Designing Woman (The Sloan Brothers Book 2) (15 page)

His hold on me got a little firmer and I snaked my arm across his waist, hoping I wasn’t making a colossal mistake.  When I noticed everyone had gone quiet, I looked up and locked eyes with Anton.  He looked lonely and lost.  He looked as if he’d finally figured something out and he was silently begging someone to tell him it wasn’t too late.  No one was saying jack-shit.

Finally Deacon cleared his throat and broke the spell.

“I called Chase and he’ll be here Monday.  He’s taking the next two days to pull all of his information together and bring the investigators here up to speed.  It looks like it’s gone past a restraining order now and that’s why we’re all here.”

All eyes were on Deacon, who in turn, was looking at me.

“Mel’, I want you and Austin to move in with Pierce and Ayla.”

He put his hand up when he saw that I was about tell him what I thought of that idea.

“It’s only until this blows over.  That shouldn’t be too long now, because he’s proven that he’s dangerous.  Everyone with a badge will be itching to find the lunatic.  It’ll be easier to keep everyone safe if we’re all concentrated in two areas.  Anton is moving in with us for the time being or I’d suggest you two come to our place.”

His implication was out there for anyone to deny and I, for one, knew I’d blow a fuse if I had to continually be subjected to Anton’s parade of female flesh.  If my choice was Deacon’s house or Pierce’s, I’d stick with Ayla and Pierce.  I looked up and Pierce was smiling at me.

“You’re cool with this?”

“One-hundred percent.  I’d much rather have you and Austin than Anton any day.”

“Hey!  Nice family loyalty there Pierce.  Thanks a whole fuckin’ lot.”

Pierce shrugged at Anton’s interjection of displeasure.

“Sorry, but you haven’t been pleasant company lately Ant’.  I know Ayla will feel better with her brother around and Austin won’t come without Mel’.  It’s simple math.”

Anton narrowed his eyes at Austin and I could see the wheels turning.

“Since when is Austin’s whereabouts dependant upon Mel’s?”

I stayed silent because it was as much a newsflash to me as it was to him.  Austin answered the question himself.

“Since she finally decided to walk away from constant disappointment and try someone that might actually be good for her.  I’ve got something to prove and I’m not leaving her side until I’ve accomplished that.”

Wow.  I poked the bear, but Austin walked up and slapped it on the back of the head.  The bear was now dissecting him with a glare.  Mr. Bear was not a happy bear at all.

Before Anton could reply and start full-fledged internal discord within our little group, Deacon scored with the distraction.

“Mel’, if you could pack a bag and be ready to go soon, we can pull all of this together tonight.  Wherever he is, he’s losing patience and not above hurting people.  He knows you’re here and he thinks Ayla is here at least some of the time.  My guess is, this’ll be the next place he hits.  Chase agrees with me, we updated him earlier.”

Ayla and Dor’ moved closer and helped me stand, then they moved towards the stairs to help me.

“Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be ready to roll.”

I heard Anton speaking to Pierce and I had to smile.

“Pierce, don’t you dare put them in the same room.”

Pierce chuckled and shook his head, leaning casually against the entryway.

“I’d never presume to do that Anton.  What they decide to do once the lights are out is up to them, they’re adults.”

“Who’s side are you on?”

“I didn’t know you had a side.”

I looked at them over the railing from the second floor.

“Me neither.”

Four sets of male eyes shot to me and I tried to keep my eyes on Pierce.  I was in a strange situation for sure.

If I blew this shot with Austin, I’d never get another.  He wasn’t Anton.  Anton was perfectly content it seemed, to wander in and out of my life as the mood suited him.  As long as I continued to allow it, he’d continue to wander.  I told him that when I was ready to settle down, that was it.  Was I ready?  If I was, was I ready to attempt it with Austin?

Austin was perfect.  Seriously.  He was my best friend’s brother, he had his head screwed on straight, and he owned his own business.  I had a feeling that he wasn’t a “wanderer”.  I’d be willing to bet he wasn’t a cheater either.  He was everything that Anton wasn’t.

Do you see the problem?

Dor’ and I set about packing clothes and I sent Ayla downstairs to pack up some of the things we’d need to put a makeshift office together.  That was my story and I was going with it.

Once we were alone, I handed Dor’ a sweater and watched while she folded it and placed it into the large suitcase.

“Can I ask you something?”

Dorothy raised her eyebrows and looked at me, waiting.

“How did you get Deke to stop chasing other women?”

She stopped, cocked her hip and looked at me.

“Interesting question.  The answer is, I didn’t.  He did that on his own.”

“You didn’t lay down the law?  Give ultimatums?  Threats?”

“No, no, and no.  I told you.  He decided I was the ‘one’ and that was it.  Why are you suddenly curious about Deacon’s dating habits?  Do you know something I should know?  It’s because I’m getting fat, right?”

