Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Bronwyn

I have a hate-love relationship with the holidays. When Dahlia was gone, they were the hardest for me. Now that I work at the Keller Crisis Center, I see an influx of calls of very sad, lonely people.

Sometimes they’re runaways who want encouragement to reach out to someone they know still loves them, other times they are struggling and need to be checked into the hospital. The days stretch out in front of me, and I’m starting to long for January first to come faster.

Jack is driving me to work this morning the way he has been more often. His anxiety is up as Greg checks in periodically when he can, to see how things are going and to report what he’s found to Jack and his team.

He has people working for Gareth now in the form of housekeeping and groundsman employees, and the entire house has been bugged in the areas he’s most likely to have sensitive conversations.

Sooner or later, we’re going to find something to nail his balls to the wall. A part of me knows he’ll probably be killed, but all I can allow myself to feel is a sense of relief that it’ll be over then.

He paid someone to hurt me. Gareth is dangerous and obviously still obsessed with Dahlia.

Monday morning came really quickly, the weekend flying by as we spent it together, while getting our respective work done. I have to say Dahlia has been working her ass off for this group project, and New Year’s Day is still three weeks away.

I kind of hope she gives Ivan hell.

Traffic is really heavy this morning, and I’m not surprised when Jack pulls into a parking garage a block away from the Crisis Center. I don’t offer to walk alone, because I know he wouldn’t let me, and I don’t really want to.

“Okay,” he murmurs, pulling into a spot smoothly and putting the truck into park. “This is me, checking in, Bee. I know December has got to be a really rough month for you taking calls on the crisis line, and we’ve all been so busy that we haven’t really been able to do any Christmassy type of activities.”

“I know,” I sigh. “Call after call of speaking to people who are lonely and sad are taking a toll on me. I know it’s the season. I’m taught this during training, and I’ve seen it other years while working at the Crisis Center. Being in the thick of it is just a huge reality check.”

“It is,” he says with a nod. “I want to do something fun that’s a reminder of the good things about the holidays. I was invited to a block party by my hockey buddies. I haven’t seen them much recently, and they want proof of life. Come with me?”

Leaning back against the headrest, I think about it. “When is it?” I ask.

“Friday night,” he says. “Dolly needs a fun break too between work, the group project, and school. I swear, she even wakes up tired lately.”

“I think she’s been working in her sleep,” I say, smirking. “When I came to bed last night, I heard her humming with her eyes closed. Dahlia was totally out, creating music in her dreams. How do you get someone to take a break whose brain won’t turn off?”

“You give it something else to do,” he says sagely. “Let’s get you to work before your boss asks if you got lost.”

Giggling, I shake my head as I get out of the car to walk with him. I honestly doubt that would ever happen, but my bosses and supervisors are pretty protective of their employees.

Linking my fingers in his, I watch as he locks up the truck, putting his keys in his pocket. I watched him get dressed today, and noticed that he’s begun to keep pepper spray with him at all times.

Jack is also insisting that Dahlia and I make the time to go to self defense class once a week, which we do even when we’re exhausted from the day.

Like he said, this month has been really busy, and there are things we need to make time for.

“Tell me about this party,” I say, pushing the button for the elevator. “Is it outside if it’s a block party?”

“Yeah, it’s in their neighborhood, and they go all out when they decorate. There’s caroling, hot chocolate, stations to roast marshmallows for S’mores, and a giant bonfire at the end of the street. It’s not a big space and it’s gated. The guards check everyone’s identification before you can go through the gate as well. If you’re not on the list, you can’t get in,” he explains.

“There’s a lot of people who crave peace from the public eye. They pay a pretty penny for it too.”

“That makes sense if your friends are professional hockey players,” I murmur. I’ve only met a few of them once when I watched them skate together for a charity match. Jack held his own really well, even though he only plays occasionally.

Walking together through downtown to my work, we chat a little more about Friday. It’ll be cold, so we’ll need the new warming jackets Jack bought as Christmas gifts for us all. It’ll end up being an early gift, but Jack would rather we all stay warm instead of hoarding them.

Now I have something positive to look forward to, which is sometimes all a girl needs.

