Guarding His Obsession Part 8

I shut the folder when the elevator hits the ground floor, trying to process everything.

"And I'm sure Green Sh.o.r.e already has their own system set up. They'll pitch that when Ensore fails," I say, looking over to Pink.

"From what I gathered, yes. All they need is an invitation to pitch it."

"So what are we thinking here? Green Sh.o.r.e hired someone to break into Zoey's and get their hands on whatever it is she's doing? Either f.u.c.k it up or find a way to f.u.c.k it up later?"

"In the simplest terms, yeah. I don't understand half the s.h.i.+t."

"Me neither," I say, making my way down the hallway before opening the door to our offices. I'm thankfulthat I'd chosen to turn one of the condos in the building into our offices. Now I'd always be close to home, where Zoey would be since she worked from home mainly. Or maybe I could put her a desk in my office down here for her. I really liked that idea. I'd watched Zoey work last night, and I couldn't make head or tail of anything she was doing. All I saw were lines and lines of numbers, but she could easily do that down here in my office. Our office.

Sherrie pops up from behind her desk as we enter the offices.

"I need a list of all employees at a company called Green Sh.o.r.e." I hand her the folder. "I also want a list of their family members and close friends. Look hard into anyone with a criminal past, no matter how small. I even want to know if they have sealed records from when they were snot-nosed kids, and I want those records unsealed. Call in favors, I don't give a s.h.i.+t."

"How fast you want it?" she asks, dropping the folder on her desk and sitting down.

"Call a few of your sisters to help, and use any of the men if you need leg work." I hear Pink sigh behind me. He hates when his sisters come in to help out. They might run their mouths a lot when they're in here, but they get s.h.i.+t done. No one multi-tasks like a woman.

"So...yesterday."

"Yeah," I confirm because whoever they hired to get what they wanted from Zoey has lost control of that person. Things are bound to be sloppy, and it's going to make it a whole lot easier to figure out who it is.

15.

Zoey

I open one eye to see Elle lying in bed with me.

"You're naked," she says, and I bury my head back in my pillow, feeling the bed shake as she laughs.

"What are you doing?" I ask, pulling the covers fully over myself while rolling to my side to look at her. She's completely made up in a gray pencil skirt and pink silk blouse. She has on make-up and her hair is styled. I'm surprised she isn't worried about wrinkling her outfit. She must have a meeting or something today.

"How's this place so clean with you living in it?" Elle rolls to her side, too, looking at me and ignoring my question.

"Is it?" I lean up and look around the room. I hadn't really noticed, but it's oddly clean for a s.p.a.ce that I've been living in.

"He cleans, too? You hit the man jackpot." She reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear.

"He really is perfect, isn't he?" I can't help but agree with her. Because Drake is perfect. Perfect for me. It's like we're made for each other, and he likes all my odd little quirks. In fact, they seem to turn him on.

"They are something," she agrees, dropping back down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. She's finally admitting her feelings for Pink.

"So you admit it." I smile at her, making her roll her eyes, but I see right through her. "Why are you denying it so much?" I don't get it. I wanted Drake and I just went for it. Seems like the logical thing to me.

"Because I didn't want it at first. The attraction was fast, and I'd never felt anything like it before. I've been burned a few times with guys who didn't have good intentions."

I knew she had been. It's why she stopped even trying with guys anymore. Elle always wanted a big family with a white picket fence and a house full of babies. A big family. It's something I'm sure Pink could give her if she let him. He's got family popping out from everywhere.

"But I like him teasing me. I know I can be a little much with how I like things done and everything in order. Initially, I thought my personally would drive him away, but he just kind of steamrolls over me, and I like it when he does. Is that stupid?" She throws one arm over her eyes "Grr. I don't know."

I just laugh. I've never seen Elle so out of sorts before. I like it, too.

"I don't really think it matters what you do at this point. I'm pretty sure he's said over and over that you're his and you're not going anywhere. Soooo..." I shrug.

She just smiles.

"Never thought I'd see the day we fell for a couple of friends."

"Double wedding," I say again. I want to ask her about the comment Pink made about knocking her up, but I don't want to push it.

She rolls out of the bed and brushes her hands over her clothes.

"You have to personally deliver the package to Ensore. They want it straight from your hands to theirs."

I let out a sigh. I figured that was probably the case, especially when no one came for it yesterday.

"I'm giving them the whole laptop, but I haven't left this place in over two weeks. I'll need to talk to Drake."

I roll over and grab my phone from the side table.

"There's a note in the kitchen that says he was going for a run."

I look at the clock and know he should be back by now.

I slide my finger across the screen and read the text Hulk: Have to work, cupcake. I'll see you tonight.

"He's working," I inform Elle, who's now slipping on her heels.

"Yeah, Pink slipped out quick this morning, too. They must have something going on."

"Well, c.r.a.p. How are we going to take the laptop in?"

"I'm sure one of the guys on the door will escort us or something. Ensore isn't that far away. Maybe only a mile."

"Alright. Let me get dressed and I'll meet you in the kitchen." Elle leaves the room, and I make quick work of getting ready in the bathroom. I slide on a pair of jeans, hoodie, and sneakers. Elle let go of my having to dress professional a long time ago.

When I enter the kitchen, Elle is typing away on her phone. She doesn't even look up when she speaks. "I told them we'd be by shortly and to have someone there to take the laptop."

"Sounds good." I open the pantry door and don't see anything I want to eat, or at least anything I feel like making. Drake has spoiled me with his cooking.

"You think we can go to Bojo's after? I'm starving."

