Page 34 of Security and Submission
“I still can’t believe you’re doing this.” Sarah definitely sounded teary now, and she sniffled. “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“Well, as you said, she’s a very good girl. I can’t tell you how comforting she was to me last night.”
“Oh?”
Yasmine found herself telling Sarah about Pete James’ appearance at her door and how much Hope had helped her. She admitted that she was now thinking about getting a dog of her own. Sarah listened in silence, other than some gasps of shock and anger on Yasmine’s behalf.
“Well, I don’t know how good a guard dog Hope would actually be, but I’m glad she was there for you last night.” Sarah hesitated. “This might be weird, but if you don’t want to sleep at home, you can always go to my house. I have a guest bedroom you’re welcome to use this weekend… and beyond.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet, but I don’t know…”
“It would make me feel better to be able to do something for you after all you’re doing for Hope and me,” Sarah insisted. “You can get the spare key from Zeus. Don’t feel like you have to if you don’t want to or if it’s not needed, but if you just need to get away and you’re worried about him coming back, my home is open to you.”
Now, Yasmine was starting to feel a little sniffly.
“Thank you, I might take you up on that.” As much as she didn’t want to feel chased out of her home, never say never. She’d rather go to Sarah’s than admit to any of her friends that she wasn’t brave enough to stay home. Or put them in any danger. There was no one home at Sarah’s. And Zeus was right next door.
That it would make Sarah feel like she’d done something for Yasmine was part of it, too. Sarah shouldn’t feel indebted to her, but she clearly did. So, it was smart to leave the possibility open.
Just in case she decided she needed it.
“Just let me know. Or let Zeus know you need the key. You have his number, right? I’ll give him a heads-up that you might request it and to let you have it.”
“Thank you, Sarah, really,” Yasmine said with feeling.
Despite everything Claudia had said last night about the team not really trusting Zeus, Yasmine had to admit that the idea of him being right next door didn’t sound so bad.
Zeus
Even though he’d gotten a good morning text from Yas, with a picture of Hope attached, Zeus couldn’t help but feel antsy. He’d tracked down Pete James’ priors, which hadn’t included much, probably because the guy was the son of a now-retired cop. No charges had ever been filed, though there had been reports made about domestic disputes at his house.
Whether there wasn’t enough evidence, his dad had intervened, or the thin blue line was covering for one of their own, Zeus suspected the asshole’s wife had good reason to run and hide. She’d done a good job of it, too, because he couldn’t find Stacy James anywhere. Which was probably why her husband had resorted to beating on the door of a woman whose business card his wife had in her possession.
The fact that he’d been drunk probably hadn’t hurt, either.
Zeus had been completely unsurprised that Shitbag Pete had been released first thing this morning. He would be even less surprised if he found out that Dad had pulled some strings to make it so.
“You okay there, Poppy?”
Surprised, Zeus looked up to find that Claudia was standing in his doorway. She really had earned the call sign Scary. No one else had managed to sneak up on him like that. Maybe he was just distracted.
Or maybe it was just her.
“I’m fine,” he said, minimizing the search he’d done on Shitbag Pete, so it was no longer up on his screen. Not that she could see his screen from where she was standing, but if she came into his office and around to his side of the desk, she might be able to. “Do you need something?”
Giving him a long look, her dark brown eyes serious, she pursed her lips.
“Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
Small talk from Scary? To be frank, the only person he would have thought less likely to appear in his doorway for chitchat was Drew. Lincoln would say that she was making an effort. Zeus should probably make an effort back.
“I’m fine,” he repeated. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
They looked at each other for another long moment. Zeus was still getting the feeling like maybe she wanted something from him, but he couldn’t think of what. His head ran through possibilities, but it was a really short list.
“Do you need an assist with a body or something?”
