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Chapter 50: Anyone Want a Cookie?
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Pelican Bay Security Chapter 51: A Brand-new Stove
"How long do you have to stay here?" I ask Bennett as he pushes my brand-new stove into place. The delivery guys dropped it off a few minutes after Ridge and everyone else left, roughly an hour ago. Thankfully, Ridge took the money with him so I was spared more questions.Bennett uses his hip to push the stove the final inch, which should be impossible for an industrial stove but he acts as if it's simple. "What? Don't you enjoy having me around to help?"Do I? That's the problem. I like having Bennett around here way more than I should. His strong biceps, the way he bites the corner of his lips together when in thought, the way he stood by me protectively during the whole money thing. If I was a cartoon heroine, this is the point when I start swooning. Which means it's also the time he needs to get out.It's hot enough in my kitchen. I don't need to add fantasies of Bennett to the oven."Of course I like having you around," I lie. Or don't lie... I'm still not quite sure how I
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 52: I Stress Bake
The phone rings."Don't answer it," Bennett hollers from the kitchen.I shake my head and pass over Pearl's chocolate blueberry muffin. I couldn't sleep last night so I came down and played for a few hours. Some people stress eat. I stress bake. And after 2 a.m. there's no telling what will come out of my oven. There are perks and problems to living above a bakery."Don't shake your head like you don't enjoy having a handsome guy like Bennett in the back of your kitchen," Pearl clucks at me a few times while she takes her seat, balancing the muffin on a dainty plate.Bennett bumps me on his way through the metal doors in an effort to get the phone before it quits ringing. "The Bakery."Pearl has a point. Bennett's answered my phone for the past two days even though I haven't had any new threatening calls. The first twenty-four hours having him constantly in my space had my nerves unraveling, but we found our groove working together. It's nice to have someone around for the he
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 53: The Guest Room is Available
I snort. "She told me the guest room is always available when I come to my senses and decide to marry a nice local boy." I use air quotes around "local boy" because I hadn't found any of those before I left, but that wouldn't matter to her. She pushed my brother into marrying the neighbor girl he had a play wedding with in preschool. "Worst case scenario I could go to college and get a degree in an acceptable field.""Doctor, lawyer, maybe an accountant?" Bennett ticks most of my mother's list off on his fingers while I nod at each. "Yes." He bites the side of his lips. "You're definitely not an accountant.""Accountants aren't allowed so much color." It wouldn't be me if it wasn't pink. "I enrolled in the business program at the local community college to keep her happy but quickly flunked out. I had more fun working my part-time job at this little diner in town. It was full of truckers and other riffraff. A rather tough crowd, but I loved it.""So you left the truckers, moved t
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 54: Gunshots
"Get down!" Bennett throws himself on top of me, and together we fall to the ground like a heavy sack of potatoes. My elbow smacks the hard tile, jarring the bone but stopping my head before it strikes the floor.From our position behind the counter, I can't see any of the action, but the sounds of glass raining on the floor and then a continued series of pops rings in my ears. Bennett positions his arm around my head in slow motion. The entire room freezes until I swear I'm able to make out each individual piece of glass making contact with the hard floor and bouncing off in the distance.And then just as quickly it all stops. The bakery is an eerie quiet except for the sound of my heart thumping against my ribcage."Are you okay?" Bennett slides off me, reaching behind him and pulling out a black gun. It's smaller than I expect a gun to be...and plastic. Nothing like the weapons you see on TV. "Stay down." He pushes my shoulder to reinforce his point.Time speeds up. Like som
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 55: Where the Hell is She?
The small ring I wear on my right hand catches on the fabric of my apron. I need to take it off. The once bright pink fabric is now covered with large patches of red. They're slowly becoming crusty as they dry. It's enough to make my stomach roll if I think about it. So I try not to. Instead I stare at the light blue walls of the hospital waiting room.I need to get up and throw the apron away. Find a bathroom and wash the matching color from my hands. But what I should do, what I need to do, and what I want to do are all things my body can't do in this moment. The paramedics directed me to the small waiting room off the side of the ER less than ten minutes ago. I plopped my ass in one of the uncomfortable plastic grey chairs and haven't moved since.My legs seem to have forgotten how to carry me places. Not that I know where to go if they could."Where the hell is she?" a voice booms from right outside the waiting room door.Before he receives an answer, Bennett sticks his hea
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 56: Bike Equivalent of an Eye Roll
Bennett follows and so by proxy I tag along beside him. The outer wall of the waiting room is lined with chairs. The biker, obviously here for Mad Dog, selects a chair on the far side of the room and then Bennett pushes me down in one closer to the door. There's a huge carpeted open space between us. The newcomer jerks on the edges of his vest and flashes Bennett a look. One I'm not quite sure of. Annoyance more than likely. It's like the biker equivalent of an eye roll. My body clenches, worried he's taken offense to our position, but another second passes and he laughs, shaking his head when Bennett tightens his grip around my shoulders."This the way it's gonna be, huh?"Bennett doesn't miss a beat in their man-only conversation. "Yup.""Have you heard any news on Dog?" the stranger asks."Not yet, but it doesn't look good." Bennett and the biker make matching faces of sorrow. "Why did you and your boys get involved, Dom?"Dom? He's not a Spike or Bone Crusher? "Dom? It's
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 57: Pelican Bay Security
The doors to Ridge's security building are tall and glass, the words Pelican Bay Security etched out in the frosted glass. It's nothing at all like what I expect his building to look like. To be honest, I hadn't given it much thought except for the few minutes it took to drive here from the hospital. So I guess, in a way, it's a perfect example of what a group of rough tough ex-military guys would have for an office.Bennett uses one of his long, thick arms to push open the door, holding it so I can walk in. My steps end abruptly when I reach the middle of a large room. Everything, and I mean everything, is grey. The carpet, the chairs, even the walls are painted a light smoky grey color. This is much more of what I expected from a business run by men. In the middle of the room a large dark wooden desk sits at an angle to greet people as they enter.Except, there's no one sitting behind it. The desktop is neat and orderly. A flat screen monitor and keyboard use up a small portion o
Pelican Bay Security Chapter 58: Frankie has been consolidating
"Wait!" I cut Ridge off and lean forward almost falling off my chair. "Are you saying this Kevin guy was making drugs in my kitchen?" That has to be some kind of safety violation. Definitely unsanitary."I didn't suspect it until now. I can't believe Frankie Zanetti had one of his guys cooking drugs so close to my base. You know he's doing it as a big fuck you to me after we picked up his cousin for that warrant.""Yeah, and now he's swept Anessa up in it.""Trust me, I know. My girlfriend works in that bakery too. It could have just as easily been Tabitha there when Mad Dog stopped by.""Who is Frankie Zanetti?" I ask. Unable to follow the guys' back and forth about New York gangs.Bennett twist in my direction as he answers. "Frankie is the head of the Zanetti household. One of the leading mob families out of New York."My nose crinkles up. "I thought the mob was dead?"Ridge laughs, slapping the top of his desk. "The mob isn't dead. They've just gotten smarter. Between
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