to the back door but thought he could get it fixed fairly quickly, with some modification. Lora stood, arms crossed, as he explained that a French door, with one side fixed permanent, would offer more security. She nodded in agreement and told him to do what he needed to do to seal off the hole. Chad helped him measure it before Frank left for the hardware superstore.
The door was framed and installed, though it took him until late into the evening to get it finished. Zeke arrived for his rotation, and for a while they all sat and watched Frank do his magic. A line of tension immediately went out of Lora’s shoulders when he told her it was done and showed her the completed product. She seemed especially appreciative of the deadbolt, extending it and retracting it several times to get used to the feel.
Frank wrote up the invoice and handed it off to Chad. Lora watched the exchange and anger tightened her features. As soon as Frank left, she held her hand out. “I’ll take the receipt, please.”
Chad smiled and shook his head. “Nah. We’ll take this one.” Actually, it would be coming out of his own personal account.
She took a step forward, brows furrowing over her eyes. “No, it’s my door.”
“No, it used to be your door before I forgot my head up my ass and you had to deal with a dickwad invading your home.” He winked at her. “Take it with good grace. Say thank you.”
Growling beneath her breath, she shook her head. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
Chad dug some Smarties from his shirt pocket. He offered her a roll, but she wrinkled her nose in distaste. The expression was unbelievably cute on her stern face and he couldn’t help but grin at her.
Lora blinked at him and turned away without responding.
Sighing, he left Zeke in charge of their care and headed home. He’d been wearing the same clothes for entirely too long.
Walking into his apartment, the silence was striking. At Lora’s house, either Lora or Mercy were always making some kind of noise. Cleaning, cartoons, giggling, whispering. His apartment was bland in the extreme. Yeah, he had his electronics, but they didn’t have life. Even in the deep of night, Lora’s house pulsed with life.
Shoving his depressing thoughts aside, he dug in his refrigerator for something to munch on. Nothing. He ordered takeout and headed to the bathroom to clean up while he waited.
The heat of the shower relaxed his body, but his mind continued to work, trying to figure out how to get rid of the puke trying to run Lora’s life. High-powered people always had skeletons in their closets. The way Derek treated Lora hinted at something he was used to doing, so maybe there were other women he’d been involved with that hadn’t had a great experience. Maybe he could mention it to John.
Plus, the guy came from an investment family. They’d made money off of other people. They always had secrets.
He washed the sleeve for his prosthetic, then sprayed antibacterial in the prosthetic itself and left it in the bathroom. Hopping to the kitchen on his right leg he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, snatched his tablet from the charger on the counter and headed to the living room. He’d just sat down when the doorbell rang. Mmm, General Tso’s chicken. The dinner of champions.
Tiredness dragged at him, but the thought of seeing Dodd in his dreams again didn’t hold any appeal. Maybe if he surfed himself into tiredness, he’d leave him alone for the night.
* * *
Lora knew the big guy with the scarred face was down the hallway, and there was another guard outside, Killian or something, but she still found herself pacing away the night, worrying.
Derek had been pissed when she’d denied him access to Mercy a couple of months ago. Tired of arguing, she’d finally agreed to take the multi-colored bear he’d brought for her, hoping that if she gave in on that aspect he’d leave her alone. Surprisingly, he
The door was framed and installed, though it took him until late into the evening to get it finished. Zeke arrived for his rotation, and for a while they all sat and watched Frank do his magic. A line of tension immediately went out of Lora’s shoulders when he told her it was done and showed her the completed product. She seemed especially appreciative of the deadbolt, extending it and retracting it several times to get used to the feel.
Frank wrote up the invoice and handed it off to Chad. Lora watched the exchange and anger tightened her features. As soon as Frank left, she held her hand out. “I’ll take the receipt, please.”
Chad smiled and shook his head. “Nah. We’ll take this one.” Actually, it would be coming out of his own personal account.
She took a step forward, brows furrowing over her eyes. “No, it’s my door.”
“No, it used to be your door before I forgot my head up my ass and you had to deal with a dickwad invading your home.” He winked at her. “Take it with good grace. Say thank you.”
Growling beneath her breath, she shook her head. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
Chad dug some Smarties from his shirt pocket. He offered her a roll, but she wrinkled her nose in distaste. The expression was unbelievably cute on her stern face and he couldn’t help but grin at her.
Lora blinked at him and turned away without responding.
Sighing, he left Zeke in charge of their care and headed home. He’d been wearing the same clothes for entirely too long.
Walking into his apartment, the silence was striking. At Lora’s house, either Lora or Mercy were always making some kind of noise. Cleaning, cartoons, giggling, whispering. His apartment was bland in the extreme. Yeah, he had his electronics, but they didn’t have life. Even in the deep of night, Lora’s house pulsed with life.
Shoving his depressing thoughts aside, he dug in his refrigerator for something to munch on. Nothing. He ordered takeout and headed to the bathroom to clean up while he waited.
The heat of the shower relaxed his body, but his mind continued to work, trying to figure out how to get rid of the puke trying to run Lora’s life. High-powered people always had skeletons in their closets. The way Derek treated Lora hinted at something he was used to doing, so maybe there were other women he’d been involved with that hadn’t had a great experience. Maybe he could mention it to John.
Plus, the guy came from an investment family. They’d made money off of other people. They always had secrets.
He washed the sleeve for his prosthetic, then sprayed antibacterial in the prosthetic itself and left it in the bathroom. Hopping to the kitchen on his right leg he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, snatched his tablet from the charger on the counter and headed to the living room. He’d just sat down when the doorbell rang. Mmm, General Tso’s chicken. The dinner of champions.
Tiredness dragged at him, but the thought of seeing Dodd in his dreams again didn’t hold any appeal. Maybe if he surfed himself into tiredness, he’d leave him alone for the night.
* * *
Lora knew the big guy with the scarred face was down the hallway, and there was another guard outside, Killian or something, but she still found herself pacing away the night, worrying.
Derek had been pissed when she’d denied him access to Mercy a couple of months ago. Tired of arguing, she’d finally agreed to take the multi-colored bear he’d brought for her, hoping that if she gave in on that aspect he’d leave her alone. Surprisingly, he
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