"G.o.d, that sounds so good. We haven't eaten there in forever." By forever she means maybe two weeks, which is a long time for us. We normally eat there about three to four times a week. It's a simple diner, but they have anything and everything you could want.

"Cool." I grab my bag and slip my laptop and phone inside. Elle follows me to the door. When I open the door, I'm surprised that no one is standing outside. Normally, if Drake isn't here, he has a guy who just stands there looking extremely intimidating.

"That's odd." I look up and down the hallway, and Elle does the same.

"There was someone here when I came in. Maybe there isn't a threat anymore and that's what the guys have been up to this morning."

"Maybe," I mumble, digging into my bag for my phone.

"Front left pocket."

I reach into the front left pocket of my bag and pull out my phone. I tap out a message to Drake.

Me: No guard on the door. I need to drop laptop off at Ensore.

I hit send and wait for a response, but nothing comes.

"c.r.a.p. I don't want to bother him if he's busy. I've been hogging all of his time."

Elle fiddles with her own phone for a moment before sighing.

"Let's just pop into Drake and Pink's office downstairs real quick and see if there is someone who can take us over there. It's not that far. I'm sure one of them can pull themselves away for a little while to run us over.."

"Alright," I agree, shooting Drake another text to at least let him know I'm on my way down to his office.

We ride silently down the elevator and when it gets to the bottom floor, I only take two steps out before I'm slammed back against a wall.

My head hits the wall hard, and my bag slips from my hands. I hear Elle scream, and black dots swim before me as I try to get my bearings.

"Orlando?" It's then I realize the man who has me against the wall is one of the security guards at my old building. He's so close I can feel his warm breath on my skin. His eyes seem wild as they dart back and forth.

"You had to f.u.c.k everything up. I could've just planted the bug in your computer and made me a s.h.i.+tload of money. But no, you have to get these other f.u.c.kers involved," he growls at me.

I see Elle trying to pull at him, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. He turns around, giving her a shove and sending her sprawling to the floor.

"Who would have thought it would be so hard to get your attention? One would think it would be easy. Give the chubby, geeky girl a little attention and I should've been in your place like," he snaps his fingers, "that. But no. It was like I didn't even exist." He leans in a little more, and I stop breathing. I can smell the stench of alcohol on his breath. "But you spread your legs for the other guy, didn't you? You like them big and all scarred up? Is that what gets you off?" He licks up the side of my face, and I feel my stomach roil.

I push at his chest and he goes flying, hitting the floor a whole lot harder than Elle did.

I look up as Drake peels him from the floor like he's nothing more than a rag doll, before punching him right in the face. The crunch of cracking bone is sickeningly loud.

This Hulk joke is really starting to become a reality.

"Drake, man, stop. You kill him and your a.s.s will be in jail," Pink says, coming to stand in front of Drake. He stops him from going to pick Orlando up again, holding his hands out to block him.

Drake's whole body is tight, his breathing heavy. Pink's eyes dart to mine, and I can read what he wants.

I walk up behind Drake and wrap my arms around him, resting my head against his back. I can feel some of the tension leave his body at the contact.

Then I hear the sirens.

16.

Drake

I rest my hands on top of Zoey's. I don't take my eyes off Orlando for a second while the cops come in and get things sorted out.

They wanted to question us separately, but Zoey wouldn't let me go, and I wasn't about to take my hands off her while things were still getting settled.

Pink and I were at my office when his sisters came in and got to work. I don't know how but one of them was able to find the deleted security footage from Zoey's apartment. At the same time, we found a name we'd come across before. Orlando Davies popped up as working with Green Sh.o.r.e before coming to work in Zoey's building, and that's when it all clicked into place.

My phone buzzed just as this all happened, and I checked it to see Zoey's messages. There was no reason security shouldn't have been at her door, so I called some of my old partners at the station and had them come to the building for back up.

When I got downstairs and I saw Orlando's hands on Zoey, red flooded my vision, and I just went into attack mode. It's all still a little fuzzy from the rage and adrenaline. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before, and I've been in a lot of crazy situations when I worked SWAT. But all I remember was needing to get him off of her. I also remember Pink running over to help Elle, and that made me angrier. The thought that someone would hurt her sister, someone Zoey loves, infuriated me.

Thankfully, Pink was able to get between us, and Zoey's touch calmed me down. I would have very likely killed him for coming near my woman. The cops arrived and arrested Orlando. Now they're just taking statements.

"We still need to deliver the files," Elle says, walking over to where we are. She looked at little shaken at first, but now she's leaning on Pink, and I can see that she's getting it back together. She's a tough one, but seeing her holding on to him is definitely a sign in the right direction.

The elevator opens behind us, and a group of cops help out Matt, the security guy we had planted outside my home.

We talk with him and the cops for a bit and find out that Orlando admitted to having slipped something into the guard's coffee. It took just long enough for Elle to get inside before he was out cold, and Orlando stashed his body in a hall closet.

With that confession, he's going to be in jail for quite some time. Matt is a decorated veteran, and I know my boys will make sure he's taken care of. Orlando may have started out as a petty criminal, but money makes people do crazy s.h.i.+t. It was enough to convince Orlando that coming after my woman was a good idea. G.o.d knows what he would have done to my Zoey.

The s.h.i.+ver snaking down my spine is stopped when Zoey's warm hand rubs my back. I squeeze her closer to me, needing the rea.s.surance that she's still alive and still with me.

"I love you. You're right. I love you."

Zoey and I turn around to see Elle standing in front of Pink, admitting what we all knew.