Company Ink (20 page)

Ben’s eyes widened in response. “What exactly were his plans?”

“I had no intention of sticking around and finding out,” she said, her voice hardening. “The day I decided to leave him, I gave him no room to follow me anywhere. I went to work as usual and then went to my mother’s house. I told her everything that night. She wouldn’t let him come around.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t get violent,” Ben commented.

“I’m pretty sure he was afraid of my mother. What I love about her the most is that when her kids are in danger, she turns into an absolute lioness.”

Ben smiled. “I can respect that. So was that it? You broke up with him from your mother’s house, and he took off?”

“Actually, it turned into a three-day standoff. He locked himself in my apartment—the one he wasn’t paying rent for—and tore the place up. Used every dish in the kitchen cabinets, destroyed my linens, and set up a rope from the ceiling so that I would think he’d tried to hang himself.”

“Jesus, that’s unbalanced! How did you end up getting back into your place?”

“My mom.” Violet smiled. “She called him and left a voicemail saying she was on her way over with my police officer cousins and a bat. And if he wasn’t gone, she was going to make sure he’d be leaving my second-floor apartment through a window instead of the door.”

Ben laughed. “Fabulous. So I’m guessing he was gone when she got there.”

“He was.”

“So, you think he’s obsessed with you because you left? Like, despite everything, you were still the one that got away?”

Violet nodded. “That’s what I think. We didn’t get to end things on his terms, so he’s trying to weasel his way back in. Whether it’s just to destroy my spirit or because somewhere deep down he still has feelings for me, I don’t know.”

Ben raised an eyebrow.

“I told you—that ship sailed a long time ago. I won’t let him back in,” she said.

Ben nodded, reaching over with a proud grin and pulling her against him for a cuddle. “He couldn’t handle you now anyway, Vi. And now we’re going to get a decent night’s rest, and I’m going to figure out a way to gloss over the fact that Wynne’s star protégé is going to be out of commission for the next few weeks.”

Violet let out a sigh. “She’s going to flip.”

He chuckled. “Rest, sweetheart. I have to work in the morning, but I’ll be back and we’ll spend the evening making love and figuring out how to get on with the rest of our lives.”

Violet snuggled against Ben’s chest as he reached over and turned off the light. “Perfect.”

• • •

Ben left for his usual early-morning shift at five fifteen, promising she’d hear from him before noon. She knew she would be hearing from Wynne sooner than that; Ben planned on sending Wynne an email within an hour of arriving at The Rock. Violet tried to go back to sleep after she’d sent Ben off with a long kiss and locked the door behind him, but her nerves took over before she could lie back down. Instead, she fixed herself breakfast and sat at her dining table, awaiting the inevitable backlash, while the television played hits from the ’80s.

Time passed more slowly than a turtle making its way to shore, but her phone finally rang at nine thirty. Wynne’s name flashed on the screen; Violet took a deep breath before picking it up.

“Hello?”

Wynne’s voice was a number of things, but pissed off didn’t seem like one of them. “Hey, Violet, is everything okay?”

Violet picked up on the sympathy and figured it was safe to exhale. “Honestly, I’ve been better.”

“Why didn’t you tell me something was going on with you?” Wynne asked gently. “We could have handled this in a manner that might not have taken you out for almost a month.”

“I’m so sorry, Wynne. I really am. The situation got out of control, and I was already embarrassed, and—”

“You have no reason to be embarrassed,” she interrupted. “I’m sorry you’re hurt, but I’m glad you defended yourself.”

Violet sighed. “Did I ruin everything, Wynne? Is my future at the bakery in jeopardy?”

Wynne remained silent long enough to make Violet’s heart threaten to burst through her chest. “No, Vi, it’s not. You’re talented, bright, and headed places. I want you to head places with my company. Just do us a favor and think next time, okay? You were right in front of the store, you could have called out to someone or even run inside.”

Violet rolled her eyes. The ideas people have when they’re not in the middle of a heated situation are all fine and well until it comes time to react. “I’m not planning on having this happen again. And I am sorry.”

