I'm broken and there's no way that I'll ever be whole. Jamie destroyed me and there's not enough glue in this world to piece me back together.
"I'll see you later, Marcus. Have a good day at school," I tell him as I wave goodbye. Christopher's gaze is still on me, it's unnerving.
"See you later, Tia," Marcus says softly.
I turn my attention to the computer screen and power it on. I need to keep busy, otherwise I'm going to look at them both and I know if I do, I'll want them. Both of them and I can't have them. They both deserve better than me. They deserve someone who'll be able to love them unconditionally and without hesitation. Someone who'll not be afraid or constantly looking behind their shoulder.
The elevator doors close and I sigh in relief, I'm able to breathe again. Being around Christopher is hard, but add Marcus too and it's almost impossible to focus on anything other than them. There's no doubt about it, they'd be so easy to fall in love with.
I push them out of my mind and focus on the tasks I need to do for today. I log into my emails and have a few that need to be replied to immediately. Soon, I'm so immersed in work that I don't notice the time going by.
The elevator doors open and I glance up expecting it to be Christopher, but when three tall men step out my heart rate skyrockets. They move as one, each of them smiling as they walk toward me. One of the men is dressed smartly, whereas the other two are in black tees and jeans.
I glance around the room trying to find a place I can escape to as they get closer to me. Ringing sounds in my ears as my heart gallops and my head pounds.
"Tia, right?" the guy in the suit asks with a bright smile as the other two men take a step back.
I nod. "Yeah," I say in a wobbly voice, it takes me a few moments but I'm able to push the panic back. "I'm sorry, do you have an appointment?"
He shakes his head. "Fucking Chris," he mutters. "Christopher didn't tell you we were coming?"
"No, I'm sorry, he didn't. I think he's had a lot on his mind."
The broadest of the men steps forward, "I'm Sully, Chris should have told you we were coming. I apologize for scaring you." His voice is even and I don't like it, I can't read him. His friend, the one with the ponytail has a scowl on his face, he's pissed. The man in the suit looks upset, but Sully, I can't read him.
I get to my feet, the need to put them at ease immediately hits me. "You're fine, I'm sorry. Can I get you coffee? Tea?"
Sully shakes his head, "No, you're fine, Tia. Don't mind us, we'll wait in Chris' office until he gets here."
Hope spurs within me, if they're in Christopher's office, they're not out here crowding me. I can deal with that. "Are you sure?" As always, my manners are at the forefront.
The suit man gives me a reassuring smile. "We're sure."
I skirt around my desk and move toward Christopher's office, the men don't follow me instead they all stand back and watch me. I open the office door and turn back to them. "If you need anything, please let me know."
"Thanks, Tia," Sully says when I get back to my desk. The other men smile before going into Christopher's office, but Sully hangs back. "We'll never hurt you, hon. Neither will Christopher. Any man that hurts a woman isn't a man."
"Okay," I whisper, hating that we're having this conversation.
"I promise you, no harm will come to you here."
I lick my lips, "I know that, I really do."
He glances at the office door and lowers his voice. "But you've conditioned yourself to be wary. I get it, I really do but, Tia, don't let whoever hurt you rule your life."
"What if I can't? Hmm, what if they won't let me be?"
His eyes flash with anger before he quickly masks it. "Have you spoken to the police?" I nod, wondering why the hell I opened my mouth. "Let me guess, they can't find him or they can't do anything about it until they have proof?"
"They can't find him," I whisper. "I'm okay," I try to reassure him.
Before he's able to respond the elevator dings and the doors open. We both turn to see Christopher standing there, his gaze going from me to Sully and then back again. "Everything okay here?" Instantly I feel safe and that worries me more than anything.
Sully knocks his knuckles on my desk, "Take care of yourself, Tia."
"You too, Sully," I reply and watch as he walks into Christopher's office.
