Page 6 of Scorpion (Riders of Retribution #4)

Lilah

The next morning is incredible. I never thought I’d be waking up in someone’s arms. It’s not that I thought love wasn’t on the table for me, it’s more that I’m well aware of how difficult the dating scene is right now. So, I just never thought about it.

But this… this is bliss.

It feels almost impossible to peel myself out of bed, but Scorpion makes it worth it, offering me coffee and breakfast. It’s a hard deal to turn down. He’s an excellent cook.

Then, after he feeds me, I let him escort me back to my house. I’d like to be on the back of his bike, but I can’t bring myself to leave my car at his place.I trust him with it, of course, I just like having all of my things in place. If I’m not driving my car, it should be in my driveway.

Once we get there, Scorpion gets off of his bike at the same time that I get out of my car. He leaves his helmet on the seat and comes over to me, resting his hand on the small of my back. When he starts to urge me forward, I have to dig my heels in.

“I’m running a little late. I wouldn’t want us getting… distracted,” I say, my face burning at the admission.

I know that if I bring Scorpion inside, we’re going to have sex again. I’m too weak to say no, and I can tell by the fire in his eyes that he’s insatiable. And, while I desperately want to indulge him, I also want to keep my job.

“As long as there’s plenty of time for those… distractions later,” Scorpion says, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips.

“There will be,” I giggle, before turning on my heel and heading to my front door.

Before I even reach the landing, I notice a package sitting on the concrete stoop. I slow down as I mentally account for my online shopping. There shouldn’t be anything arriving for another week at least. Though, early deliveries aren’t unheard of.

When I bend down to pick up the box, I realize that the address is handwritten, and there’s no return address. Also, I recognize this handwriting – Dan. It’s not the first time that he’s sent an unwanted gift to my home. I’m not even sure how he got my address.

A shiver runs down my spine when I realize there isn’t any postage on this. It was hand-delivered. Dan came to my house last night while I was at Scorpion’s. I feel a little sick to my stomach imagining what might have happened if I had declined his offer to stay the night.

Pushing that thought out of my head, I unlock my front door and let myself in. A quick look around confirms that nothing’s out of place inside. Maybe all Dan did was drop this off. While that’s definitely creepy, it could have been so much worse.

With a sigh, I toss the weird box onto my dresser and head to my bedroom. I’d love to take a shower, but Scorpion and I admittedly spent a lot of time making out this morning. I’ll have to go without, but I can’t be too upset about carrying the scent of his cologne on me throughout the day.

After throwing on a dress, tights, and a pair of heels, I toss my hair into a ponytail and refresh my makeup.

Once I’m satisfied with my appearance, I leave my room.

As I’m passing through the living room, I cast one last glance at the box before putting it out of my mind.

I’ll throw it in the trash when I get home.

Outside, Scorpion is glancing up and down the block. It’s obvious that he’s performing some sort of surveillance. My heart pounds in my chest, and I feel myself starting to get wet. God, I love how protective he is.

“I’m ready,” I say when he turns around to look at me.

“You look beautiful,” he tells me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in for a kiss.

The rest of my thoughts leave my head at the touch of his lips. He takes over all of my senses. He’s all that I can think about. He’s all I want to think about.

When we part, he says, “How about we take the bike to work?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” I say, unable to conceal my excitement.

I get my jacket and helmet from my trunk before hopping on the back of Scorpion’s bike and grabbing onto him tightly.

Then, the machine roars to life, and exhilaration spreads through every inch of me.

This is something I could get used to, something that I desperately hope I’ll have the chance to get used to.

I want Scorpion to take the long way to the insurance agency just so I have an excuse to spend more time with him on the back of his bike, but I’m learning that not only does he care about me as a person, he cares about things like my career.

We go fast, surely breaking a few traffic laws, and somehow manage to arrive at the office five minutes before the start of my shift.

I’m not sure if I should be ecstatic or disappointed.

As I pull my helmet off and lean down in front of his side mirror to fix my hair, he flips up the visor on his own and says, “You’re off at five, right? Same as yesterday?”

