Still Jaded (Jaded 2)

arms felt heavy and her arms felt like feathers. Then she was hugging Corrigan and laughing at something he said. I didn't care. I didn't try and listen anymore, but I felt Denton's gaze. His eyes were trying to pierce me. I knew he wanted to read my thoughts so I asked, "What?"

Sondra quieted. Corrigan waited.

He turned to Corrigan. "When she breaks, will you call me?"

Corrigan nodded and then touched my elbow. "Let's go, Shel."

"Bye, Sheldon!" Sondra waved.

I got in the car and looked at Denton, but he didn't say anything. He watched and stood with his arms crossed. When Corrigan started down the driveway, Denton didn't move from his post until the car turned a corner and was out of sight. Then I leaned back in my seat and sighed.

Corrigan glanced at me once and then started flipping through the radio channels. I never cared what we listened to so Corrigan kept switching when he grew tired with a station. After five minutes, he sat back and proclaimed, "I'm bored. Talk to me."

I looked sideways at him. "Do you think I'm going to break?"

He answered swiftly, "You always do. Why end a good thing?"

"This isn't funny, Corrigan."

"That's obvious."

"How did you guys find out where I was?"

"Bryce." Corrigan seemed to stiffen up. "He said something about Asshole Steele sitting next to him at an awards show."

"How'd you find out where he lives?"

He shrugged. "I don't think the Hollywood world is real big. He probably asked his agent who asked Denton's agent and so forth. Does it matter?"

"No," I said faintly. "Probably not."

We drove in silence for a few miles, and then Corrigan spoke, "Sheldon, I know that you're doing your whole 'shut off' thing you do when something bad happens. I understand it. I completely agree with it, but will you promise me one thing?"

I looked back over.

His eyes were solemn. "When you do break and get angry, and I know you will, please don't do anything that'll get you killed or put in prison? I lost one best friend yesterday. I can't lose my other one."

My eyes held his for the longest time. I hadn't even noticed that Corrigan pulled the car over to the side until I broke away. The road stretched in front of us, but no one passed by. It was like we were alone in our own world. A part of me wondered how could I 'break' in this world? I felt safe…

"Shel."

I choked out, "What makes you think you lost Bryce? He broke up with me, not you."

"We're a package deal. He and I might've still stayed best friends in high school, but it's different now. It's been different for a couple years. You know that."

I did.

"Do you promise me?"

Tears spilled out and I looked away quickly, thumbing them away. The world looked so blurry that way, but I nodded and swallowed tightly. Painfully. With my head turned the other away, I reached for him and grasped his hand. Our fingers entwined, and I held on tightly. Corrigan was right. Things had changed long ago, but no one wanted to acknowledge them. Now we were forced to. "I promise."

Corrigan held my hand the rest of the way home. After we got into the city and I saw that he was driving to my place, I asked, "What are you doing? It's not safe."

He smiled. "It is. I made a few calls on the way here…"

I closed my eyes but breathed out. "Who'd you call?"

Then he blasted a genuine smile. "Hoodum." He parked in front of my house at that moment and bounced out of the car. With his arms spread wide, he seemed so proud. "I figured you needed another security system, and I know you don't trust those corporate or small home ones so…. Hoodum. Who best to protect you from a criminal than a criminal. The idea is almost criminal!"

As I got out of the car and grabbed my bag, I had to admit that the idea had merit. Hoodum was a local crime boss, but he seemed to have an odd loyalty to Corrigan. He'd never done him wrong in the past, and I'd witnessed the near adoration Hoodum had for my best friend to know that he never would. Corrigan was all smiles and jokes, but smart people knew not to cross him. Ever. There was another side to him that most people never wanted to tangle with, and if they did, they never wanted to repeat the experience. I wondered if Hoodum had learned from past mistakes, if that was where his loyalty came from, but it didn't matter. If Corrigan said Hoodum had created a security system for me then that was good enough for me.

