Monster In The Shadows: A stand-alone dark romance, page 6
“How was your weekend? Fill me in on all the hot gossip,” I coax her, knowing she’ll talk for a while.
“Actually, most of it was boring because my car was in the shop, but…” She pauses for dramatic effect, flashing me her evil smile. “I have a date with sexy mechanic man. His name is Sway, by the way. How hot is that?”
“I thought you said he was trouble?” I say before taking a bite of food and drooling a little.
“Oh, he is, but I’m still going to enjoy the ride. You know I have a great cock-dar. I can tell when anyone is well endowed, and that man is definitely packing!”
I laugh and feel my body starting to relax. I honestly didn’t even realize how much tension I had been holding in, but relaxing with Leanne is exactly what I need.
“Just make sure you use protection,” I tell her.
She rolls her eyes. “You act like I don’t do this often. I always make sure they wrap it. No glove, no love. He better cover his stump before we hump. He must cage that snake before we shake and bake. You can’t go wrong if you shield the dong.”
On the last one, I’m grabbing my side, I’m laughing so hard.
“Stop, stop,” I wheeze, barely able to get the words out.
“I could do this all night,” she says with a smile.
“I don’t doubt that, but I’m pretty sure I would die from laughter.”
I pause at my own words. It finally hits me in the weirdest way possible.
I almost died the other night. I’m still not safe.
How long will this last for? Am I always going to be in danger?
A wave of emotion comes over me, and I start to bawl.
“Oh, my God. What’s wrong?” Leanne asks, pulling me into her arms.
I can’t tell her the truth, and it kills me.
“Sorry. I just started thinking about my mom again,” I lie. “What if I die young like she did? She wasn’t even fifty when she passed. She had so much life left.”
The last part isn’t a real lie. It’s something I think about often. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care what age, race, or religion you are. It affects everyone: the rich, poor, single, married, those with kids, and without. It rips families apart and takes the good far too soon.
“Take a deep breath,” she coaches me, and I do. “You’re probably just still out of whack from the flu, and everything is catching up to you. I know I get overly emotional when I’m sick.”
I nod into her shoulder. “I miss her so much.”
That’s the truth too. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her. I’ve always thought about meeting her in Heaven, but it never crossed my mind that that could be sooner rather than later.
Can Donovan really protect me and Leanne? I’m putting so much faith in a man that I don’t even know. But I try to always trust my gut, and right now, my gut is telling me to trust him. He did shoot a man who was planning on killing me. This may be another stupid decision, but I don’t see any other options.
I fake a yawn. “I think I’m going to head to bed. I’m still exhausted from being sick. Thanks for coming over. I’ll see you tomorrow at work. I have to be at the hospital first thing for clinicals, but I’ll be at the library as soon as it’s over.”
She nods and gets up.
“I love you,” I tell her, still feeling emotional.
“I love you too. Sleep tight.”
We hug each other, and I hold on a little tighter than normal. Leanne is all I have. I can’t lose her. I’ll do everything I can to make sure she’s safe.
Even put my faith in a perfect stranger.
I sip my drink slowly, wishing I was anywhere but here.
“So, are you going to start talking, or should we start painting each other’s nails?” I finally say, sick of the silence.
“Who is she?” Sway asks.
“Her name is Paige, and she’s mine. No one is to touch her.”
“I’ve never seen you like this before, and you can’t be distracted right now. Distracted means dead in our line of work.”
I nod; he isn’t wrong.
“I’ve got it handled,” I growl. “Why do you care so much, anyway? It’s not like we’re friends.”
“Well, from where I’m standing, it looks like you could use a friend, and you know I’m the closest thing you’ve got to one. I’m not telling you to drop her. I’m just telling you to make sure this doesn’t fuck your head up. Because, like it or not, right now, we have to work closely together, so you distracted could mean my life on the line as well.”
I swirl the ice in my glass, wondering how much I should tell him. I don’t do friendships. In my world, the more people you trust, the more knives you get in your back.
“How do you feel about Leanne?” I ask, purposefully changing the subject for a moment.
“She’s hot. And I’m going to fuck her brains out, maybe more than once, but that’s all it’ll be. Women are dangerous. But you already know that.”
“I’m fucked,” I mutter, feeling the truth of his words.
Sway chuckles. “Okay, now you have to tell me more. I’m not going to the grave early because your thoughts are stuck on some chick.”
“She’s completely innocent. She actually saved my life a few months back. And I haven’t been able to get her out of my thoughts since. I don’t even know why. She isn’t my usual type. Turns out the guy who stabbed me found out about her and tried to kill her, so I killed him first. Her best friend is Leanne.”
Sway smiles. “So get close to the friend and make her think you’re a good guy, and then she won’t question things when you get close to Paige.”
I nod. “She’s mine. She doesn’t know what that means yet, but she’ll find out soon. I’ll be making my claim publicly soon.”
Sway’s eyes go wide.
“Is she going to fuck up your concentration? That was a sloppy kill outside the restaurant,” he says before downing the rest of his drink.