“Right,” I say as I straighten up, satisfied with my looks. I’m not perfect, but I’m presentable. You know, if you ignore the hickey that’s just below my ear. But I think I have concealer in my desk, so maybe I can hide that if it’s too obvious under the fluorescent lights.

“Good. I’ll get here a little early so I can walk you out,” he says firmly, his voice calming the nervousness that I didn’t even realize was collecting in my head. “And if anything happens, anything at all, call me. I’ll get here as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, Scorpion,” I say with a smile. I kiss my fingertips before slipping them into his helmet to rest against his lips. “You’re the best fake boyfriend a girl could ask for.”

“This is fake?”

“No,” I say thoughtfully as I tuck my helmet under my arm. “No, it’s real.”

“That’s what I thought,” he replies with a smile. “Now, get in there. I worked hard to make sure you were on time.”

“And I appreciate that,” I say, lifting my hand as I turn to walk into the building. “I’ll see you later.”

Scorpion’s motorcycle doesn’t rev up to leave until I’m inside the building, the doors closed behind me. I hum to myself as I walk over to my desk, and I’m surprised to find a distinct lack of Dan waiting for me there. Did this plan really work that quickly?

With a renewed spring in my step, I get busy settling into my desk. As I drop down onto my desk chair, I spot a note next to my computer. Before I even grab it and read it, I recognize the handwriting. Dan might not be at my desk right now, but he was here.

My hands shake as I reach forward to take the page. I have to read it three times before the words actually stick.

IF I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, NO ONE IS. JUST REMEMBER. YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A CHANCE. WHATEVER HAPPENS TO YOU IS YOUR FAULT.

Is this a threat? It feels like one, even though he doesn’t specifically say he’s going to hurt me. Maybe it’s just meant to scare me?

After staring at the words for a few minutes, I force myself to my feet and walk numbly to the Human Resources office in the back of the office.

Part of me thinks that I probably should have come here earlier, but I’ve never had concrete proof.

I know that Dan hasn’t put his name on this, but I’m sure there are other records of his handwriting somewhere in the office.

I knock on the door, and the head of HR beckons me inside. When I walk into the office, she’s busy typing away at her laptop. I’m not sure what to say, so I end up just standing there until she finally looks up at me.

“What’s up, Lilah?” she asks, her smile warm. It calms me down enough to take a seat across from her and slide the note over her desk. “What’s this?”

“It was at my desk when I sat down today,” I say, hating how small my voice sounds when it escapes my lips. “I… I think it’s from Dan.”

The woman’s face hardens at the mention of him, and I wonder if I’m not the only person having problems with him. God, I definitely should have come in here earlier. If I’m not the only one being harassed, I could have helped build a case against him.

The head of HR sighs, putting the paper down in front of her before fixing me with an unreadable gaze. I shift underneath it, bristling. I’m prepared to defend myself, to tell the truth about how his behavior made me feel. But then, her expression takes on a sad twinge.

“I wish there was something I could do about this,” she says as she slides the page back to me. “I really do.”

“Wh– what?!” I say, frozen to my seat. “What do you mean? Is it because he didn’t sign his name? Can’t we compare his handwriting to this?”

“If he were still employed here, we could absolutely do that, and I’d have him fired on the spot,” she says, looking back at her laptop. “But… he resigned this morning. He left about half an hour ago.”

“Oh,” I say, my entire body deflating. “I–”

“My advice to you is to take this to the police,” she says, tapping the page. “I know they probably won’t do anything, but you should create a paper trail.”

“Right,” I say, taking the note from her desk and getting up. The police won’t do anything, but I know someone that will. “Thanks.”

“Let me know if you need anything else,” she says, but I don’t turn around.

I need to get to my phone and talk to Scorpion. I’m not sure what any of this means, but it can’t be ignored. And, even though I don’t think that going to the police is the right thing to do, if Scorpion thinks I should, I will.

God, I hope that whatever’s going on, it isn’t serious.

A voice in the back of my head tells me that I’m in danger, though.

And, suddenly, I’m very worried about the package that’s sitting in my home.

As I drop into my desk chair and dig my phone out of my bag, I wonder what’s inside, and what might happen when I open it.