I feel like a rat in a cage, surrounded by hungry alley cats, their claws scraping through the slats, getting closer with every second.
One thing is certain. I’m not safe here now.
I call the motel in town, but it’s full. Some convention, the guy mumbles before hanging up mid-sentence.
Then it hits me. The only place I have left—the job site. The partygoers are long gone. No one is ever there. I should know, considering the long hours I’ve been clocking.
There’s a high-tech alarm system, a futon I hauled in for cat naps, heat and food in the fridge. It’s not perfect, but compared to here, it’s paradise.
I yank my suitcase from the closet and toss in some clothes and toiletries. Then I grab Gus’s things and motion to my pup.
“Come on, big guy. Let’s go.” He follows me down the drive and hops into the backseat. Dang dog loves going for car rides. Sadly, this one is not a pleasure cruise.
I scan the exterior lines of the cabin, wondering if this is the last time I’ll see it, especially after the man’s not-so-veiled threatabout fires, and realize that if that’s the price of justice, then so be it.
At least I’ve got Gus.
“I’m going to get us somewhere safe,” I murmur, gripping the wheel. “As safe as anywhere is right now.”
Chapter 27
Answer Me
Eddie
Imutter a few curses under my breath as I pull up to the job site.
It’s not even five-thirty in the morning, yet Kiki’s already here. I was hoping for a little bit of peace today, but it seems like the woman arrives before I do and lingers long after I leave—and I’m pulling ten-hour days.
Must require a hell of a lot of dedication to earn that spot at Nolan’s mansion.
This isn’t the first time either. It’s been like this for the last week, which is not helping the tension boiling between us. It grows exponentially worse daily, and I’m not sure how much longer I can deal with it.
I fully expected Kiki to corner me on Monday morning and try to worm her way out of the doghouse and into my heart once again, to gaze up at me with her big, beautiful doe eyes and apologize for making me feel like nothing.
I had even compiled a list of arguments, a preemptive strike to shoot down every excuse she could throw my way.
But she didn’t say a word about the events of that night.
In fact, she hasn’t said more than a dozen words to me all week. And even then, it was strictly regarding the restoration.
Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that I’ve unofficially nominated my foreman, Mike, as our go-between.
He knows my history with Kiki, but the man knows better than to ask questions, unless he wants me even grumpier than I already am.
So Kiki and I exist in the same space, circling each other but never intersecting.
All that changes today, though, because once again, her faithful companion is wandering around the job site.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Gus. He’s fantastic. Hell, I like him a whole lot more than I like his mistress at this point.
But that’s not the issue.
Gus, despite his advanced years, still loves to play, weaving in and around my guys’ legs like it’s all one big game. Most days? It’s fine. But yesterday, his antics damn near cost me a four-thousand-dollar window and a trip to urgent care for two of my crew.
Tomorrow, we’ve got fifteen-thousand-dollar floor-to-ceiling windows going in.
So the dog willnotbe here. I don’t care what argument Kiki has ready for me.
