by S. Nelson
“Aren’t you going to open the door for me?” I over batted my eyelashes.
He ignored me and disappeared inside, and it was then I had a decision to make. I could sit up front with him or ride in the back, keeping a safe distance between us. It didn’t take me long to make a choice.
Safe distance.
Heading to Main Street where some of the cutest shops were located, I refrained from asking many questions. There was a good chance he’d ignore me. While I was curious about Ford Massey, I didn’t want to appear as such, so I kept my mouth shut and pulled out my phone. I scrolled through social media, and when I became bored with that, I typed out a few quick texts to some friends.
Ten minutes into the ride, however, there was a pressing question I just had to ask. “What happens if we shut our phones off and decide to go somewhere without either of you?” A simple enough inquiry, so why did my words cause his shoulders to tense?
My dad gave them the authorization to put trackers on our phones so they could monitor our whereabouts at all times, even though the plan was for us to constantly be connected at the hip.
“We can track you even if your phones are off.” Curt and poignant response, and one that pissed me off. Of course, I thought about ditching them at some point. Emily and I had plans for flying out to California for our birthday in a few weeks and hitting up a few clubs. And having two men, who didn’t quite blend in with our group of friends, shadow us, wasn’t my idea of a good time. Besides, there were some things I partook in that I didn’t want getting back to my parents. I was grown, and I could do what I wanted. I didn’t need someone snitching on me.
“How is that even possible?”
“There’s a way.”
“What if we decide to call Uber?”
“We’d know.”
“How?” Silence. “How would you know?”
A loud sigh escaped his lips, and I could only imagine what he was thinking. “We have your calls monitored.”
“So, you can listen in on our conversations?” A flush rushed through me at the reminder we had absolutely no privacy whatsoever.
“Your calls are monitored,” he repeated, not directly answering the question.
As I opened my mouth to argue, knowing damn well I wouldn’t get anywhere with him, we arrived at our destination. I directed him to park outside a nearby shop I wanted to visit, and once he’d stopped, I jumped out and rushed toward the store, not waiting on Ford to catch up.
I was already rooting through some of their clothing when he walked up behind me, standing a little too close for my liking.
“You need to wait for me.” His warm breath hit my cheek, and a shiver shot through me. I couldn’t decipher if it was because he’d been invading my personal space or because of something else.
“That wasn’t me trying to lose you. Trust me, you’ll know when that happens.” I carried on as if there wasn’t a huge man looming over me, seemingly watching every freaking move I made. There were only two other customers present, and the one clerk who was busy behind the counter sorting out silk scarves.
I swore I heard Ford grunt then complain about something under his breath, but I kept on browsing, turning to catch a sneak peek of him every so often.
With multiple pieces of clothing flung over the crook of my arm, I lost myself in the thrill of the hunt, trying to focus on what I wanted to purchase for my upcoming trip and not on the man in the sunglasses, hanging out toward the front of the store.
“Can I help you find anything, Miss Dessoye?” Sometimes it was an advantage when people recognized me.
“Nothing in particular. Just browsing,” I answered. I stretched my arms toward her. “But you can start me a room.”
“Of course.” She smiled and took the articles of clothing before walking toward the back where the dressing rooms were located.
When I’d finally made my way through most of the racks, selecting a few more pieces, I glanced over my shoulder only to find Ford still standing in the same place, arms crossed, and his head held high, face void of expression.
I said nothing as I disappeared in the dressing room the clerk had started for me, figuring he’d be close behind since he wouldn’t be able to see me from the front door. Heavy footsteps sounded against the dark hardwood floor, closing in on me as I escaped behind the red curtain.
“How long are you going to be?”