“It’s okay, Vi—really. I’m truly glad you’re okay,” Wynne replied. “And I’m sorry to seem like I was scolding you. I just wanted to check in and see how my girl is actually doing.”

Smiling, Violet replied, “Thanks. Are you at the bakery now?”

“No, but I’m heading over there in a few minutes. I thought it might be a good idea to stand by the new guy and make sure he has everything covered. Which reminds me, I hear things are going uncommonly well between you two. No more head-butting?”

The words Wynne used were unsettling. Violet went from relaxed to on high alert in a matter of seconds. “Yeah, we came to an understanding.”

“Well, that’s good,” Wynne answered. “Because you know I have big plans for you, and his management experience is something I’d like you to observe. Are you sure there’s nothing else I should know?”

Violet’s heart pounded in her ears; she said a silent prayer that Wynne wasn’t actually trying to bait her into giving something away. “Nothing I can think of.”

“Okay,” Wynne said, her voice going up half an octave. “You know you can talk to me if you need to.”

“I know,” she replied.
Get off the phone, Vi … now
. “Listen, Wynne, I have a few phone calls to make, including the police, so I can begin the process of getting an order of protection. I’ll check in with you later?”

“Please do,” Wynne said, her voice sounding just sweet enough to make Violet nervous. “Give me a call if you need anything, and when you’re ready to come back, just let me know.”

“I will, Wynne. And thanks again.”

Thankful that the call had at least ended on a pleasant note, Violet tried to mark the conversation as a victory, because Steve hadn’t managed to ruin her life completely. And though she now needed to focus on healing and getting him out of her life—again—once and for all, the thought that Wynne was growing suspicious about her relationship with Ben weighed heavily on her mind. It seemed likely that Violet would have to make a choice soon; she’d so hoped she wouldn’t have to. She already felt like a jerk for rushing Wynne off the phone, but she couldn’t risk incriminating herself. And she did actually have to make a call, that wasn’t a lie: the routine, having never left her mind from so many years ago, felt like old hat. The next call she made was to the precinct where Steve was currently awaiting his release.

• • •

Ben’s work day was absolutely wild without Violet handling production. She was certainly the most capable member of the staff, hands down, and he could say with confidence that his opinion was not biased. He’d gotten to see just why Wynne had such big plans for her. And now that she’d been taken out of the equation for a few days, he felt her absence big time.

He approached Violet’s apartment door, his feet leaden. He stopped directly in front, allowing himself a stretch before remembering just who it was he was coming home to. His exhaustion beginning to wane, he smiled broadly and opened the door with the spare set of keys Violet had given him the night before.

He spotted Violet directly ahead of him sitting at the table in the small area portioned off for dining space. She turned to look at him as the door closed, her face filled with worry.

“What happened?” Ben asked, approaching her quickly and pulling her to her feet for a hug.

“I called the cops earlier to get my case number so I can get the order of protection, and he’s already out.”

He was stunned. “They released him? That can’t be right.”

“That’s what I said. He was supposed to have a record, because I went through this with him already,” she added, her voice trembling. “And I can’t get to court until tomorrow.”

“It’s okay, I’ll go with you,” Ben said. “I’m off tomorrow—I’ll stay here, and we’ll head downtown together.”

She sighed in frustration. “I feel like a child right now. I shouldn’t be this anxious about all of this.”

Ben beckoned her over to the couch by patting the seat next to him. “A little anxiety is natural; he’s already put you through enough. Come on, sit down and let me tell you how nothing is the same without you at the bakery.” He smiled coyly as she settled next to him on the couch.

“Should we be having this conversation around a pizza?”

“This is definitely a pizza conversation.” Ben pulled his phone from his pocket. “You make the iced tea; I’ll order the noms.”

Violet chuckled and stood, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back. She fell onto his lap with a startled squeak. Before she could say a word, his mouth was pressed against hers; she wrapped her arms around his neck as he ran his hands up her back, drawing her closer as he tried to express just how much he’d missed her over the past couple of days in one sweet kiss.

“You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet!”

He planted a playful kiss on her shoulder blade, inhaling deeply. “You haven’t been to the bakery in over twenty-four hours. How do you still smell like cupcakes?”