I put my hands on her shoulders to slow the escalating panic.

“Stop already.  This is not about Deacon.  He adores you.  You know that.  This is about the other Sloan.”

She sat down on the bed and folded her hands in her lap.  A telltale sign that she was going to say something that I wasn’t going to like.

“What are you gonna do about him Mel’?”

“I guess I’m gonna cut him loose.”

I didn’t know what I was gonna say until I said it.  It surprised both of us.

“I think you believe you’re going to do that, but we both know you’re not.  Neither one of you will ever let that happen.”

I stood and hobbled to the dresser, pulling out underwear and shoving it into the suitcase.

“You’re acting like we don’t have a choice Dor’.”

She grabbed my hands and looked up at me.

“I don’t think you do.”

“I used to think that too, but then he hurt me for the hundredth time.  At what point do I stop letting him do that, huh?  When do I stop obsessing over him and quit being stupid?  There’s a wonderful guy waiting for a chance and I’m letting him get away because of that Romper Room Romeo.  I’m nothing to him but an easy lay and I’m sick of it.”

“He loves you.”

“So he says.  Then he turned around and made me feel stupid and unwanted over Christmas.  Enough.  I’d have been gone a long time ago if I had a place to go, but my home, family, and business are here.  I’m kinda stuck.  Besides, why should I run?  There’s no reason we can’t be civil at family events, why doesn’t someone give him a good talking to?”

She released me and I went back to packing.

“I’ve never seen you like this before Mel’.  I’m at a loss here.  Tell me what I can do and I’ll do it.”

My sister was once again my rock.

“There’s nothing anyone can do that hasn’t been done or said already.  He is what he is and trying to change him is an act of futility.  Thanks for offering, I appreciate it.”

I zipped the suitcase and dragged it off the bed.  It had wheels, saving us both from lifting or calling for help.  We walked into the hall, me on crutches and her dragging the bag behind.  When we became visible on the walkway, Deacon bounded up the stairs to take the bag from his wife.  I smiled and he smiled back.  Then I turned to my sister.

“You wanna know what you can do?  Clone him.”

They both started laughing and I wished I hadn’t been serious.

“This is such a load of shit.  I’m going home.”

Ayla and Sean looked up at me over their coffee, Pierce and Austin had already left for work.  Sean looked sympathetic.  Ayla looked terrified.

“You can’t go home Mel’.  It’s only been a little over a month.  Look!  You’re even in a walking cast!  No more crutches.  That’s a plus, right?”

“Ayla, knock it off.  The Sally Sunshine thing is getting on my nerves.  I want my own bed and my own workroom back.  I want privacy and alone time.  I’ve got an atrium and a garden to plan.  The baby will be here in a few months and I’ve got a baby shower to host.”

I was moving down the hall and they were hot on my heels.  Sean hadn’t said a word yet.  He was my ace in the hole.  When I turned into my room, they followed.

“Sean, get my suitcase from the closet please.”

He did as he was told and I gave him a genuine smile.  He straightened his posture and smiled back.  He was my new rock.

“Melody think about what you’re doing please.  Pierce and Deacon will have fits over this.  We’re not safe.”

I turned to Ayla who was now wringing her hands as I filled the suitcase.

“Says who?  Chase and Austin have been trailing the guy for weeks and they haven’t found jack shit.  I say he’s gone.  He made his grand gesture and now he’s back home.  Mark my words.  You wanna stay?  Stay.  Pierce likes you here.  Austin and Chase are back in the apartment above the bar, I know they are.  Austin doesn’t come here hardly ever and he has to be sleeping somewhere.”

“He’s overseeing the repairs on the bar.  It’s easier if he sleeps there.”

“See?  Tony hasn’t attacked him and he’s back home, I can go home too.  Sean?  Empty my closet please.”

Sean moved to gather the reset of my things and I limped to the bathroom, gathering my toiletries and shoving them into my small travel bag.  When I returned to the bedroom, Sean was folding my clothes and placing them in the suitcase.  I tossed the travel bag on top.  I looked over at a too quiet Ayla and she had her phone in her hand, agonizing over a decision.

“If you call anyone named Sloan, you’re dead to me Ayla.”

Sean rolled his eyes and spoke in an exaggerated stage whisper to Ayla.

“She doesn’t mean it.  No one’s been dead to her since a model stepped on a hem at a show and we had to staple it back together.  Don’t worry.”

Ayla looked at me with huge eyes, unsure of who to trust.  I narrowed my eyes at her and she sat down, her call temporarily forgotten.  I turned to Sean.

“Grab the bag and come with me.”

He grabbed the suitcase and followed me out the door.

