, but it was above the second floor.
“Oh my god, you need to get us out,” the petite woman with fake blonde hair squealed.
“Please don’t yell, Hailey,” the elderly woman next to her begged.
“We’re gonna get you out, ma’am,” I assured her. “Just stay back from the door while we work.”
“Sharon, are you okay?” Posey called out.
“I’m good, honey. It’s just a bit cramped in here.”
I saw Posey chewing on her thumbnail as we worked to get the elevator stabilized and knew she was worried about her neighbor.
It took almost twenty minutes, but we got everyone out safely. Our captain then did a few additional checks before shutting it down and putting caution tape across it.
“I want tape on every floor until this elevator has been serviced,” he ordered.
I knew he was holding back because we had a camera crew following us, but I could tell he was pissed.
“Sharon, honey, sit down,” Posey ordered, and I turned to face them.
Sharon looked white, so I walked over to them. “Ma’am, you should take a minute and let us check you out.”
A chair appeared out of nowhere and Posey helped Sharon sit in it.
“Thanks, Mike,” Posey said, and I noticed a man, probably in his forties, hovering a little too close to Posey for my liking.
“We’re gonna need some room,” I said, and Mike stepped back. I took Sharon’s wrist between my fingers. “Your pulse is too high for my liking. I’m gonna call an ambulance.”
“No, I’m fine,” she argued. “That happens when I’ve had a fright. I’ll be fine in three minutes.”
“I’ll watch her,” Posey said. “If there are any issues, I’ll call an ambulance.”
I looked at her, but she was focused on Sharon.
“You can take my pulse,” Hailey said breathily, practically pushing Posey out of her way.
“Are you feeling light-headed?” I asked, taking her wrist between my fingers. Her pulse was fine, as she well knew. “Your pulse is right on point.”
“Do you want to take my temperature?”
“Are you feeling feverish?” I asked, and I heard Posey snort quietly.
“Well, it was hot in the elevator.”
“Would you like me to call an ambulance?” Cap asked her.
She frowned up at him. “Oh, no, I’m sure this fireman can help me.”
“I’d like him to look after your neighbor so that I can focus on you,” he countered, leading Hailey away.
I looked up at Posey who met my eyes and smiled.
Fuckin’ finally.
I smiled back, taking Sharon’s wrist again, relieved that her pulse seemed to be returning to normal.
“See?” she challenged, and I chuckled.
“I do see.”
“I’ll watch her, honey,” Posey whispered.
“You good?” I asked, and she nodded, still looking a little insecure. “Got your voicemail.”
I saw her relax as she let out a breath. “Okay?”
“Yeah, baby, all okay.”
She bit her lip and I wanted to pry it from her teeth and bite it myself. Sharon smiled up at me and patted my arm. I hunkered down beside her.
“You have nice eyes.”
I grinned. “Thank you.”
“Just so you know, if you hurt my girl, I’ll gouge them out.”
Posey hissed out, “Sharon,” as I dropped my head back and laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I promised. “I will guard her heart with my life.”
“Shadow,” Posey whispered.
“We’re good here,” Cap said. “How are you feeling, ma’am?”
“Oh, I’m fine, young man.”
“Your pulse is back to normal,” I said.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
Both Cap and I laughed.
“I’ll make sure she gets back to her place and watch her,” Posey repeated.
“I’ll try and call you later,” I whispered once Cap walked away.
“Okay, honey. I’ve packed a couple of bags, so I guess you win,” she sassed.
“I always win,” I retorted, and joined my crew.
* * *
Posey
I fell into bed just after eleven. I’d spent most of the evening with Sharon and when she decided it was time to turn in, she shooed me out. I was pretty exhausted, so I didn’t argue as much as I might have, heading back to my apartment and checking my messages.
Still nothing from Shadow, but I didn’t read much into that since I knew he was busy. The fact we’d had a few minutes to resolve our fight made me feel much better than I had earlier, but until I had time to kiss him, I wouldn’t feel completely back to normal.
I had just turned off my lamp when my phone buzzed on my nightstand, I picked it up and saw it was Shadow, so I answered it. “Hi.”
“Hey, baby. How’s Sharon?”
“She’s perfectly fine. If it had been me, I’d be comatose.”
He chuckled. “It’s that bad for you, huh?”
“I will never get in an elevator unless I have to.”
“Well, don’t fuckin’ get in that one, okay? Your landlord has a lot of explaining to do.”
“I won’t.”
“You still good to look at the place tomorrow?”
“Yes. Shiloh and I have been texting.”
“Okay, honey, that’s good.”
“I’m sorry we fought,” I said.
“We didn’t really fight.”
“Okay, I fought. You stood there and watched me with annoying amusement.”
“Couldn’t help it.” Shadow chuckled. “You’re fuckin’ adorable, Posey.”
“How long will you find me adorable I wonder.”
“Baby, quit. Just be you. I’m gonna take you however you come. We’ll figure everything else out together. Deal?”
I sighed. “Deal.”
“Okay, I gotta go. You want me to swing by after shift tomorrow?”
“What time are you off?”
“Eight if there aren’t any emergencies or people stuck in elevators.”
I smiled. “I’ll be here, so swing by.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
“Bye, honey.”
“I like that, Posey.”
“I’ll keep doing it then, Nolan.”
“Bye, baby.”
“Bye,”
I said again and hung up happy. I slept harder than I had in ages.
* * *
I got home around two, took a quick shower, then headed out to meet Shiloh. I was running late, so when I pulled up to the house, I was a bit panicked. I hated being late.
I rang the doorbell expecting Shiloh to answer the door, but instead found the door opened by a big, burly biker.
“Hey Posey.”
“Otter, right?”
He grinned. “Yeah. Come on in. Shiloh’s out back making sure the apartment’s perfect.”
I walked into the foyer and felt warm fuzzies the second I stepped onto the checkered tile. “Your house is gorgeous.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. It’s all Shiloh,” Otter said. “Come on back.”
He led me through the kitchen and out the back where a pristine pool sat gleaming in the sun. There was a really pretty fence around it, but they’d opened a huge portion of it for flow. I could tell there were slots for the wrought iron to be secured should they need to close it in to keep kids out, but for now, it was open and welcoming. The pool house was not only adorable, it was a lot bigger than it seemed in pictures.
“Posey, hi!” Shiloh breathed out as she slid open the giant glass door. “Please excuse the dust. If you move in, I promise we’ll have every nook and cranny spotless before you do.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” I said, as she led me inside. “Wow. Shiloh, this is gorgeous.”
“Wait. Don’t look at anything just yet,” she said. “Let’s start at the front door. You need the full experience.”
I grinned. “Sounds good.”
We walked to the front door and I smiled at the same checkered tile throughout the small home.
“Doom and Otter made a small driveway out front and you can access it separately from the main house, so you’ll have a place to park and total privacy,” she said, and we began the tour. “If you don’t like the checker pattern, a big rug will cover it.”
“Oh my god,” I said. “I love it.”
She grinned, clapping her hands. “Oh, I’m so glad. Me too.”
We continued through the space and I fell in love with it more and more with every step. There was a kitchenette, but because there was a small island that ran the length of the cabinets opposite, it seemed bigger and a little more defined.
Fanning the Biker's Flame (Dogs of Fire: Savannah Chapter Book 8) Page 8
