by Hadley Quinn
She arrived at eight like she said she would, but to Brian’s surprise (and dismay), she wasn’t alone.
“Just give me an hour to box things up and then I’ll get everything out of here,” she said to him on her way into the apartment. She dropped several flattened boxes on the floor, along with a roll of packaging tape and some trash bags. Two other guys came in with her and she pointed to the gray couch. “That’s mine,” she told them. And then she pointed to a recliner and an end table and added, “And those, too.”
Cody and Paul picked up the couch without effort and worked to get it out the door.
Brian turned to Dani and said, “What the fuck are you doing?”
“What do you mean what am I doing? You told me to get my stuff out of here.”
“Dani, I wasn’t serious! You can’t just move out! And get them the hell out of my apartment!”
“What? How did you expect me to get my stuff? I surely couldn’t count on you to help me, so I had to enlist some muscle!”
And muscle was right. Those two guys looked a little rough, and Brian was leery.
Van entered the apartment after the guys shimmied the couch out. Dani had asked him to give her a minute to talk to Brian first, but he couldn’t stay in the hall when he heard loud voices. And when Brian saw him, he was instantly caught off-guard. He stared at Van for several seconds, trying to piece something together.
“What the fuck is this?” Brian growled at Dani. She honestly brought him?
Van dropped his keys into his pocket and didn’t acknowledge Brian at all. Since there was no way he was going to leave Dani alone in the apartment, he started putting boxes together for her while she packed them with books, music, and movies.
Brian was furious. He couldn’t exactly kick them out, so the only thing he decided to do was go to the bedroom and start tossing all of her clothes out of the closet. If she wanted to play this out a little longer, then he was more than willing to let her.
When Brian was done with the closet, he moved on to the bathroom, dumping whatever was hers into a box and tossing it with the pile of clothes. Everything that he could find of hers got tossed into a big heap, and then he shoved it all out the door for her to deal with.
“Thanks, Brian,” she said sarcastically when he was done.
She opened a large trash bag and began stuffing her clothes inside of it. She did it silently, even though she really wished she could say to Brian what she wanted to say. She especially felt brave enough to do it because Van was there, but she decided not to aggravate the situation any further.
Five bags later she was done and entered the bedroom to grab what she knew was missed—a few things in the nightstand and in the dresser, and a very special handbag that hung on the closet door. She stuffed all of those things into a bag as well.
She didn’t care about anything in the kitchen except her blender and slow cooker, and she didn’t mind leaving her bar stools behind. The furniture she wanted was already loaded into the truck, so Cody and Paul went to work taking out the rest of the boxes and bags.
“Where’s my laptop, Brian?” Dani asked. She was packing up a few things at the desk, but her computer was not sitting on it.
“How would I know?” he scoffed.
“Brian, where is my laptop,” she asked again, more firmly.
“I don’t have your laptop. Look around. Turn the place upside down.”
Dani wasn’t sure what to do. Her computer had everything on it. She knew this was the last place she left it because she’d been working on it before they left for the club that night. She had needed it all week, but she’d put off coming back to the apartment for as long as she could.
“Brian, I need my computer. For whatever reason you’re keeping it from me, it’s not worth the hassle, okay? I just want my computer.”
“I don’t have your goddamn computer!”
“Hey, relax,” Van finally said to him.
“You shut the hell up! You’re lucky the police aren’t here right now!”
Van smiled and nodded at Brian’s cast. “How is your hand healing, by the way?”
“Fuck you.”
“And go ahead and call the cops,” Van told him with a shrug.
“Just get the hell out of here,” Brian told them with a wave of his hand.
“Brian, I need my computer,” Dani growled. “I’m serious; I’m not leaving without it.”
“Well, then you wasted your time packing your things because you’ll be here a while.”
By then Cody and Paul entered the apartment again, and Van told them, “We’re looking for a laptop.” He began searching the apartment, and so did both guys.
“It’s blue,” Dani added, joining the hunt.
“Get out of my stuff!” Brian shouted.
“Then just tell her where it is,” Van replied.
“It’s not even here!” he finally admitted.
Dani glared at him, ready to scream. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm and asked, “Where is it?”
“I’ll get it to you later. Just get out of my apartment.”
“Tell her where the fuck it is,” Van said, getting fed up with this guy’s crap.
Brian was about to smart off to him again, but as pissed as he was, he decided to just get them out of his sight.
“It’s at Andy’s,” he told Dani.
She stared at him for a second and then let out a tiny bitter laugh. “Are you kidding me? You gave it to Andy so he could hack into my stuff?”
Brian didn’t answer, and when Van asked Dani if she knew where Andy lived, she nodded her head.
Van motioned for everyone to leave, but before he shut the door he looked at Brian and said, “And computer hacking is a federal offense, so if anything happens to her information, you’re in deep shit.”
***
Andy knew that Dani had a mob coming for her computer, so he had it ready for her the second there was a knock at his door.
