“Jolene, the lady who offered me the position, said to go back to her with any offer I receive. I’m sure she was being nice, and I most likely won’t receive another offer like hers again.”
“There she goes again,” Dale murmurs to himself, but obviously loud enough for me to hear.
“What is it, Dale?”
“You, Lily. You still don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“You’re worth what she offered times a million. She wanted to meet you because you, my dear Lily, are worth it. Every penny, every dollar. And her offer won’t be the last. It’s only a matter of time, and someone will give you what you want and you’ll be an asset to their company, just like you’re a precious commodity to ours.”
“Thank you,” I say and accept his beautiful words. “But I’ll be rejecting it because frankly, air travel and I aren’t the best of friends.”
Peter and Dale both laugh, and understand what I mean. “Tonight we’ll need a hand with counting inventory out the back. Can you stay late and help?” Peter asks.
“Of course. Around what time do you think I’ll be done, so I can tell Max?”
“No later than eight to eight-thirty.”
“Great, I’ll let Max know.”
I get up and go to my desk. First thing I do is call Max and let him know I’ll be working late, and he says for me to wait at work because he’ll come by and take me out to dinner. Seeing as the hospital is close by, there’s no sense in me driving home, only so we can come back out this way for dinner.
And then I call Jolene and reject her offer. She tries to offer me another ten percent, but I’ve made my mind up to not accept. The biggest drawback for me is being unable to take on new clients, who could potentially be another New York Times or USA Today bestseller.
“I’ll be getting off right at eight, so just wait for me, okay?”
“Yep, we’re busy with an inventory check anyway. I’ll just have to go get my sweater from my car when we’re done.”
“Alright, I’ll see you when I get there.” Max hangs up and I go downstairs to start helping with the stock counting out the back.
The hours fly by, and before I know it, Peter’s telling me Max is waiting in the store out in front. He tells me to go home and thanks me for all my help.
“Hey,” I say to Max as I go to him. “I’ve gotta go get my cardigan from my car. It’s parked around the back.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“How about you bring the car around the back? I’ll go straight there, see you in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
I give Max my bag after I take the keys out, and head out through the back exit as he goes to get his car. I walk toward my car in the back parking area, and it’s quiet and isolated out here at this time of the night.
When I reach my car, I unlock it with the fob when I hear the one demonic voice I know I’ll never forget, “Lily.”
I turn around and I get punched in the face. Startled, I fall back against the car. “Trent,” I scream.
He lays another punch into my stomach, winding me. I buckle over in pain, and try to scream, but he’s knocked all the air out of me. Instead I desperately gasp for air, trying to get something other than pain into my lungs.
He grabs me by the back of the head, and smashes my head against the door. “Help,” I scream.
“You should’ve just minded your own damn business, bitch. But you had to give them your fucking immature, stupid little diary.”
“Help,” I yell again, fighting the urge to throw up. I’m fighting, with everything I have in me. I begin to lash out with my arms, and I manage to swipe at Trent’s face.
“I should’ve done the world a favor and killed you when I had the chance. Looks like I’ll have to do it now.”
“Help,” I yell as I keep punching toward Trent.
Suddenly he’s dragged off me and I see him being flung, like trash, to the ground. “Keep your damn hands off her,” Max yells at Trent and lays a few swift kicks into his side.
“Fuck, you broke a rib,” Trent yelps in pain as he holds his side.
“Are you okay?” Max cradles my face in his hands, then kisses my forehead. “The police are on their way.”
“Max,” I mumble as I watch Trent writhing around on the parking lot concrete in pain.
Max looks toward Trent and shelters me from looking at him. “Don’t bother looking at him,” he says while standing over me, protectively.
As I hug Max, I peek from around his broad shoulders. Max barely touched Trent. Yet there’s tough guy Trent, twisting around as if he was beaten to within an inch of his life. Much like he’d actually done to me, and most likely Audrey.