Survivor (First to Fight #2)(29)
God, it’s been a long time since I’ve just been able to have polite, easy conversation with someone. Conversation that doesn’t involve the past or even more recently, the present. “Well, I’m happy to help,” I say. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around Nassau before. How long have you lived here?”
“Me and my husband, John, we moved here about five years ago to retire.” She plops down in the big swivel chair behind her desk in the center of the large room that houses all the tech analysts. “We just couldn’t stand the cold weather up north anymore. Too hard on our old joints, the doctor said. John’s family used to live here a while ago, and we used to vacation here when our kids were little.”
“It’s pretty here in the summer,” I say.
“Damn sure is,” she says with a smile. Leaning close, she adds, “It’s been like a second honeymoon!”
We share a laugh. “I think I’m gonna like you,” I tell her.
“You’re too sweet. So tell me a little about yourself. What brought you to Nassau?”
Since I haven’t officially started work yet, I don’t for a couple more days, I sit back in the guest seat next to Anita. I don’t have any plans until the boys get out of school, and honestly, the sympathetic ear is welcome. “I used to live here when I was younger. My mom passed away a couple weeks ago and left my two younger brothers. Since my dad died of a heart attack when they were still little, there just wasn’t anyone else to raise them.”
“Oh, you poor thing. I’m so sorry to hear that.” She clucks around and offers me a cool can of soda and a homemade lemon square. “You eat this, okay? I bet your brothers sure are a lucky pair to have a sister like you.”
I nibble on the sweet and sip the drink. “I wouldn’t say that. Right now they’re pretty upset with me. I’d like to say it’s just teenage angst, but I wasn’t there for them as much as I should have been.”
She waves that away. “I wouldn’t be too worried. Boys are always getting upset about one thing or another. It’ll blow over.”
I contemplate the thought over another bite of lemon square. “I guess. I just have no idea what I’m doing. I never planned on having kids and now I have two.”
“And teenagers at that, bless your heart. Well if you ever need any advice, I’m here to help you, sugar. Mine gave me all this white hair so I have plenty of experience.” She gestures to her head of all-white and giggles delicately.
“I may take you up on that,” I say.
“Feel free. Once you finish that snack there, I’ll show you where your office will be, and we’ll get that paperwork taken care of. While we do that, you can tell me all about your brothers.”
A couple hours later, I leave the office feeling, for the first time in longer than I can remember, excited about the future. The job here may not be as lucrative as the one I gave up, but if every day is going to be spent like the one I just had, I could get used to it. I’m damn near bouncing on my toes as I head down to the employee parking garage. I’m even humming to myself, and I can’t remember the last time I felt relaxed enough to do that.
My sweet little car is parked in the spot already affixed with my name. A piece of paper fluttering on the windshield catches my attention and my steps slow, my heart lurching into my throat. With trembling fingers, I reach for the note, nearly dropping it twice before I bring it up to read.
The advertisement for car wash services pulls a laugh from my chest. God, I’m getting paranoid. Tossing the advert in my purse, I unlock my car door and slide in. My keys tumble to the floorboard as I set my purse down in the passenger seat. Cursing, I fold down to get them, scrabbling at the scratchy floorboard until my fingers snag them.
I straighten up and jab the keys into the ignition when I look up to see a shadow looming over the driver’s side window. For a second, I think it’s Jack, but this shadow is far too wide to be his lean frame. Fear lodges in my throat as I come face to face with the man whose face haunts my nightmares.
He leans down, his scarred lip twisting into a smile that sends shivers down my spine. “Hello, Sofia,” he says.
My insides freeze, tensing, and my elbows dig into my ribs as though I can disappear inside myself. I gasp for breath and when I speak, the words come out in tiny explosions. “Damian. What-what are you doing here? I thought you were in jail.” My ears start to ring and my first thought is of the boys. Oh, God. Their faces flash through my mind. I don’t want to stain them with this. Don’t want them to be faced with such horrors.
He chuckles and wedges his body in the open door, crowding my space. I jerk back, though there’s nowhere for me to go. The center console jabs into my back, but I don’t feel anything except the sharp, icy edge of fear.
“You know why I’m here, mi cielo. A cage can’t keep us apart and we have unfinished business, you and me.”
The click-clack of heels against the concrete echoes through the parking garage and my panicked eyes dart for the source of the sound automatically. When I recognize Anita, I swallow the automatic scream for help. Damian looks back, his body tensing for a moment while Anita crosses the garage to her late model sedan.
“Unfinished business?” I ask, though the words sound weak, even to my ears. Anything to get his attention off of her and back onto me. I couldn’t bear if someone I care about got hurt, and though I just met her, I already consider her a friend. One of the few I have left. For a few tense seconds, I can feel him weighing his options. When he lets her get into her car and drive off, I let out a heavy breath.