"Are you okay?" Christopher asks as he comes to stand beside me. I nod, unable to speak, I'm still shocked that I feel safe around him. I'm not sure how the hell this happened, but he's gotten to me. "Hey, Tia, what's going on?"
I shake my head, "Nothing, honestly, I'm okay. There're two other men waiting in your office for you."
He curses as he glances at the door before shifting his gaze back at me. He looks conflicted as though he wants to say something to me.
"Go, they're waiting for you," I urge him, hoping he'll listen because right now I need the space to think.
He hesitates for a second before walking toward his office; when he gets to the door, he glances back at me and I know the look that crosses his face is one of regret.
8
Christopher
I hate walking away from her, especially when I can see the pain in her eyes. She acts so tough but I can see past the mountain-high walls she's built to protect herself. What she doesn't understand is seeing how sweet she was with Marcus was all I needed in order to cement what I was feeling. Marcus wouldn't stop talking about her on the way to Kindergarten.
"Hey," I say as I walk into my office and close the door behind me. "Thanks for being here."
Jameson rolls his eyes, "I've called Clive, he's working on it." Clive's his personal investigator, he has him on his payroll and uses him for everything. Jameson trusts him implicitly. "I called him after you called me last night. He told me he'll be calling at ten this morning with all the information he's found so far."
That's why he has him on payroll, Clive gets things done quickly. The man gets paid a hell of a lot of money by Jameson and works hard to ensure he does what needs to be done.
"Nathan's also on the case, he's pissed that the bitch is even in the States, let alone in New York. He'll call me once he has some information," Sully says, but I can tell there's more he wants to say, his body is tight and he's not sitting like the other two.
"What is it?"
He knows me well enough not to bullshit around me. "Tia."
I tense at her name. "What about her?" I ask a little more harsh than I intended.
His brows practically hit his hairline. "You into her?" There's no emotion in his voice.
"Yes, you have a problem with that?"
His eyes widen, "Whoa, dude, I was just asking."
Jameson gets to his feet, "I think we can all say that he's into Tia. But, Chris, that woman has been hurt. She almost had a panic attack when we stepped off the elevator."
Fuck, that’s my fault. I forgot to tell her they were coming. Damn it. I glance at the door wanting to go to her, to make sure that she’s alright.
"She was so afraid when she saw us," Derek says, "I thought she was going to have a panic attack, but she beat it back. She stood tall and asked us if we wanted anything. We knew she was uncomfortable but she did her best to ensure that we were all okay."
I can't help the smile, it sounds just like Tia.
"Marcus met her this morning and he wouldn't stop talking about her on the drive to school," I inform them and watch the surprise cross each of their faces.
"Fuck." Sully gapes, he knows what it means for Marcus to like her. "Her ex hurt her, Chris. You've got a fucking mountain to climb if you want to break through her walls."
"I'm not sure what to do, I've tried to give her space but it doesn't seem to be working."
Whenever I feel I make headway, she takes two steps back and puts up yet another wall.
"You know what happened to her?" Derek asks me.
Each one of my friends have the same look on their faces. Eyes narrow, mouths tight, jaws c
lenched. If I had a mirror, I’d no doubt have the same look. The thought of anyone hurting a woman is abhorrent. But someone hurt Tia, and that makes me want to track them down and beat the ever loving shit out of them. Make them feel the pain that they put her through.
"No, she's not said much about her past. I know she's scared of him. She told me that he's an ex that doesn't like being an ex." I fucking hate that I don't know much about her, but that's going to change.
Sully starts to pace, he does this when he's pissed and thinking hard. "She told me that the police are looking for him, which means that she reported him. If we find out what he's wanted for we'll be able to protect her better."
I should say no, that I'll wait for Tia to tell me, but if she's in trouble then I need to know what I can do to help her.
"When Clive calls with the information on Layla, I'll have him look into Tia," Jameson tells me as he pulls out his cell and starts tapping away on it.
"You okay with us finding out about her past?" Sul asks with a raised brow.
