“I think she’ll be back,” he says softly. “When she’s ready.”
Fuck, I hope he’s right.
30
SYDNEY
For so much ofmy life, my anger felt like an anchor, weighing me down, holding me back. It took so much work to bury it deep inside me, to push it down so deep there was no chance it could hurt anyone else.
Now, I feel it gnawing at my chest, wanting to be let out.
Let it out. Let it take care of Chase.
I should have known it wasn’t my imagination. Chase never could stand to lose, to not get exactly what he felt he was owed. I never expected him to go this far, but I’m not that surprised. I know the kind of man he is. I saw those flashes of petty rage in his eyes for years.
He demanded I come back to him, and I didn’t listen. Then he was humiliated, first by Seb and then byAsh. This is his escalation. The only thing I can’t understand is what he hopes to get out of this. What is he hoping to accomplish, other than torturing me?
“No.” A loud voice breaks through my thoughts. “You’re not setting onefootin this place.”
I freeze in the middle of trying to tempt Bea down from the top shelf of our classics section—where she’s managed to knock a whole row of books onto the ground—and turn toward the frontof the store. I gave Jade the day off, so Justin and I are on our own today. That’s definitely his voice I just heard.
But I’ve never heard Justin yell before.
“Look, buddy, I’m just trying to do my job, okay?” a gruff voice answers. “You can either let me in to complete my delivery, or you can take it yourself.”
I manage to grab Bea as she’s pawing at another book, holding her against my chest as I creep my way up to the front. When I get there, Justin is standing in the doorway of our shop, actively blocking a man from entering. I don’t recognize the man, but I do recognize the box in his hands. Cheap gray cardboard. Another “gift” from Chase.
“And I already told you, you’re not delivering here. Not anymore,” Justin snaps. It’s a shock to see Justin angry, to hear his raised voice. When the delivery guy shifts, like he’s going to try to push past him, Justin thrusts out his arm and blocks the way, using every inch of his height to his advantage. “Who is sending this stuff to her?”
“Listen, man, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m just the delivery guy! Just move aside and let me do my job so?—”
“Delivering forwhom?”Justin asks in a raised voice.
“How the fuck should I know! I never met the guy!” the man yells. “I just accepted the job through JobRabbit—take it up with them!”
“Where did you pick it up from? What’s the address?”
“Fuck this shit.” The delivery guy throws up his arm in disgust. “And fuck you. I don’t get paid enough for this, even with the tip.” Scowling, he turns to leave, chucking the box next to a trash can on his way down the street.
Justin doesn’t move from the doorway until the guy is out of sight. Only then, when the man is long gone, does he step back inside, letting the door finally close.
Unaware of my presence, Justin pulls out his phone, and I watch him navigate to the app store, searching through the possible downloads until he finds one with a pink rabbit holding a hammer.
“What was that about?” I ask, setting Bea down on the ground. She takes off the moment her paws hit the floor, racing out of the café to cause trouble elsewhere.
Justin glances up at me and then back to his phone. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Another box of horrors?” I joke. He doesn’t return my smile.
“I didn’t look inside,” he admits. “But the guy mentioned JobRabbit. I’ve heard of it. It’s an app for hiring people to do random tasks.” He types away as he talks. “Maybe I can figure out where this stuff is coming from. And put a stop to it.”
Justin keeps typing, face pinched in concentration.
Screw it.
“I think I know who it is, actually,” I tell him. He doesn’t look up, his brows furrowed as he types. “I’m pretty sure it’s Chase.”
I wasn’t going to tell anyone my suspicions until I could get some proof, but I’m tired of feeling like I have to handle this all on my own. I could use some backup.
