Chapter 8: Foster
A few weeks later.
I was still reeling from my time with Rosie and Myles. I always knew that sex was great but I didn’t expect it to be that mind-blowing. Just thinking about it for a second was enough to get my cock to jump with excitement. What I wouldn’t do to get her in my arms again but unfortunately, I still had a job I needed to maintain.
It had been a quiet morning and quite honestly, I was bored out of my mind. Even the patrons were nothing to look at today. They were all just sitting there, minding their own business.
I sighed and busied myself by straightening out some of the inventory. By the ti
me I reached our tea cabinet, the doorbell chimed. I turned around to see Jake walking through. My mouth instantly soured at the sight of that douchebag. If I could, I would have kicked him to the curb but that would probably get me fired.
He dropped a thick stack of papers onto the counter. “Mind if I put some of these in the window over there?”
“What are they?” I asked.
“Rosie Dwyer has gone missing.”
“Missing?” I repeated as innocently as possible. Of course, I knew exactly where she was. “I didn’t hear about this on the news. Why was she reported missing?”
“She hasn’t been home in a few days.”
“I hardly think that constitutes filing for a missing person. Maybe she just went on vacation or something. She did tell me that she’s been saving up to go to the tropics. I don’t blame her, it’s icy as hell up here. You can barely walk down the sidewalk without busting your ass.”
“That’s enough.” Jake snapped to stop me from twittering any longer. “I do believe I am the officer here and you’re just a barista. Just let me do my job.” He spoke with an air of condescension. Oh, how I wanted to punch that smug look off his face and I’m not even the violent type. Usually, Myles handles all the fighting, but this guy? Oh, he deserved it. “Anyway, do you mind if I put these in the window?”
“Of course, go right ahead. I’m sure it’ll help find her.” My tone was sarcastic and full of spite.
He turned around and eyed me with suspicion. I half expected him to start interrogating me right then and there but he just taped up the posters and left.
Thank God. One more minute with that guy and I probably would have shot myself.
I waited until he was out of sight before fishing out my phone from my back pocket. “Jake is asking around about Rosie.” I texted to Myles. “Apparently she can’t go on vacation without this guy losing a nut over it. You’d think he would leave her alone after what he did but no…”
“He’s not going to find her here and even if he does, he would have to pry her from my cold, dead hands.” Myles texted back.
“That’s the problem. I wouldn’t put it past him. If he knew you were banging his ex-girlfriend, he might put a bullet through your head and claim he did it in self-defense. I’ve seen cops do it a million times.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s safe with me.”
I certainly hoped so because I never wanted her to fall into the arms of a bastard like that ever again.
***
At the end of my shift, I gathered all my things and headed for the door. Before I could leave, however, I came face to face with Jake.
He had timed this.
A coy smile stretched across his lips. “Foster, is it? Do you mind if we have a word?” As he spoke, he pulled back his jacket, subtly revealing the pistol he carried on his hip. Intimidation tactics? That was a low-ball move.
“Sure, why not?” I said and slid into a nearby booth. “What is it that you’d like to talk about, officer?”
“Rosie,” he answered, his tone clipped with aggression. “I’m no fool. I know you were one of the last people to talk to her before she disappeared.”
“I think you’re overreacting, officer. You can’t claim a person is missing just because they fail to return your calls or because they keep ignoring your text messages. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe she’s not missing at all? That really she’s just trying to avoid the asshole who cheated on her with almost every female employee at the station?”
He ground his teeth, lips pressed together in a thin line.
“You could get in some serious trouble for that, couldn’t you?”