Page 99 of As The Shifter World Turns

99

A POSSIBLE NEW TENANT

Neil

“Neil, is this number right?” Anthony was pointing to a column in a spreadsheet. We were going over the expenses and afterward I was doing a live session. Not with clients but with all the individual business owners who signed up to work on my site.

They weren’t my employees, they were their own boss. But they worked under the umbrella of my company. I did one of these sessions once a week where I let everyone know of any changes and it was a good opportunity for them to ask questions and air any grievances.

Charlie was restless today and insisted I hold him so Daire had agreed to come over while I was on camera. Charlie adored Anthony but I needed him with me during the session.

Daire and Nate were busy next door moving in. We’d decided to wait until they were all done before we packed our things. Martin and I hadn’t been mated long and we’d hauled a bunch of my stuff to his place so I was in no hurry. Except that the kitchen and bathroom were calling me. Toby wanted us to move in like yesterday because he adored that bathroom that was going to be just for him. He was growing up and wanted to stare in the mirror for hours checking if he had any pimples.

We’d explained that as he was the only one using the bathroom, he’d have to clean it. He shrugged and said, “Sure,” but I could see arguments in our future where he ‘cleaned’ it and we made him do it again. And again.

“I’m here,” Daire announced. Charlie must have been glad to see someone other than me and he outstretched his arms for Daire. My grizzly friend’s eyes lit up at our little boy wanting to be held by him. “Hello, my darling boy.” Daire gave him a big kiss.

“You’re early,” I told him, though I was glad I could concentrate on what Anthony and I were doing without my little boy pulling my nose or yanking my hair.

“Yeah. I’ve got someone coming to look at 3B. So, Charlie can come with me while I show the guy around.”

“Is it someone you know?” That was Anthony. As the person would be living across the hall from him, I understood he was a little anxious.

“Nope. He found me through a friend of a friend.” Daire didn’t appear to pick up on Anthony’s anxiety. Anthony and I shared a glance. “Okay, we’re off to wait for Len downstairs.” Charlie gave a little wave over Daire’s shoulder which was adorable and melted my heart.

But when I glanced back at Anthony, he was standing at the window and twisting a tissue. With 2A only occupied during the day, and 2B at lunch time or when I needed an escape, there was no one on the second floor at night. Ivor and Ryder had the entire first floor but Anthony had been content to live on the top one with Daire and Nate across the hall.

But now they were moving, and he was concerned about a possible new neighbor.

“I’ll give you the key to 2B. You can always stay there for a night—or longer.”

“Thanks.” He sat at the desk and we went back to staring at figures.

We were so immersed in what we were doing that when I heard a baby gurgling outside the door, I spun around. That was Charlie. Oh, right Daire was showing 3B to someone. And while I didn’t want to disturb my shifter friend, something had me opening the door. A man stood on the landing holding Charlie. My little boy. What the fuck! My heart picked up speed as I tried to figure out why he was with a stranger. I wanted to scream, “Take your fucking hands off him.”

Charlie cried out for me and I stalked over to the guy, an alpha, and a shifter judging by his scent. “Who are you?” I snapped as I took my little boy and held him close, smelling his baby aroma and listening to his heart beat against my chest. “And where’s Daire?”

“He’s gone next door to get the correct key for 3B.” His eyes glided over every inch of my body while he had a nasty smirk on his face. Fuck no. This guy could not live in the manor.

Daire should have left Charlie with me or Anthony if he couldn’t find me. What the fuck was he thinking? Anthony poked his head out the door and stared at the newcomer. He pulled away and I handed him Charlie and said I’d be there in a minute. After closing the door, I folded my arms and faced the prospective tenant who I assumed was Len.

“Where are you living now? Close by?”

“Not far.” That was as much as I got until Daire ran up the stairs .

“Sorry about that. Where’s Charlie?”

“He’s fine.” I wasn’t going to say he was with Anthony because I didn’t want Len to know anyone’s name other than Daire’s.

“You live here?” Len asked.

Daire opened his mouth and I cut him off because I just knew he was going to start the sentence with, “Neil”.

“You better get upstairs and look around because Daire has a lot of people lined up to inspect 3B. Don’t you, Daire?” I emphasized the last three words and he nodded. My tone must have told him not to mess with me.

I’d have it out with him later about leaving Charlie with a stranger.

Once in 2A, I left the door ajar and listened to Daire and Len’s conversation. They chatted about the size of the place, whether it’d been sprayed for insects, and how long it’d been vacant. Once they went into the apartment, their voices were muffled and I gave up.

“He’s creepy.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. Daire’s on my shit list so I’ll tell him no way can he rent to that guy.”

“Okay.” I felt sorry for Anthony. He’d moved to Sunshine Manor because of one creep and now there was another one trying to muscle his way in. No way was I allowing that to happen. I rented two apartments in the manor so I got two votes when it came to who moved in.

I waited until the murmuring of voices and the footsteps on the stairs told me they were done. As Charlie was asleep, Anthony and I both peered out the window and watched Len get in a car. But he didn’t drive away. He just sat there.

“What’s he doing?” Anthony hissed.

“There’s a pair of binoculars in the desk drawer.” One of my clients used to love pretending to be shipwrecked and we’d used it in our role play.

“Can you see?” he asked.

“He’s on the phone and now… down.” I yanked Anthony onto the floor. “He’s taking photos.”

“He’s either a disgruntled client or he doesn't understand our work. Thinks what we do is “dirty”. He made air quotes around the last word. “Now what?”

I started a video and then raised the phone, hoping it was filming Len and the car. We both peered at it but couldn’t see much. After a while, he drove away.

We both sat on the floor, arms around one another. Anthony sobbed. I texted Daire and told him to get his butt here now. When he wandered in he had a huge grin on his face. “I think I’ve found 3B a new tenant. Just need to check his references.”

“No need.”

My steely tone must have alerted Daire I meant business, because he gripped the back of the chair. “Why are you on the floor?”

Where did I start? “First, you left Charlie with a stranger but I’ll get to that later.” I held up a hand as he opened his mouth. No way was I allowing him to interrupt me.

“He’s a creep,” Anthony blurted out.

“He checked me out and gave vague answers to my questions.”

“The first is icky, I agree, but the second isn't a crime,” Daire said.

I explained we’d seen Len taking pics. He scratched his head. “It’s not much to go on but yeah the photos thing is weird.”

“Promise me he won’t be moving into the manor.’”

“You have my word.”

I’d deal with the Charlie issue later. Right now, Anthony was curled up in a ball. “How about you come to our place for dinner and you stay the night?”

“I’d… I’d like that.”

“And Daire, put your handyman skills to the test. I want deadbolts on all the apartment doors today and one on the front door. And I want cameras put at the front and back of the manor. And we’ll all have access to the app so we can check who's outside.”

I was taking charge here. And after Anthony had gone to bed, I was googling that Len guy because Daire was going to give me his full name. I was on a mission.

He made a face. “That’s a lot, Neil. Not sure I can get it done by this evening.”

“In that case, it’s going to be a late night.” His shoulders slumped and I guessed he was resigned to doing the work. “And don’t ever leave Charlie alone with a stranger again.”

“I know but he was right outside your door and I thought it’d be okay.” His voice trailed away. ‘I guess it wasn’t and I fucked up.”

“Never again, Daire.”