“What the fuck was Jacky doing in your apartment?”
“Fuck. I left the office before signing some letters. She brought them here for me to sign so she could get them into the mail. I wasn’t signing them in a towel, so I locked my room and quickly showered.” I close my eyes and squeeze the bridge of my nose with my thumb and finger. “I came out and found Jacky standing in my gym towel having just answered the door. She told me what she’d done so I kicked her out and I need to get personnel to move her elsewhere. Shit. Look I need to leave and go after Carla. She’s going to be thinking all sorts of things. I’ll call you when I find her.”
Shoving my cell into my back pocket, I collect my keys from the dish by the door, open the front door and come face to face with a gun, being held by Gary.
“Back up nice and slow.” He waves the gun in front of me while following me back into my apartment.
Chapter 41
Carla
Running from Sebastian’s apartment to the elevators, I constantly press the button for the ground floor with the doors finally locking me inside. I slump to the floor letting the tears flow.
They continue all the way down to the ground floor where I pull myself up off the floor and rooting around in my bag for some tissue I try and stem the flow, but they keep coming.
Dashing out of the building has the security guard pulling his nose out from his paperback, but I ignore him and push through the doors onto the street.
Not knowing which way to turn, I head right to the busy part of downtown knowing I’ll be safer there although what I really want is to be alone to wallow in my misery.
I know Jacky has a thing for anyone named McKenzie, but I always thought Sebastian wasn’t interested in her. Oh, I know he’d taken her out once, but he’d convinced me it was his brother’s doing and that he wasn’t actively involved in the groping session outside his building that I’d witnessed. Had he been telling me the truth? Ramon thought so.
“Hey, get back,” someone shouts, nearly yanking my arm from its socket.
I turn around to tell the person to go to hell, but he points forward, just as an eighteen-wheeler flies past.
He saved me from getting killed. I’m so upset I haven’t been watching where I’m going and stepped out into the road.
“Thank you,” whispers out between my lips, as I turn and try and push through the people waiting to cross, I realize I’m outside ‘La Brioche’ a French bakery I have a liking for. Or rather I have a liking for the almond croissants, which they make.
Mopping my tears up again, I try to pull myself together, at least long enough to order a latte and croissant because I think it would be safer if I sat for a while before I really do walk in front of a moving vehicle.
With the treats ordered, but with my stomach not wanting to know about them, I take a seat over in the corner so I can hide my face.
Sipping my latte, I ignore the croissant for now because I’m sure my stomach will revolt if I eat anything. My tears keep flowing as I try to work out what to do. I know Gary’s still out there, so the last thing I need is to go out on my own because he will find me, of that I’m sure.
As I sniffle into my coffee I can’t quite get over the niggling feeling that something isn’t right. Sebastian has done nothing but show me how much he loves me, so would he really hurt me like this? I also heard the shower behind a closed door and come to think about it, I noticed a stack of papers on his hall table along with Jacky’s purse. Had she gone to Sebastian’s apartment to get his signature and found him in the shower?
Why the fuck did I run? I’m an idiot. I don’t normally run from confrontations, unless they have something to do with Gary. So why did I run from this one? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Drying my tears with a new determination, I wrap the croissant in a napkin, shoving it in my bag with the loot I’d forgotten about before walking out of the bakery.
Dashing back down the street towards Sebastian’s apartment, I would be lying if I said I’m not apprehensive as to what I’ll find, but I need to know for sure because something’s telling me to give him a chance. To let him explain.
Hearing my cell ringing in my bag, I pull it free looking at the screen. Ramon.
“Hey.” I stand outside Sebastian’s building because he’s told me once or twice that cell coverage in the lobby and elevators is nonexistent.
“She set you up, Carla. Where are you?”
I can hear the stress in his voice, but I can’t pull any words together.
“Carla. Dammit. Gary is still out there. You shouldn’t be walking around alone, no matter what you think Sebastian’s doing. You should have called me. I’d have come and picked you up, and beat the crap out of my brother for being a dick.”