Sean came home with me and I wasn’t sure if it was out of duty or fear of letting me go alone.  We were under strict rules not to go anywhere without a “buddy” and for the most part, that was one we followed.  I still felt like a six year old on a field trip everywhere I went.

When we walked into the condo, it smelled musty but felt like home.  The cleaning company had kept everything dusted, but homes are meant to be lived in.  Without air movement, they quickly go stale.

Sean started hauling my case up the stairs and made himself at home.

“I’ll unpack your bag, you make coffee.  If I were you, I’d have the locks on the door changed or every Sloan and their cousin Tito will be here within the hour.  Ayla’s sweet, but she’ll rat you out in a heartbeat.”

“Good plan.  Thanks.”

I called a locksmith then ordered lunch.  The phone rang twice and I let it go to voicemail.  I wasn’t in the mood to be nice and I didn’t feel the need to explain my actions.  I was Melody-fucking-Lincoln and I was an adult.  I hadn’t explained myself to anyone in years.

With my attitude firmly in place, I yelled up at Sean.

“Could you do me a favor while you’re up there?”

He came out and looked over the railing.

“What do ya’ need?”

“Look in the room next to mine and tell me if Austin’s things are still here.”

He disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later.

“Nope.  It’s cleared and clean.  He’s gone.”

That was all I needed to know.  He’d stayed exactly three nights at Pierce’s and then Chase showed up.  They both disappeared and nobody said diddly squat about it.  It was okay for them to be sitting ducks above a bar the asshole had already firebombed, but I wasn’t allowed to be alone in a secure building when I’d already kicked his ass once.  What a crock.

I hadn’t heard from Austin or Anton in weeks now and I felt free to make assumptions.  Austin was too busy to give me and our fledgling potential relationship the time of day, and Anton was being, Anton.  Man, I sure knew how to pick ‘em.

Sean came skipping down the stairs as the doorbell rang and he held up a hand to me when I stood to answer.  I sat back down and watched look out the peephole.  He smiled and pulled out his wallet.  I watched him take a box of food from a delivery guy we’d used before, pay him, then close the door.

“Deli sandwiches.  Good choice.  You grab drinks and I’ll unpack lunch.”

By dinner time the new locks were installed and I had five keys in my hand.  I gave Sean one and he threw the old one away, replacing it with the new one.  One would be for Ayla, and one for Dorothy.  That conveniently took care of all the Sloans except for one, as well.  That left one left over and I tossed it in the bowl where I tossed my own keys, on the small table near the front door.  I was curious who would discover the change first.

Sean left a little after five, leaving me alone for the first time in over a month.  The walking cast made it easier to get around and I was glad to be rid of the crutches.  The new cast would come off right about the time Deacon and Anton left on their trip.  I was more than ready.

Since there wasn’t much left to do, I went upstairs and out into the atrium.  I pulled out my cell and settled in to listen to my friends and family rip me a new one.  I’d have to face the music eventually and I’d rather do it on my terms.

The first one was, of course, from Pierce.

“Melody, Ayla called.  Call me back as soon as you get this.  It’s Pierce.”

Delete.  Next came Deacon.  Oh my.  They decided to pull out the big guns since Pierce got nowhere.

“Melody Elizabeth, I’m too busy to dick around with your shenanigans today.  The next call concerning you that I get, had better be either yourself or someone else telling me that you’re back at Pierce’s where you belong.”

Did he call me Melody Elizabeth?  Not even my own father had called me that since I was seven and tie-dyed his best dress shirt.  I laughed at the memory and Deke’s call.

Delete.

“Mel’?  Anton.  I’ve got two brothers breathing down my fucking neck over you and I don’t appreciate it.  Get your ass back over to Pierce’s or I’ll physically take you there myself.  Leave it to you to jerk me...”

Delete.  I did NOT need a rant from dick-for-brains today.  I was still working on my residual feelings for him.  Hearing him berate me for something that had nothing to do with him was not in my plans.  He could blow me.

“Mel’, it’s Dor’.  I know you value your privacy and I for one can understand that.  I’ve got Anton at my house.  Remember?  I’m the last one to tell you that you were wrong to go back home.  I am worried about your safety though.  Would you consider asking Sean to stay with you for awhile?  Think about it.”

Now see, THAT’S how you approach me on this.  My sister understood me.  She understood my need for “alone time”, because she had none and would have none for the foreseeable future once the baby came.  To top it off, she had to deal with Anton.  I did not envy her position.  I could see all three Sloans calling her, trying to persuade her to intervene.  The thing was, I didn’t need an intervention.  The alarm was set, the locks were changed, and unless he could climb buildings, I was safe.  I wasn’t going anywhere, I was even having my groceries delivered.  I was perfectly happy at home alone.  Delete.