“I know, man.”
I run a hand over my face. I don’t do sloppy, and I don’t do distracted. But Sway is right. Ever since Paige entered my life, things have been different.
“I want to get her under my roof. I think if she’s close, I’ll be able to get everything under control.”
Sway sighs. “So, what do we need to do?”
“It’s going to take time.”
He glares at me, not liking that answer. “Time isn’t on our side, Don. I have this feeling in my bones that something big is going to go down soon, and we don’t have any answers yet. No one knows anything, and I’m losing my fucking mind.”
He gets louder with each word, and I can see the frustrating pouring from him. And that frustration isn’t one-sided.
“I don’t get it. How can no one know anything? Every name we’ve gotten has been a dead fucking end. Which makes me think one thing, but I don’t even want to entertain it,” I say, admitting the thoughts that have been pooling in my brain. “I think this is a lot closer to home than we’re looking.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” he agrees. “It’s like we’re being led on a wild goose chase. As of right now, I don’t trust anyone but you. I see you working your ass off to stop this. You want this shut down as much as I do. Everyone else…” He pauses, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I don’t know. It just feels off. So you need to get your head out of your ass, or I’ll be the idiot for putting my trust in you.”
“I get it. I’ve got your back. Just keep trusting me.”
I feel similarly about Sway. It’s unnerving, though. Trusting people is how you wind up dead, but on the other hand, I’m dead without the support. When Sway talks about finding the missing women and children, it feels genuine. With everyone else, it feels like an act or just a means to an end. I really don’t trust anyone else right now, but I still have to keep them close until we have more answers.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he warns.
I fucking hope I don’t. Am I really risking my life for a fucking woman who doesn’t even need me? I put her in danger, and now I’m putting myself and Sway in danger by keeping her in my life. This is all a clusterfuck that I’m solely responsible for, but I still don’t want to give her up.
I’m even more fucked in the head than I thought.
“What are you doing here?” Paige whispers, her tone cold and harsh.
Her eyes dart around the library parking lot. What she’s looking for, I don’t know.
“I want to take you out for dinner tonight. What time do you get off work?”
“Well. considering you knew exactly what time I started, I’m assuming you already know that answer.”
I chuckle, but don’t answer. She doesn’t miss a thing.
“Why are you stalking me? I already agreed to be yours, whatever that means. Can’t you just give me a little space to breathe right now?”
“Stalking is such a harsh word. I prefer to see it as keeping an eye out for you. I promised to protect you, remember? Besides, it’s been almost a week.”
She rolls her eyes. “How did you get in my house the other day?”
“You left the door unlocked. You should stop doing that. I think it would be best if you moved in with me so I can keep a better eye on you.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Nice try, buddy, but it’s not happening. And besides, if I move in with you, how will I know you’ll still protect Leanne?”
“I have someone who is looking out for her for the time being, so my attention doesn’t need to be on her.”
“Who?” she asks, and I give her a smile.
“No one you know, but I trust him, and believe me when I say that there are very few people in the world who I trust. If I trust him, you and Leanne can trust him too.”
She narrows her eyes at me, mulling over my words.
“I’ll chop your dick off if anything happens to her,” she spits out.
I laugh. “You never stop surprising me with your tongue. I promise nothing will happen to her.”
Sway has agreed to keep an eye on Leanne for me, which means he’s going to fuck her for a while.
“So, will you go for dinner with me tonight? There are things I’d like to discuss.”
“I guess so,” she huffs out.
“Good girl. I’ll pick you up from your house at nine-thirty. There will be a dress waiting for you. Did you leave your door unlocked again, or would you like it on your front step?”
She glares at me. “The step will be fine. And I’ll meet you at the restaurant. Text me the address.”
I chuckle and nod, but don’t say anything more.
When I step away, Paige quickly rushes into the library.
Strong-willed, but timid. I am more and more intrigued with her every day.
“Why are you so jumpy lately?” Leanne asks when someone drops a stack of books on the counter and I let out a squeal.
“It’s nothing,” I lie with a forced giggle.
For some reason, I feel like I’m being watched, which I know is crazy. And I don’t feel like it’s Donovan, either. He’s scary and intimidating, but I don’t feel fear when I’m with him.
It’s hard to explain exactly what I’m feeling now. I feel like a dark presence is lurking in the shadows. It’s unnerving, and I don’t know what to do about it.
“Have you been watching horror movies before bed again?” Leanne asks with a laugh.
“How could you tell?” I lie, glad she’s not trying to dig deeper.
“Because the last time you did that, you wouldn’t enter a room unless every light was on.”
I laugh a genuine laugh. She’s not wrong; I freaked myself out with those movies.
But the monsters I’m afraid of now aren’t fictional. They’re real, and they’re out to kill me. And I don’t know who they are or why they want me dead.
“We should do a romcom movie night tonight. You have evening rotations tomorrow, right?”
I nod, and I’m about to jump on board when I remember my plans with Donovan.
“I can’t,” I admit, biting my lip and looking down.
