Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (96 page)

"No."

"So, I'll watch him watch your place until he decides it's no longer a good idea to watch your place then."

"No.  You are not going to do that."

"Two choices Ami.  You stay with me for a while and move in when Carson and Ali move out.  Or I watch your place until Gabe quits watching your place and you move in with me when Carson and Ali move out.  Take your pick.”

"No.  None of those are fair choices."

Nick snorted.  "Fair.  Okay Ami.  Will it be fair when Gabe breaks into your house or better yet he pays that scum landlord of yours a couple hundred bucks and gets an extra key made?  He
gets into your place in the middle of the night and he kidnaps you.  He rapes you and murders you because you don't love him.  And your son is left without a mother.  Is that fair?"

"You're disgusting.  Gabe has way too big an ego to do something like that."

"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't.  I don't give a shit.  Too much has happened already.  Nothing else is going to go on.  Take your pick Ami or I'll take it for you."

"The hell you will.  No way in hell are you sitting out there watching Gabe like some weirdo.  And I will not move in with you now or later.  So take your fucking pick Nick."

"Okay, so I guess I get to watch Gabe then huh?" He sounded amused.

"You are a stubborn dickhead."

"Yes ma'am.  Tell Carson to text me.  I'll see you in the morning."

He hung up then.  She turned her phone off and shoved it in her purse, going back to the window.

"Are the cops still out there?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah.  Nick doesn't think they're going to be able to do anything."

"Probably not, but you’ll need the police report.  What were you fighting with Nick about?"

"He seems to think he's going to sit outside and stalk Gabe."

"Okay."

"Okay?  Ali come on.  He can't do that."

"Why not?  Carson would do it but he doesn't want to leave me alone and he's got to work earlier than Nick does."

"Do you really think that's going to make Gabe go away?"

Ali yawned.  "I don't know.  I think he'll get tired of it.  Then again maybe he's hiding out there somewhere watching and laughing.  I don't want to know anymore.  I'm sick of it."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault.  I know you wouldn't have slept with him if you would have known he was going to pull this shit."

"I wish I'd never set foot in Gabe's Place."

"I know.  Coulda, shoulda, woulda."

Carson opened the door and introduced the officer.  He wanted to know if Ali had heard anything.  He also asked Ami if anyone had been bothering her.  She went through a brief version of what had been going on with Gabe.  Ami thought that the officer didn't really look interested.  He was taking notes and asked if she wanted to fill out a report, but he yawned and looked at his watch several times when she was talking.

Half an hour later, the officer left.  She hugged Ali, and then headed back upstairs.  .

She was tired again and wanted to crawl into bed.  She needed to check out some places to fix her car though.

She had a few choices to choose from to fix her windshield and had a list jotted down by the time she headed back to bed.

Chapter 17

The next morning, after she woke up, she used the restroom and then went out to the living room.  She lit a cigarette and crossed to the window.  Gabe was sitting across the street.  Nick was leaning against his car in the parking lot of the complex, glaring across the street.

She sighed.  How long was this going to go on she wondered?  Her car was trashed.  Nick was watching Gabe watch her.  She was tired of this.  She wanted to go out and confront Gabe herself.  She would too, if she could get away with it.  But even if she somehow made it down the stairs without Nick seeing her, there wasn't any way that she could get across the street and to Gabe without him noticing.

But she could text Gabe she thought.  She unplugged her phone from the charger and sat back on the couch.

'Why did you trash my car?'

'I didn't do that love.  I'm not that juvenile.'

'Give me a break Gabe.  Who else would have done it?'

'I don’t know Ami.  I doubt that it was Corin reaching out from beyond the grave though.'

Ami froze for a minute, and then typed out an angry reply.  ‘Keep your nose the hell out of my business.  Go away and leave me alone.  If you go anywhere near my son, I’ll kill you myself.’

'Ami my love, this is getting tiring.'

'No shit Gabe.  How do you think I feel?'

'You are confused.  You are exploring your sexuality and I will let you.  I will wait for you.'

'Stop this bullshit.  I don’t want you.'

'Sigh.  You are lucky I am a strong man and will not make you beg when you come to your senses.'

'I want to come out there and wring your neck Gabe.  Get over yourself.'

'I did that long ago.  You on the other hand, not so much.'

'Fuck off.  I am going to change my number and move to North Dakota if you don't leave me the hell alone.'

'What about little Charlie?’

