Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“But when I went to open the door to my office, it shoved forward into me. Twice. The second time it happened, it hit my nose.”
“Did he say anything?”
“No. Nothing. Not even when I was running and he was chasing me. He laughed once, though.”
“Laughed at what?”
“Me trying to get away.” My belly twisted at the memory.
That little angry growl escaped him. But he managed to keep his tone even when he spoke. “Did you recognize the laugh?”
“No.”
“And you didn’t see him?” he asked, gaze flicking up to mine, stealing every thought from my mind for a moment.
“None of the lights were on. And he had a hood pulled up and cinched. And, well, I was running away from him most of the time.”
“Was there anything else that was familiar? Smells? Tattoos? Jewelry?”
“I didn’t see any jewelry or tattoos. The only smells I remember were of the garage itself. And the soap I was using to clean the floors with, I guess.” I could still smell that pine all over me—likely thanks to rolling around on the waiting room floor.
Santo paused, hands resting on my dirty, bruised knees. “I gotta ask… you were hit and chased and choked… did anything else happen? Should I stop wiping away potential DNA evidence?”
“It was… you know… heading in that direction.” My stomach flipped at the memory of my skirt hiking up, at what I knew was about to happen to me. “But that was when I managed to get into the bathroom. After that, he left.”
“Okay,” Santo said, squeezing my thighs before starting to clean my knees and shins. “Did you get any good blows in? Would he be sporting any injuries tomorrow?”
“Well, that depends.”
“On?”
“How long does it hurt to get kicked as hard as possible in the balls?”
A surprised little laugh escaped Santo at that. “I don’t think I’ve been kicked in the balls since I was a kid. But I will keep that in mind.”
“I also clawed at his hands, but I don’t know if I actually scratched him or just, like, pried at his hands.”
“Good for you. You fought like hell tonight.”
“What do I do now?” I asked.
“You let me handle it.”
“But… but what about work?”
“You’re the boss. You can take as much time off as you want. Or you can go in, see if anyone looks at you funny, or if anything about those guys sparks a memory.”
“You think it’s someone from the shop?”
“I think it’s worth looking into first. But I’m not writing off random crime either. Maybe someone saw you in there, got some evil ideas, and came in to act on them. Or maybe even some idiot thought there might be cash or something valuable around here. I’m keeping an open mind.
“One thing I am going to suggest, though, is putting some cameras up. At least in your office and the reception area. I know some employees can get squirrely at the idea of cameras in their spaces, so I don’t know if I would do that right away. But you need something around there.”
“I’m not going to object to that.” Though I was going to need to figure out how to pay for them.
“I will have someone swing by tomorrow morning and get them installed before the shop opens.”
“I will give you my card—“ I started, deciding I could eat ramen for the next week.
“No. It’s… all part of the protection deal.” There was something, I don’t know, off in his tone. But he went on before I could figure it out. “I’m also going to heavily suggest you start carrying some sort of self-defense.”
“Like pepper spray?”
“Always a good start, yeah. Maybe an eye gouger, extendable baton, and a pocketknife. Though, I’m a firm believer in handguns if you feel comfortable with the idea. You can give that thought, though.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’m definitely okay with all the other ones, but I don’t know about the gun yet. I’ve never even held one.”
“Well, we can work on that, if you’re interested. But that’s not something to worry about tonight. Do you want me to run you a bath?” he asked, waving down at my arms and legs, still covered in dirt and grease. “I’m gonna say no showers until we’re sure your head is okay.”
“A bath sounds nice.”
“No one has ever used that tub.” He stood, cleaning up the rest of his supplies before tucking the plastic container back in the closet.
“That’s a crime.” My gaze moved over the oversized soaking tub—deep enough to keep your whole body submerged under the water at the same time. That was a luxury I’d never experienced before.
“I think the real estate agent left me some… yep,” he said, coming back with a bottle of soap and a bath bomb. “She left me a basket in here. It had a bunch of bath stuff in it. I shoved it all in the closet, figuring someone would use it someday. How do you feel about lavender?”