touched parts of her she’d censored off, and she didn’t need him poking her softer sides. Besides, she couldn’t take full credit for her independence. She wouldn’t be there if not for him. “Thank you.”
He stepped closer to the stairs, but hesitated. “I’ll have a new phone delivered today—”
“No, Lucian. I can buy my own phone now. I’ll get one.”
His lips thinned, but he didn’t argue with her. “You’ll call if you need anything?”
She nodded.
He mimicked the motion. “Lock the doors. I’ll talk to your landlord about getting some cameras in that alleyway. I’ll contact FPD about those two men and make sure they never bother you again.”
She had no doubt. “Good-bye, Lucian.”
“I’ll see you soon.” He turned and headed out down the steps. Before the door clicked behind him, he muttered into his phone to Dugan that he was ready.
She turned and pressed her head into the wall. Her brain was too tired to think.
Chapter 7
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Pains
Scout dragged the order across the scanner as the woman in line chatted about the weather. The steady blip of merchandise being tallied had become the symphony of her days over the past few weeks of working at Clemons.
It had been a week since she’d seen or heard from Lucian. He’d gotten the last word and was now giving her space. The evening after he came to her apartment, a package arrived with a new phone. The note attached was simple and to the point.
Now you can call.
He just couldn’t let her get her own damn phone. In a way it pleased her that he’d gone against her wishes because now she had his number again, but it still pissed her off.
She couldn’t make sense of her feelings anymore. Space was good, but the more time that passed the more she missed him. Missing him was dangerous, so she embraced his absence like a vaccine, accepting it was part of the healing process. Sooner or later it had to stop grating on her. Did all women feel so irrational? She didn’t like it, yet couldn’t seem to control her tumultuous emotions.
“Oh, I have a coupon for that, dearie.”
“Okay,” Scout said as she continued to ring up and bag the order.
She slid a few birthday cards over the scanner, and her hand stilled when she reached for the tabloid crossing the belt. Her brain froze. With numb fingers, she lifted the magazine and stared dumbly at the picture on the front. Lucian wore an expression of disinterest as a woman laughed beside him, her arm looped affectionately through his, her palm pressing into his shoulder.
“The price is on the back, dear. And here’s that coupon.”
Scout blinked at the woman waiting to be rung out. Nodding, she turned the tabloid and scanned the price. Her numb hands bagged up the order as quickly as possible and, once her line was empty, she shut out her light.
Her feet carried her to the display where all the magazines were exhibited. She quickly found the one with Lucian on the front. Her stomach knotted until she could barely breathe. The woman was stunning, blond, and nothing like Scout.
Running her finger down the words spread all over the cover, she scanned for the name Lucian or Patras, two words she could immediately recognize. She found the name Patras and tracked the sentence following it.
“New whoa-man in . . .” There was a long word that started with a
b
, which she didn’t have a shot in hell at sounding out. Shaking her head in frustration, she followed the words until she found a number that was likely the page the article was featured on.
She turned to page four and her knees shook. There were more pictures. Lucian leaning close as Satan’s whore whispered in his ear. Lucian helping the blond jezebel with her wrap. Lucian staring at the camera as he held the door for the fucking tramp!
Scout growled and threw the paper on the belt at her register.
“You all right over there, tiger?”
She looked at Nick. He could read. Snatching up the tabloid,
He stepped closer to the stairs, but hesitated. “I’ll have a new phone delivered today—”
“No, Lucian. I can buy my own phone now. I’ll get one.”
His lips thinned, but he didn’t argue with her. “You’ll call if you need anything?”
She nodded.
He mimicked the motion. “Lock the doors. I’ll talk to your landlord about getting some cameras in that alleyway. I’ll contact FPD about those two men and make sure they never bother you again.”
She had no doubt. “Good-bye, Lucian.”
“I’ll see you soon.” He turned and headed out down the steps. Before the door clicked behind him, he muttered into his phone to Dugan that he was ready.
She turned and pressed her head into the wall. Her brain was too tired to think.
Chapter 7
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Pains
Scout dragged the order across the scanner as the woman in line chatted about the weather. The steady blip of merchandise being tallied had become the symphony of her days over the past few weeks of working at Clemons.
It had been a week since she’d seen or heard from Lucian. He’d gotten the last word and was now giving her space. The evening after he came to her apartment, a package arrived with a new phone. The note attached was simple and to the point.
Now you can call.
He just couldn’t let her get her own damn phone. In a way it pleased her that he’d gone against her wishes because now she had his number again, but it still pissed her off.
She couldn’t make sense of her feelings anymore. Space was good, but the more time that passed the more she missed him. Missing him was dangerous, so she embraced his absence like a vaccine, accepting it was part of the healing process. Sooner or later it had to stop grating on her. Did all women feel so irrational? She didn’t like it, yet couldn’t seem to control her tumultuous emotions.
“Oh, I have a coupon for that, dearie.”
“Okay,” Scout said as she continued to ring up and bag the order.
She slid a few birthday cards over the scanner, and her hand stilled when she reached for the tabloid crossing the belt. Her brain froze. With numb fingers, she lifted the magazine and stared dumbly at the picture on the front. Lucian wore an expression of disinterest as a woman laughed beside him, her arm looped affectionately through his, her palm pressing into his shoulder.
“The price is on the back, dear. And here’s that coupon.”
Scout blinked at the woman waiting to be rung out. Nodding, she turned the tabloid and scanned the price. Her numb hands bagged up the order as quickly as possible and, once her line was empty, she shut out her light.
Her feet carried her to the display where all the magazines were exhibited. She quickly found the one with Lucian on the front. Her stomach knotted until she could barely breathe. The woman was stunning, blond, and nothing like Scout.
Running her finger down the words spread all over the cover, she scanned for the name Lucian or Patras, two words she could immediately recognize. She found the name Patras and tracked the sentence following it.
“New whoa-man in . . .” There was a long word that started with a
b
, which she didn’t have a shot in hell at sounding out. Shaking her head in frustration, she followed the words until she found a number that was likely the page the article was featured on.
She turned to page four and her knees shook. There were more pictures. Lucian leaning close as Satan’s whore whispered in his ear. Lucian helping the blond jezebel with her wrap. Lucian staring at the camera as he held the door for the fucking tramp!
Scout growled and threw the paper on the belt at her register.
“You all right over there, tiger?”
She looked at Nick. He could read. Snatching up the tabloid,
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