Page 72 of The Flame of Carson
Chase frowned as he studied her, “You look like you’re ready to pound something.”
“You’re not too far off actually.”Stacey mumbled.
“Look, I came by to tell you to take the rest of the day off.I know you were out of the office the last two weeks, but you were still working.”
“But Chase...”
“No, I mean it.I get that you and I don’t know each other enough for us to be...friends.Not like you and Walt.But I am your boss and right now, I’m seeing my employee looking both pissed off and exhausted.Go home.Take a hot bubble bath and down a bottle of wine.Hell, make it two.”
Stacey felt her mouth open and close a few times, but nothing came out.Did she really look that bad, that her own boss was kicking her out?Ducking her head, she felt her eyes close once more.They flew open again when she felt a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.Looking up, she saw Chase smiling gently as he looked down at her.Yes, he was right that they did not know each other that well, but in his gray-blue eyes, she saw concern and compassion.
“Stacey, I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through, have been going through this last year and a half.The loss of Jerry, your friend Krista being stalked, and now you are going through the same thing.I would be a basket case.Go home, unwind.You know what, take tomorrow too.Your work will still be here, and we have nothing pressing.”He instructed.
“I better call Ethan then.Are you sure though?”she questioned.
“I’m positive.Trust me, you’ll thank me when you come back on Wednesday.As for Mr.Blackstone, I’ll call him and tell him what I just told you.Tomorrow, his guys can get situated and learn the building.”He answered.
“Maybe you’re right.It feels like I haven’t been able to think straight since this guy found me here.I normally handle stress so much better than this.”
“Yeah, WORK stress.This is anything but work stress.”
“Fine.I’ll go home.While that bottle or two of wine sounds great, I think I may hit my new Krav Maga gym first.That’s what I would have done back in New York.”
“Even better.Do that and afterward you can hit the two bottles of wine.”
Stacey started laughing as Chase grinned.“Oh, I needed that too.Thank you, Chase.Okay, you go on and call Ethan.Let him know I’m heading for the gym first then home.”
“Will do.I will see you on Wednesday and I’m positive that you will feel more refreshed too.”Chase stated with a smile.
He patted her shoulder then left her office.Stacey shut down her computer and gathered her things.After her first visit to the gym almost three weeks ago, she decided to keep a set of workout clothes there.Stacey hit the lights on her way out of the office and waved bye to Judith who smiled and told her she would see her on Wednesday.In no time, she was behind the wheel of her Maserati and pulling out of her parking space in the garage.Yes, maybe Chase was right, and she needed to just step back from everything and readjust.Hopefully, beating the crap out of a sparring partner would help kick things off.
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Ethan was pacing hisoffice.It was only Monday and shit was hitting the fan.First Jimmy and Cain called and broached the same question with him that they had with Stacey.Did Gage have any enemies?He agreed to meet them at a coffee shop near Blackout.While they were meeting, Ethan had received a call from Chase telling him that Stacey was being sent home for the next two days.This did not sit well with Ethan one bit.He also knew it would not sit well with Gage when he found out.
“Ethan, what’s wrong?”
Ethan stopped pacing and faced his door where Danny was standing.“It’s a shit show Monday Danny, that’s what’s wrong.”
“Talk to me E.What’s happened?”Danny pushed, closing the door behind him.
“Jimmy and Cain called and asked me to meet them.We met and they asked a question I should have been asking since we realized that Gage was the target...”
“Does Gage have any enemies.”Danny said flatly.
“How in the ever-loving hell did I not think to ask that?If this had been some stranger off the street that would have been the first question, I would have asked them.Yet, I didn’t even think to ask Gage.I never asked Stacey because she told us she had already been trying to think of her own grudge list and the NYPD and Feds in New York already asked.While meeting with Jimmy and Cain, Stacey’s boss Chase called, and he’s sent her home until Wednesday.He says she looked exhausted despite working from home the last two weeks.She told him she would hit that new gym of hers then head home.”Ethan explained as he started pacing again.
“Have you told Gage that part yet?”Danny questioned with a frown.
“Not yet.I’m still trying to figure out if he has any enemies without flat out asking him.I don’t want him any deeper than he already is.We saw what happened already and him being too deep caused him to have a fucking panic attack!”Ethan growled.
Danny stood from the chair and moved to his brother-in-law.Gripping the older man’s shoulders, he forced Ethan to stop pacing and look at him.“Ethan, now you’re the one getting in too deep.”
“What?”Ethan gapped.
“Look at yourself.You’re pacing, clutching your fists, second guessing yourself, and I can see your body is so rigid with tension it could break a damned brick if I threw it at you.”Danny stated.He let out a sigh.“Brother, I get that you’re worried about Gage and Stacey.This is the first time that one of Blackout has become the primary target.”
