Page 35 of Affliction
“Thank you for today. For showing me something new. It was beautiful.” She says as she tries to hand me back her helmet. I shake my head and smirk.
“Don’t thank me. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” I say and she blushes again. “I got the helmet for you. Keep it with you for next time.”
“Next time?” She asks in a confused tone and her lips part.
“I don’t know what you were thinking Parker, but I am nowhere near finished with you.” Stepping forward, I reach out and rub my thumb across her bottom lip. “I can’t get enough of you.” Her body shivers with that statement and she gulps.
“We just met.” She says in a whisper. It’s a half assed attempt at protesting what we both know and feel. She’s mine. End of story.
“I don’t give a fuck.” I declare and her eyes meet mine. I truly don’t. The moment I laid eyes on her I knew I had to have her. The moment we locked eyes a few days later I saw how she reacted. She feels the same pull I do. She captures her bottom lip between her teeth and nods.
“You sound a little crazy, you know that?” Parker says and tries her best to suppress a smile.
“Maybe I am. But I’m not going to waste any time denying the fact that I want you.” She blows out a breath and searches my eyes. No doubt looking for a hint of deception.News flash, Sweetheart. You won’t find it.
After a long minute, I see the moment she realizes that I’m not full of shit. Her shoulders lower and I can feel the tension leave her body. She closes her eyes and inhales. On her exhale, she opens them again and they’re softer now when she looks back at me. She gives me a shy nod and smiles.
“Okay.” She says with confidence. It isn’t much, but it lets me know she believes me. That she understands I’m not going to stop. As I said before, I’m not a patient man.
“I’m going to go in and get ready for tonight.” She says jutting her thumb to her front door. “Do you want to come in?” She asks and I shake my head.
“I’ve got a few things I need to take care of. What are you up to tonight anyway? Any pissed off boyfriends I should know about?” I tease. I know now she doesn’t have one. She smiles.
“No boyfriend. I’m having dinner with a friend of my parents tonight.” She laughs. I nod in understanding. Parker seems like a creature of habit. If I had to guess, it’s the same woman she went to see on her last day off.
“Well, I hope you have a good dinner. I’ll see you soon.” I state, pulling my helmet back on then sit back on my bike. I start it up and Parker takes a step back. I tip my head at her and turn the bike around in the driveway. She stands rooted in place watching me leave and I exit the driveway.
Tourniquetby Breaking Benjamin blasts through the speakers of my helmet as I turn into a quiet neighborhood about fifteen minutes from Parker’s house. The sun is beginning to set as kids run up and down the sidewalks and play basketball in their driveways. I downshift my bike andturn onto the street of the house Parker stopped at the day I followed her. There’s a woman who's on her knees in front of a garden. She leans back on her heels and wipes a gloved hand across her forehead then glances at her watch. As I approach, she stands and starts walking up the front steps to her home and enters.
Coming to a stop sign, I reach for my phone that’s mounted on the handlebars. I tap the screen a few times and the music pauses as the line begins to ring on the other end.
“Hey, boss.” Slater answers on the third ring.
“I need you to run an address for me.” I respond.
“Anything in particular you’re wanting?” He asks and I hear him tap on his keyboard. Slater is a lot like me. Straight to the point; he doesn’t like to sit around and bullshit.
“As much as you can find. Homeowner, background, the works.” I say as I pull back out onto the main road. He asks for the address and I recite it to him.
“Got it. It might take some time to get everything you’re looking for. I’m in the process of vetting a new client.” He states.
“Take your time. If you have a name, I can see what I can dig up on my own as well.”
“One sec.” He mumbles and the taps on his keyboard continue. Approaching a stop light, I place my feet on the ground and sit up before his voice breaks through again.
“Hazel Kelly.” Slater states and I sit up straighter. I recognize that name.
“Thanks man. Let me know when you’ve got everything. I owe you one.” I say as the light turns green and I launch forward.
“No problem.” He hangs up.
I speed off in the direction of my house. Though it might take some time, this might not be as difficult as I originally thought.
I told you Parker, I’ll get what I want.
Chapter nineteen
After showering–and giving theRuger a thorough cleaning–I pull into Hazel’s driveway just a few minutes before six o’clock. Turning off the engine, I flip the visor down to look myself over before exiting the vehicle. My eyes, that have looked half dead for the last week, are a little brighter. The bags are not nearly as bad as they usually are. I came to terms with the fact that I will probably always have them about a year ago. Sleep is something I’ve never done very much of, but last night I slept better than I have in a very long time. My skin that rivaled the looks of a sick Victorian era child, has some color back to it as well.
