Chapter Fifteen
Rahab felt like the biggest loser on the planet by the time Liz came in and told him the contracts were signed. She also said Russell told her she could leave home early, but that she still needed about an hour to finish up some things that couldn’t wait until the next day.
“I’ll let Gorgon know it’s done.” He took out his phone. After Liz left, he texted Gorgon, and then walked around the room, looking at the titles of the books lining the shelves. Law stuff. Nothing he had an interest in reading.
The room was decorated in a similar fashion to the offices at the club, except there were no law books or degrees on the walls inside Scotty’s Place. What the hell was he doing here? Liz was a career woman. He’d known that from the start. She wasn’t interested in living at the club and washing dishes or cleaning toilets. Or in being a biker’s woman. She had plans and dreams. She was going to be a lawyer one day. Why the hell would she want someone like him?
He was a damn fool for letting this go on as long as it had, and for becoming this attached to her within a few short days. No wonder he still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had plagued him all morning. It had nothing to do with Donny or Pete. The contracts were signed. It was a done deal, and both men were safe. Didn’t mean di Stefano couldn’t still come after them, but legally, he couldn’t get his hands on Vito’s operation now. It belonged to Donny.
Which meant his premonition, or whatever the fuck you wanted to call it, had to be about him and Liz. What else was there? His entire world had been turned upside down since Friday night by expensive clothes, a fancy briefcase, dark hair, and the most beautiful brown eyes he’d ever seen. Top all that off with a killer body, and he was fucking toast.
This had never happened to him before. He was behaving in ways he’d laugh at if he noticed them in his Brothers. And the worst part was that he was more infatuated with her than she was with him. She’d already tried to end this after one night, while he had assumed they’d see each other again.
Her career plans and goals weren’t something he’d ever deprive her of, but she didn’t know that. In that respect, they were both alike. Neither one had let themselves get close to anyone. But Liz’s plans weren’t the only reason she’d kept men at a distance.
Growing up the way she had, she’d probably seen her fair share of horrible shit, and maybe didn’t want to end up the same way? She might have a really screwed up idea of what an intimate adult relationship would mean for her. Not that he was an expert at them.
But he’d kept women at a distance for purely selfish reasons. Not because of the way he’d been raised. Rahab liked his freedom. He craved his independence. Until he’d met Liz, that was. Was it payback for the way he’d casually tossed aside women all these years that when he finally did fall, it was for a woman who had no intention of falling for him in return?
“Karma is a bitch,” he said to the books on the shelves. “And she carries a big fucking stick.”
When Liz came to find him, less than two hours had passed, but it felt much longer. He pulled her close, wishing that sense of dread would go the fuck away already. “This is nice to be leaving early,” she said. “We’ll avoid the rush hour traffic.”
“Do you want me to take you straight home?”
“I kind of have to go there. I only packed stuff for one day.”
He’d forgotten about that. “Okay. So how long will it take you to pack for longer?” His pulse raced as he watched her face. When she didn’t look uncomfortable, or like she was trying to search for a reason not to spend more time with him at the club, he let hope build again.
It’s official.
Gorgon had been right. He’d fallen for this woman.
****
“About fifteen minutes.”
“Let’s go then.”
Liz chattered away while Rahab drove her home, telling him about the work she did without giving away names or private details. He asked questions now and then, but it was obvious something bothered him. Finally, she asked if he was okay.
“Yeah. Just got a lot on my mind.”
“Anything I can help with? You need a blowjob, don’t you?”
He laughed, but the sound was different. Almost forced. What the heck had happened in the space of a few hours? Was he upset she’d stuck him in a conference room and left him alone?
“Rahab, I’m sorry about having to leave you in there, but I hope you understand why I couldn’t have you watch me work, or why you couldn’t be in the room with us when Donny signed the contracts.”
“I do understand. I’m not upset about it.”
“Then what’s wrong? Something changed from the time you walked into the office.”
“Nothing you need to worry about. Club stuff.”
“Okay.” Except she wasn’t sure he’d told her the truth. She couldn’t even say why. Just an uneasy feeling.
As they pulled into the parking lot of her building, Liz’s heart skipped a beat and icy cold fear shot through her. There were at least half a dozen police cars parked in front of the building, and dozens of residents stood outside, talking in groups.
“Oh, God. Did we have a fire?” She glanced toward the roof but didn’t see anything to indicate there had been.
“Let’s go find out.” Rahab parked his car next to hers and took her hand as she got out. He led her toward one of the cops, who put up a hand as they approached.
“Hold on. Who are you?”