One more message left and I assumed it was from Ayla.  Teddy Bear probably called her back and asked her to take one more shot at me.

“Ms. Lincoln... it’s... Tony.  Forgive my bad manners a couple of months ago, and please forgive my intrusion into your privacy now.  I’d like to talk to you if you have a moment.  A phone conversation is fine, I understand why you might not want to talk to me in person.  Call me back at this number if you would please.  Thank-you.”  Click.

That one would not be deleted.  I sat back and took a deep breath, then looked out at the snow covered roof.  This was a doozy of a dilemma.  Think about it from my viewpoint.  If I called a Sloan, Austin, or Chase, the whole freakin’ lot of them would be on my doorstep within the hour.  Probably sooner.  They’d demand I go back into hiding and the whole freak-out thing would start all over.  Am I wrong?  No I am not.

On the other hand, if I called him back and made nice-nice, maybe he’d spill something that we could use.  He sounded polite, friendly even.  I knew he was after intel on Ayla, I’m not a moron, but just because he wanted it, it didn’t mean he’d get it.  I was curious how he got my number though.  I was unlisted and unpublished.  My work number was different and rang the office.  That had been forwarded to Pierce’s, which reminded me.  I needed to change that back.

Here were the facts as I saw them.  We still didn’t know where he was and wouldn’t know, whether I called him or not.  If I told everyone else about the call, they’d tap my phone, after they came running over here to listen and pass judgement.  I didn’t want my phone tapped.  What if I wanted to have phone sex or something?  Not that I ever did, but that wasn’t the point.  I also didn’t want any more company for awhile.  Both of those were for the same reason.  I wanted some privacy and space to breathe.

Playing devil’s advocate, yes, they probably did need to know about this.  Tony allegedly firebombed the Monkey and he needed to be found and at least questioned.  I liked Austin and it was costing him a mint in downtime, getting the bar up and running again.  But what if Tony had an alibi for New Year’s Eve?  It wouldn’t be hard to set one up, everyone went out that night.  Any number of people could’ve seen him anywhere.

I sat forward, clutching my phone, the rattan loveseat creaked beneath my body from the cold.

What if I could get him to slip up and admit he’d done it?  All I had to do was win his trust.  I could do that.  People liked to talk to me.  I had fucking brilliant people skills, ask anyone.  I could get him to confess to the fire and slip up and tell me his location.  Maybe not in one phone call, but if we became phone buds, who knows?  I could save this entire situation and keep my privacy at the same time.

Sounded good to me.  I studied the number on the message, committed it to memory, and programmed it into my “Contact” list.  Under the name, I typed, “Stallone”, and giggled.  I was a fucking genius.

I worked hard to control my breathing and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.  I’d seen this man at his worst.  He was one scary dude when he was provoked.  I was a master provoker.  I didn’t even have to try.

It rang twice and someone answered without saying hello.  If I were him, I’d do the same thing.  You can’t be too careful when you’re a firebombing stalker waiting for a call from the woman that kicked your ass.

“Tony it’s me, Melody Lincoln.”

I heard him release a breath and I knew how he felt.

“Ms. Lincoln.  Thanks for calling me back.”

“Please.  Call me Mel’.  We’ve already had a cage match, I’m pretty sure that etiquette says we should be on a first name basis now.”

He gave a low chortle and I figured that was a score.  I gave him one more.

“I’m finally in a walking cast by the way.”

“You broke your foot?  I don’t feel so bad now.  You broke my nose.”

“You’re a boxer.  I’d be surprised if that was a first for you.”

“Fair assessment Melody.  Where are you calling from?”

“Someplace private.  There’s no one around at the moment, I can talk freely.  How did you get my number?”

“It was easier than you might guess, but it’s safe with me.  I’m talking on a disposable phone and I have several.  If you plan on tracing the call...”

“I’m not.  That’s Chase’s thing, not mine.  I’m more curious as to why you’re calling in the first place.”

“There are two reasons actually.  First, as I said earlier, I owe you an apology.  Showing up at your home, no matter how good my intentions were, was the wrong thing to do.  I’m sorry and I’m sorry I frightened you enough to make you feel the need to attack me.  I can assure you, I’m usually not that aggressive with strange women.”

“I like how you phrased that.”

He ignored the barb.

“Second, I was watching television and I saw the coverage of the fire at the bar.  I wanted to make sure everyone was alright.  Of course I’m especially worried about Ayla.”

Blink.  Blink.  One of two things was happening here.  He either did it and was fishing for info, hoping that he hurt a key player, or he didn’t do it and was worried for the same reasons I was worried on the night of the incident.  I’m sure he didn’t give a flip about my sister or the Sloans, but I could see where he’d be worried about the woman he was stalking.  I decided to keep it honest.  It seemed like the way to go for now.