I shrug, "I need her to be safe. If that means finding out what that fucking asshole's done to her, then so be it. Nothing I find out is going to make me want her less." Fuck no, I've never wanted her more in my life.
Sul nods, "Then you need to stop going slow. That woman is scared out of her mind, she's not going to let you in if you don't push."
I glare at him, push her? "Fuck, I don't want to frighten her, Sul. I want her, not have her fucking run for the hills."
Jameson shakes his head. "You keep doing what you're doing and she's just going to keep those walls built up. You need to push your way past them and make her see that you're not like her ex."
"It's a good sign that Marcus likes her. He's a great judge of character, which is a fucking shit thing to have to be at six years old. But he's not the only one that likes her. We all do too." Derek leans forward on the chair and rests his elbows onto his knees. "While you were huddling with her," he grins at me, "we were talking. The way you looked at her, it's the way we all look at our women. She's yours, even though she doesn’t know you’ve claimed her yet, which means we'll do everything we can to make sure that she's safe."
I stare at him unable to say anything. They know nothing about her and yet they're willing to do whatever they can to ensure her safety.
"Don't let her pull back, it's clear to see that she wants you just as much as you want her but she's scared. Just keep doing what you’re doing, but push her," Jameson says with a smile. "You didn't see it, but she was frightened of us being anywhere near her but yet as soon as she saw you she relaxed. She knows you're not going to hurt her."
Sully nods, "He's right, she feels safe around you even if she doesn't realize it yet. But she will."
Knowing that makes me feel ten feet tall. I hate that look of fear that comes into her eyes whenever I step into her space.
"Until we know more about her ex, just proceed with her." Jameson smirks. "Now about that bitch, she wants something. We all know that, but what?" he says switching the conversation back to Layla.
"I stopped giving her money, the timing coincides." The last thing I need to be dealing with is Layla fucking Grant. The woman has been a pain in my ass from the get go. The only good thing she ever did was give me my son.
"So, what?" Derek asks. "She thinks she can come over here and do what? Demand money?"
Sul shakes his head, "I've been thinking about this. She didn't come here or to your house demanding money, she went to Marcus' school. I'm wondering if she thought she could somehow take him and then ransom him off?"
My gut churns at his words. Fuck, it makes sense. That fucking bitch. My eyes burn with tears as my anger hits me full force.
“She has to know that it would never work.” My voice shakes with the rage that’s burning inside. “I’d have the entire city on lockdown if I had to.”
Before any of them can reply, Jameson’s cell rings. I glance at the clock on my wall and see that it’s not even ten yet. Jameson answers it and whatever Clive is saying has Jameson’s gaze coming to mine, the anger swirling in his eyes has me bracing. Fuck. Whatever he’s going to say is going to piss me off. I hear him asking Clive to look into Tia, especially to look for a police report.
I wait patiently for him to end the call. My heart pounds as blood rushes from my head. What the fuck did Clive find out? It’s got to be bad fucking news from the anger in Jameson’s eyes. “Layla has purchased a one way ticket in Marcus’ name for the day after tomorrow.”
I inhale sharply as my legs begin to tremble. The fear of what she has planned hits me.
She’s not taking my son. Fuck no.
"I want her found!" I yell, the sound reverberating off the walls. I don't give a fuck. She’s gone too fucking far this time. After what she did the last time, I took my son and walked away, but now? No more. I’m done with her.
There's a timid knock at the door and the men glance at me, we all know who it is. "Call Clive and Nathan, I want her found today," I tell them and move toward the door. "I don't care what you have to do, just find her."
I open the door and see Tia standing there shifting her feet nervously, her eyes wide and her face pale. "Is everything okay?" she whispers, her gaze darting around at the men behind me.
I close the door behind me and she immediately takes a step back, "Tia." That brings her to a stop. "Please don't move away from me again. I'm trying here, I really am."
Her shoulders slump forward as she blows out a breath, "I'm sorry, I'm trying."
