Page 20 of Bleed for You (Bloody Desires #6)

T he day was horrendous. Flint was on the warpath, shouting at anyone unfortunate enough to cross him.

He’d been into Craig three times already and each time Craig had reported him to HR once he’d left.

Everything Craig did was wrong according to Flint, the man who didn’t know what a rectangle was.

It was embarrassing having to deal with someone who lacked basic knowledge yet held a position above you because of family.

A shout outside his office had Craig wincing, and he finally had enough. Picking up the phone, he called HR. “Lacey please,” he said to Brenna, who answered.

“Hold on. She’s just wrapping up a call now.”

Snorting, Craig asked, “Raj or Jemima?”

“You know I can’t tell you, Craig,” she told him, her voice soft. “We’re doing all we can, and you didn’t hear that from me.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“She’s free now. Give me a minute and I’ll transfer you over to her.”

Craig waited, then heard Lacey’s voice. “I’m having a busy morning with your department.”

“If he wasn’t—” Flint barged into his office without knocking and glared at Craig. Leaving the phone uncovered so Lacey would know who had entered his office, Craig asked, “How can I help you, Flint? I’m just on a call right now.”

Flint’s jaw moved from side to side. “End the call now. We need to have a meeting about your appalling work.” He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot on the floor.

“I have to finish this call. Once I have, I’ll come find you.”

“You will do what I tell you or face the consequences.”

Craig breathed deeply, then nodded. “One moment while I end the call.”

“Sorry about that Lacey.” He looked right at Flint when he said her name and saw him jerk in response. “I need to go—”

“You need to come to me right now and make an official complaint. I heard everything he said. What if I’d been a client? Idiot.”

“Right. I’ll do that now.” Craig hung up, then stood. “I need to go, Flint.”

“What the fuck are you going to say?” Craig ignored him and stood. He locked his computer and moved around his desk. Flint moved to intercept him and went to grab him when Craig stepped back. “You can’t go.”

“I’ve been told to go by the manager. I’ll speak to you when I get back.”

“You’ll do what I tell you,” Flint screamed. “Get to my office now.”

Craig’s eyes flickered over Flint’s face, seeing how red he was, and nodded. “Fine.”

Flint strode out of his office and as soon as Craig left, he turned left instead of following Flint and going right.

He strode to the elevator and thanked God when it opened.

He stepped inside and hit the button for the fifth floor, ignoring Flint screaming his name.

The doors shut, and he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.

When the elevator pinged, he opened his eyes and saw Lacey standing in wait for him. “I quit.”

Lacey nodded over to where her office was.

“Let’s get this complaint written up and now I’ve heard him myself, so you have a witness.

And all the other complaints.” She shook her head as she walked into her office.

Craig glanced around, seeing the photos of her family on her desk, the large bookcase on one wall with more pictures and books about the company. “Sit down, Craig.”

Craig sat and sighed, body slumping in the leather chair.

“I can’t do this.” Not with what was going on with Jinx.

He didn’t need to come to work to deal with this shit, then go home and worry about his relationship.

Maybe he had overreacted to Jinx not staying in touch with him, but there was something there.

It had happened a couple of times before, but not as long as this time.

Maybe he had actually been ill, and he’d gone too far thinking Jinx wanted out. His head was a mess and—

“He’s been worse this past week. I have nine complaints already and now this with you today.” Lacey walked over to a cabinet in the corner and pulled out a form. Sitting back at her desk, she picked up her pen and began filling some of the boxes on the form. “Let’s go through what happened today.”

Craig did, starting from the moment he walked in until the moment he sat in Lacey’s office.

As he spoke, Lacey typed away, then checked the form in front of her before going back to her computer.

“I like to have a physical copy of the form as well,” she told him.

“Some can work from the computer alone, but there is something about having the forms in your hand as well. I’m like that with books.

I can read it on my tablet, but there is nothing better than the smell of a new book. ”

“I know what you mean. A tablet is great for vacations, but I like to have a book in my hand.”

“Right. Let me print this off so you can read over it. Then we’ll correct if necessary.”

Craig went through the form when Lacey handed it to him and was about to comment when there was a knock on her door. Brenna poked her head in and rolled her eyes. “Flint is here to speak to you.”

Scowling, Lacey said, “Tell him to make an appointment. I’m busy right now.”

With a nod, she shut the door and Lacey stared at Craig. A minute later, they both heard Flint’s raised voice. “Who the hell does he think he is?” Lacey muttered as she stood. “Stay here. I’ll deal with this.”

“I need a drink,” Craig murmured to himself. “A large drink with a drink to chase it down.”

Craig closed his eyes when he heard Lacey raise her voice.

A couple of minutes later, she came back into her office and sat behind her desk.

“You need to go back to your office and try to avoid Flint until I’ve spoken to the CEO.

I’m going to call him now to get the ball rolling on this.

” Lacey gave him a close-lipped smile. “I’m sorry, but I fully expect him to approach you about this.

Please don’t engage him. If he wants information, tell him to come to me. ”

“I feel sick.” Craig blew out his breath. “Can I leave early? I honestly can’t deal with this.” He rubbed his forehead, a headache developing.

Lacey looked at her computer, then nodded. “Go after lunch. I can authorize that.”

Craig nodded and stood. “I’ll do my best to hide from him until then.”

Leaving Lacey’s office, he stood by the elevator and rubbed his face.

He didn’t want to go back to his office because he knew who would be waiting for him.

Flint. “Why me?” he murmured. When the elevator arrived, he got in and pressed the button for his floor, swallowing hard when it began to move.

When it stopped on his floor and the doors opened, Craig braced himself, but Flint wasn’t there.

