“Thank you,” I murmur with a smile in place. I pick up the coffees and head for the door. Using my elbow, I open the door and step back outside.
I quickly cross the road and head back into Pins and Needles. Noticing Meghan is in the zone doing her thing, I head for Kronid’s office. As I pass the receptionist’s desk, I hear a woman’s voice, and it’s not someone who’s happy. “Why’d you choose her? I don’t understand it! I’m perfect for you!” Immediately my spine goes ice cold as this woman screams at Kronid.
Wincing, I stop right in my tracks. I don’t want to barge in there and interrupt whatever is going on. Whoever the woman is seems really upset and I’m not the type of person who deals with conflict. I never have been. I leave the coffees sitting on the receptionist’s desk and decide to head out for some air. It’s obvious I need it as soon as possible. I push open the doors and head for the tiny alley right next to the shop, lean up against the brick, and take in some deep breaths.
Whoever this woman is, she knows me and thinks I’m less than her. I’m used to being belittled but I’ve never done anything to anyone.
My eyes are filling with tears as my mind begins to reel with the possibility that she’ll get her way and Kronid will end up changing his mind. I hope not. I hope he cares for me in the way I care for him, and he’s said he won’t lie to me, so I know he’s being truthful with his feelings.
Finally, after a few peaceful moments I decide it’s time to head back inside and go into his office. Not only will I show him my support, but I’ll tell this woman what I think of her, even if I’m not a conflicting person. I start to walk back and a hand wraps around my wrist, tugging me backward. I open my mouth to yell at them but find my mouth covered with some sort of white cloth and as I take another breath to scream, my vision begins to fade until it goes completely dark.
Chapter Fourteen
Kronid
I stand here and take every heat filled word Lia’s throwing my way. Like any good man, I wait until it’s my turn to speak. Being interrupted is one of my biggest pet peeves, so I won’t do it to someone else.
“I can’t believe you chose her. What does she have that I don’t, Kronid? I don’t understand it. You . . . you’ve had me here for ages now and I thought that we . . . I thought we . . .” Lia trails off and I use this as my opportunity to speak.
“You thought what, Lia? That we’d be together? Let me make this obvious to you. If you were someone I was into in the least bit I would’ve made my move. It’s evident I’m with Dema, so why even come here and say these things to me? Huh? Why come here?” I clench my fist at my side, wanting nothing more than to slam it through a wall. The audacity this woman has. I doubt we’ll ever find her a good suitor based on her attitude alone.
Lia shakes her head and walks across the room, throws her hands up in the air and then turns to look back at me. Tears slide down over her cheeks and I have no idea why she’s reacting in such a way. While I’ve been nice to her, it’s my job to be kind to the women, just like it’s my job to give a damn about whatever’s going on in their life.
“You didn’t answer me,” Lia points out and she’s right I didn’t. Why? Because I don’t have to fucking give her any answer.
“Let me make something clear, Dema is my girlfriend. Dema is the one I chose. Not you. I don’t owe you any sort of explanation because I’ve never once led you on. I’ve been nice to you because it’s my job, Lia, not because I give a damn.”
Lia shakes her head from side to side and the tears keep coming. I don’t know if the woman’s stupid or delusional. It could be a bit of both. “I can’t believe this . . . I can’t believe I let this happen, that I let myself grow fond of you only to be thrown down and cast aside yet again.”
“Stop with the pity party shit. I didn’t lead you the fuck on, so don’t come in here and act like I have. Now, get your ass in line or I’ll talk to Katya and we’ll throw you back onto the streets. The choice is really yours, considering how you act right now is going to decide your fate,” I snarl, glaring at her with all my might. I’d never put my hands on a woman, but Lia’s disrespect toward me has really tested me. She huffs loudly and walks past me, opens the door to my office and slams it shut. After she leaves the air in the room is a bit easier to breathe and I head back over to my desk, but as I sit down, I see the time. Dema’s been gone a while now and it shouldn’t have taken that long to get a couple coffees.
Immediately I rise and head for the doorway, leave my office and shut the door firmly behind me. I practically always have it locked, especially since the type of shit I do isn’t the kind of thing other people need to know about. I walk up the hallway, passing a few of the artists and see Meghan’s standing against the wall looking at her cell. She must be on break, which is good for me.
“You seen Dema lately?” I ask her, not beating around the bush.
She looks up from her phone and giggles lightly. “If anyone should know where Dema is, Kronid, it’s you.” I sense the playfulness in her voice, but this isn’t a playful matter.
Deciding not to be a dick to Meghan since she keeps shit good in the shop here, I clear my throat and rephrase. “She’s been gone a while. I’m getting a bit worried, so have you seen her?”
Meghan furrows her brows and she shakes her head. “No, I haven’t seen her since she left after you two came in together. Hold on though,” Meghan turns and looks around the corner of the wall she’s standing against and calls out, “Vika, have you seen Dema?” Vika is one of the tattoo apprentices, everyone calls her Vika because her full name is Viktoria.
Vika nods once. “Yeah, she left a few minutes ago. I saw her set the coffees down on the receptionist’s desk.”
Sure enough as I glance over I see the coffees and my heart sinks down into my stomach. Fuck. She must’ve heard something that Lia said to me and if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have left. Dammit! Now I need to find her, and quickly.
Shit, what did she hear? Was it Lia in her jealous rage, or did she hear specific things? Dammit, regardless this isn’t good and I know she’s probably a mess right now. We’ve told one another that we’d hidden our desires and even with that declaration, this is still very new. We might be making it appear like this isn’t new, but it is, and given the circumstances I need to be delicate with her.
I pull my phone out from my pocket and call her, bring the phone to my ear and the ringing sound repeats over and over again until her voicemail message comes on. I call again, and again, and again until the phone is picked up and I hear an unknown woman’s voice on the other end. She explains she found the phone in the street and answered. I asked her where it was and she gave me the location. It’s right outside the shop.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I have a sick feeling hitting the bottom of my stomach and something isn’t sitting well with me. I don’t believe for one second that Dema would be reckless enough to leave her cellphone or drop it in the street, not when she has two elderly grandparents who depend on her.