“I didn’t do anything to it,” was the first thing he said to her when he handed over the laptop. He didn’t even unchain the door and just passed it through the narrow opening. “Brian wanted your passwords, but I didn’t do it. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but leave me out of it.”
He shut the door and several locks switched.
Dani didn’t know whether to believe him or not, but she could only assume that he really did go through her computer. She wasn’t going to take any chances, so she was prepared to do what she needed to if he had.
She held the laptop to her chest to exhale a deep breath.
Van knew she was upset and that the morning had been really hard for her. He didn’t know what to say to her, though. Dealing with Brian had certainly been nerve-racking, but he worried that it wasn’t the end of it. Brian had some serious problems, and Van was concerned that he wouldn’t be leaving Dani alone. In fact, he could almost feel it.
It was two o’clock by the time they got back to Van’s apartment. Dani’s things had been dropped off at Jaime’s house, and Cody and Paul headed for their own apartments down the hall.
“Thank you so much,” Dani said, wrapping her arms around Van’s waist. She laid her head against him and took another deep breath.
Van held her close and smoothed her hair. He didn’t say anything because he just enjoyed holding her.
“How long until you have to leave?” Dani murmured.
He glanced at the clock. “About two hours.”
She moved so she was facing him and smiled. “Two hours, huh?
He returned the smile and said, “I thought you had work to do on your computer?”
“Hmm, that can wait.”
She slid her hands around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss.
***
Dani did open up her computer when Van left two hours later. She plugged it in and set it on the kitchen table, but five minutes later she found herself daydreaming about other things. It was really nice of Van to let her stay
at his place while he was at work. She would basically just be there at night, and she still felt a little uneasy about her inconsistent living arrangements, but Van had insisted, and she was very grateful for his generosity.
She thought about the conversation she’d had with him two nights before about his job. After the whole popcorn mess, they sat on the couch and watched a movie. There was a part in the movie where the girl said to the guy: “Fine, go to work; whatever it is you do.”
Dani turned to Van and said, “That’s right! What do you do?”
Van thought it was kind of funny because he’d never known a girl for a week without her knowing what his job was. But he supposed things were a little different these days. His schedule—and his life—wasn’t the same as it used to be. “Well—”
“And don’t tell me to guess because that will really piss me off,” Dani interrupted.
“Oh, yeah? You get pissed off? Well maybe I should make you guess.”
“Don’t test me, Van.”
“But I’m curious. What kind of job do you see me doing?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Oh? Now I’m even more curious.”
“Well, I don’t want to offend you.”
“Not possible. Just spit it out.”
She smiled but eventually replied, “Well, because you obviously have some sort of…fighting background…”
Van smiled. “You think I’m a fighter, huh? Not a lover?”
She chuckled. “Yes you’re an excellent lover but… Just watching you handle Brian… And the way you’re built… It was just my first thought,” she finished, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
“So… I go fight for a day or two, and then come home and rest my broken bones for a couple more?” Van teased her.
“See, now you’re making fun of me,” she playfully slugged him. “I don’t know what you would use such abilities for. The Marines? Secret Ninja Assassin?”
He laughed. “Ninja Assassin? That sounds cool. I’ll go with that one.”
“No, seriously!” she laughed. “Tell me what kind of job you have or I’m leaving.”
“Really?”
“Yep, I’ll just walk right out of here.”
“Well I don’t want that to happen. But you’re actually right on.”
“Right on what?”
“About being a fighter.”
“Really? I was only kidding, you know.”
“Well you were kidding just right.”
“Seriously? I mean…what do you mean, Van? Are you talking about, like, ultimate fighting or something?”
He nodded. “Yeah, for several years it was my thing, but recently I kind of switched gears. These days I’m actually…” He left it unfinished, completely satisfied by the beautiful curiosity on her face.
“Actually what? You are torturing me!”
He laughed. “Okay, but I’m also a firefighter.”
She stared at him for several seconds. “What?” she finally said.
“A firefighter? You know, the guys that put on all the gear and run into burning buildings? We also drive these really big red trucks that—”
“I know what a firefighter is!” she laughed.
“Why do you look so shocked?” he smiled.
“Well… I don’t know. I mean…yeah, I can see that.” She visualized him in the gear and added, “Hot damn! Yeah, I can definitely see that!”
He laughed and said, “So it’s true? Firefighters automatically get thrown into the sexy category?”
“Well, I don’t know about all of them, but I will definitely say that you are way sexy, firefighter or not.”
Thinking back on that conversation made Dani smile again. Van surely was one sexy guy. And he was sweet, and thoughtful, and he seemed to care about more than just her looks. He almost seemed too good to be true, but she wondered if something special was finally happening in her life.
