Protected by the Bear by Adele Niles

Author:Adele Niles [Niles, Adele]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Adele Niles
Published: 2019-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Shawna

I can’t believe my good luck. This amazingly good-looking guy is all into me. I’m walking on a cloud. We still haven’t done the deed, but I’ve imagined it a hundred times and can hardly wait for the real thing.

New York City feels a hundred years and a million miles away. I know someday I’ll have to tell Griffin about my past, but it can wait while we just enjoy being alive together.

My phone rings. It’s my agent. I grin. Maybe one of my painting sold. I answer the call.

“Hey, Mr. Goldstaf,” I answer brightly. “Good to hear from you!”

There’s a heartbeat of silence on the other end and then my agent’s voice comes back on.

“Oh, Shawna, I wish I could say the same.”

I feel my face go blank as I listen, not wanting to hear bad news, but not able to stop hearing it either.

He sighs. “Do you know a young man by the name of Andre?”

My heart stops. “Yes,” I say.

My knees give out. I have to sit down.

“I was afraid of that,” Mr. Goldstaf says. He pauses and then continues, “He was just in here. He threatened to harm my family if I didn’t give him your address.”

I feel myself inhale. This can’t be happening.

“I told him I would get it for him and went into the back room to call the police instead.”

I can’t believe what this brave man has done for me. “Oh, Mr. Goldstaf, I’m so sorry. But thank you so much for doing the right thing. Thank you, from the bottom of my—”

“Wait,” he says, a catch in his breath. “When I came back from calling the police, he was gone, so I assumed he had realized what a foolish thing he was doing.”

I bite my lip. That doesn’t sound like Andre. The Andre I knew did about as much soul searching as a roach in a pizza parlor dumpster.

Mr. Goldstaf continues. “And that was essentially what I told the police when they came, though they took down all the information anyway.”

There’s another pause. “Mr. Goldstaf,” I say. “Was there something else?”

“Yes,” he says, clearing his throat. “I’m afraid so. I keep a list of artists and their contact information to give to prospective clients. It’s in a notebook behind the counter.”

“You put my new address in a notebook!”

“I remember your information was clearly marked Do not give out information without artist’s approval, but—”

My mouth flies open. “You remember it was marked? Why can’t you look and see?”

“Because,” says Mr. Goldstaf, “the notebook was lying open on the counter. And the page with your information had been ripped out.”

I am furious at the old man for being so careless with my information, but it won’t help anything to hurt him more by telling him, so I get off the phone as quickly as I can and go about securing the store.

I slam the deadbolt in all the doors and twist the locks on all the windows. I go in the bathroom and lock myself in.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.