“As long as it takes.” Pulling my dress over my head, I hung it on the hook before I tried on my first choice. A black, sequined silk dress from an up-and-coming designer, Victoria Altosh. With a deep V-cut in front and a hemline just above my knee, I’d wear a pair of my red-bottom heels and be dressed to kill. A few accessories and I’d be ready to hit the town. I hung it on an empty hook, my “must purchase” pile. The next several items, two dresses, a silk blouse, and a mini skirt, I tried didn’t quite flatter me the way I thought they would, but the fourth item, a blood-red dress hugged my body in all the right places. It was another one of Altosh’s designs, a designer who was quickly becoming a favorite of mine.
“Hey,” I called out, unzipping then removing the red dress. I’d seen a pair of dark skinnies and a cute graphic tank, that said Perfection, on a rack just outside the dressing room, but I needed someone to hand them to me, so I didn’t have to get dressed just to retrieve them. “Helloooooo?” I enunciated the word, my frustration clipped on the last syllable.
“She’s busy,” a gruff voice answered, and I had no doubt Ford was most likely rolling his eyes, not only from boredom but from impatience.
Clutching the curtain, I opened it slightly. I found Ford standing guard, leaning against the wall. Dressed all in black, including those damn shades, he looked regal, but his entire demeanor screamed don’t-come-near-me.
“Hand me those jeans and that tank top.” I snapped my fingers and pointed toward the items, and I thought for a split second he’d help me out. But my hope was dashed when he stared straight ahead. “Well?” I shifted my feet and opened the curtain another inch. He still didn’t make a move. “What? You’re gonna completely ignore me now?”
“Are you almost done?” He finally spoke.
“No, I’m not. I need to try on those two things,”—I pointed again toward the articles of clothing—“so until they’re in my hand, I’m not going anywhere.” Several seconds passed, and he refused to move. “Why can’t you just hand me what I want?” There wasn’t so much as a flinch of a movement to indicate he’d help me out, continuing to remain quiet as well. I swore his silence irritated me more than any words he could’ve spoken.
A rush of heat swirled through me and all the words forming in my brain became strangled in my throat, so many things I wished to say died before my breath ever gave them life. On a huff, I flung open the curtain, narrowed my eyes at him and snatched the items I wanted from the nearby rack. In my anger, any kind of modesty I possessed, which wasn’t much, fell away. I had my bra and panties on, so it wasn’t like I was naked, but I was grateful the dressing rooms were located in a more secluded section of the shop, away from prying eyes, with the exception of Ford, of course.
Once back inside, I closed the curtain, wishing it was a door instead so I could slam it.
“Do you ignore all your clients like this? Or is it just me?” I pulled up the jeans, turned around to check out how they made my ass look, and smiled, my expression falling when I remembered I was in the middle of my rant. “Are you in such high demand that it wouldn’t matter if my father fired you?” I pulled the Perfection tank over my head, and once I deemed it, well, perfect, I removed it, snagging my dress from the hook and quickly getting dressed. “That mysterious and broody image you have is just annoying,” I spat, continuing to ramble.
Flinging open the curtain, I stepped from the dressing room and almost smacked right into him. His closeness rattled me, but I refused to give my reaction a second thought, chalking it up to being angry. I brushed past him. “And what’s with the damn shades, Ford?”
I never allowed him to answer, deep down knowing he wouldn’t, before finding the clerk so I could pay for what I’d selected.
And I was right. Ford never said a word, the drive back home silent between us.
* * *
Ford
Count to ten. Shit! Count to a hundred. Do what you have to in order to calm down. I reminded myself I was a professional and I’d dealt with tough clients before. I can do this. Just continue to ignore her. The tension swirling around inside the vehicle was thick enough to choke most people. Luckily, I wasn’t like most, although I barely held on to my restraint. What I wanted to do was drag her out of that fucking dressing room, clothed or not, through the uppity store, and throw her into the back seat. Hell, if I had duct tape, I would’ve used it on her. Her mouth… my God… her mouth. And let’s not forget about her attitude.
I blew out a breath before taking another big inhale, the muscles of my jaw sore from frustration. As I was about to entertain more internal ramblings, thoughts pinging from one to the other, most of them not making any sense, my phone rang. A ringtone indicating my brother was on the other end.
