8. Back Home

The ride back to the mainland was cozy.

True to what the kind lady at the reception said, we were able to head home in the early hours of the morning.

I was exhausted, so I slept for most of the journey.

Despite my insistence, when we got to the mainland, Graham drove me home.

It was already past 8:00 a.m., and there was a car already waiting for Graham at the port. So, I decided to hop on the free ride, but I made him drop me off a couple of blocks away from my actual house.

"I had the most beautiful evening ever. Thank you so much, Catalina." Graham told me as the car came to a halt.

"It's my pleasure, my lord." I made a silly display of kowtowing and got him laughing out loud.

His face was so cute and boyish that my heart swelled at the thought that I was the one making him happy.

"Will you think about my offer?" He finally asked in a low voice. "I meant everything I told you at lunch yesterday."

I nodded slowly.

He slipped his card into my hand. "Call me if you need anything. Call me if you're in trouble. Call me if you're distressed. Call me if any fool is disturbing you. I'm good with making threats that I can fulfil. Just call me, Catalina." He said, staring at me.

Taking the card, I smiled. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of my own shit. But I'll call you. Only because you look like you will cry if I don't."

A big grin tears through his lips. "Thank you. I guess you don't want me seeing your place."

"Mm-mm."

"I could help with your box."

"Nope, I can handle that. I assure you."

He eventually gave up and tapped on the driver's backseat. His driver pulled the door open for me.

Once I got down, I waved at him and started towards home.

I didn't need to check, but I knew Graham hadn't driven out.

He was probably waiting to see me get home safely.

When I finally made the turn to my apartment, my feet halted after a few steps at the sight of my neighbors milling around on the street outside.

Three police cars were parked at the curb, and about five or six armed officers stood in front of the building, glowering in the crowd’s general direction.

A barrier of tape crisscrossed the front entrance to prevent people from accessing the house.

Confused, I walked up to the officers and demanded, "What’s going on here?"

"Building’s been marked for demolition, miss. Kindly Move along."

"What do you mean by 'move along?' I live in this building."

"Seems she wasn't home over the weekend." One of the officers said, looking pitifully at me.

"Seems so," another one replied.

"I'll give you twenty minutes to pack up and get out." The mean-looking one amongst them said.

"That’s ridiculous. You can’t just throw people out of their homes. You need a court order for something like this. You have to give proper notice."

"Are you aware that failure to obey an officer’s order is a crime?" The mean-looking officer snapped.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What section of the criminal code is that under?"

He looked like he was two seconds away from strangling me.

Through gritted teeth, he said, "Get your personal belongings from your apartment and leave the premises before I put you in cuffs, take you to the station, and charge you with obstruction."

Appalled, I stared at him. This can’t be real. I must have fallen and hit my head.

What the hell is happening in my life?

At that moment, my cell rang. I took the opportunity to turn away from the unkind cops.

"Hello," I called out.

"Turns out I'm desperate to hear your voice. Are you home now?" Graham asked.

"Y-yes. Yes. I'm home."

"Are you all right? You sound anxious."

Even though he’s nowhere in sight, I felt his attention sharpen as he demanded, "Tell me exactly what’s happening."

I suppose it could be because I’m emotional, or because he sounded so concerned and I needed a shoulder to lean on, but I blurted out the entire story, telling him every awful detail.

When I’m finished, he ordered, "Give your phone to whichever officer is in charge."

"Why would I do that? These guys already want to arrest me."

"Catalina. Do exactly what I told you to do. And do it now. Tell them 'a message from Lonstone.'"

His voice was so commanding. So soft yet utterly in control.

It slid over all my nerve endings like poured silk, smoothing their jagged edges and giving me a little boost of confidence.

I took a breath and turned back toward the policemen. "Which one of you guys is in charge?"

Nobody said anything, but they darted a glance toward the mean-looking one.

So, I walked up to him and held out my phone. "A Message from Lonstone."

Surprisingly, speaking that name had an immediate effect on the group of men.

Everyone tensed, and one of them took a single step back, looking as if he was about to turn and break into a run.

The mean one reluctantly took the phone from my hand.

He lifted it to his ear and cleared his throat.

"Officer Hendrick speaking."

Then he listened to whatever Graham was telling him with an expression like he was attending his own funeral.

After several long moments, he handed the phone back to me and said stiffly, "Sorry for the inconvenience, miss. You can go ahead and go inside."

He turned to his men. "Take down the tape. We’re done here."

Dumbfounded, I watched as the officers tore down the tape.

Then all of them headed to their patrol cars.

Into my phone, I said, "You just performed a miracle. What did you say to them?"

"Are they leaving?"

"Yes! Do you own the police force or something?"

Graham chuckled. It’s a sound so rich and sexy, it sent a tingle down my spine.

"Daddy's money. Remember."

"Shit! It must feel so good to be a billionaire's son."

"It does," he laughed. "Not to worry, I’ll get in touch with the city housing department to get this all straightened out. These are everyday issues with land grabbers. They bribe the city security to pull some power play like this to put pressure on the occupants and force them to leave. It has happened to us countless times.

"Us?"

"My family. We own many rental properties. I'll sort it out. Don't fret."

Heaving a sigh of relief, I watched the officers drive off.

Over on the sidewalk, my gathered neighbors stared at me in open astonishment.

I might as well be levitating for how shocked they look.

"I don’t know what to say, Graham, except thank you. If you hadn’t spoken to the officers, my neighbors and I would all be homeless by now."

"You’re welcome. Anytime. I’ll let you go in and catch some rest. It's been a long night."

"You, too. Catch some rest. Thanks again."

He said goodbye and disconnected, leaving me standing in the street a bit disoriented.

He stood up for me. A man I met less than 48 hours ago.

He saved my neighbors and me from disaster with barely ten seconds of effort.

And the most confusing thing is, I never gave him my number.

Ha!