Downfall(20)

Of course, an asshole like him would be turned on by vulnerability and ignorance. He was no better than the thug who tried to assault me the night my car broke down. Around every single corner there seemed to be someone waiting to remind me that I would never be safe, no matter where I tried to hide.

I felt the tip of his tongue slide along the outside shell of my ear and I redoubled my efforts to escape. I swung my hands at his head, catching him with the one still wrapped around my phone. There was a solid thunk as my fist connected with his temple, but he didn’t let me go. Instead, his hands tightened where he held me, and he barked out, “Bitch!”

His mouth moved to my neck and I felt the burn of tears in my eyes. I threw myself backward, sending my purse flying off the counter. It hit the kitchen floor with a thump, making a racket. I was suddenly very happy that I hauled half a toy store around with me most places in case I needed to keep Noble entertained. One of her toys rolled out and started buzzing and beeping as it skidded across the kitchen floor.

The noise was enough to distract the landlord. He loosened his hold enough that I finally managed to connect a knee to his nuts, forcing him to let go completely as he doubled over with a grunt. As soon as I was able, I bolted for the door like the apartment was on fire.

I shouldn’t be surprised that I nearly bounced off Solo’s chest the minute I cleared the doorway. He seemed to have an uncanny knack for showing up right when I needed him the most. His hand wrapped around my upper arms to steady me as I started shaking apart in his gentle hold.

“What’s wrong?” His deep voice was still raspy with sleep and his black eyes and cut lip looked even worse than they had this morning. Even looking like the battered loser of an epic fight, he was still a sight for sore eyes.

I opened my mouth to tell him what happened, but instead of words coming out, a broken sob tore free and the next thing I knew I was being cradled against his massive chest as I cried so deeply it hurt my entire body.

Strong arms wrapped around me and over the top of my head I heard him growl, “What the fuck, Carl?”

The older man replied, “I forgot you lived on this floor, Solomon.”

I heard Solo grunt as he gave me a soft squeeze. “I live next door, you idiot. I heard the commotion through the walls. What did you do to her? If you touched her, I’m going to break every single bone in your body.” The super sputtered as Solo went on. “Then I’m going to wait until they all heal and break them again. I warned you months ago about harassing the female tenants. All you had to do was your damn job, Carl, and we wouldn’t have an issue. How hard is keeping your hands to yourself? I don’t know why people think I’m the type of guy who enjoys repeating himself.”

“I own this building, Solo. Not you.” It was all bluster, and I could hear the fear in the older man’s voice.

The man holding me set me gently to the side, and after asking where my daughter was, he gestured to the apartment next to mine, and quietly ordered, “Go in there and wait for me.”

I nodded, feeling numb and completely off-balance. I was a few steps down the hallway when I heard Solo tell the other man, “You own the building, but I’m the one who keeps the junkies and the drug dealers away from it. I’m the one who keeps the crime to a minimum. You get to charge more and keep this place one step above a tenement because I live here, so don’t for one second think I don’t know which one of us has the power. You can’t threaten me, Carl, and we both know you’re scared to death of me.”

A moment later there was the sound of flesh on flesh, and a moan of pain. Part of me wanted to turn and watch Solo put the aggressive, handsy man in his place while he taught him some much-needed manners. But a bigger part of me wanted to find someplace quiet and safe so I could pull myself back together. It was becoming habit to let Solo take care of everything that seemed broken in my life. It was a bad habit I needed to shake, but right now, it felt too good having someone there to make sure I was all right. It was so nice to have someone to lean on for a change.

Especially when that someone was big, strong, and not afraid of anything. There was some level of comfort in knowing he wasn’t likely to topple over, no matter how heavy the weight of my baggage.





Solo



This wasn’t the first time I’d been forced to set Carl straight about using his position to manipulate the female tenants. He’d tried to pull the same garbage with both Carmen and Erica; they informed me of his ploy when I first moved in. There was also a different, very cute redhead who used to live down the hall that he used to constantly creep on. Luckily, Carmen and Erica could take care of themselves, and the redhead had an older brother who wouldn’t put up with any of Carl’s shit. An older brother who just happened to be my Boss’s childhood friend. The redhead had hooked up with my Boss long before I went to work for him, and on occasion, he still griped about the shithole apartment where he’d found her. By the time I got to the landlord, he should have known to keep his hands to himself and that he wasn’t going to get away with harassing every pretty girl who rented from him. Apparently, Orley’s obvious lack of awareness and general softness had been too tempting for him to ignore.

I wrapped my fist in the front of his shirt and slammed him into the wall near Orley’s front door. His balding head hit the drywall with a satisfying thud, and I grinned when I saw the small hole the impact created. My sore ribs were furious at the sudden movement, but it was so worth the sting of pain. I was still tired, but the rush of adrenaline pushing through my veins was better than a cup of coffee to bring me fully awake. I was still passed out on the couch when I heard the weird sounds coming from Orley’s apartment, so it took me a few minutes longer than it should have to go investigate. I didn’t think she was supposed to be home from work until later in the afternoon, and it never occurred to me Carl would haul his incompetent ass out on a Sunday to fix her AC, even after I bitched at him for a solid ten minutes when I called.