Page 50 of The Shadows We Keep

He stiffens under me and not in the way I like.

“I had a notice on my door when I came home. Eviction,” I explain.

His chest heaves.

“I called him when I got in here and left a not so nice voice mail,” I continue.

His head shakes in disapproval.

“Before I knew it, he was at my door. I thought it might be you since you’d just texted me.” I look up into his striking eyes. “But it wasn’t. He came on to me. I handle it. He left, and now I have a week to pack and leave before my apartment gets repossessed.”

His grip on my hips loosens and I finally find the leverage to break free, falling backwards to my feet and stepping away to gain some space between us.

“He can’t do that,” he says.

“Well, he did. So, now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to wallow in my shitty situation before I have to pull a miracle out of my ass tomorrow and find somewhere new to live without having rent or a deposit.”

He stands, walking over to my dresser, ignoring my attitude toward his invasion, pulling out my clothes and setting them all on the bed. One neat little pile next to another when his head turns in my direction. “Got a bag?”

“Harkin, what the hell are you doing?”

“Solving your problem. And mine,” he whispers under his breath without me missing it.

Grabbing on to his arm, I pull it away from the last drawer, stopping him in his tracks, “Harkin, stop it! I’m not going anywhere yet,” I implore him.

“Yes, you are.”

It’s then that his intent registers in my mind. “Hell no. I hardly even know you. Are you crazy?”

He doesn’t stop, collecting my belongings from one place and moving them to the center of my bed.

Slapping the pile on the floor doesn’t deter him from his mission. He disappears into my closet, returning seconds later with my large duffle bag from the back of my closet from my foster kid days.

“Damnit, Harkin. Listen to me.” Pulling against his arms, I’m desperate to stop his craziness. “I’ll figure this out. I just need some time.”

He finally stops, jolting in my direction, eyes meeting mine. “Absolutely not. You can stay in the guest room. But you’re leaving this place. Tonight.” He shoves everything into the bag before hauling it over his shoulder and heading out of my room.

I watch after him, he doesn’t pause, heading right for the front door. “For fuck’s sake, wait, would you?” I shove my feet into a pair of shoes, before barging into the bathroom for my toiletries.

When I stride into the living room he’s leaning casually against the wall, waiting patiently for me to unplug my phone charger and snag up my laptop. I shove past him and into the hall, heading straight for the stairs.

This man will be the death of me, I swear it.

TWENTY-ONE

HARKIN

Middle Of The Night – Elley Duhe

Her shoulder checks me roughly, stealing the bag from mine as she stomps in from the open front door, down the hall, and into the spare room across from mine. The door slams, solidifying her feelings on the situation. It’s fine. Her outburst will only give me time to dig further into the situation she’s facing.

Marco had no right to hit her with an eviction notice. I know for a fact that money made it into one of the many accounts he and his father holds.

The angry noises from my spare room quiet as the minutes pull forward, drawing us into the darkness of night.

The more I learn about this asshole, the more my fingers itch to tap the keyboard and sock him where it really hurts. Where he won’t know what hit him in the first place, but will take everything away in a matter of seconds.

His accounts sit balanced for the time being. He doesn’t know who he’s fucking with by upsetting her. She might not have told me the whole truth, holding back on their encounter, but that doesn’t matter. I got all the information I needed when I walked in the door and saw her gleaming blade tucked into the flesh of the front door. The recording from the security cameras James installed weeks ago only confirmed my suspicions.

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