Grumpy Best Friend

Inside the basket were boxes of Fluke cookies.

I stared at them. Jude walked over and laughed a little. “Look at that,” she said. “These are hard to find over here.” She plucked out a box. “They’re really good, you know? I kind of thought they’d be really boring, since they’re British. But Lady Fluke sent me some when I first started working for her, and I really liked them.”

I stared at the boxes and barely heard what she was saying. She was right—these were hard to find in the States. It was almost impossible, in fact. Unless Fluke sent these over herself, I had no clue who would’ve gone to the trouble to find a few boxes, or who would bring them over and leave them on my doorstep.

I found a note tucked in a plain white envelope at the very bottom with my name written in a cramped, slanted hand. Jude sat on the couch, munching on the little biscuit, dunking them in coffee and humming to herself, as I tore open the envelope and stared at the plain white card.

Can’t hide from me forever. I know she’s staying with you now. All you have to do is pay me. - Z

I stared at that card until I crumpled it up into a tight little ball.

“What’s that?” Jude asked through a mouth full of cookie.

I shook my head. “Nothing, just a receipt. I think it was sent over by one of the people I interviewed on Wednesday, that guy Barnaby?”

She snorted. “Barnaby. What a name. Are you going to hire him?”

“No,” I said absently, and threw the card into the trash. “He was kind of a dick.”

“Good taste in gifts though,” she said, and I stood there staring down at the kitchen floor, my mind working fast.

I didn’t want Jude to know that Zeke sent these over as a warning. I didn’t want to freak her out even more than she already was, but that message was loud and clear—there was no running or hiding from him. We hadn’t been subtle, but still, he must’ve had someone following us if he knew that she was staying over at my apartment.

I had to be careful. I kept the door locked at night, and I had a small compact pistol that I kept in my closet, but maybe it was time to load it and keep it handy at night. This fucking bastard Zeke, he was going to try and do to my apartment what he did to Jude’s, but I had a feeling that would be more difficult. My building was bigger, with better security, and my windows were all ten stories up. Beyond that, I had big locks on my door, and I wasn’t the type to fuck around.

Anger began to seep through my skin like sweat. I oozed rage, and I had to walk away from the kitchen before Jude noticed. I went into my bedroom and shut the door softly, before pacing around at the end of my bed. My room was relatively large, with a big wooden dresser, queen-sized bed, and an attached master bathroom. I went around and around, my mind racing, not focusing on anything but my rage at this violation, and wondering how far Zeke was willing to go.

I didn’t want to pay the bastard anymore. I’d been championing paying him from the start, just to get it over with—but now, I wanted to dump the piece of shit and move on. He could whine and threaten, but I’d double security, and eventually I’d call the police. Lady Fluke couldn’t hold out forever, not if Zeke got more and more aggressive.

But I worried about Jude. It was clear Zeke was willing to use her to get what he wanted, and I was afraid that he’d genuinely try to hurt her. I could defend myself, but she was physically small, and there was no way she could fight back against a guy like Zeke, let alone one of his flunkies, like Jakub. I had to make sure she stayed with me until this was all over, and I’d have to keep an eye on her at all times.

It wouldn’t be easy. I had a feeling Jude was going to want to go back to her place sooner or later, and she was beginning to lean toward giving Zeke the money. I’d have to find some way to talk her out of that, even if I was now going back on what I originally said, but fuck him. This was too far.

I had to have a line somewhere. Breaking into Jude’s apartment was nearly it—and now threatening her in this roundabout way again was beyond too far. It had to be done. I had to make a stand.

I sucked in a few calming breaths before heading back out into the living room then plastered a smile on my face as Jude tossed aside a box of cookies. “I’m insane,” she said. “I didn’t even want all those. I just couldn’t stop.”