'If you mention my son’s name again, I’ll get a baseball bat and bust up your truck, your new truck and your face.’

'Sweetheart, you need to learn to control your temper.'

'And you need to control your hormones.  How many women have you slept with besides your wife?  How are you not in jail for stalking?'

‘The police here are easily bought.  And I can't help it if women find me attractive.'

'So you admit it you lying fuck.  You told me you didn't sleep with any of them.'

'I admitted nothing.  It doesn't matter anyway.  You are the woman for me.  You are mine.'

'I am seriously going to come out there with a baseball bat and do to your car what you did to mine.'

'Temper temper.  If you wish you may.  I can buy another one.  It's of no consequence to me.'

'Can I smack your head with the bat, too?'

'Darling you are lucky that I am not another man.  You seem to be threatening me.'

'And if I am?'

'Sweetheart.  What do you want?'

'For you to go away.'

'I am having such fun watching your little boyfriend run around, though.'

'So you did smash up my car.'

'Did I say that?'

'Everyone knows you did.'

'I didn't do it.  If you wish I will replace it, though.'

'You are sick.  You slashing my tires and breaking my window still doesn’t make me want your truck.'

'It is yours.'

'Screw you.'

'Darling, you seem to think that it bothers me when you act and talk like a slut.  Little secret Ami, I like to watch.'

'You are a sick fuck.'

'I only like to watch for so long, though.  I will tire of it quickly enough.'

'Good.  Maybe then you'll go away.'

'I have to play with your boy toy a little bit longer.'

'The hell you do.  We'd all have a party if you fell off of a cliff.  Your kids would be better off without you.'

'Alone with their mother?  No.  My children don't need to be raised by a couple of lesbians.'

'Prejudiced much?  Homophobe much?'

'Hmm.  So you would like your Nick and I at the same time then?'

'Yuck.  You are fucking sick.'

'Darling, I would do anything for you.  Is that not clear?'

'Go away then.'

'That I cannot do.  Yet.'

'When then?'

'When I am done fucking with Nick's head I will leave you alone for a little while at least.'

'Leave him alone, leave me alone and you’d sure as hell better forget that my son exists.'

'Darling.'

'Don't call me that.  You make me want to throw up.'

'I love you.  Give me a few more days to play.'

'Shut up and go away.'

'You contacted me my love.'

'Only because I knew I couldn't get past Nick if I went outside.'

'You have him so tightly wrapped around your little finger that it's pathetic.'

'Again I say what the fuck are you then?'

'In love.  I know the woman for me when I see her.  You are it.  You are mine.'

'I am not.  I would rather be a lesbian than marry you.'

'I don't think so.  You are too attracted to muscles and flat abs to be turned on by breasts and vaginas.'

'If I have to put up with you much longer, I'll pretend.'

'I can introduce you to my wife if you'd like.'

'She's almost as looped as you are.'

'No.  She's much more actually.'

'Ha.  I doubt that.'

'Think what you'd like.  I think your boyfriend is getting impatient.  You'd better let him check out your car.'

'If I do will you go away?'

'For now.  I didn't do anything to your car.  I wouldn't harm you.  I love you.'

'It's too bad I despise you then, huh?'

'I will still love you.  It's only a matter of time until you admit that you feel the same.'

'If you wouldn't harm me why did you pull out in front of me yesterday?  I could have crashed.'

'Please Ami.  A sixteen year old driving for the first time could have stopped in time.'

'I doubt that.  Go away Gabe.'

'I will.  Call Nick and bring him your keys and I will.'

'No.  Do you think Nick will let me come outside?'

'If you don't come out I will sit here until you do again.  I need to see you.'

‘Go away.  I hate you.’

'Maybe you think so.  For now.  I must let you go.  Call Nick and come down.'

'I won't come down for you.'

'Don't bother calling Nick.  Grab your keys and come down.  I'll distract him.'

'You just sit in your car.'

'Goodbye lover.  I will love you until the end of time.'

'Go die Gabe.'

'I won't die until you admit you love me too.  See you in a minute Ami.'

She tossed her phone on the couch and moved the curtain further out of the way so she could see exactly what Gabe was up to.  He had gotten out of his car.  Nick looked tense.  When Gabe moved to cross the street, she shoved her feet into her shoes, grabbed her car keys and headed down the stairs.

"Nick," she called.  "He's messing with you.  Come here."

"He's not coming over here," Nick muttered.  But he stopped and stood where he was.

