Page 8 of Last Chance Seduction
“I see.”
She didn’t elaborate and I had no idea what to say.But I didn’t want her to leave.Damn it.I used to be better at this.Weused to be better at this.“I do own it.I wanted a house that the Montgomerys didn’t build, and I could make it my own.I guess I moved in right after you did.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the rest of my crew that had run to Mercy’s backyard at the sound of her scream head back to the project site.And for that I was grateful.I didn’t need anyone else to see me fumbling like this.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it.But if you could let me know exactly when you guys are working, especially with the loud noises, that would be great.My sound booth only works so well.”
I winced once again.“I can text you every day what we’re doing, and if you’re behind on deadline or something, let me know, we can work something out.”
“I didn’t realize that you were able to control contractors like that?Isn’t timing important?”
“I’m the boss, and it’s my house.And I do remember how you work, Mercy.”
“I’m not the same person, Lex.And work changes over time.So do people.”
“You’re right about that.”I slid my hands into my pockets, rocking back on my heels.Mercy and I had been friends once.I wanted to believe the resentment in her voice was because of Justin, but maybe I had done something wrong as well.
“I didn’t know, you know.”
She winced, and I knew that was the exact wrong thing to say.“I need to get back to work.”A loud meow echoed from behind her, and she sighed.“And Mr.Darcy needs his food.”
I looked past her at the familiar black cat.“Hey there, Mr.Darcy.Long time no see.”
Mercy just nodded at me, before she turned on her heel, and walked carefully back to the closed-in patio.Then she picked up the meowing cat and walked into her house, closing and locking the door behind her.
I stood in her backyard, hands in my pockets, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do now.
“Hey, Montgomery, are you going to come back here and help out?”
I shook myself out of whatever the hell my brain was doing in that moment, and walked through her backyard, and through the back gate.I closed it behind me, noting that she hadn’t locked it from the other side.
I took my phone out of my pocket, ready to text her and tell her to lock it, and realized that she would probably do it herself, and I wasn’t even sure if she had the same number.Because she hadn’t answered a single call since I’d watched her and Emily get into that ambulance, red sprayed over all of that beautiful white lace Mercy had worn.
Sighing, I walked the slow path to my backyard, and through the open back gate.
“Everything okay?”Cullen asked, and I nodded at the large, bearded man.He was one of our main plumbers for Montgomery Construction, and we were grateful to have him.He had more experience than pretty much anyone on our crew considering he was a full decade older than most of us.But he didn’t mind calling the rest of us boss.He was just good at what he did, and he didn’t complain much.
“Sorry, you need me?”
“Mercy okay?I heard there was a snake.What kind?”
“Something venomous.You know Mercy?”I asked, wondering why that tickle of irritation rolled up my spine.It wasn’t as if I had been on site recently to meet the rest of the neighbors other than that first time.I was the lead for the entire company, and our architect.We had multiple projects going at once, and my house wasn’t on the top of the list.I wasn’t even living here full-time because I was working on multiple bids, so I still had my apartment.
It was easier for me to go back into the office if I only had to drive less than a mile.But my lease was up soon, and I would be living full-time in my home, complete with construction noise.No wonder Mercy looked perturbed.And it wasn’t just for the snake.
Not only did she get a blast from the past from seeing my face, but she also had to deal with construction noise.And that had to be killer for a voice actor.
“I’m friends with one of her friends.I don’t know her too well, but yeah, funny coincidence.”
“Oh,” I said before another worker called me over.
“Anyway, everything okay?”
“All good here.We’re all set with the bathroom addition, now we just need to work on a few other things before I get to head to another project and then come back here to do the big part.”
“I swear, you move around from project to project more than Dash does.”
“Did someone say my name,” my cousin said as he strutted over, a grin on his face.
