“You called Matt?” I asked.
“Spoke to him today while I was waiting for you at the cop shop. I let him know that your door is a piece of shit and he needs to replace it with something more secure.”
Wow. I wasn’t used to people doing things for me, and I didn’t know how I felt about it. Even though I should probably be the one taking care of my own problems, knowing he’d reached out to Matt made me feel relieved and appreciative. After all, I didn’t want to have to deal with the cheap, lazy jerk.
Matt’s chin rose, making him look even snootier. “I heard your concerns, so I came up to see it for myself. I can’t promise anything because I must follow procedure, but I’ve called the building owner. He’s sending out one of his guys to look at it first thing in the morning.”
Spade’s eyes narrowed. “For your sake, I sure as hell hope he does more than look at it.” His tone was unyielding and the unspoken threat behind his words added tension to the hallway.
My immediate response was to diffuse that tension and deescalate the situation. I started to step forward, but Spade grabbed the back of my blazer, holding me in place. I looked to him in question, but he was too busy glaring at Matt to meet my gaze.
Matt swallowed, visibly shriveling under Spade’s glare. “I-I-I’m sure we’ll get the situation handled to your satisfaction.”
Whoa. That sounded almost like Matt planned to fix something. Shocked, I felt my jaw drop as I stared at him. Sweat was beading across his forehead as his gaze went back to my door.
“T-T-Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention.”
I had no idea what was happening, but I’d be a fool not to capitalize on it. “And the garbage disposal?” I asked.
Matt continued to stare at the door. “I wasn’t aware there was a problem with your garbage disposal. Have you filled out a service request form?”
Liar.“You know I have. I’ve left you at least twenty messages about it.”
Spade released my blazer and stepped in front of me, towering over my landlord. “There must have been a communication problem, but I’m sure it’ll get fixed now, right Matt?”
Matt shrunk further into himself. “Y-yes. I’ll get right on it.”
“Good. See that you handle it in a timely manner or there’ll be an interruption in Jessica’s rent payments, and we’ll get an attorney in on this shit. Don’t test me, Matt. I don’t fuck around.”
Before Matt could respond, Spade took my hand in his and tugged me toward the elevator wheeling my suitcase behind us. Filled with awe, I stared at him as he hit the button to take us to the parking garage. Normally confrontations like that made me feel uneasy and afraid, but Spade was neither. Sure, he’d threatened my building manager, but his vibe was more resolved than ragey. I felt safe and protected beside him.
His gaze flickered up to snag mine. “What?” he asked.
“I’m pretty sure you made Matt pee his pants.”
The sides of his lips twitched. “Is that what that smell was?”
A bubble of laughter escaped from my throat. “Yes. Actually, I’m not sure. It could have been his cologne. I don’t know what he uses, but it smells like cat pee. I get a headache whenever I’m in his vicinity.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with his shoddy building management or his toxic funk.”
“Thank you,” I said as the doors closed. “I don’t know how you got him to actually do his job, but I appreciate it.”
The look Spade gave me was thoughtful, like he was still trying to figure me out. “My pleasure, babe. I like to keep people safe. Especially beautiful women. It’s kinda what I do.”
“You mean as a bouncer? At the bar?” I asked.
“Sure. That too.” He grabbed the hem of my blazer and tugged me closer until we were only inches apart. Surprised, I stared up at him, wondering if he was going to kiss me. He had nice, shapely lips, and his eyes were dark and a little wild.
The elevator stopped, and the doors dinged open. Both grateful and disappointed by the interruption, I jumped away from him like I was a teenager afraid of getting caught with a boy. He gave me a crooked grin and gestured for me to precede him out into the parking garage.
I drove a silver 2010 Subaru Impreza. It had a dent in the rear fender from a parking lot hit and run, and a little over a hundred thousand miles. But it was a good, dependable car that I owned the title to. I’d thought about trading it in and getting something nicer, but even the idea of having a car payment made me break out in hives.
Spade had parked his bike behind my Subaru when we arrived. As we approached, I fobbed open the hatchback. He loaded up my suitcase before opening the driver’s side door and waiting for me to climb in. His chivalry—along with the way he watched me sit—made my cheeks burn again. Once I was behind the wheel, he tapped on the window and waited as I rolled it down.
When he leaned in my window, the masculine scent of coffee and wood invaded my sedan. “Give me your phone.”
His tone was commanding, leaving no room for questions. I unlocked my cell and handed it over. His fingers flew across the keyboard, and then he returned it to me.