“I live here!” Liz let go of Rahab’s hand and dug in her bag for her ID, which she shoved in the officer’s face. “And he drove me home from work. What’s going on?”
“Which apartment?”
“223. What happened?”
“There were multiple break-ins.”
“Oh fuck.”
The cop said something into her radio and then turned her attention back toward Liz. “Come with me.”
“Was my apartment affected?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.”
“Do you have someone in custody?” asked Rahab.
“Not yet, but we have good descriptions from several residents.”
She glanced up at Rahab, wishing she could ask, but not out loud. Not yet. This couldn’t have anything to do with Roberto di Stefano, but it was one hell of a coincidence that it had happened today.
But as they made their way upstairs and she spotted all the open doors along the way, it didn’t look like any apartment had been spared. No one had targeted her. That was better in one respect, but her heart sank at the sight of so many neighbors affected.
“How many did they break into?” she asked.
“Most of them, before one of the residents who was home pulled the fire alarm, and they ran off with whatever they’d taken by then.”
“Why in the hell would they target this place?” asked Rahab. “Not exactly a building that’d make you believe rich people live here.”
“Probably looking for money or drugs. It’s been happening in buildings like this one recently. No security system, and easy entrances and exits.”
Yep! She’d just described the place in a nutshell. They could get out quickly in a fire, but that also meant anyone could simply waltz in here. Liz and several other residents had been asking for security doors on the entrances, but the fucking tightwad landlord wouldn’t spend the money for them.
Her door was closed, but when the cop knocked, another cop answered it. “This is the resident, Liz Chavez, and…” She raised her brows.
“Dave Sherrard.”
“Can I please see what’s missing?” Liz pushed past the cop at the door.
She struggled to hold back tears when she stepped inside. They’d torn apart her sofa cushions, smashed her TV, even pulled up the carpeting in one corner. The kitchen looked like a war zone. There wasn’t a drawer or cupboard left untouched. Several glasses were in shards on the floor.
“Do all the apartments look this bad?” asked Rahab, who was right behind her.
“Pretty much,” said the cop who had answered the door. The other cop had apparently left because when Liz turned around, she was no longer in the apartment.
“How the hell did they get away with being in the building this long?” asked Rahab.
“Most of the residents work,” said Liz. “Only a few people are home during the day.”
“I told you this place wasn’t safe.”
The officer shot him a droll look. “Miss Chavez, can you tell if anything is missing?”
Liz glanced at the contents of her kitchen. Silverware, a few odds and ends, dishes, cups, and glasses. Why the fuck had they broken the glasses? What had that accomplished? Fucking assholes!
“No. I don’t think so, but let me look in the other rooms first.”
None of her furniture had been new when she’d bought it, but it was all she had. Most of her possessions like towels and kitchen utensils were a decade old, but again, they were hers. She’d bought them with carefully saved money.
Her bedroom and bathroom were as trashed as the living room and kitchen. They’d even dumped all her bath products on the floor. But she’d kept nothing of value here. Not even spare change. And she didn’t do street drugs, so there hadn’t been anything to find.
“They took my fucking Tylenol and an old bottle of cough syrup, but that’s all that’s gone.” They hadn’t even touched her jewelry, not that she had much. A couple of necklaces and a few pair of earrings, none of which would fetch much money on the street. Obviously, they’d known that because they’d left it behind. They’d gone through her drawers and closet, but again, no clothes seemed to have been taken.
“All right. We’ll need your statement.” The cop handed her a card. “You can do it online if you want. These are the instructions. I’ve taken photos already, but if you want to take others and upload them along with your statement, you can do that, too.”
“Did you have a personal laptop here?” asked Rahab.
Liz held up her bag. “No. Only this one.” Thank God she’d had it with her. She’d always hated having client files on it, and consequently kept a close eye on it day and night. She never left it in here alone for long because she was paranoid about doing so.
Rahab was right about this place not being safe, and this incident emphasized it. But admitting it to him now wouldn’t undo this. Nothing would undo this. And, it could have happened anywhere she lived. If someone wanted to get inside a building, they would find a way.
“Do you have someplace else to stay for a few days?” asked the officer.
“Yeah,” said Rahab, putting his arm around her shoulder. “She does.”
“Do you have any other questions for me?”
“No,” said Liz. “Thank you.”
After he left, she embraced Rahab and let the tears come, not caring that it made her look weak. Her body shook, and even his warm, strong embrace wouldn’t stop it. “I feel so violated. How fucking dare they? Who the fuck does something like this?”