She took a deep breath and went back to work on her computer. After an hour of changing passwords and looking things over, she finally opened up her latest project from work. She’d only been working at Flegal Design for two weeks and she still had a lot to prove. Her former job had been going well but the company was going through lots of cutbacks, and since Dani had the least seniority, she was one of the graphic designers that was let go. She was given a great letter of recommendation though, and fortunately she was able to snag a job at another company—even though it took almost three months. Now she was basically restarting the same job she’d started right out of college, but at least she was employed again.
She didn’t like to think about the “what-ifs” in life, although sometimes it was hard to avoid, but she knew that some of the trials in her life had definitely altered her course. Her brother was now doing better, which was a blessing. But after a serious car accident the year before, several surgeries to fix the damage and no insurance to cover it, the family really had to pitch in to help out. Dani didn’t think twice about raiding her savings for the cause because it was her brother, but if she just hadn’t lost her job right after it… She never would have lost her apartment, and she never would have moved in with Brian.
Things could have been so much easier.
But then again, would she have met Van? Those were questions she couldn’t answer, but Dani was willing to accept the previous struggles in her life if it meant a future with Donavan Kemp.
***
Brian was obsessed—and he was tormented and unsettled. No, there was no way Dani would have gone home with that asshole after the night at the club. There was just no way. But the more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. They seemed pretty comfortable around each other, like they were well acquainted. He couldn’t figure out where she was living, and then she shows up with this guy and two meatheads to help her move out? And Brian still couldn’t recall if the guy had a name. Surely someone had spoken it while they were clearing out Dani’s stuff, but nothing came to him. If he could remember a fucking name, maybe he could investigate the apartment complex again.
Ah, but he had a visual of the truck. It was the same black Ford the guy had parked at Indigo. That was the key, he thought. The truck. He hadn’t been able to see the plates, but in time he’d figure out who this guy was. He’d drive over to the apartment complex to look for the truck. Brian had nothing else to go on, but if he could just establish who Dani was staying with…
Brian did return to Van’s apartment building. But after a few trips up and down the street, and a drive through the alley where the tenants had parking spaces, he couldn’t find the truck. He found Dani’s Honda on the street, but not the black Ford. He didn’t know what to think, but he was now sure that Dani was staying in this apartment building whether it was with Mr. Tough Guy or not.
Brian found a spot on the street to park and just sat there for a few minutes. He decided to call Dani, even if it was just to say she’d left a jacket and a few other things at his place, but she didn’t answer the phone. It went to voicemail and he didn’t leave a message.
He got out of his car and walked toward the entry of the apartment complex. He paused for a second, debating which plan he was going to use. At the same moment, a woman came up from the opposite end of the sidewalk, her arms loaded with groceries.
“Here, let me help you with those,” Brian smiled.
Marnie paused suspiciously, but ultimately handed him the bags in her right arm that were about to fall. “Thank you. Just to the elevator is fine.”
“Sure.”
He held the door open for her and then followed her into the building, pleased that things were going his way.
“You new here?” Marnie asked him as she pressed the button to the elevator.
“Uh, no. I was just here to see a friend, but I forgot which floor she’s on.”
“What’s her name?” she asked, pushing the button again. She hated it when the elevator was slow. She hated it even more when it was out of order.
“
Dani,” Brian replied. “Danielle.”
“You’re friends with Dani?” she asked. “Big blue eyes, long pretty hair… That Dani?”
Brian’s pulse quickened, unsure if he was about to make things worse. “Yeah, you know her?”
“Well I just met her this morning, actually. My husband was helping her move.”
The elevator finally arrived and Marnie thanked him for his help. “I’m Marnie,” she added, taking a bag from him and setting it on the floor of the elevator. “And you are…?”
“Uh, Casey,” Brian lied. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll tell Dani you’re here if you want.”
Brian considered that and then said, “She’s expecting me if you could just remind me what apartment she’s in. I’d call her but I forgot my phone at home.”
Marnie’s pause was unsettling to Brian, like she was suspicious of him. But finally she said, “I’m sure that’s the easiest way, but sorry, I don’t like giving out information to people I don’t know. Even though this isn’t a building of people anyone wants to fuck with, I still don’t do that. I’ll let her know you’re here.”
Brian was upset, but he only smiled and said, “Sure, that’s fine. It’s better to be safe. I’ll just wait down here for her.”
Marnie pressed a number and asked, “You said your name is Casey, right?”
“Yep,” he smiled.
She nodded as the doors closed, and as soon as she couldn’t see him anymore, Brian left out the front doors.
Chapter Five
Engine No. 46 returned to the firehouse after midnight. Van and the crew unloaded their gear and then spent the next hour finishing up with things from the call. When he was showered and changed, he joined a few of the guys in the lounge to play cards. Usually after such a call it took some time for everyone to wind down.
It wasn’t until three in the morning that he finally glanced at his cell phone before he climbed into a bunk. He’d missed a few calls, but there were only two messages. One was from Dani, letting him know that she already missed him. She’d called around seven, just after the call came in about the ballet studio.
