Page 70 of Elijah’s Whim

“Hannah, stop. Your boss has an insane streak a mile wide, so she may just relate to Shawna, not hate her. I just filed a restraining order.”

“Wait, you hadn’t up to this point?”

“No. There was no reason to. Although, if you had told me you were getting prank phone calls sooner, I may have thought differently about that.” His voice had taken a different tone and edginess.

“You said you weren’t mad. You’re definitely sounding mad.”

“Forgive me. I’m frustrated with myself for not seeing this woman’s true character before this.”

I grimaced. “Well, we often see people resort to desperate measures when they want something they can’t have. In this case, you.”

My handsome landlord thought for a few beats and then seemed to have an idea. “These phone calls, are any of them on your voicemail?”

I had to jog my memory. “Umm, I don’t think so. I can check, though. I have a terrible habit of not deleting voicemails after listening to them. Was she inside the house when you came home?”

He hesitated to answer, which was all the answer I needed.

“How would she have access to all this? Your security system and the guards and a key to get inside at the most basic? Elijah, what the hell? I think there was more to this relationship than you’re telling me.”

“There wasn’t.”

“Well, none of this is making sense.” I shot to my feet and started pacing. Either he was lying, or he wasn’t telling me the whole story. One way or another, details weren’t lining up.

“Goddammit.” He was on his feet too, then. Wisely, though, he didn’t try to contain me. He just raked his fingers back through his hair. Then, as if jolted with a defibrillator, he stopped moving and studied me.

“I’m going outside to call Twombley. I’ll be right back.”

“Whatever. I’m going to shower. Since you’re going outside, I’m locking the door.” If he came back to my room, I didn’t want him to think I had locked him out. “I hope you’re going to fill me in on whatever’s going through that mind of yours.”

It probably didn’t escape his notice that I didn’t use any of my usual complimentary words like sexy or capable.

Honestly, though, at the moment, I wasn’t in the mood to be showering the man with my adoration. No, I just wanted to wash away the stink of the day in a hot industrial kitchen and try to clear my head while doing so.