The door swings open, and Emily pulls me inside. “What’s your problem? Do you have a death wish?”
I look around the bare apartment and barely hide my flinch. I can’t believe she’s been living like this. “No, the question is, do you have a death wish? Why are you living here?”
She puts her hands on her hips and juts her chin out at me. “Well, I’m sorry it doesn’t live up to your standards, but this is all I can afford.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
Exasperated, I am barely holding in my rage. “We pay you well. Why. Are. You. Living. Like. This?”
Her jaw is set, and I’m afraid she’s not going to answer, but finally she does. “What do you want to hear, Dawson? The ugly truth? My mom OD’d. My dad’s in prison. I quit my last job because my boss didn’t want to take no for an answer. I got mugged one night, and they took my rent so I got kicked out and this place was all I could afford.” She holds her hands up to the walls of the apartment. “You think I don’t know it’s a shit hole? I do. But I’m saving up, and I’ll move as soon as I’m able to.”
I stare at her, my chest rising and falling as if I’ve been running. There’s so many thoughts running through my head right now, but I say the first thing that seems to make sense. “Pack your shit.”
She gasps. “I’m not leaving. Where do you expect me to go?”
“Fuck,” I say and start pacing the small space. “Pack your shit and let me worry about it.”
“No!” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. She’s fearless, there’s no doubt about it, and it makes me wonder what all she’s been through in her life.
“Yes. I’m not leaving you here, Emily.” I point out toward the street. “I heard those men. They’re talking about climbing in your window at night. You’re not staying here another night.”
Her eyes round, and I hate that I put fear there, but she needs to know it’s not safe here. She stammers, “They won’t.”
I take two steps toward her, my chest heaving and my hands fisted at my sides. Just talking about it makes me want to kill someone. “Listen to me. They are ruthless thugs, Emily. They won’t think twice about breaking in here and doing things to you. Men like that don’t care about getting caught.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t have anywhere else to go, Dawson.”
I pull my phone from my pocket. “Let me worry about that. Get packed.”
I hit speed dial for Aiden, and he picks up after two rings. “What is it, Dawson? If you’re calling me from the Whistler to come pick you up, I can’t. Call an Uber.”
“It’s not that,” I answer.
His tone changes when he hears the seriousness in my voice. “What’s going on?”
“I need the apartment up above the shop.”
He laughs then. “What? Did you get kicked out of your house or something?”
I point to Emily and then around the room, mouthing pack to her. She goes to the corner, giving me some space, but I know she’s listening to every word I say. “It’s not for me. Look, Emily’s car broke down, and I brought her home. She’s living at West End.”
“In Jasper? Fuck, what the hell is she doing there?”
“Look, I can’t get into it now. Since you and Gracie moved out, I know it’s empty. Can she stay there?”
“Yes. Absolutely. Where are you? Are you at West End now?”
I grunt. “Yep.”
“Fuck. You want me to come there?”
“No, I say the less noise we make here the better. I’m having her pack and then we’re heading that way.”
“Okay,” he says. “Oh shit, Dawson. I forgot. There’s no bed or nothing there. Can she stay at your house tonight and then we’ll get it all set up in the morning?”
I watch as Emily bends over to pick up shoes off the floor. I can’t take my eyes off her, and I mutter, “Yeah, that’s fine.” Surely the fuck I can deal with her one night.
“All right. Call if you need anything.”
“Will do,” I say before hanging up.
“Good news,” I say to Emily. “Aiden said you can stay in the apartment above the shop. Bad news, there’s no bed or furniture. You’re going to stay at my house tonight, and we’ll get you set up tomorrow.”
She drops the shoes, shaking her head. “Nope. I’ll just stay here tonight and move tomorrow. Did you tell him I’ll pay rent and I’ll move as soon as I find something else?”
“He’s not worried about rent. You can talk to him about it tomorrow. But pack your shit so we can go.”
“I can’t stay with you, Dawson.”
I start picking up the shoes she just dropped and put them in a big duffle bag. “Why can’t you?”