Chaos & the Geek (Grace Grayson Security #1) - Elizabeth Stevens Page 0,1

less than some guy’s dick.

“Babe!” Brent called as I walked past Dannie’s room, but I kept going.

I grabbed up my satchel and my books from the couch and my keys.

“Where are you going to go?” Dannie asked.

I paused, my hand on the doorknob. “I don’t know. Anywhere’s better than here.”

I stormed out and headed for the lift. The old, rickety lift I hated. But I was so not bouncing my suitcase down ten flights of stairs. I breathed out heavily as the door closed on me and wasn’t sure if I was staving off tears or the desire to punch something.

I hadn’t had this complete numbness for so long. But it was like my body recognised it all too well and welcomed it with open arms like a long-lost limb. I stumbled a little as I walked out of the lift and headed for the rarely used back door in case I was followed. I was so busy ignoring any and all feelings that I didn’t notice that the heavens, that had been threatening to open all week, had done just that with gusto until water ran into my eye.

I blinked and just stood there for a moment, not sure if I was crying or not.

I don’t know how long I was standing there, but I slowly registered that there was someone yelling. I focussed my eyes and saw a vaguely familiar older guy hurrying over the road towards me, calling to me.

He stopped in front of me and I blinked heavily.

“Are you all right, miss?” he asked, and I realised he was familiar because he was wearing the uniform for the swanky place across the road.

I’d walked past enough times in the three years I lived there that I was sure I’d seen him at the door more than once.

“Miss? Are you okay?”

I shook my head out of my arse. “Um… I’m…” I looked back up to where I knew our apartment was. “I will be. Thanks.”

“Have you got anywhere to go, miss?” he asked sweetly.

I smiled at him softly and shook my head. “No. I need to get hold of my brother. But then I’ll be fine.” I didn’t know why I felt like I was about to divulge my whole life story to this lovely older gentleman, but he just had that trusted grandfatherly quality to him.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you come on over into the dry, miss? We can get you a hot drink and get hold of your brother for you?”

My eyes slid to the ridiculously expensive building across the road. “Thanks. But I’d hate to put you out and I wouldn’t really fit in.” I flapped my soaking oversized woollen jumper as evidence.

He made a tutting noise and winked at me. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

I saw his name tag read Johnson.

The idea of somewhere dry to call my brother from sounded amazing. And just then, I was incapable of thinking of anywhere else. So, I finally nodded, let him take my case, and let him lead the way back across the road.

“Thank you, Johnson.”

“You’re most welcome, miss. I hated to see such a sweet young lady looking so lost. What’s your poison? Tea? Coffee? Chocolate?” he asked as we hurried under the giant awning and he carried my bag up the steps.

“God, a stiff coffee would do me wonders.”

“I’ll ask the boys to throw in a fortifying shot of Jamesons,” he said with a wink and a tap to his nose.

“It’s a bit early in the day isn’t it?” I had been joking.

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” he said again as he directed me to some seats in the foyer. “Now, give me two ticks to find you a couple of towels and get the boys on that coffee, and we’ll get you settled.”

I nodded, starting to feel too overwhelmed to do much more. I pulled my phone out of my wet jeans and looked for my brother’s number. It rang out and I couldn’t think of what to say to his answering service, so I hung up and waited for Johnson to come back.

Just as that overwhelmed sensation was turning into self-pity and sadness, I saw Johnson jogging back over with some towels and a comforting smile.

“Here you go, miss. Dry off as best you can. Coffee’s on the way.”

“Thank you.”

I took the top towel hesitantly as Johnson put the rest of the pile down on a chair beside us. The Mayhew was some kind of