made me come twice more before he finally shouted his own release.
We couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. And every time we came together, it was better than the last.
Then the day came when everyone needed to leave. Jasper and Mark flew home in the morning. Yelena took an afternoon flight back to Russia. And Mica was packing to catch a red-eye. I sat on the bed watching him while secretly dreading his departure. Not because I was scared, but because when he left this house, it always felt like he took all the light and energy with him.
He looked at me. “You going to be okay?”
A smile tugged out of me. “Yeah.”
“Want me to get Zoey to come over here?”
No, I needed to be alone. To process everything that had happened. “That’s okay. I’ve got Sniper.”
He zipped his bag shut. “I talked to my friend. He will be keeping an eye on things.”
I lifted my eyes to him, wondering if he’d tell me. “Which friend?”
“A good friend. Someone I trust.”
He gave me a long, passionate kiss before leaving in a cab to meet up with the rest of his team. I curled up in bed with Sniper at my side and Sasha at my feet, but despite the dogs, the house felt lonely. And I was already counting the days until he returned.
I returned to work. Sniper came with me to work and, not wanting to leave Sasha at home, I brought him with us too. When Krista saw Sasha playfully chewing a toy in front of the photocopier, I held my breath, but she picked him up and said, “When this one is at the office, he’s my dog.”
And then she disappeared into her office with him.
I avoided walking the dogs with Andrew. He had crossed some weird line with us, and I didn’t feel like it was appropriate to spend more time with him. I changed our walking times, heading out with the dogs as soon as I got home from work. When the doorbell rang around the time of the dog walking group’s walk, I didn’t answer the door. I knew it was cowardly to ghost him, but I didn’t want to deal with him.
Mica either called or texted every night that he was on the road.
“How was your day?”
I smiled into the phone. “Busy. Sasha ate one of Krista’s shoes.”
“Was she pissed?”
“She laughed.”
His voice rumbled in my ear. “Miss me yet?”
With my entire being. “I’m enjoying having the entire bed to myself.”
He laughed and dropped his voice. “I think I want another lingerie show.”
“You think you’ll make it through more than one outfit?”
“Doubt it.”
Those conversations were the best part of my day.
Two nights later, I was lying in bed, watching TV, when I remembered that tomorrow was recycling day. Groaning, I yanked some clothes on, knowing that if I didn’t get it out tonight, I’d probably miss the pickup in the morning.
I stood in the garage and looked in dismay at the amount of recycling we had. Between the party and the gifts, it would take three trips to haul it all to the end of the driveway.
I opened the garage door and groaned when I saw the sheets of rain cascading down.
“Shit.”
I put up my hood, picked up a bin and carried it to the edge of the street. There was no one outside this late at night. I dragged all the bins to the street and trudged back towards the open garage door.
I half screamed when a dark figure moved in between me and the door. He had a hood up and water streamed off his hood, obscuring his face.
Sniper was inside with the door shut. The front door was locked. He was between me and the house.
He pushed his hood back, revealing his identity. Yazimoto. One of his eyes was black and his face was covered with bruises.
My heart thudded loudly in my chest, threatening to give up at any moment.
“What do you want?” I gasped.
He stepped forward, up to my face. “Make them stop.”
“What?” I could barely speak, I was so scared.
“I told them your debt was forgiven. I even offered to return all the money to you, but they told me as long as I left you alone, we’d be good.”
Anger surged through me. “Maybe you should have left me alone, then!”
“I haven’t sent you a single text. Not one. And none of my guys dares go near you.”
He pulled an envelope out of his jacket and shoved