Walking quickly, he made it to his office and closed the door, sagging back against it.

“Jinx.” He would call Jinx. Speaking to him would help.

He went to his desk and picked up his phone, calling Jinx’s number as he watched the door.

When it went through to voicemail, he sucked his lips in and ran his tongue over them. “Where are you?”

Putting his phone down, he sat and leaned back, staring at the wall.

His mind wasn’t focused on work. It was focused on Jinx.

What was he doing? This, on top of what had been going on between them, had Craig convinced Jinx was doing something he didn’t want Craig to know about.

Was he actually cheating on him? Was Jinx seeing someone else and wasn’t ready to tell Craig? “Shit.”

Glancing at the time, he winced when he realized he had an hour to go and then ducked behind his desk when he heard Flint’s voice getting closer.

Yes, he was hiding and wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

He’d had enough of Flint and his attitude.

He’d had enough of having to deal with a man who had no idea what he was doing and knew it, so took it out on the staff instead.

More shouting had him cringing until it went quiet.

Lifting his head, he peered over the edge of the desk, then slowly stood.

A knock on his door had him contemplating if he should answer it, but the decision was taken out of his hands.

The door opened and Raj stepped inside, looking outside before closing it.

“Fuck, he’s on one. Poor Jemima got caught by him and Perrie hid in the restroom to get away. What happened to you?”

“I’ve been told to keep my mouth shut.”

“Lacey? Please tell me she’s got enough evidence now. I’m about ready to walk out and never come back.”

“I’ve been asked to keep quiet, but things are happening.”

Raj looked up and murmured, “Thank you, God.”

Craig chuckled, even though the situation wasn’t funny. “I’m leaving after lunch. I need to be out of here or I’ll do something I’ll regret.”

“Please tell me this will be over soon. Just give me a thread of hope.”

“It will. I think they have enough now.” A door banging somewhere on the floor had them both stilling. “We shouldn’t have to work like this. We should be able to come in here and do our jobs and not have an asshole like that screaming at us.”

“It’s because he’s shit and he knows it.”

Craig nodded. “Yeah, so we have to deal with his daily temper tantrum.”

Raj opened the door and looked outside. “I think it might be safe.” With a wave, he disappeared, and Craig sat on his chair, sighing heavily.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he felt his shoulders slump.

Only an hour to go and he was free. If he kept busy, the time would pass more quickly and before he knew it, he would be time to go.

When he next looked up to check the time, he saw it was time to go.

He called Jinx again, but again there was no answer.

“I’m going to find you.” Craig packed his items away, grabbed his bag, and left his office.

He avoided Flint by ignoring him, and within an hour, he was home.

Showered and dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, Craig drove to where Jinx worked and saw his work van as it was driving out of the cemetery.

Biting his lip, Craig made the decision to follow it.

An hour passed as Jinx drove until he turned off the main road.

From then on, the drive wasn’t as easy as his poor car hit every pothole, but Craig knew to make sure there was distance between them, so Jinx wasn’t aware he was being tailed.

When he saw a cabin ahead with Jinx’s van parked out front, he slowed to a stop and watched Jinx move around the front, then go in and out a few times before driving away.

Craig waited until the van disappeared, then drove to the cabin and parked.

Getting out, he stared at the building, seeing its rundown appearance.

Walking around the outside, Craig shook his head at the condition of the building.

Why did Jinx have a place like this and why had he never told Jinx?

Back at the front of the cabin, Craig walked up the steps and stood.

He looked at the door, then spotted the alarm.

Furrowing his brow, he shook his head. “Why have an alarm on a place like this?” He reached over to the alarm, hesitated, then put Jinx’s date of birth in.

The alarm flashed red, and Craig dropped his hand as the sound of a van reached him.

Turning, Craig watched Jinx park and stare at him through the windshield then open the door and get out.

“Craig.”

“What is this place?”

Jinx looked at him as he walked closer. “A place that was left to me.”

“I didn’t know. Are you doing work on it?”

“No.” Jinx stopped in front of him, his eyes narrowed. “You need to go, Craig.”

“Why?” Craig stepped back when Jinx tilted his head, his eyes focused on him. “Jinx? What’s going on?”

“You need to go now. I’ll call you when I’ve finished.”

“Finished what?”

“Craig. You need to leave.”

“What’s going on?” Craig turned and tried to open the door. “Is there a man in there? Are you cheating on me?”

“Never. I only want to be with you, but there are some things you don’t need to know about.”

“Like?” Craig tried the door again. “I need to go inside.”

“You need to go home, and I’ll call you when I’ve finished.”

Spinning around, Craig looked Jinx over, seeing dirt on his clothes. “Where did you go? You’re covered in dirt. What the hell is going on here?”

Jinx grabbed Craig by the shoulders. “You don’t want to know. I’m asking you for the last time to leave.”

Swallowing, Craig pulled free from Jinx’s grip. “Or what,” he murmured. “Will something happen to me? Will you hurt me?”

“Not you.”

Craig caught the implication. “Who?”

“Go—”

“You either tell me or we are done.” Craig jabbed his finger into Jinx’s chest. “I’m tired of being lied to.”

“Don’t do this.” Jinx knocked Craig’s hand away. “You won’t like the truth.”

“Tell me!” Craig shouted. “I’m an adult. I can handle it.” Oh fuck. Jinx was cheating on him. Just when Craig had thought he’d found the right man and wanted to live together, to plan their rest of their lives together, it turned out Jinx hadn’t been faithful.

“Can you?” Jinx whispered. “Can you really?” Grabbing Craig again, he murmured, “I do bring men back here. Living breathing men, but they don’t leave that way.”

Swallowing, Craig asked, “How do they leave?”

“Dead, because I killed them.”