Tuesday

Jack

Sitting next to Lorrie and Brady, I nod for them to begin emptying Gareth’s accounts. The meeting went as planned with the Boxley gang, so now it’s time to turn up the heat and make them believe that Gareth is backstabbing them.

None of the money in his accounts actually belongs to him, outside of a small stipend they allow Gareth. He lost his entire fortune in a bad business deal with them, and now he owes the Boxley gang his soul.

Or as close as you can get with someone who doesn’t have one. He’s not tried to reach out to Dolly or Bee again, but when animals get quiet, you need to become more vigilant.

“Draining them all now,” Brady mutters, watching as the money swiftly disappears.

Lorrie works furiously on her end, redirecting the money to various charities in Detroit. All of it is going to disappear, and they’ll never find it. She’s redirecting them all over the city.

I have my own money, I don’t need someone else’s, nor want any part of the blood that earned it.

“That’s gonna piss off the Boxleys, and terrify Gareth,” I say smugly. “I don’t want him to leave the country. Can we please make that happen? Border control in Mexico and Canada need to know that he is a person of interest, and his passport and identification needs to go on all of the No Fly lists.”

Luna hurries out with her computer, sitting next to us at the conference table.

“I can help with that,” she grunts. “If he even sneezes in the direction of a flight, it’ll lead to a full strip search and a trip to the nearest room to be interrogated.”

“That’s if he can find any money to buy a ticket with,” Lorrie says with a callous laugh.

Gareth doesn’t deserve any mercy. He dug his own grave, and deserves everything he receives. It’s just a matter of who gets to him first now.

My phone buzzes in my suit pocket, and I pull it out absently. Glancing at it, I see it’s Greg and answer it.

“Hey,” I grunt, not bothering to use his name. I don’t know where he’s at or who he’s with, and the last thing I want to do is blow his cover.

“Is it done?” he asks, and I can hear the crunch of snow under his boots as he walks.

“Just about. Can you speak freely?” I ask him.

“ Yeah, yeah. I’m walking to get some shit done for someone,” he mutters. “ Marcus Boxley is too damn comfortable for his own good. He trusts too easily, and won’t listen when people tell him otherwise. That’s how Gareth initially lost his money. They both invested in a company that was a scam. Gareth promised him it would be fine. Marcus pretends to be a legitimate businessman, but Gareth learned all too well how thin that veil was.”

“So they both got fucked over, and now Marcus is about to find himself getting fucked again,” I muse. “There was a lot of money in those accounts. This wouldn’t have happened to have been all of the gang’s collective money, would it?”

“Bingo,” Greg grunts. “ So now, it’s Marcus’ ass on the line. There’s a girl that’s been coming around lately, her name is Arina. Her father is a cousin to the Boxleys, and is a genteel bruiser. He likes to hide behind his suits as he fucks up the people who cross his family. She hangs out a lot with a guy named Ivan, though they get kicked out pretty often.”

“Fuck. Those are the two kids that are giving Dee a hard time at school,” I explain. It’s easier to call her by her fake name, even on the phone with people who know the truth, so I won’t accidentally slip up one day.

“Yeah, one of the guys asked how school was going, and Arina said a cock eating slut kept giving her trouble. This kid is really pissing me off. I generally only kill people who really deserve it, but she’s trying my patience,” Greg grumbles.

My lips twitch at his protective tone, because Ivan and Arina are really pissing me off too. “The school is having some kind of recital for the school get together on New Year’s Day, so maybe kill Ivan afterward, since Dee has been working her ass off on their group project,” I tease him.

“I want to say they’re harmless, but their parents are not. Sullivan told Dee that Ivan’s father is part of a Mafia family. I’m not taking any chances with either of them.”

“ Let’s do some research on their families,” Greg says. “ I don’t know how they could be involved, but at this point, I’d rather rule it out.”

I’ve had Greg on speakerphone this entire time, and Lorrie pings Elira with the message so she can assign it. Lorrie continues to reroute money as smaller donations in multiple amounts, so it’s not suspicious and it won’t get reported.

All the details matter now.

