Page 11 of When Sinners Fall
My coffee breakfast will have to do for now. I pull up the listing for the Japanese Tea Garden and work out the best route there, opting for an Uber. Apparently, the Gardens have a beautiful waterfall, and the venue is available for weddings. I need to make sure I'm familiar with the local highlights, and one of my clients has already suggested the place. So this is work, as well as breaking my habit of going to the office all week.
On the journey, I text Kerry, back in Seattle.
Hey, question, have you seen Paul around recently?
It's a long shot that he’s followed me down here, but he always was a slimy bastard, and we certainly haven't parted on good terms. A little bit of intimidation wouldn’t be a stretch.
Except, it doesn’t feel like intimidation.
And I can’t put my finger on what it does feel like.
Hey, good to hear from you. How's home? I’ve not seen Paul, but then, I don’t want to. Need me to send Elliott around?
I think about her offer. If I knew he was back in Seattle, at least I’d know it wasn’t him.
If he’s got time. No rush. Off to visit a venue. See you soon?
The gardens are magical. Full-blown, spectacular. Flowers, plants, authenticity, heritage - it’s a goldmine for my imagination, and I spend a good hour sitting in the shade and conjuring up a realm that extends as far as I can see. A powerful family rule, drawing powers from the magical and sacred waters flowing through the gardens. But as much as I want to relax, I can’t. My eyes aren’t just waiting to cast my next hero or villain. No, they're looking for anyone who’s watching me.
There’s nothing.
And the prickling feeling at the nape of my neck is nowhere to be seen.
I can’t decide if I’m disappointed or relieved.
What the hell does that say about me?
~
I’m a nervous wreck by Monday, and I clock-watch the whole day. I don’t know if it’s because I want to have that feeling back as I walk home alone or if I don’t. Maybe I should get a cab or something safer. But then, nothing’s happened. If somebody had been following me for the last few days, wouldn’t something have happened?
Finally, the sun sets, and it’s time to see if all of this is in my head.
I leave the office.
Start down the street, but there’s nothing.
That feeling of being watched, the shred of fear that’s been present and riding my shoulder is gone, and I’m left with the buoyant atmosphere of the city. Colourful and vibrant and not as scary as I had imagined after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
DRAGON
No amount of eyeballing Shaw is doing a damn thing to get him to do his job.
I back off and strip the sweat-laden shirt off my back, exposing some skin to cool me down. His hands loosen the moment I do, and little miss pretty breaks and makes a run for it. I catch her waist mid-stride and drag her ass back to the table where she belongs until this is done.
“Get your head in gear, Shaw.”
She whines at me as I hold her firmly, cries her pleas and begs in the hope I won’t do this. Doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. None of them do. Only one woman revolves in my head, and she isn’t a whore to get branded up. Maybe that’s why I’m being so goddamn patient with this one. Shame of it is, little miss manages to get a hand free and swipes her nails across my skin.
A low chuckle ebbs through me,
“Listen up, Red. This is happening. You want me to make you behave?” Seems like she doesn’t give a fuck about my threat because she comes at me again, all teeth bared and wild limbs. Shaw catches up with his balls before I have to carry out that threat, knocking her down into place and making her stay put. Guess he understands what’s coming next if he doesn’t.
He definitely can’t stomach that.
“You’re a goddamn pig,” she spits, still trying to get out of this. Yeah. Haven’t been any different for a long ass time. Especially not to women with as little value as this one has.
