Her mouth drops open, “Dean, I don’t know if you realize you’re standing in front of me with sweatpants, no shirt, no shoes, and talking about strangers, being armed, and frankly, I don’t know you well enough to know if you’re safe. I appreciate whatever you think you’re doing here, but I am good. I hope you have a goodnight.” She begins to shut the front door.
Putting my hand against it, I stop her. “Fuck, I’m doing this wrong. I’m sorry, Jo. Just got a lot on my mind. Need to get you a system like mine. ‘Til then,” I reach in my pocket and hand her the key fob, “this links to my system. Press the panic button you see something, you need help, whatever. It alerts the necessary people.”
Those people being me and my club, but I’m not going to tell her that. This key fob is a set up I worked on and it’s a prototype, but I know it won’t fail her. Yes, I have an alarm system in my house, but this will help her anywhere.”
She studies it and tries to hand it back. “You’re next door, you need to keep it close to your box. I have a system. Even have the little key fob for mine,” she explains.
“System you got, basic shit. Not this, Jo. It goes where you go. Works off cellular networks. Push the button you need it, and it will give the location ping and alert help.”
“Dean, why are you worried? Do you know something I don’t? We’re strangers.”
She at least asks the right questions.
“Not strangers, we’re neighbors. You gotta understand my world, Jo. You matter to Sara. Sara matters to Country Boy. It’s the domino effect. And Country Boy, he’s been a lifeline when I was at my lowest. Sara wouldn’t like something happen to you. That makes trouble for Country Boy. This is added security.”
“I do not understand all this brotherhood,” she whispers.
I lean in grabbing the back of her neck to give it a squeeze. “Don’t need you to understand. Need to know you’re safe. Consider it a favor to me and then I owe ya one.”
She looks up at me, her eyes locking to mine, the uncertainty in them. Leaning down, I press my lips to her forehead.
Her eyes widen in shock as I pull back. “Dean, I don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t know you and you don’t know me.”
“I know this is unorthodox. Much about my life isn’t. One day, maybe I’ll share why, but for now, just know that I’ve lost someone before because I wasn’t diligent enough. Until I can figure out if the Johnson’s had someone doing work while they are gone or why the car was here, just have the fob, Jo. Please. For my peace of mind.”
She studies me and I try to keep my face gentle. Giving her neck one last squeeze, I drop my head, “for my peace of mind, Jo.”
She nods, wrapping her hand around the fob.
“Good girl,” I whisper before backing up. “Lock the door, Jo. Get some sleep.”
“Okay, Dean. Goodnight,” she mutters still in shock while she closes the door. I stand there listening as she engages the lock and deadbolt.
Still feeling uneasy, I go back to my house, grab my sleeping blanket from the garage before climbing in my truck bed.
A cool Carolina night under the stars isn’t the worst place I’ve ever slept. Not that I’ll sleep much. Any noise, a change in lights, anything, I’m already halfway to her house being in our shared driveway. Funny, I hated this design for the longest time, but now it gives me a strange sense of comfort.
Just get through tonight.
Tomorrow it’s time to put things into action.
No female remotely in my world will ever live in fear of a man.
Even if it means I go back to the cage.
Josie doesn’t need to know that. She just needs to be able to sleep easy for her and her son.
I’ll be the man to make sure she does.
Six
Josie
Working 9-5 or not…
Exhaustion is a cruel punishment. The video call ends for our morning meeting. My head throbs. I’m thankful today Sara did a video meeting rather than dragging us all into the conference room. Normally, I prefer to do in-person meetings. Probably sounds crazy. Most people prefer the video calls, even when we are back in the office full-time together. Remote days, it’s obviously necessary, office days that is what the conference room is made for. No need to waste the space. The video ones always make me insecure. The way my image pops up on the screen forcing me to stare at all of my flaws, it isn’t something I like. However, today I prefer to deal with the view of myself in a tiny box on a screen rather than socialize at any level. My people meter is running low today.
I need to sleep.
