here?”
“Uh…”
“Where is he?” Van said, walking toward the front doors.
“No. I mean no he didn’t bring me here. He just told me where to take the box.”
Van returned to him in the lobby. “And?”
“And what? What do you want from me?” he said, starting to feel panic in his chest. Especially when another guy came out of the stairwell, looking just as menacing as the guy in front of him.
Van stood very close to Andy and in a low voice said, “Brian is not going to have anything to do with Dani, do you understand? And all of these little ploys he’s attempting to get her to talk to him had better stop. Are you hearing me? Because I want you to pass that along to your brother.”
Andy waited to make sure he was done and nodded his head , not about to dispute a single thing with this guy. But he did ask, “Uh, a nd what’s your name again? So I can pass along the message properly. ”
Van pulled back just slightly, looking him over. So Brian didn’t even know his name, huh? Was that what this was all about? To find out who Dani was staying with?
“Look, Andy,” Van finally said, squeezing his shoulder with a tiny smirk. “Dani has a lot of friends here, okay? This really isn’t a place you want to be. If he comes by here again, or he comes up with any other stupid trick to see her, things are gonna get complicated . Tell him to stay away, all right? It’ll be better for everyone.”
He picked up the box and left Andy in the lobby as Cody followed him into the stairwell.
Chapter Seven
Brian sat in the dark in silence. Andy had been there to deliver the results of his trip to the Jefferson Apartments, and when Brian wouldn’t say anything further, his brother quietly slipped out the door.
After a half an hour, Brian stood and walked over to the desk. He pulled out a few photos that he’d tossed in the drawer and looked them over. They were pictures of Dani; modeling pictures that he’d stolen from her before she cleared out her things.
He sat down on the couch again and flipped on a lamp to look them over . Yes, Dani’s parents were pretty talented—and wealthy—and Dani had done some amazing jobs over the years. She’d been in tons of magazines, catalogues, and commercials…even on billboard s . She’d modeled in France, Italy, and LA… She’d worked with top names since she was three years old. She could go even further, and as soon as this little rebellion of hers was over, he would reunite her with her parents in New York, and all will be well.
He thought over what Andy had told him. He hadn’t decided what to do about being threatened by her poser bodyguard, but now that Andy had described him, Brian was positive she was living with the guy. It made him furious. That little prick broke his goddamn hand, and then smugly sauntered into his apartment with Dani like he owned her. Brian wasn’t going to stand for it, and if he wasn’t able to find out his name yet or which apartment he lived in, then he would just resort to finding the guy’s truck . Once he got a plate number, Andy could find out all the information Brian needed…
Van was tired. He’d been awake the past thirty-two hours due to an apartment fire downtown, and by the time he headed home on a Friday evening , he was so ready to spend the weekend with his girlfriend .
He probably wouldn’t have noticed Brian parked on the side of the road, but t here was a homeless guy on the sidewalk pestering a woman for change and Van happened to glance their way. Before his eyes resettled on the road in front of him, he caught sight of a familiar face on his way by.
“Shit,” Brian said to himself , realizing he’d been seen . He turned the ignition to his car but the black truck had already screeched to a stop and backed up several feet, blocking him in.
Van jumped out of his truck and yanked Brian’s door open.
“What the fuck are you doing here ! ? ” he shouted. He
“Uh…”
“Where is he?” Van said, walking toward the front doors.
“No. I mean no he didn’t bring me here. He just told me where to take the box.”
Van returned to him in the lobby. “And?”
“And what? What do you want from me?” he said, starting to feel panic in his chest. Especially when another guy came out of the stairwell, looking just as menacing as the guy in front of him.
Van stood very close to Andy and in a low voice said, “Brian is not going to have anything to do with Dani, do you understand? And all of these little ploys he’s attempting to get her to talk to him had better stop. Are you hearing me? Because I want you to pass that along to your brother.”
Andy waited to make sure he was done and nodded his head , not about to dispute a single thing with this guy. But he did ask, “Uh, a nd what’s your name again? So I can pass along the message properly. ”
Van pulled back just slightly, looking him over. So Brian didn’t even know his name, huh? Was that what this was all about? To find out who Dani was staying with?
“Look, Andy,” Van finally said, squeezing his shoulder with a tiny smirk. “Dani has a lot of friends here, okay? This really isn’t a place you want to be. If he comes by here again, or he comes up with any other stupid trick to see her, things are gonna get complicated . Tell him to stay away, all right? It’ll be better for everyone.”
He picked up the box and left Andy in the lobby as Cody followed him into the stairwell.
Chapter Seven
Brian sat in the dark in silence. Andy had been there to deliver the results of his trip to the Jefferson Apartments, and when Brian wouldn’t say anything further, his brother quietly slipped out the door.
After a half an hour, Brian stood and walked over to the desk. He pulled out a few photos that he’d tossed in the drawer and looked them over. They were pictures of Dani; modeling pictures that he’d stolen from her before she cleared out her things.
He sat down on the couch again and flipped on a lamp to look them over . Yes, Dani’s parents were pretty talented—and wealthy—and Dani had done some amazing jobs over the years. She’d been in tons of magazines, catalogues, and commercials…even on billboard s . She’d modeled in France, Italy, and LA… She’d worked with top names since she was three years old. She could go even further, and as soon as this little rebellion of hers was over, he would reunite her with her parents in New York, and all will be well.
He thought over what Andy had told him. He hadn’t decided what to do about being threatened by her poser bodyguard, but now that Andy had described him, Brian was positive she was living with the guy. It made him furious. That little prick broke his goddamn hand, and then smugly sauntered into his apartment with Dani like he owned her. Brian wasn’t going to stand for it, and if he wasn’t able to find out his name yet or which apartment he lived in, then he would just resort to finding the guy’s truck . Once he got a plate number, Andy could find out all the information Brian needed…
Van was tired. He’d been awake the past thirty-two hours due to an apartment fire downtown, and by the time he headed home on a Friday evening , he was so ready to spend the weekend with his girlfriend .
He probably wouldn’t have noticed Brian parked on the side of the road, but t here was a homeless guy on the sidewalk pestering a woman for change and Van happened to glance their way. Before his eyes resettled on the road in front of him, he caught sight of a familiar face on his way by.
“Shit,” Brian said to himself , realizing he’d been seen . He turned the ignition to his car but the black truck had already screeched to a stop and backed up several feet, blocking him in.
Van jumped out of his truck and yanked Brian’s door open.
“What the fuck are you doing here ! ? ” he shouted. He
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