“What if he knew the robber?”
“That’s pretty much impossible. The only people that have been to my place and met my dog are Jameson and you. And I doubt either one of you is going to rob me.”
I found my pen and shuffled back out from under the table. I didn’t know how to respond to that. Mason was a social person. He had a lot of friends that he met up with often.
“Right. Well, I guess I better get going. I’m sure Landon is done counting his paint buckets by now and I should place the order as soon as possible.”
I hightailed it out of the room and closed the door.
As soon as the clock hit five, I had taken a taxi to get my car from in front of the apartment and driven straight out to Mason’s place to get my stuff. Loki was beside himself when he saw me, and I think he peed on the porch in his excitement. I didn’t clean it up. Mason deserved a smelly porch.
I grabbed my meager belongings and the apartment key Mason had left on the coffee table after getting my clothes from the apartment and drove back to Willa’s apartment where I was currently hiding out.
I was snuggled into the soft blanket Willa kept on her couch eating mac and cheese and watching the Discovery Channel, not football. It was as close to heaven as I would get in my current situation of almost homelessness.
Nora was home tonight so I wasn’t babysitting, but I made sure to spend some time with her and the kids. Bedtimes were always crazy and I knew that’s when she could really use an extra hand. So I cuddled with the beautiful Lena while she put Luca to bed.
I stayed and listened to her sing Mason’s praise until I was ready to move back in with him just so she would stop. Turned out he hadn’t just watched the kids for her but also fixed her car and washing machine.
Which brought me to my current state of bliss. Because even though the mac and cheese was slightly burned, and Willa’s apartment felt empty after having spent a few nights with Loki and Mason, it was nice to relax. I was sure I would go back to loving my own space after a few days. I’d been used to being lonely long before I met Mason, and I would be okay by myself now. I thought back to his surprisingly good cooking while I was picking the charcoal out of my dinner.
My phone vibrated on the table, but I ignored it. My mother had been calling me all day, leaving messages when I didn’t answer. She would give up eventually. At least I hoped she would.
I was too keyed up to sleep but too tired to do anything but lie on the couch. It was just after ten when there was a knock on the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone, and it was too late for a delivery. They probably had the wrong door, so I ignored it. The knocking didn’t stop but became louder and louder. I was afraid they were going to wake up the kids next door with all the noise and dragged myself off the couch to tell whoever it was to stop.
A look through the peephole showed me an unfamiliar face.
“Who is it?” I asked through the still closed door.
“Ms. Connor. Your mother sent me.”
My heart sank. “It’s late. Maybe you can come back tomorrow?” Preferably when I wasn’t home. I guessed my mother had found someone to do her dirty work. That didn’t mean anything good for me.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I need you to open the door.”
Hell to the no.That would just make it too easy for him. “I don’t know you. I’m sure you understand that I don’t want to open the door to a stranger.”
“If you call your mother, she will tell you that she sent me.”
“I’m sure she will. But it’s late and whatever she wants can wait until tomorrow.”
There was a noise outside my door that sounded like he dropped something. I looked through the peephole again but couldn’t see anything. Satisfied that he had left, I stepped back and turned around to go back to the living room. The door clicked open and I whirled back around. My mouth went dry and my eyes wide when I watched a strange man walking inside.
“What is happening?” I croaked out before I regained control of my body and sprinted toward the living room and my phone. This was not good. Not good at all.
I lunged over the back of the couch and my fingers grazed the phone before I was pulled back. My head hit the edge of the table, momentarily stunning me. My arm was on fire from hitting the couch, and I moaned in pain.
The guy grabbed me around the waist and helped me stand up but didn’t let go once I was upright again. “Ms. Connor, I need you to pack your bag.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” I wheezed, holding my arm.
He looked at me like we were having Sunday lunch and he hadn’t just broken into an apartment. “No, I’m not kidding. If you don’t want to take anything with you, we can leave right away.”
I tried to roll out of his tight grip, but he didn’t budge. He was a hulk of a man, and I was not.
“I am not going to pack anything. BecauseI’m not coming with you!”
He sighed like I was the most annoying thing he’d encountered in a while. Which I probably was. I imagined people just did whatever the hell he told them to.