"I know you are." I step closer to her and smile when she stands still. "I'm sorry for scaring you."
Her tongue darts out of her pouty lips and coats her bottom lip with wetness. "Is everything okay?"
I shake my head, "Not really, Marcus' mom's in town," she nods, "she's planning on taking him."
Her eyes narrow and her lips thin, "She can’t do that…” she whispers, her eyes fill with tears. “Can she?”
I’m itching to touch her, to pull her into my arms and hold her.
“She’s his mom, but I have full custody of him. He won’t want to go with her.” If she takes him, Marcus will be petrified, it’ll probably be something he’ll never recover from.
She looks up at me, her lashes wet as tears slowly tumble down her face. I’m unable to hold back any longer. I reach out and use the pad of my thumb to wipe away her tears. She freezes beneath my touch but doesn’t pull away.
“Will he be okay here?” she asks softly, and I fucking love that she’s worried about him.
“He’s excited to come back here.”
She grins. “Really?” she breathes as though she can’t believe it.
I grin, “Really.” Before I’m able to say anything else, I hear a cell ringing from my office.
“Go,” she tells me, taking a step back from me and I curse whoever the hell is calling. “I’ll make a coffee run, do you want anything to eat?”
I want a hell of a lot more than food from her. “No, thanks, I’ll send Derek out to get some food later.”
She gives me a bright smile and it hits me square in the gut. I realize that I’d do anything for this woman just as I would for my son.
“I’m sorry that you’re having a bad day,” she tells me as she reaches for her purse. “Can you text me what coffee the guys want?”
Which means she doesn’t want to go into my office around my friends.
“They won’t hurt you,” I tell her fiercely.
Her eyes widen, “I know that, I really do. I’m okay.”
That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard and I have a feeling that she says it a hell of a lot. She’s not okay, she’s far from it, but she will be. I’ll get her there.
9
Tia
Christopher should be back with Marcus any moment and I’m excited once again. While Christopher was out, I kind of made a space for Marcus to be comfortable. While I was on my lunch break, I picked up this bean bag seat thin
g that looks a little too big now that I think about it, but hopefully, Marcus will like it and be comfortable. I also picked up some crayons, coloring pencils, and paper, as well as a few books for him to read. I'm not sure why I'm worried if he'll like me or not, but I want him to; both him and his dad.
“Are they still here?” he asks as he walks toward me from the elevator, clearly talking about Sully, Jameson, and Derek.
“Yeah, they’ve been in there all day, I asked them if they wanted anything to eat but they said no.”
He rolls his eyes, “They’re not here to eat, they’re here to help.”
I look past Christopher and to the little boy that’s gone shy on me again. “Hey, Marcus, how was school?”
He just shrugs, I get it, I really do. Just because someone’s nice to you once, it doesn’t mean they’re always nice.
I move toward him and crouch down in front of him just as I did earlier this morning. "I heard that you're a huge fan of superheroes? Hmm? Why don't I show you what I found?" I keep my voice soft and even so that I don’t scare him.
His beautiful, brown eyes light up at my words but he doesn’t speak. But that’s enough for me to know that I can show him.
I get to my feet and walk a few steps ahead of him so that he doesn't feel intimidated and wait for him to follow me. He does and it's as though a huge weight has been lifted off me. When he reaches the little nook type thing I have set up for him, his little eyes widen comically and his face splits into the most beautiful smile I've ever seen, even better than his father's.
"Wow," he breathes as he flops down onto the bean bag and reaches for one of the books I bought. "This is awesome, thanks, Tia."
"You're welcome, I'll be right over here..." I point to my desk that's just a few feet in front of him. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
He still has the smile on his face, he nods, "Will do."
When I turn back to face Christopher, my breath catches in my lungs at the look on his face. It's intense, filled with heat, want, and another emotion that I can't name. "Are you okay?" I whisper as I walk toward him. Wondering if I overstepped by doing this.
Until Tia Page 6
