I’m not going to have so much as my own shower if Salinger actuallyfires me.
He won’t, right?
But I’ve never seen him so furious.
Maybe I can call Linda next week, just to put out feelers and try to hype up Salinger. Or maybe he’s right and she’s already written him off, in which case I’m not just screwed—I am completely fucked.
What am I going to do if I can’t work for Salinger? Forget paying the lawyer—without being able to huddle in the protective bubble of the office, I’ll be completely at Jaxon’s mercy.
My phone starts going off.
Shifting Pepper, I fish in my purse as the sky seizes up then lets loose a torrential downpour.
When I swipe at the unread messages, I begin to wish I had sprung for an Uber.
Unknown:Ignoring me is rude. Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?
Unknown:Sometimes I like to take pictures of you when you’re walking to your car and jerk off to them in the bathroom.
Unknown:If you continue to ignore me, I’ll just make it so you can’t. If you tell anyone I’ll make this even worse for you.
Heart pounding, dog clutched to my chest, I set off at a jog. I thought the restaurant was closer than this, thought I should have found my car by now.
The messages keep coming in, the blue light of the phone scattered by the raindrops that cluster on the screen.
Unknown:Tick tock. You’re not going to make it.
Unknown:One day, you’re going to be all alone and wish you had been a little nicer to me.
I start to run.
The notifications ding, sounding like they are echoing off the cavernous buildings closing in around me.
Unknown:Don’t worry. I’ll take you back.
Unknown:But I’ll make you pay.
I’m being paranoid. There’s no way Jaxon knows where I am. This is off my normal route, and I drove though the office parking deck again before going to the restaurant.
There’s my car at the other end of the block.
“It’s okay,” I tell Pepper. “We’re going to be home soon. It’s okay.”
My hands are numb as I fumble in my purse for my car keys to have them at the ready. I sidestep a puddle while crossing the street, dirty water dripping on my legs as I squeeze between two car bumpers. I’m almost there.
A male voice says, “Trying to give me the slip?”
I scream, but Jaxon’s hand is already over my mouth.
Pepper is barking at the top of her lungs. I need to let her go so she can run away, but he has my arm pinned.
“You thought you could trick me, pretend you were still at the office, working? I’m onto you.”
I’m boxed in between the cars. I can’t escape. He shoves me against the front bumper of the car behind mine.
The back of my dress is filthy and soaked.Thank god it’s washable,the panicked thought comes. Just my brain tryingto ignore the very harsh reality in front of me in hopes that it will just go away.
Pepper, tired of being wet and manhandled, is not going quietly. The corgi barks and lunges at Jaxon’s wrist.
