Page 73 of Daddy’s Fortitude
“Well, I don’t think she is,” the guy said. He sounded young and hesitant. “She actually kind of blacked out, like, um dropped right onto the floor. Luckily, she kind of fell against the boxes, and I managed to grab her before her head smacked on the floor. She says she doesn’t want to go to the hospital. Our boss, Mr. Hendricks said not to call the ambulance. Aimee doesn’t want an ambulance either. But she did tell me to grab her phone and call you to come get her.”
“I’m on my way. You stay with her.”
“Oh, yeah. I will. Otherwise, Mr. Hendricks will probably have her up working again.”
It seemed like he had to add her boss to his list of people to deal with.
Aimee felt bruised and washed out. Her hand was shaking as she reached up to brush her hair out of her face.
Her side ached where she must have fallen against the boxes, but she was certain that she wasn’t badly injured.
Poor Jeremy looked pale and worried as he stared down at her. “Your friend is on his way.”
Her friend? Oh, right. She had a vague recollection of asking Jeremy to call Ammo. It had kind of been her first instinct when she’d woken up feeling dizzy, sick, and disoriented with Mr. Hendricks looming over her, demanding to know what was wrong with her and whether it was contagious.
He was such a caring, kind boss.
Really, it blew her mind how much care he showed for her.
Like how he’d already bullied everybody else into going back to work. Not that she wanted them all standing over her, but that wasn’t the reason he’d gotten rid of them. She was almost surprised that he wasn’t trying to make her get up and go back to work again.
But now that she was thinking more clearly, she realized it probably wasn’t the best idea to call Ammo. He wasn’t going to be happy about this.
He hadn’t wanted her to come to work today, so no doubt she’d have to listen to him telling her that he was right and she was wrong all the way home. She really didn’t think she had the mental fortitude to deal with that right now.
But she didn’t say that to Jeremy. He was just trying to help, and he was the only one who’d ignored Mr. Hendricks’ order to go back to work and had stayed by her.
“Jeremy, get back to work,” Mr. Hendricks barked from the end of the aisle. He stormed toward them. “Don’t give her any more attention.”
“Mr. Hendricks, Aimee fainted. She could have badly hurt herself. We should be calling an ambulance.”
“Nonsense. She’s probably just on that time of the month. That’s all.”
Oh my God, had he really just said that? Suddenly, it felt like all the air had been sucked from the room and she glanced down to the other end of the aisle to find Ammo walking toward her. Oh, he really didn’t look happy.
“Who the hell are you?” Hendricks demanded.
“This is my friend, Ammo,” she said as she attempted to get to her feet. Jeremy reached for her, obviously worried that she was going to faint again.
“Your friend?” Hendricks sneered. “You just buried your husband yesterday, didn’t you?”
Ammo turned on Mr. Hendricks, looming over him. Her boss cowered back, clearly intimidated by the larger man.
“What did you just say?” Ammo asked. His voice was very quiet, but all the more deadly because of it.
It was very clear to her that he was holding onto his control by the merest of threads, and that wasn’t a good thing, at least, not for Mr. Hendricks anyway.
“I . . . what right do you have to be in here?”
“Aimee, don’t you move,” Ammo said, turning and pointing at her. Then he spun back to Mr. Hendricks. “What the fuck did you mean by saying that shit about burying her husband yesterday? She’s not allowed a friend? Because that’s what I am. She fainted while working for you. And you didn’t even call an ambulance. What the fuck were you going to do? Leave her on the floor like that?”
“Of course not!” Hendricks said.
“Yeah? So what was your fucking plan to take care of her!”
“She’s not my responsibility!” Hendricks protested
“Maybe not. But you have a fucking responsibility to be a decent boss and a decent human being. Guessing you’re not either.”
