“That was an accident!” I screamed. Fucking hell. I didn’t know how many times I needed to tell him I was fine and last night was a fucking fluke that wasn’t going to happen again. I pulled open my desk drawer and reached for the bottle of pills I had grabbed from the girls dressing room last night.
“What’s wrong?” Monk asked.
My eyes dropped to the open drawer. They weren’t there. The bottle of pills I had dropped into the drawer after taking two, was gone. “Someone was in my office.”
Monk stood and loomed over me. “What are you talking about?”
I tipped my head back to look at him. “I put the bottle of pills in my drawer, but it’s gone now.”
“I thought you said you grabbed the pills from the dressing room?”
“I did, and then I put them in my desk.”
“You brought the whole bottle of pills in here?”
I rolled my eyes and shut the drawer. “Also known as me putting them in my desk, Monk.” I opened the drawer on the other side. “Maybe I put them in here.” Empty.
Monk pulled out his phone, swiped a couple times, and put the phone to his ear. “Playboy?” he called. “I’m at the club. Specifically in Mitzy’s office.” He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. “When you gave all of the pills to the cops, did you give them a bottle from Mitzy’s desk?” Monk’s eyes connected with mine as he listened to Playboy. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
He ended the call and put his phone in his back pocket.
“Well?” I asked.
Monk shook his head. “Playboy said he didn’t give the cops any pills from your desk. The only ones he gave to the cop were from the dressing room.”
“Is he sure? I mean, someone had to have grabbed that bottle. Maybe the cops searched my office without you guys knowing.” And if they hadn’t, then someone had managed to grab the bottle of pills from my desk between me taking them and the police showing up.
Monk sat back down. “He didn’t take them, and neither did the police. They didn’t search your office or the club. Playboy gave them the pills and that was it.”
Holy shit. “I don’t know what exactly that means, Monk, but it doesn’t seem good.”
“It means your ass is not out of my sight until we figure out what the hell happened to that bottle of pills and who took it.”
The words to tell him to go to hell were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get them out. Up until now, I hadn’t believed Monk when he said that someone had tried to hurt me last night. Without that pill bottle in my desk where I had put it, doubt was fogging everything. “Maybe one of the girls took it because they had a headache?” I suggested. I was really grasping at straws to not think something sinister had happened to me.
Monk stared at me.
Yeah, that was pretty far-fetched. How would one of the girls know I had stashed the pills in my desk?
I was suddenly afraid, but I did the thing I always deferred to when I was scared. “I’m fine, Monk. I can take care of myself.” Build my wall a little higher and throw the lock on the gate.
He sighed and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. “You are so fucked up, Mitzy, but for some reason, that’s why I like you.” He angled his head back down. “I don’t want to control you or tell you what you can and can’t do.”
“Hmph, you could have fooled me.”
“But I will do exactly that if you start acting like there isn’t danger out there and you’re not taking care of yourself.”
“I don’t need a keeper, Monk. I get it. I’ll be careful.” I did get it. I didn’t know who or why, but someone had tried to kill me.
“When you’re at the club, one of the guys will be with you. When you’re at home or out, I’ll be with you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you really think I’m going to be hunky dory with this? I’m not some fragile little girl who needs someone watching her every move. I’ve been through hell, and I came out on the other side, Monk.”
He leaned forward. “I know you have, Mitzy, and that’s exactly why I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen to you again.”
I clamped my lips together. The urge to tell Monk to fuck off and I didn’t need him was strong, but I knew that would be a lie. Until I figured out who had tried to hurt me, I did need him. “When I’m at the club, I don’t want any of the girls to know you guys are keeping an eye on me. When I’m home, I’m not going to be Ms. Homemaker making you meals and shit. I eat takeout ninety percent of the time, and I sleep late. I’m not changing my life because some asshole has it out for me.” If we were going to do this, it was going to be on my terms.
“Whatever you say, Mitz. I just need a bed to sleep in, and I’ll be fine.”
I eyed him warily. “I still question why you think you need to do this, but whatever. I have too many other things to worry about than if you’re trying to get in my pants or something.”
A loud, boisterous laugh barked from his lips. He stood and loomed over me. “Trust me, Mitzy. I would have gotten in your pants with or without some psycho trying to kill you.”
“You’re a liar,” I spat.
He shook his head, laid his hands on my desk, and leaned in ‘til his face was mere inches from mine. “I’m as shocked as you are by that, but it is what it fucking is. I’m gonna figure out who wants you dead, and then you’re going to be mine.” He straightened. “Jinx is out front. He’ll be here as long as you are and then follow you back to your house.”
“What if I don’t go home?” The urge to rebel against anything Monk wanted me to do was strong as hell. Nothing he was asking for when it came to my safety was irrational, but I just didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of doing what he wanted.
“He’ll follow you wherever you go, Mitzy.” He winked and slid his sunglasses from the top of his head over his eyes. “But you and I both know I’ll be waiting for you at home whenever you get there.”
He strutted out of my office and left the door open.
“You could have at least shut the door,” I shouted. I sprang up from my chair and slammed the door shut.
Monk’s loud laugh sounded down the hallway.
“Ahhhh!” I screeched. That man was beyond infuriating. I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath.
The sooner we figured out who had tried to hurt me, the sooner he would be out of my life.
No one ever stuck around, and Monk wouldn’t either.
*
Chapter Five
…
Monk
This was going to be fun.
*
Chapter Six
You thought of me…
Mitzy
“Wait,” I called into the speaker. “Can I make that two double-cheeseburger meals?”
“Sure thing, ma’am. I’ll have your total for you at the window.” I pulled forward and waited behind the car in front of me. Sighing, I grabbed my phone from my purse. I was beyond tired and knew I didn’t even have the strength to put in a frozen pizza when I got home. And even though I had told Monk I wasn’t going to be some little homemaker for him, I got him dinner, too. I hadn’t asked him what he wanted, though. He would have to deal with a loaded double cheeseburger with waffle fries. I had almost gotten something for Jinx, but Monk had said he was only going to follow me home, and then he would leave. I wasn’t going to be that nice.