“We’re on it. Let us know if we can do anything else on our end,” I say. “Stay safe.”

“ Will do,” Greg says, and then the line goes dead.

Blowing out a breath, I nod. “You heard him,” I say. “Fuck, I’m going to go find something to do so I don’t go stir crazy. Let me know if you run into issues, guys.”

Walking to my office, I start the never ending work that’s always there. Anything to keep my mind on something else as we get closer to ridding the world of Gareth Davies.

Friday

Dahlia

This week has been grisly with non-stop work, school, and practice whenever we can. The issue is that Christmas is next week, so we’ll lose out on a lot of group practice time. Ivan has been even worse lately, scowling and muttering unflattering things about me under his breath, while Arina spit on my shoe as she passed me by on her way home.

Ciara flinched as she watched, but I shook my head with a sigh.

“You’re so much nicer than I am,” she muttered.

That was yesterday, so I’m very glad to be leaving work for the week now. I’m so fucking over it.

“What’s more important than practicing?” Ivan asks, glaring at me as I shut down my station and make the last person in the building aware that I’m leaving. Thankfully it’s Sullivan, and he tells me to have fun tonight.

“I have a date,” I say, shrugging as I grab my things and button up my long jacket. Jack surprised me with a warming jacket that’ll keep me toasty. I didn’t know something like this existed!

“That’s not a reason to skip practice!” Ivan screams as I stare impassively at him. Pilar didn’t have any issues moving today’s session to tomorrow morning, but Ivan has his whitey tighties in a bunch.

“I think you’re really tightly wound,” I say patiently. “We’re on track to finish in time, Ivan. We just need to fine tune things a little and then add in the piano part. What is your issue?”

“Everything gets handed to you,” he complains. “I don’t understand what makes you so special.”

Snorting, I shake my head. I’ve really tried, but he has no idea what my life has been like. I’m sure his life hasn’t been a picnic as the son of a Mafia man…

Nope, I don’t care enough either way. He can eat a big, hairy dick with some hot sauce.

“I am done with this conversation,” I murmur, beginning to walk across the lobby with Ciara on my heels. “I’ll be letting security know that you should also be leaving as well. If you’re not following right behind me, you will be finding yourself escorted out.”

Snarling at me, he takes a step toward me with his arm raised, only to find himself throat punched by Ciara. It’s a gut instinct, and she winces as if she couldn’t help herself.

“I hope you won’t need his voice tomorrow,” she murmurs under her breath to me.

“Nope, I hope he can’t talk at all over the weekend. Fuck, you should get such a big raise,” I sigh dreamily.

Ciara huffs out a laugh, and we get the attention of the guard at the front of the building, as Ivan drops to his knees, continuing to hack and cough. The stupid fucker is going to have a hard time getting enough air.

When you fuck around with someone who has an ex-military body guard protecting her, you’re going to find out. It’s really that simple.

“It appears that Ivan fell into my bodyguard’s fist,” I say to the guard. “Can you make sure he recovers before he’s escorted from the school, please? I’m leaving for the night. Sullivan is still here though.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he says with a nod, appearing amused.

“Thanks so much,” I say, and Ciara and I leave. It isn’t lost to me that Ciara is very careful to have our backs to Ivan. Would he shoot us in the back? Is he capable of that?

Maybe…

All I want is to have a nice, boring day, for fuck’s sake. Thankfully, the drive home is just that, and Jack meets me at the curb of the apartment building to walk me inside.

“How was your day?” he drawls once we’re in the elevator, and I burst into tears.

“Fucking awful,” I cry, dashing the tears from my face angrily. “I haven’t done anything but exist, and Ivan the asshole tried to grab me, Ciara, throat punched him by the way. She probably deserves a raise due to how many times she’s had to pull back. But because of the way he tried to backhand me, her instincts kicked in.”

“I’ll be sure to throw in a bigger Christmas bonus,” he says dryly, pulling me into his arms. “He’s so lucky he didn’t touch you. God, those kids are fucking entitled assholes.”

Jack reminds me of all of the reasons why I’m at school for the next few minutes, his lips against the shell of my ear as he speaks, and it helps settle me.