"Of course he's not.  He's playing some stupid game."

Gabe has paused as well and was leaning against his car, a cocky grin on his face.

"What are you doing down here?" She thought that he looked tired.

"He said he'd go away if I came down here to give you my keys."

"Why the hell are you talking to him again?"

"I wanted him to go away."

Nick sighed. 
"And you think you telling him you hate him some more is enough to make that crazy asshole go away?  Give me your keys so I can look at your car."

She handed him her keys.  Her hand brushed against his and he gave her a look.  "What?"

"Nothing." He turned away from her.  "He hasn't left yet."

"He said he'll leave me alone for a while after he's done messing with you."

"Wonderful.  Should I expect my car to look like this next or is he going to break out the windows in my apartment or the bowling alley?"

"I don't know.  He probably won't mess with your car because he knows that it's not that important to you.  Which is pretty funny coming from a mechanic."

"Yeah.  It's kind of like a plastic surgeon walking around with a fucked up nose, huh?  My car runs.  It was all I could afford at the time.  I'll tell Bobby to watch out for anything at the alley.”

"Yeah.”

“Why don't you go inside and I'll bring you your keys back when I'm done?"

"No.  He won't go away then."

"You are playing right into his hands Ami.  Giving him exactly what he wants." He sighed.  "Take my keys and go sit in my car please."

"Why can't I stay here?"

"Ami please."

"I'm getting tired of you telling me what to do."

"I asked you.  Now I'm asking you again, please go sit in my car."

"You certainly told me I was going to live with you."

"I'm tired Ami.  I'm not really in the mood to argue with you.  We can talk about that later."

"Yeah, we certainly will."

She grabbed his keys from him, making sure she brushed his hand again.  If he was going to drive her crazy, she was going to drive him crazy too, she thought.

She unlocked Nick's car and sat in the driver's seat with the door open.  She had forgotten her cigarettes so she lit one of his.  She watched him as he popped the hood on her car.  Gabe was still leaning against his car.  She looked him in the eye and flipped him off.  He blew her a kiss.

She shook her head and went back to watching Nick.

It took him forever.  He seemed to go over every inch of her car, even getting down on the ground and looking underneath.  Finally, he got up and brushed himself off and came towards her, after locking the car.  Gabe was still across the street, though he'd gotten back in his car.

"Other than the obvious, it looks fine.  I’ll go get your tires and I know a guy who will put your window in cheap so you don’t have to deal with your insurance company.  But if you have any problems or issues with it, let me know.  I don't care if you have an issue with it at three o'clock in the morning, you call me okay?"

"Yes father."

"If I was your Daddy, I wouldn't have any problem with kicking Gabe's ass.  If I was your boyfriend I wouldn't have a problem with kicking Gabe's ass.  But I'm not."

"He's not leaving.”

"He will.  Go inside."

"He told me I could do to his car what he did to mine."

Nick yawned.  "Do it then.  Never mind.  He'd probably like it.  Go inside Ami."

"I need some fresh air."

"Don't do this to me Ami."

"Do what?"

"You know what you're doing."

"Talking to you?"

"I guess you could call it that."

"Are you saying that I'm flirting with you?"

"Go upstairs Ami before I do something that we’re both going to regret."

"What would you do that we'd regret?" Her heart started beating faster.

He moved closer to her, so that he was pressing her back against the side of his car.  "I would kiss you the way you think you want me to kiss you.  I would give you exactly what you think you want from me.  I would spend three days straight doing things to you in bed that you couldn't even imagine and then I would leave you for someone that wants what I want.  Is that you wanted to hear Ami?"

She pushed him away from her.  "You're a jerk."

"I may be, but I'm not going to ruin what we could have by screwing you again."

"Who the heck said I wanted you to screw me?"

"Uh, you did.  Now go back upstairs.  Gabe is leaving."

He pulled out and gave both of them a wave and a huge grin.  He seemed utterly satisfied with himself.  She wanted to slug him she thought.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Yes.  I need to get some sleep before I go to work in three hours."

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't ask Gabe to stalk you did you?"

"No."

“Bye Ami.”

"Bye Nick."

She wanted to hug him.  Part of her wanted to kiss him again but she couldn't do it.  She’d already pushed him way too far in the past few days.  She looked at Nick one last time and then went up the stairs.

Nick called her a few hours later, telling her that his friend was on the way to fix her window and he’d take her to replace her tires the next day before he went to work.