“When you’ve been baking as long as I have, I guess it becomes part of your DNA. Maybe the pizza will change that.”

“It better not,” he teased.

He had just put his phone to his ear when the doorbell rang. Violet’s head jerked toward the door; Ben stiffened and stood to put an arm around her, staring at the door.

“Let him in,” he said. “Steve and I are going to have a talk.”

“Maybe we should just call the cops, or let him think I’m not here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he remarked, stepping toward the door. “Steve just needs to talk to someone who speaks his language.”

The doorbell sounded again. “Ben, please … ”

“Sweetheart, let him in,” Ben instructed, his voice even and frighteningly calm, even to him. “If I answer the intercom, he’s going to run, and I just feel like we need to try something new.”

The intercom buzzed again, the sound lasting longer this time. Finally, Violet stepped up to the intercom and pressed the talk button.

Her voice trembled slightly. “Who is it?”

“You know who it is. Let me up.”

“Just let me take care of this,” Ben repeated.

Violet shook her head. “I don’t want to confront him again unless it’s in court. Please don’t … ”

He stepped in front of her and pressed the “open” button on the intercom box, pulling her away from the door. “You don’t have to speak to him at all.”

Within a couple of minutes, there was a hard, obnoxious knock on the door. “Let me in, Vi!”

Ben opened the door and came face to face with Steve. But however startled Vi’s ex may have been, it didn’t stop him from oozing arrogance and machismo. “I need to speak to Violet.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at Steve with a slow, sardonic smile. “You’ve said all you need to say to her. Now you’re gonna talk to me.”

The longer Violet watched, the harder her head pounded in time to the thumping in her chest. She was in full view of the front door, and Steve could’ve addressed her directly at any point, but the standoff between the two guys kept both preoccupied. Part of her thought the air might explode, while another part of her couldn’t help but scoff inwardly at the testosterone-inspired display in front of her.

Steve straightened his back, as if trying to bring himself to Ben’s height. “Oh, so you’re her little boyfriend?”

She knew that brand of baiting. Steve’s first line of defense would be to mentally unglue Ben before going in for the kill and somehow turning the entire situation on him. But, to Violet’s relief, it didn’t look like Ben was biting.

He chuckled. “If that’s what gets you through the next ten minutes, Steve, then fine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve crossed his arms over his chest, puffing it out as he did so. Violet rolled her eyes.

“It means you have less than ten minutes to say what you have to say and leave our lives for good,” Ben replied, a deviant twinkle in his eye. “Now, what was so important that you left central booking and headed straight here?”

Steve’s brow furrowed. “That’s for me and Violet to discuss.”

Violet took a step back at the look of twisted determination that flashed in Steve’s eyes. For a brief moment, she felt helpless; he was never going to leave her alone. She’d never be able to get on with her life, and he’d never let her be happy. The possibility, however dramatic, made Violet’s heart sit heavy in her chest. Tears sprang to her eyes; she wiped them away angrily. Steve must have sensed her moment of vulnerability, because he attempted to push past Ben to get into the apartment. Her breath caught in her throat as, with little effort, Ben stepped in front of Steve and nudged him right back into the hallway. Steve’s face turned bright red at the rebuff, his anger mounting as he continued to glare at Ben.

“Get out of my way,” he snarled. “She has a lesson to learn”—he looked over at her with a threatening scowl—“and she knows it.”

The hairs on her neck stood on end. She’d never seen Steve look this hateful before; given the fact that she had to have him arrested no more than a day and a half ago, that was saying something. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ben stepped forward.

“All right, I changed my mind,” he said. “Your time is up. Maybe you should think about heading out before someone calls the cops.”

Before someone calls the cops?
Violet had already taken her phone out of her pocket and begun dialing 9-1-1. She moved back into the living room, hoping Steve wouldn’t hear her and flip out. Violet glanced upward as she cupped her hand over her mouth and the phone’s speaker in preparation for the emergency operator. Ben and Steve were standing closer now, and it seemed a fistfight was imminent.