“Why can’t you?” She lifts a brow and stares at me.
We’re best friends, and she knows I don’t go out. Ever.
“Um, I’m going out for dinner with someone.”
“Another date?” she squeals, and I cover my ears.
“No!” I shake my head. “The last one was fucking horrible. I will not be dating ever again.”
I fight back a shudder that is threatening to move down my spine.
My last date was the night I realized my life will never be the same again.
“He’s just a friend, and I agreed to go out for dinner with him,” I tell her as honestly as I can.
Leanne wiggles her eyebrows at me, and I roll my eyes in response.
“Well, I hope you have a really good time with this friend.” She uses air quotes around “friend” and gives an exaggerated big wink at the end.
“When are you going on your date?” I ask, trying to put the focus on her.
She giggles, and her body starts to shake. “Tomorrow night.”
“Are you excited?”
“I mean, I don’t really know him. I’m not expecting my happily ever after or anything. But I’ll tell you this: if he has a small dick, I’ll be extremely disappointed.”
I laugh. “Yeah, you’ll need to get your dick-dar checked, because that would mean it’s broken.”
She laughs and fakes a gasp. “And we can’t have that. I’m a woman with needs. A small dick just isn’t going to cut it.”
“Don’t they say that it’s not the size that matters, but how they use it?”
She laughs way harder than I expected.
“Oh, honey.” She places her hand on my shoulder. “Sometimes I forget how innocent you are.”
“Whatever,” I scoff, pushing her hand away. “Would you mind if I clocked out early tonight? I want to get ready for my dinner.”
She giggles and nods. “Yes! Go! Have the best time ever. Do everything I would, but make sure to use protection. You don’t need babies yet.”
I laugh and head to the back room for my bag. “Thanks, but that is not going to happen. My vagina is closed to all.”
She laughs as I walk out, and I have a big smile on my face.
When I step outside, a shiver runs down my spine, and I look around quickly but see no one.
I grab my pepper spray from my purse and hold it in my hand for the short walk to my car. It’s probably expired, but I hope it will still work if I need it. Leanne got it for me as a gift when my mom passed. Said it was dangerous to live on my own and that she wanted me to protect myself. I threw it back in her face that she lived on her own. She just laughed at me, stating how that was different since she pretty much grew up on the streets. I guess she felt I was too sheltered to live on my own. Now I’m thankful she got it for me.
Walking as fast as I can without bringing attention to myself, I move toward my car and lock the doors the second I’m inside, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My heart is racing, and I take some deep breaths to try to calm down.
Is this how I’m going to feel all the time? Always scared that someone will jump out from the shadows and attack me? I don’t like it.
I pull out of the parking lot and head home. I have so many questions for Donovan. He’d better have the answers.
I tap on the table impatiently, waiting for Paige to show up. Seriously, how long does it take for a woman to get ready? I’ve never waited this long for a woman before. Normally when I say now, women jump and are in my lap, but that’s not Paige, and that’s what intrigues me.
I wasn’t happy when she refused for me to pick her up, but I understand her wanting an escape. She’s mine now, and she will learn to listen, but if I push her too hard, too fast, she’ll run, and then everything will be fucked. If she doesn’t obey me, I won’t be able to protect her and shut down the assholes fucking with my city.
I’m lost in thought when my attention is drawn to a beautiful woman walking toward me.
The red dress clings to Paige’s figure and the slit showcases her leg as she saunters over to me. I can tell that the dress is giving her confidence. Her shoulders are back, showing off her breasts with the deep cut. The lights shine perfectly on the beadwork of the dress, drawing my eyes even more to her skin.
I’m now regretting meeting her in public, as every male eye in this place is watching her. But it had to be done. Tonight is a statement. I know eyes are on me and Paige. Before, it was speculation. Do I or don’t I have a girl? Tonight, I’m letting the world know Paige is mine. I’m claiming her. Now a hit against her will have serious consequences.
I hold in my temper, even though shooting every man in this place would bring me joy. A smile forms on my lips as I think about it, and then before I know it, Paige is almost in front of me.
Standing, I walk toward her, closing the small gap.
“You look amazing,” I say quietly as I lean in and kiss her cheek.
“Thank you for this dress. It’s beautiful.” A shiver runs down her spine as I brush her dark hair off her shoulder, and her chest flushes a beautiful shade of pink.
I hold out my elbow and escort her to the table, allowing her to slide into the circular booth first. At least that will keep some eyes off of her.
“Thank you for coming.”
“I didn’t think I had a choice,” she states, playing with her hair.
Is it because I just touched it, or does she do this when she’s nervous?
“You look great in contacts; your glasses hide your face,” I tell her, placing my hand on hers.
She doesn’t pull away at first, and I enjoy the moment of contact.
All the nights I’ve watched her sleeping, wishing I could hold her, touch her, feel her body underneath mine come rushing back. I hope I get to experience all that soon.
After a minute, she pulls her hand away.
“I think someone was watching me outside the library today,” she tells me, staring into my eyes.