"And," Corrigan pounded his hands on the car from excitement. "He's here! I called him before we left and texted him. He's going to have you do the passcodes and show you how to work it."

As if on cue, three motorcycles turned up my driveway. Hoodum took off his helmet and flashed us a smile. He'd lost weight since the last time I'd seen him, three years ago. He was nearly skin and bones with a black leather vest and ripped jeans on, but his eyes were the dark color they'd always been. Hoodum always had shifty eyes before, but they seemed more grounded now. He had a round face and shaggy black hair, but when he smiled, his face lit up. From what I remembered, he loved to smile when Corrigan was around. "A little birdie told me you're having some problems, Sheldon."

"You heard right." I stood back when he swung a leg over and stood from the cycle. Then he pulled me in for a tight hug. I blinked in surprise. I'd never known Hoodum to be sentimental, but then again who was I to judge? "Thanks…"

He set me back and shook his head. "Anyone who messes with you messes with me. I think people need to learn that lesson."

I glanced at Corrigan with a question in my eyes. He shrugged, but his giddiness couldn't be contained.

"Okay. Let me run through the system with you." He threw an arm around my shoulder, and we walked inside. I glanced around, but didn't have a moment to see the changes before Hoodum turned me towards the kitchen. He pressed on a corner in the wall and a section of it flipped open. Inside monitors for seven security cameras showed up. One was pointed right at us and I looked over my shoulder, but I didn't see a camera.

Hoodum said, "They're hidden. They're super small and programmed to follow movement. If someone walks in here, it'll follow wherever they go. If that person moves out of out sight, camera two will pick it up. Pretty neat, huh?"

"How's that supposed to protect her? I'm glad we'll have video of someone murdering her. Maybe the cops can identify the guy afterwards," Corrigan snapped.

Hoodum shot him a glare. "Chill, buddy. Don't you have more faith? I have a panic button installed in every room. Sheldon just needs to hit it, and my guys will be over here in a jiff."

"Your guys? What if someone knocks her unconscious? She can't hit the panic button then."

"As soon as anyone breaks a window or opens a door after Sheldon's programmed it on, an alarm will sound. Trust me. It'll wake your girl up. There'll be no chance for anyone to sneak up on her."

"And if it's someone she trusts? If someone gets in when she hasn't programmed your system?"

"No offense, but your girl's damn untrusting. That ain't going to be many people." He looked at me. "I wouldn't advise anymore parties."

I shook my head. "No more parties. I should've learned a long time ago."

"So basically you have videos installed and panic buttons?" Corrigan sounded irritated. "I thought you'd have more. You're someone that does this shit, you break into places. Would those things stop you?"

I choked back a laugh when Hoodum stiffened. He turned and glared at Corrigan. "Excuse yourself. This is what would get us: convenient alarms and videos that you can't hide from. What else do you want from me?"

"Pepper spray mounted in the walls," Corrigan bit out sarcastically.

"Like I said, my guys will be here at a moment's notice. Cops take three minutes. My guys would be seconds. We know the short cuts to get here. And whether you believe it or not, most of the guys like Sheldon and you."

"Yeah." I grinned. "They like how bitchy I am."

Corrigan laughed, but quieted right away. He grilled Hoodum, "Are you sure she'll be safe?"

"Yes. Why are you so ripped about this? Where's the other one?"

My grin left and Corrigan stiffened. Hoodum saw our reactions and shut his mouth. He turned to the monitors. "So, is this good enough?"

I swallowed the pain and focused. "What about my gate? Do you have an alarm set there?"

He nodded and made sure not to look at me. He only saw the monitors when he brought up one of the cameras. "I put shocks on the gate. If anyone tries to get through them, under them, or over—they'll be electrocuted. It's simple and to the point. Someone will have to scale it to get over it, but that won't happen now. Your wall is huge. You can't take it in a single bound or anything."