“Fine, fine. I’ll go.” She nods, her expression falling. “If that’s what you really want?”
I sigh with relief. Thank God, she’s finally getting enough of what I’m doing. “Yes, that’s what I really want. That’s what I came here for and anything else doesn’t change that. None of this is any of your business.”
She backs away, a clear uncertainty running across her expression, I breathe out a sigh of relief. At least she’s going to be kept out of this, that’s one good thing. I can handle anything else. I do notice that the door doesn’t quite close behind her though. She’s still peeking out, trying to see what’s happening to me. It isn’t great because the more she sees the more danger she might be in but I have tried my best.
Ring, ring….
Oh for fuck sake. I roll my eyes and slide my hand down. “I’m just answering the call,” I announce. “It’s probably my dad and I’m sure he will want to know that you’re all doing your job. Don’t worry, I’ll let him know that you’re all doing a damn marvelous job. I’m not exactly going anywhere now, am I?”
But as I pull the phone out, it isn’t my dad’s number on the screen. It’s work. God in all of this messiness I forgot that I walked out of the office earlier today. I’ve been expecting this call. I’m surprised it took so long to get here. I kinda need to answer this, or it could cause even more issues.
I turn to see the one guy who’s actually been talking to me and show him the screen. His expression manages to remain as stoic as ever. Somehow, he doesn’t react even one bit as I look at him.
“I just need to take this to clear up a mess at work. Okay?” He says nothing. I don’t even get a head nod. “Okay, so I’m going to answer, let them know that I’m gone and then once I hang up we can sort this out.”
I get nothing back, which I personally take to mean that it’s okay. I put the phone slowly up to my ear and hit the answer button. Before I even get to say anything, I hear yelling. My boss is less than impressed that I just walked out and he’s giving me shit for it. Of course he is.
“I… I’m sorry…” I start, but he doesn’t want to hear me. “I had to… yep… yep…”
I glance my eyes towards the spokesman for this whole deal. I have to admit that he looks irritated. Somehow, I’m going to have to wrap this up rapidly.
“I have to…” More yelling. I can’t even hear the words he’s shouting so much. “I have to go…”
The phone whips away from my hand, someone from behind me grabs it which stuns me to the core. Instinct has me turning and reaching out for it. Rationality evades me and I try to yank it back like a school boy being picked on by the older guys tossing my backpack around.
“Hey, I need to…” The cold metallic barrel of a gun silences me. Shit, I really don’t want to die and especially not here on Tia’s door step. “Okay, it’s fine.”
I step backwards, trying to distance myself from the gun, but as my feet move something else happens. A blinding strange hot pain from the side of my face. I don’t even really notice what it is until my eyes blur. It takes a second for my brain to catch up and by that time a blackness is overcoming me, my vision is pin holing, and I might be falling. I’m not one hundred percent sure but it feels like the ground might be about to connect with my face…
Chapter Fifteen – Tia
“Argh!” I scream and clap my hands to my mouth as Shane falls. What the hell is this? I can’t continue to buy that this is family related because those men have hurt him now. No father would want this. No man could ever want this for their family, whatever sort of person they are. This has to be something else. Something dangerous.
My heart hammers and I fall back from the window. I need to do something now, I’m absolutely consumed with that knowledge, but I can’t seem to do anything about it. I’m frozen, like I’m utterly consumed by lead. I just don’t know what the hell to do, I don’t quite know how to process what I’ve seen. I know it, my brain is aware of it, but digesting it doesn’t quite work in the way that I would like.
This isn’t the sort of thing that happens in normal life. I’m sure this is weird even for LA.
Shane is hurt. He’s been injured. I need to help him. I have to do something.