Wrapped In My Wife

“I know I look young for my age,” I finally say. People do remark how young I look all the time.

“Not just that,” he says, and I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable.

“Thanks.” I think. But I keep that last part in my head.

“Well, I have some projects I want you to work on. It will be on the computer—entering inventory data. More of a desk job.”

“That’s fine,” I tell him.

When I went searching for a job I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for. When I saw the library was hiring I jumped on it. I didn’t think I’d get the job, but I was wrong.

“I’m going to find someone else to fill in for what you had been doing and move you upstairs. We’ll share an office for now. I’ll have a desk brought in for you.”

“Oh. You don’t have to share your office. I don’t want to intrude. I can work anywhere,” I say, looking around and thinking there’s no way a second desk could fit in here.

“No, I’ll need you close. We’ll be working on the same projects, so it will be easier.”

Day one and I’m already being promoted. I guess this is a good thing, so I ignore the feeling in my stomach. I should be excited that I’ve been offered a chance to do this instead of being stuck with the dust bunnies. I smile and nod, thinking I can’t wait to get home and tell my guys.

Chapter 4

Dylan

I growl as frustration builds. I want to climb through the window and pull her out of that room. Then beat the living shit out of that guy who has the nerve to look at what belongs to me.

A text from the babysitter pops up on my phone and I see they’re coloring the posters now. I told Emily it wasn’t a problem to get the boys, and it wasn’t. Because I’d already gotten a sitter for them. I planned since yesterday to watch her and make sure her first day went well. I kept telling myself it was to make sure she was safe. But the longer I stayed the harder it was for me to justify it as anything other than selfishness.

When the sitter sent me pictures earlier I just saved them and resent them to Emily like I was the one home with them. I was thinking the little lie would be worth it if it gave me peace of mind. Now I’m just mad as hell and I’m ready to rip this building down brick by brick.

I send a quick text to the sitter saying I’ll be a little late, and she gives me the thumbs up. After that I text my buddy Michael, but he immediately calls me. My phone is on silent, but I duck down anyway and whisper into it.

“You should be able to hear everything through the earpiece,” he says, and I roll my eyes.

“I know,” I whisper darkly, angry at him and at the situation. “That’s the problem. I can hear every fucking thing they’re saying. And I want to go in there and rip this asshole’s throat out.”

I called in a favor with him last night, thinking it would be just one way for me to know my bride was all right and I could handle her having a new job. I didn’t ask questions, but he left an earpiece for me in my truck this morning and told me I’d have audio and visual on her throughout the day.

“Dylan, calm down,” he says, and I hear him shuffle around. “Look, Jeanette doesn’t know I’m doing this for you. If she did she’d probably string me up by my balls. She loves Emily.”

“Goddamn, so do I.” I feel myself get loud and I take a breath. “The only reason I asked you is because you’re the best in the business on surveillance.” I peek back up into the window and see my Emily being handed a stack of paperwork. “I just needed to keep eyes on her. And I don’t like what I see.”

“I don’t blame you, man. I’ve always got eyes on my woman.”

I sigh again and rub my eyes. I’m not going to make it through the day. Watching her in the basement about drove me nuts. She’s got bad allergies and being around all that dust was killing her. But she didn’t give up. I was simultaneously proud and enraged at the work she was doing.

We don’t need the money. I’ve made enough so she doesn’t have to worry, and she can buy anything she wants. I’ve worked hard for a long time so that my family can sleep at night without a thought of doing without. I know she didn’t get this job so that we could pay the bills, so I’m trying to understand her need to be fulfilled. I just ache in my chest that I can’t do that for her.