“Still want to go out tonight?” he asks as we walk out of the elevator to our apartment.

“Yes, I definitely do. I need to do something that has nothing to do with work or school,” I sigh.

“Your wish is my command,” he says. I love the way he listens to me, goes with the flow, and I never feel guilty if I just don’t have the mental or physical spoons for something.

An hour later, we’ve changed, eaten a snack, and are on our way to the block party. I think the level of security around this neighborhood may be able to rival Ft. Knox, but I appreciate it because it reminds me that I’m safe.

No one is going to take me off of the street, I don’t need a bodyguard, and I can just be me. Jack told Ciara he had tonight covered.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many lights,” I whisper, my eyes wide as I look around.

“We’re going to drive around first before we go to Isaac’s house,” Jack says, amused as Bee and I squeal about different houses.

The sad truth is that I haven’t been able to stroll around to look at Christmas lights in a long time. Sometimes, when I felt really lonely, I’d take a bus downtown, to watch all the happy people bustling around and look at the lights, but this is different.

Belmont also wasn’t really somewhere that celebrated the Christmas season, outside of lamenting about how much it sucked.

“It’s really pretty,” Bee says. “This one is decked out all in the Peanuts cartoon characters.”

Rolling down my window, I realize that some of the houses have different Christmas songs coming from the yards, yet somehow they don’t overlap, because of the size of each property.

While it’s over the top and ostentatious, the bottom line is that it only happens once a year. Why not celebrate big?

Finally, Jack pulls up to his friend’s house, and there are people walking the streets, laughing, and some are dancing. Getting out of the truck, I grin at how happy people are, despite the cold weather.

“Oh wow, is it snowing?” I ask with a grin, tipping up my face to catch a snowflake on my tongue.

“It looks like it just started,” Jack says, thoroughly amused. “I’m invited every year, and I rarely make it out. I’ll have to make sure we accept it more often.”

“Jack!” a large man calls from a yard, striding toward us. There are people drinking beer on his porch, and I can smell barbecue of all things as well.

“Hey, Isaac,” Jack says with a grin, giving him a hug and a pounding pat on the back. “Thanks for the invite. We drove around for a bit just to take in all the lights.”

“Oh hell yeah. That’s one of the best parts,” Isaac says with a nod.

Jack introduces us, and Isaac grins as he shakes our hand. He’s huge, with tree trunks for thighs, as well as being six-foot-four.

“It’s good to meet you two. I’ve met Bowen at a charity game or two, but wondered who's been keeping him busy,” Isaac teases. “Between the both of you, I’m glad you’re making this guy happy. I can see it, you know?”

Reaching out, I squeeze Bee’s hand because in a lot of ways, I wish she’d been enough for him. I also know that her heart was crushed when I left, and she was looking for a way to fill the void.

There’s so many things I wish I’d done differently, but all I had going for me was a sixteen-year-old girl’s instinct to find safety far away from Gareth Davies.

Bee’s face is open and happy as she chats, helping me relax that she didn’t take it badly. Together, we explore as Jack chats with Isaac, having fun making S’mores with other kids and adults, listening to the full bands that are set up in driveways, and enjoying everything.

Bee has her phone in her pocket for when Jack starts to worry, but it’s so nice not to feel fear because we went too far from a guard or him.

It’s been an adjustment to get used to it all. Even when I was in hiding, I wasn’t this restricted. I’m hoping whatever Jack and his team have been doing will help end Gareth’s obsession with me, the only way he’ll be able to understand.

By fucking dying.

Bee and I are singing a really ridiculous rendition of Jingle Bell Rock with a group of people a few houses away when Jack finally catches up to us.

“You guys really traveled,” he says, breathless. Jack sounds as if he’s been trying to find us for a while, but doesn’t make us feel badly about it. “Have you eaten anything yet?

Grinning, I loop my arm through his as Bee does the same, continuing to sing. Shaking his head, he relaxes, and finds the thread of the song to sing with us.

The organized chaos and happiness of people is exactly what I needed tonight. Real food can wait, I have more things to experience before I can unwind enough to stand still to eat.

Jack goes with it, which I love, content to be with his girls.