Page 47 of A Protector For Phoebe (Love will OUT 2)

“No, I’m a graphic designer, but you don’t need to be an engineer to design a vehicle.”

I don’t agree with her, but I have no desire to get into an argument with Ms. Paranoid.

“And how is someone stealing your ideas? Are they stealing your plans from your house?”

“I’m currently between homes and the ideas are all up here.” She taps the side of her head with her finger.

Dare I ask how the ideas in her head are being stolen? Yes, I do. “And someone is stealing these ideas right out of your head?”

“Yes! I told you! From the listening device the dentist put in my tooth!” she shouts and starts pacing. There’s not much space to pace in my office – two steps in either direction and you hit wall – but that doesn’t stop her. She stomps two paces, raises her fist in anger to the wall, and then turns around to stomp in the other direction. “No one understands. No one believes me.”

My phone buzzes. Hailey’s on her way in to help.

I’m not sure what help Hailey can possibly be, but I definitely need help here.

“Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll get you a glass of water?”

“Water! You want me to drink water? You’ll steal my ideas, too. I knew I couldn’t trust you!” She rushes out of the room and runs smack dab into Aiden. I’ve never been happier to see the hunky man.

Jenny starts kicking and screaming, “Let me go! Let me go!”

Aiden twirls her around and slaps cuffs on her before pushing her into a chair. “Sit. Calm down.”

I don’t know what they teach at the police academy, but step one in dealing with a crazy woman is don’t tell her to calm down. Jenny jumps to her feet and starts running at Aiden with her head down. Is she trying to tackle him? Thanks to my trip to the Packers football game, I now know all about tackles.

Dammit. Now, I’m thinking about Ryker again. I need a magic spell to evict him from my head. Why hasn’t anyone invented a pill for evicting thoughts of asshole men from your head yet? I’d buy one. Hell, at this point, I’d sell my cherished Louboutins to afford it.

Aiden is six-foot-three and Jenny is around five-foot-five. She has no chance against the fit detective. He evades her with a step to the side. When she passes him, he grabs her upper arm and forces her back into the chair. He brings out a zip tie and connects her cuffs to the rear frame of the chair with it.

“Stay still or you’ll hurt yourself,” he orders. He motions for me to proceed him before backing out of my office and shutting the door.

“I take it we don’t have a new client then,” Suzie says.

“Why do I get all the crazies?”

Hailey pats me on the shoulder. “It comes with the territory. Remind me to tell you about the crazy cat lady over beer one of these days.”

“What happens now?”

“I’ll call it in,” Aiden answers. “See if we can get her involuntarily committed.”

“Committed.” I gulp. “Like to a mental institution? You can’t have her committed against her will, can you?”

Theodore has threatened more times than I can count to have me committed. It’s one of my biggest fears. I bite my lip and my eyes drift to my office where I can hear Jenny mumbling to herself.

Aiden gets right up in my space. He grabs my jaw and forces me to look at him. “This is nothing like what your asshat of a husband tried to do to you.” How does he know? “It’s written all over your face.” He takes a breath and lets it out. “Jenny needs help. We’re not trying to hurt her. We’re trying to help her.” I nod and he drops his hand and steps away.

The uniformed police arrive and immediately take over. One of the officers asks me for a statement and before you know it, I’m caught up in the whirl of the police machine. It takes several hours to fill out all the necessary paperwork. By the time they leave, I’ve missed lunch. I’m hungry and tired.

As soon as the door closes behind them, I glare at Suzie. “You need to start screening potential clients.”

“Sorry. Not sorry. Jenny needs help. Big time. And now she’s going to get it,” she says and flounces off.

Hailey puts her arm around my shoulders. “Why don’t you quit for the day and head back to Pops’ place?”

I’m not arguing with her. This week has been hell. Everyone always says the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy. They have no idea. Between a kidnapping and the crazy woman, I’m exhausted.

I stand. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take the SUV to my place to pick up some clothes before I go to Pops’.”

“Are you sure it’s safe? I can come with you.” In case I miss how Hailey will protect me, she pulls her gun out of her drawer. “I got ya.”

“I already cleared it with the uncles. I think they’re keeping a watch on my place in case Ryker or anyone else stops by.” Stops by? Snort. Hunts me down is more like it.

I sound full of confidence as I convince Hailey I’ll be totally fine. I’m not. But sounding confident and putting on a brave face were some of the first lessons my mother taught me. I learned them well. So well, in fact, I’m barely shaking as I walk toward my building scared out of my mind. What if Ryker is waiting for me? What if some other bounty hunter is after me? I wouldn’t put it past Theodore to hire dozens of them to chase me. Money is no object after all.

The door to the boarding house is locked when I reach it. Thank goodness. I unlock the door and climb the steps to my room on the second floor. It’s surprisingly quiet in the building. I guess mid-afternoon is when the junkies sleep.

I walk to my room with my keys out and at the ready. My feet speed up the closer I get. I got this. Wait. What’s this? There’s a package laying on the floor leaning against my door. No, I don’t got this. I spin around screaming my head off as I run out of there like my ass is on fire.

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