Playing With Fire (Sweet Redemption) Read Free Page B

hands away from his yet again when she felt a knock behind her.
    She felt David freeze, as did she.
    “Who is it?” she asked, mad that her voice sounded like a scared little girl’s. She watched David’s eyes as she said it, and watched them harden in anger at the response.
    “It’s me, Rick. You left your jacket in my car.”
    Still looming over her, David looked through her peephole, loosening his grip enough that she pulled away from it and immediately opened the door, not caring if he got hit with it.
    “Thanks,” she said as she reached out, intending to grab the item then close the door but David held it open.
    “Well, well, well,” David said. “Who do we have here?”
    “This is my...wait a minute—I don’t owe you an explanation! You need to leave David—quick, while the door’s open.”
    “Let me get this straight—you accuse me of cheating, yet you’ve got this guy sneaking around...”
    “Okay, first of all? I don’t need to sneak—you and I are done. We’ve been done for weeks now. So this—which isn’t what you think—isn’t any of your business anyway.”
    “I think you should do what the lady says,” Eric said from behind her, and his voice, usually so velvety yet rumbling suddenly had a different quality to it.
    The image of two rams about to lock horns passed through Janet’s brain.
    David looked directly at Eric and folded his arms.
    “And what are you going to do about it?”
    Eric moved so fast, he was suddenly right in front of David before she’d even registered the slate grey of his suit whizzing by.
    “I don’t think you’d really like to find out,” Eric said, and Janet, for at least the third time that night thought she had surely melted into a puddle.
    David sneered, and although he didn’t look fazed, stepped back, putting space between him and Eric.
    Janet realized Eric had a few inches of height on David, as well as breadth.
    “Fine,” David said, stepping around Eric. “I’ll let this go for now.”
    Once he had reached outside the door, he said:
    “Do what you have to do to feel we’re even Janet, but we’re not done yet.”
    Janet shut the door, letting out a huge breath.
    “Oh my god, I can’t even believe that just happened,” she said quietly. “I’m so sorry you had to see that—he’s just..nuts.”
    “Then I’m glad I was here.”
    “He just won’t get it! He won’t leave me alone, and he won’t turn in my keys...”
    “You need to change your locks Janet.”
    “I know. I will.”
    “No, I mean now. Sooner than later. You yourself said he was crazy. I can’t leave you here in good conscience, knowing a crazy person has access to you, and I really don’t see how you can be so casual about it.”
    “Well he’s not actually crazy. He’s ultimately harmless—just not over the fact that we’re finished. Maybe he’s too arrogant to believe I could actually be done with him, I don’t know, but I don’t think I’m in any real danger.”
    “I’m not convinced unfortunately. Is there someone you can call? There’s gotta be a locksmith on duty somewhere. Go on—check the yellow pages, ask Siri—whatever you have to do. I’ll wait.”
    “You can’t be serious—I’ll just do this tomorrow.”
    “I’m very serious, and I’m not leaving until you do.”
    He headed over to her couch and sat down.
    Were the men around her all losing their minds? What was with them all of a sudden pretending she hadn’t spoken? Like her words had turned into air? She was Leonard Cooper’s daughter damn it!
    Still, she decided to oblige Eric; having him around was more dangerous than David coming around as far as she was concerned.
    “I didn’t even realize there were 24-hour lock services,” she said as she quickly and easily found one.
    Eric just looked at her from her couch.
    True to his word, he stayed there as she waited for the locksmith.
    He accepted her offer of water, but mostly sat silently watching her as she fumbled around