“What’s up?”
“Where are you?”
“On our way back to the house. Why?” My heart had started to slow to its normal beat, only to pick back up again from Owen’s short pants of air hitting my ear through the cell.
“Walter received another note. He’s on his way over, so get here as soon as you can.” Owen never waited for me to confirm before he hung up.
Due to heavier traffic than when we ventured out earlier, it took me closer to a half hour to get back to the house, my brother rushing outside to meet me as soon as I threw the vehicle in park.
“What the hell took you so long?” He barely waited for me to exit the driver side before he tossed another question at me. “What were you two doing all this time?” I didn’t appreciate his tone. Not one bit. As if Cara and I had been doing something we shouldn’t have. Or maybe I read too much into the question. My irritation at wasting a large part of the day babysitting her while she needlessly shopped for clothing she didn’t need, more than annoyed me. Then to have to deal with her uppity ass on top of it put me in an overall sour mood. Owen was experiencing the aftermath of said mood.
I pushed past him, walking quickly toward the main house, my brother hot on my heels. He started to speak again, but I cut him off, my nerves frazzled enough for today.
“If you ask me one more goddamn question, you’re gonna regret it.” I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but, like I said… sour.
In my rush to get away from Owen, I hadn’t even bothered to check whether Cara had exited the vehicle. I got my answer when she brushed past me, the bags she carried hitting my side as she hurried on by. She mumbled something under her breath, but I hadn’t been close enough to hear, nor did I care.
“What did the note say?” I asked when Cara had disappeared inside.
“I don’t know. He just said to meet him here.” Moments later, we walked into the living room where Walter and Diana were seated on the couch with Emily. Cara was nowhere to be seen.
Walter stood and walked toward me, pulling me into another room and away from everyone else in earshot. “Did something happen with you and Cara?” His question wasn’t veiled, his angry tone mixed with a touch of confusion.
“No.”
“She didn’t seem so happy when she walked in here,” he accused, the narrowing of his brows telling me he didn’t believe me.
“To be honest, sir, your daughter seems to always be in that mood. From my short experience in her presence, at least.” He stared at me, and I was man enough to admit Walter Dessoye pulled off intimidation well. He could switch from laidback and friendly to sharp and overpowering in the blink of an eye, especially when he felt the need to be protective, like he was right then about his daughter. Silence was his tool, and the tactic was enough to make me uncomfortable, so much so, I needed to say something, anything, to break the stifling air forming between us. “I swear, nothing happened. I accompanied her while she went shopping, and then we came back here.” He finally took a step back.
“Okay,” he acquiesced with a slight nod. One word switched his manner back to friendly, although concerned, which was the reason we’d been called to meet. I followed him back into the living room to join everyone else, Cara still not present.
“Do you want me to go find Cara?” Emily rose from the couch and looked at her father.
“No. Don’t bother her. Besides, I don’t want to add to her foul mood.” Walter and Diana sat on the sofa, Emily retaking her seat next to them. Diana placed her hand on her husband’s arm in a show of support. I took the seat next to my brother on the couch opposite of the family, intent on hearing about the new note Walter had received. The reason my brother and I had been hired in the first place.
“Initially, I’d received a note that said, ‘You destroyed my life, so I’m going to return the favor.’ And while I had no idea what that meant, or obviously who it was from, I had a gut feeling it wasn’t a prank. Which is why I hired you both.” He glanced at his wife before giving us his attention again. “I just got another one today.”
“What does it say?” I asked, leaning forward.
“‘Everything you love will vanish.’” After expelling the words, Walter leaned back against the sofa.
“Dad.” Emily’s voice was soft and unsure. My brother shifted to move, no doubt to comfort her, but I stopped him with a firm grip on his knee. He turned to look at me, but I kept my focus on Walter. Thankfully, he hadn’t noticed because if he had, there was no doubt in my mind he would’ve raised a brow in question. After we were done with our meeting, I’d have to remind Owen not to get involved, more than making sure Emily was safe. Anything beyond that and he was playing with fire. Not only for him personally but for the state of our business.
