Page 39 of Nightcrawler

“That’s it! Get your shit and get out of my house,” I said, barely able to keep hold of my restraint.

His eyes flew wide as he opened and closed his mouth several times. Finally, he found the words he’d been searching for as he spluttered. “You can’t be serious, Raven,” he whined. “Who will take care of your nana?”

I pulled out my phone as I stared him down, holding it up for him to see. “I’m calling the agency right now. They’ll have someone new tomorrow morning. I’m done being judged by you and I’m certainly not going to let you insult my friend or toss in racial epithets when you talk to me about him. It’s a good thing he’s not here.”

“I’ll tell them your friend threatened me.” He paused and then found his words again. “I’ll—I’ll call the police if you fire me!” His voice was shaking.

“And you forget I have friends in the police department who will set you straight if it comes to that, Ned. You’re not going to make trouble for me or for Miguel again. Now, get your shit and get out.”

He straightened, lifting his chin, and smoothing his finely boned hands down his sides. “Fine, Raven. I’ll do as you ask...but this isn’t the last you’ve heard from me!” He spun on his heel and headed down the hall to the spare bedroom where he had some clothes stored for his infrequent overnights.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, pursuing him down the hall. I noticed my grandmother’s door stood open as it usually did, so I lowered my voice as I followed him into the bedroom across from hers.

“What I mean is, expect repercussions for firing me,” he said, going to the closet and pulling out a small, Louis Vuitton suitcase. He went to the bureau and opened a drawer, pulling out clothes. “You can’t treat people like this, and you’ll find out soon enough exactly what I plan on doing about it, you—you bastard.”

“And I’ll make sure to tell the agency all about your behavior if you make a big deal about it.” I was seething with anger.

He whirled on me, holding a bright pink jockstrap in his hand. He shook it at me. “I’ll say you came on to me. I’ll—I’ll sue you for sexual harassment on the job. I’ll—”

I stepped up close to him, lowering my voice menacingly. “Try it, you piece of shit. Miguel can testify to the way you assaulted him earlier today, and I will make your life miserable if you dare to sue me.”

Tears sprang into his eyes. “I just wanted to make a good home for you and your nana, Raven. I’ve tried at every turn.”

I wasn’t sure if the tears and the whine in his voice were a put on or not. He’d never acted like an emo jackass before, so if this was all an act, he was giving me an Oscar winning performance. I forced my words to sound flat. “You’re a nurse, Ned. That’s all that you ever were in this house. I never led you on sexually. I certainly never made any inappropriate insinuations with you and if you recall, I rejectedyouradvances every chance I got. That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? You can’t have me, so I can’t have anyone else?” Of course that’s what this was.

He made an exaggerated sniff. “I could have made you love me if you gave me even half a chance but instead—” He waved in the general direction of the front door. “You want that!”

I backed up as he lowered the jockstrap. “Just take your stuff and go. Don’t make more of a scene, and I’ll give you a good reference. You were very good with my grandmother, and I’ll make sure the agency knows it.”

“But you’re going to ask for a replacement. What are they going to think?”

“Tell them I was making you work double shifts all the time. Your last timecard will no doubt reflect just that. It’s not a lie. I won’t contradict it. Just do me a favor and let bygones be bygones. We’ll leave it at that. What do you say?”

He sobbed. “Do I have a choice?”

I felt sorry for him but his pathetic display was over the top…one minute threatening me and the next minute whining. I blew out a long breath so that I wouldn’t tell him off and extend this pathetic conversation any longer than it had to be. He seemed almost fragile now that he’d cooled down slightly. “No. You don’t.” I turned and glanced at the open door, wanting to go tomy nana. “I’m going to see her,” I said as I turned back to see him putting more things in his bag.

He looked up. “I want to say goodbye to her.”

“Fine. Why don’t you do that first…while I make a call?” I was still holding my phone.

“You’ll give me a good reference?”

“I will, as long as you go now and don’t come back,” I said.

“Fine.” He brushed by me, walking out of the bedroom and leaving his half-packed suitcase on the bed. I looked down into it and noticed more fluorescent-colored jockstraps, then laughed as I walked out of the room. I shifted my thoughts to Miguel and the evening ahead. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water before checking to see if we had all the ingredients I’d need for the pasta I intended on making for dinner.

I’d been absolutely serious when I’d hinted that I wanted the man. There was something so sweet about him…one minute crabby, one minute vulnerable as he talked about his sweet kitten, one minute sexy as hell as his lips blended with mine. I hadn’t come right out and told him what was on my mind, which was that I really wanted to see his naked body lounging back on the sheets of my bed. But that had been exactly what I wanted. He was just too fucking beautiful for his own good and was probably too humble to even realize it. Most of all, I wanted to explore every muscle in his tight abdomen with my tongue…hell, I wanted to lick his tattoo.

When I walked back to my grandmother’s room, Ned was standing at her desk, closing a drawer there. Nana was asleep in bed. I frowned, walking over. “What are you doing?”

He held up his timecard. “I needed to retrieve this so you can sign it.”

“Oh.” I stepped forward and took the pen he offered before writing my initials beside the days he’d worked that week and signing the bottom of it. I handed it back to him. “Thanks.”

“I need to finish packing now,” he said nastily before spinning on his heel and walking out of the room.

I watched him go and then went over to my nana, bending over to brush her gray hair away from her forehead. Her rheumy gray eyes opened, and she smiled. “Raven.” She sighed in pleasure, holding out a delicate, bony hand and I took it, knowing she couldn’t see me. “How are you, dear?”

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