“People do it all the time.” He stroked her hair. “I’m just glad you weren’t here.”
“What the hell am I going to do? It’ll take me forever to replace all this stuff. I can’t stay here like this. It needs to be cleaned. I don’t even have a bed to sleep on.” They’d slashed open her mattress to the point she couldn’t use it.
“I’ll help you. We all will.”
“I don’t want to take you away from your work at the club.”
“Liz, it’s not a bother. We stick together, remember?”
She resisted the urge to point out that she wasn’t part of them. He was only trying to help her gather her thoughts and formulate a plan.
“Why don’t you pack up your clothes and whatever else you need for work this week, and follow me to the club in your car. That way you won’t feel dependent on me. You can have one of the extra rooms there. We have plenty.”
“Don’t you think you should ask Gorgon first?”
“I don’t need to. Under the circumstances, he wouldn’t expect me to do anything less.”
“But I’d be staying there without contributing. I don’t feel right about that.”
“We’ll find something for you to do.”
“I mean it.”
“So do I. Where are your suitcases? I’ll help you pack.”
She had to ask. Even though it appeared it had nothing to do with di Stefano, she wouldn’t rest until she knew for sure. “Do you mind if I ask Donny to try to find out whether this is connected to him signing those contracts?”
“No, of course not. But do you really think it is?”
“I have no clue. I only know I’d feel better knowing for sure.”
He gave her an odd look she couldn’t interpret. “I would, too.”
“Okay. Good. Shit. What about the mess in the kitchen and living room?”
“We’ll come back this weekend and help you clean it up.”
“Cleaning it up won’t solve my issue. Rahab, I can’t stay here. I will never feel safe here again.” She began to tremble again as that reality sank in. No way could she fall asleep in this apartment ever again, even with a brand-new bed.
He gave her a long look, and this time she wasn’t mistaken about the emotion. Pain crossed his eyes. Why? Was the idea of her having to stay at the club suddenly repugnant? It hadn’t been last night. What the hell had she missed?
“I know you won’t. You have no furniture left. If I was you, I’d never be able to use my towels, or even the fucking toilet paper again.”
“Yes.” He understood. That was one thing, at least. “That’s exactly how I feel. But are you suggesting I come and live at the club?”
“Why not? We have the room.”
“Do you want me there?”
Yeah. Okay. Anger and pain this time. What the fuck was going on?
“Of course I do. Even if it’s temporary. Your call entirely, but you’re welcome to stay there as long as you need to.”
“Only if you give me a job to do, like everyone else has.”
“I told you we would.”
At least she wouldn’t have to spend the night here, on a slashed mattress and with a busted lock on the door. Who knew when her piece of shit landlord would get those replaced for everyone. But as Rahab helped her pack, Liz racked her brains, trying to figure out why he had changed so much from when he’d first come to the office. Nothing had happened between them, so it must be something else. Something to do with club business, like he’d said.
Either way, she had no choice right now but to trust him when he said it was nothing for her to worry about. He was here, he was helping her pack so she could leave, and he’d said he’d help her clean up the apartment in a few days and get her out of here for good.
If he was upset with her, or didn’t want to see her any longer, he wouldn’t be doing this. Rahab wasn’t the kind of guy to pull any punches. He was a straight up person, so Liz clung to that thought as she stuffed clothes, shoes, jewelry, and bath products into her two suitcases.
By the time she finished, her landlord came along with a locksmith. Liz nearly fainted.
“Costing me a fucking fortune to do this,” he said, as if it had been her fault.
She and Rahab waited until she had a new lock, and then she took her keys from him.
“You coming back?” he asked, eyeing Rahab like he was the devil, stealing Liz away by force.
“What? You think I’d leave all this?”
“Smart ass.”
Rahab lunged for the guy, but he stepped away, holding up his hands. “Whoa. Back off.”
“What fucking right you got calling her names? It’s not her fault someone broke in here!”
“All right, all right. I got more locks to install.”
“Let it go,” she said. “He’s not worth it.”
Rahab didn’t look any happier about being asked to do so, but he finally unclenched his fists. “Let’s get you the fuck out of this shithole.”
Okay. That was not the reaction of a man who no longer wanted to see her. Liz was now convinced that whatever was wrong, it had nothing to do with her. That thought was the most comforting one she had right now.
He’d defended her. And she cared whether she’d upset him. Holy shit. It had really happened, then. She’d fallen for this guy. Fast and hard. And there was no turning back now. Liz almost smiled when she realized she didn’t want to turn back. She liked it here. She liked it a lot.