Chapter 4
Dylan
I growl as frustration builds. I want to climb through the window and pull her out of that room. Then beat the living shit out of that guy who has the nerve to look at what belongs to me.
A text from the babysitter pops up on my phone and I see they’re coloring the posters now. I told Emily it wasn’t a problem to get the boys, and it wasn’t. Because I’d already gotten a sitter for them. I planned since yesterday to watch her and make sure her first day went well. I kept telling myself it was to make sure she was safe. But the longer I stayed the harder it was for me to justify it as anything other than selfishness.
When the sitter sent me pictures earlier I just saved them and resent them to Emily like I was the one home with them. I was thinking the little lie would be worth it if it gave me peace of mind. Now I’m just mad as hell and I’m ready to rip this building down brick by brick.
I send a quick text to the sitter saying I’ll be a little late, and she gives me the thumbs up. After that I text my buddy Michael, but he immediately calls me. My phone is on silent, but I duck down anyway and whisper into it.
“You should be able to hear everything through the earpiece,” he says, and I roll my eyes.
“I know,” I whisper darkly, angry at him and at the situation. “That’s the problem. I can hear every fucking thing they’re saying. And I want to go in there and rip this asshole’s throat out.”
I called in a favor with him last night, thinking it would be just one way for me to know my bride was all right and I could handle her having a new job. I didn’t ask questions, but he left an earpiece for me in my truck this morning and told me I’d have audio and visual on her throughout the day.
“Dylan, calm down,” he says, and I hear him shuffle around. “Look, Jeanette doesn’t know I’m doing this for you. If she did she’d probably string me up by my balls. She loves Emily.”
“Goddamn, so do I.” I feel myself get loud and I take a breath. “The only reason I asked you is because you’re the best in the business on surveillance.” I peek back up into the window and see my Emily being handed a stack of paperwork. “I just needed to keep eyes on her. And I don’t like what I see.”
“I don’t blame you, man. I’ve always got eyes on my woman.”
I sigh again and rub my eyes. I’m not going to make it through the day. Watching her in the basement about drove me nuts. She’s got bad allergies and being around all that dust was killing her. But she didn’t give up. I was simultaneously proud and enraged at the work she was doing.
We don’t need the money. I’ve made enough so she doesn’t have to worry, and she can buy anything she wants. I’ve worked hard for a long time so that my family can sleep at night without a thought of doing without. I know she didn’t get this job so that we could pay the bills, so I’m trying to understand her need to be fulfilled. I just ache in my chest that I can’t do that for her.
“Listen, I warned you. You just need to check the app I put on your phone a couple times a day and let it go. You can’t watch her twenty-four/seven. Believe me, I’ve done the leg work on it. You’ll drive yourself insane.”
“Too late,” I say, looking back into the window. “I don’t like the app. I wasn’t close enough.”
“Dylan, where are you exactly?” Michael says, and I hear the threat in his voice.
“Just, you know, outside the window.”
“Oh god, you’re going to get the both of us in trouble,” he says, and then I hear his name being called.
“Saint? Are you hiding in the closet?”
“Fuck,” he whispers. “I had nothing to do with this. Get your ass out of there, Dylan,” he says, right before he hangs up on me.
I stuff my phone in my pocket and peek back into the window one more time. “Shit,” I mutter, seeing the room empty, and walk around the side of the building. When I look through another window there’s an older lady standing there with Emily.
I watch right before the older lady turns around and looks directly where I’m standing. I’m scared she might have seen me, and I can’t have Emily finding me lurking outside the window.
“Shit,” I say again, cursing the whole damn day.
Just then I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Thinking it’s the sitter I reach down and check it, only to see it’s Emily. My heartbeat picks up as I open the text, but it’s just happy faces and her saying she’ll be home earlier than she thought.
“Triple shit.” I say and haul ass to my truck. I’ve got to get back home before she does and get the sitter out of there.
I run as fast as I can to my truck and jump in it. I throw it in drive and hit the gas as I barrel down the road to our house. It’s not even a five-minute drive from our place to the library, so I’ve got to be quick.
When I get home, I jump out and grab some cash out of my wallet. I run inside and stuff it in the babysitter’s hand as I practically shove her out the door.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, and I just wave at her to leave.
“It’s fine. Thanks again. I’ll call if I need you tomorrow,” I say, urging her to get in her car and go.
“All right. Well, tell Miss Emily I said hey.”
Jesus, could she move any slower.
“Yeah, yeah, fine, bye,” I say, slamming the door and going back to the boys.
I glance out the window and make sure her car is gone before I start to calm down a little. The boys look at me like I’m crazy, but they’re not going to say a word. And just to make sure, I hand both of them a Popsicle.
I thank god above that the sitter got dinner started, and I’m draining the noodles just as Emily walks through the front door.
“Hey, Button, how was your day?” I ask, turning to smile at her.
She looks me up and down and then cocks her head to the side. “Why are you all sweaty? And why is there mud on your jeans?”
Chapter 5
Emily
I smile at the text Dylan just sent me and I feel myself blush. I think about what we did this morning. We’ve been together so long and he still makes me blush. I have no idea how, but that man always gets to me. My body is once again sore all over.
You’d think we were newlyweds with the way we’ve been going at it. He not only made love to me last night after we'd put the boys to bed, but again this morning. He had me pinned to the wall right before I was about to leave. I can still feel his cum inside me. He refused to let me go clean myself off. I like the idea of walking around smelling like him for the rest of the day, so I didn't put up much of a fight about it. I acted innocent, which I’m pretty sure he saw right through.
I redden all over again at the thought. I’ve been walking around all morning like this. Not that anyone would know.
“What has you blushing?”
I glance over at Nancy, who’s going over the papers I just gave her. We’ve got a shipment of books coming in that we need to make room for. I have a list of recommendations on the ones I think we could donate to find space.
She wiggles her dark eyebrows at me and I laugh. I like Nancy. She’s sweet and easy to talk to. She stands out at the library because she doesn't dress like any librarian I’ve ever seen. She looks like a pinup girl. She’s different and as much of a Potterhead as I am. In fact, I think she might have me beat.
We are both at the main desk where you check library books in and out. This is pretty much her workspace and desk.
“My husband.” I smile.
Calling him that always makes me preen. People told us we’d never make it. That our love was too young. But I knew they were wrong. Even after Dylan graduated and I was still in high school, the girls at school would try to fill my head with all kinds of doubt. But I knew one thing about my man. I always have his attention. He’s paid attention to every breath I’ve taken. It drove me crazy, just as much as I loved it. We’ll last forever. I know it to my soul.
“How long have you two been together?”
“High school sweethearts,” I say, and laugh at her shocked expression.
Her eyebrows lift. “Losing the V-cards to each other and everything?”
I bite my lip and nod. This is another thing I like about Nancy—she just says or asks whatever she wants. It’s refreshing. Plus, I can tell she’s genuine with her questions, and there’s no judgment.
“Damn. One dick for life. I could dig that if it was the right dick.”
I burst out laughing but quickly cover my mouth when I remember I’m in a library. I look around, not seeing anyone around. I’ve noticed this place doesn’t get busy until later in the afternoon.
“Are you married?” I ask once I get my giggles under control.
“Nope, just me and my cat. Only one though, so you can’t call me a cat lady just yet. Maybe in a few years.” She smirks.
I wonder if she means she’s getting married in a few years, or if she’ll be a cat lady by then. Either way she smiles so she must be happy about the future.
“My husband is up to something,” I confess.
I put my phone back in my pocket and lean my hip up against the counter. Today I went with pants. I love to wear dresses, but I was worried I might get put back in the basement and pants would be more efficient down there.