Searching for Always(10)

Arilyn grinned. “Maybe because you can use a class or two yourself?”

“Funny.”

This time she laughed out loud. “Just kidding. No, I have a small group of three this time. It runs for six weeks, for a few hours in the afternoon. I enjoy it, actually. Many of the people have good hearts. They just haven’t learned how to control their emotions.”

“Well, if anyone can keep them in line, you can. Nate and I will give you any extra help you need for the fund-raiser. We’ve been doing so well, there’s no reason we can’t back off on any new matches for a bit. Just until we get our full team back and hire a new assistant.”

She fought her instinct to reject the offer, hating to depend on anyone but herself. Instead, she forced herself to go along. “Agreed.”

“Done. I feel better,” Kate said. Her friends stood up. “Mugs this Friday night?”

Arilyn hesitated. She’d missed the last girls’ night out. “I’m in.”

“I’ll call Gen and check on her schedule,” Kate said.

“I’m good, too,” Kennedy said. She paused at the door. “Oh, just a quick BTW. If anyone contacts either of you regarding my whereabouts last night, can you just confirm we were hanging out at your house, Kate? You were, too, A.”

Arilyn frowned. “What happened? Why do you need an alibi? Why do I?”

Kennedy grinned without a shred of guilt. “I had these rotten eggs in the refrigerator I needed to get rid of. Imagine my surprise when I drove past the house of he who shall not be named? Let’s just say I got rid of them.”

Kate burst out laughing. Arilyn stared at her friend. “You threw eggs at his house? How did you even know where he lived?”

Kennedy wagged a finger at her. “Darling, you underestimate me. We all know where he lives. The stench followed me all the way down the road. It was quite poetic. See you ladies later.”

She sashayed out of the office with Kate following, still laughing.

Arilyn buried her face in her hands, wondering what he thought of the childish gesture. Probably took it with a stoic grimness, admitting his fault. Ready to be punished like some martyr.

Asshat.

The image of moldy, runny eggs all over his neat white stucco house hit her vision. Suddenly, she began to laugh, and a hint of lightness flowed through her body.

Breakfast, and justice, had been served.

Arilyn got back to work. She sifted through the papers on the three clients who were attending anger management. One cited by the court. One from the Verily police station. Another volunteer in an attempt to woo back his spouse.

Time to sift through the background information on each man and draft up a plan. Every personality was different, and she respected how unique reactions came from a wellspring of emotion, usually based in the past. The first two were easy. Road rage was more common now than ever, and probably revolved around a type-A personality with control issues. Eli White. Her mind clicked on various paths in order to give him tools to use on the road and in other social situations.

The second man, Luther Jones. Lost his temper too many times with his wife and now was paying the price. She gave him credit for wanting to change, for loving someone enough to sign up for such a class. He seemed to own some triggers within his personality that they’d need to work on, but again, a basic case with a high chance of success.

She picked up the chart for the third man.

Her fingers dropped it immediately, and it floated back down to the desk. Her breath constricted in her chest. Not. Possible.

Officer Stone Petty.

A shiver raced down her spine and goose bumps prickled on her skin. The image of his face floated before her. Staggering height. Massive muscles. A nose that had obviously been broken, craggy rough features, a cruel perpetual sneer to his full lips. The goatee only added to his dark presence, that of a man you’d never want to meet alone. In an alley or anywhere.

From the moment they met, she had taken an instant dislike to the man. He was too big. Too confident. Too masculine.

Too everything.

He sucked the air out of the room and commanded everyone’s attention without a word. Besides the odd crackle of electricity between them, she had an odd urge to bend to his will, do what he said, surrender to anything he asked of her.

Nuts. She was certifiably nuts.

So she’d gone on the offensive immediately, refusing to cower under his dominant stare and deep, gravelly voice, which did bad things to her tummy.

They’d met when he and his partner stepped into a violent scene between Genevieve and her ex-fiancé. Then he responded to another case of vandalism on Gen’s house. Both times, Arilyn had called the police, and been met with a stubborn, pain-in-the-butt Stone Petty.