Walter reached over his wife for Emily’s hand, to which she readily accepted. They exchanged silent comfort before he vacated his seat.
Owen and I both stood, as well. “Can I see the note?” I extended my hand in preparation that he’d allow me to see it, which he did, pulling it from his back pocket. It was a half sheet of plain paper sealed in a plastic baggie. I’d been on enough jobs in my day to know that not all threatening letters were made with cut-out letters from magazines. Some were typed. Some were handwritten. I’d even seen some written in blood. This one was handwritten in sloppy penmanship. It appeared to be a man’s handwriting, but it could have just as easily been done by a woman, using her non-dominant hand. Nothing should be ruled out at this point.
There was a mark in the top right-hand corner. It looked to be a part of a symbol or an emblem, or maybe it was nothing at all. I handed Walter the note back and waited for him to give us a directive.
“I have a team working on this, but since I’m not any closer to finding out who is sending these letters, I’m going to need you to be on your guard.” He looked right at me. “I know Cara can be a handful, but don’t let her rile you. Don’t let her distract you, giving her an opening to do something foolish, like trying to take off on you.”
“But you know I can find her if she does pull that shi—” I stopped myself. “If she tries to ditch me, I’ll find her.”
“I know you’ll find her, but the time in between is what I’m concerned about.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, sir.” I wanted to chastise him and tell him that maybe if he’d disciplined her better, she wouldn’t be such a spoiled brat.
“Did you need anything else from us?” Owen took the lead that time, sensing my mood hadn’t improved much since I’d gotten back.
Walter and Diana gave Emily a hug goodbye before heading to the front door. “If anything else comes up, I’ll let you know.”
Moments after they left, my phone alerted me that Cara’s cell had been shut off. Would she dare try to sneak out just after her parents left? Or had she already left, exploiting the fact we were heav
ily engaged in conversation? A discussion which involved her personal well-being?
“Shit!” I headed toward the stairs, telling myself to check every room of the house before I flew off the deep end.
“What’s wrong?” Owen followed, Emily not far behind him as we all rushed up the stairs. My heightened demeanor affected theirs, the closed mouths and tight lips telltale signs they were concerned.
“Cara’s phone just turned off.” I rushed down the hallway toward her bedroom, flinging open the door as soon as I wrapped my fingers around the handle. Empty. I crossed the threshold and took several steps until I reached the bathroom. That door was also closed, so I pushed it open with force, a hurried state to my search. Only this time, the room wasn’t empty. Cara was sunk down in the large jetted tub, eyes closed, her hearing smothered by the white earbuds she wore. I hadn’t meant to stand there motionless, but the sight of her disarmed me. Her blonde hair was darkened from the water, pushed back so I could see her entire face. She was stunning, especially when her mouth was closed. She looked… peaceful. Approachable. Odd sentiment, but there it was.
The calmness of the moment shattered when Owen and Emily came up behind me, shouting out their relief she’d been found. We’d all prematurely jumped to conclusions when I should’ve searched the house before thinking the worst. Their abrupt shouts alerted Cara she had visitors, and to say she wasn’t happy about her intruders was an understatement.
She sank lower into the tub, the bubbles quickly evaporating. “What the hell are you doing in here?” she screeched, the sound making me stick my finger in my ear and wiggle it around. Damn, the woman had a high octave range. Owen and Emily had backed away out of view, but I continued to loom in the doorway, silent and stock still. “Get out!”
Instead of complying, I wanted to know why my phone was alerted that she turned hers off. “Where’s your phone?”
“What?”
“Where is your phone? I got an alert you turned it off. I thought we already went over the rules. You’re not to turn your phone off. Ever.” I spotted the device on the edge of the vanity, and instead of giving Cara her privacy, I stepped into the space and swiped her cell. Nothing except a black screen. I tapped on the side buttons, but still, it didn’t turn on.
