Shane (Mallick Brothers 1)

“You’re saying Lea is on the run from something.”

“Girl like that, smart and funny and good as she is, no way is she alone in the world, you know? She’s got people somewhere. Why isn’t she with them?”

Yeah, well, that was a good point. It didn’t escape my notice how easily she got on with Fee and my brothers. She took their shit and gave it right back. There was no hesitance, no awkwardness. She was social. And yet she lived alone. Fee said she didn’t seem to have any family or friends. It didn’t jibe with her personality.

“Just figured I’d plant that seed,” Barney said with a shrug. “If you’re watching over her, figured that would be good for you to give some thought to. I’ll expect those keys,” he said, gesturing toward the new door, “under my door.”

“Got it Barney. Thanks for the info,” I said as he moved away, waving at me.

With that, I got back to work, finishing the fence then moving on to ripping the old door out, drilling holes for the new bars in the catch, then attaching the security door. I slipped the keys under all the doors in the building, but found myself pocketing hers for later.

I knew from the very forthcoming Fee that Lea was working that night. And, well, I just so happened to have a key to the building in case of an emergency.

I felt like Lea having a key to her apartment in a very bad area seemed pretty damn emergent.SEVENLeaI had a bag slung over my arm and a coffee cup in my hand when I rounded the bend toward the back door, saying a quick hi and bye to Barney before I skidded to a stop.

“Ah, is that a new door?” I asked, turning back to Barney who was nodding at me.

“That’s a good man looking out for you like that.”

My brows drew together at that. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Shane Mallick. He came in here earlier and put in that new security door. That one costs a mint too. Just to make sure you’re safe.”

“More like he was afraid I would report him for the poor living conditions,” I contradicted him.

“He also put up a new fence out there to protect you from those dogs.”

“Barney, what are you talking about? I’m not dating Shane.”

“No?” he asked, brows raising in mock surprise. “Then maybe you should seeing as he’s going all out of his way for your safety.”

I shook my head, giving him a tired smile, knowing there was no use arguing with his ass. If there was one thing people generally became as they got older, it was set in their opinions. “Anyway. Did he leave the keys for us somewhere?”

To that, Barney looked almost mischievous. “Under our doors, darlin’.”

“There was no key under my door,” I said, shaking my head. “Great. Now I am going to have to call his ass to make him leave me one somewhere. I don’t have time for this,” I said, going to the door, surprised when it was about ten times heavier than a normal door. “I’ll talk to you later, Barney,” I called over my shoulder as I went outside.

I looked around wearily as the dogs started their usual fit throwing. But Barney was right, the flimsy chainlink with the crappy green stuff was gone, replaced with a sturdy, unbending steel one. Granted, now I could see the evil little beasts, but at least I knew there was no way in hell they were going to get to me.

For the first time since I moved in, I didn’t run to my car. And I owed Shane freaking Mallick for that small bit of peace of mind.

I drove to work trying (and obviously failing) to not consider if what Barney said was true, if Shane had put the new door in because it was safer for me. But that made no sense. It made a hell of a lot more sense that he put it up to protect his ass from a possible lawsuit if someone eventually did just sneak in the back door and break down my apartment door to beat or rape me. Or if the dogs finally burst through the fence to maul me half to death.

For A Good Time, Call… Inc. Seemed like any other office building during the day. But at night, all the bodies gone, all the noises quieted, it was pretty eerie. Even having worked there for a bit, it never got any less creepy. So as soon as I stepped fully inside, I locked the door. Then I systematically walked the entire place and put on all the lights, even the ones for Fee’s office and the storage room. Then I went over and made a pot of coffee; the one I brought with me always half gone by the time I got there. Night shifts could be gotten used to in a way, making it possible to sleep when the sun was coming up even though your body naturally rebelled against such a thing. But I don’t think it mattered if I did it for a decade, you never really felt quite right, relying heavily on coffee or energy drinks to keep you going.