Page 5 of Stockholm (Angel of Mercy #1)

The Kept

T he muffled ringing of my phone cuts into my dream, rousing me from a night of troubled sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I pat around the comforter til I find it tangled in the sheets, and see it’s Eric.

“Hey,” I say, sleep heavy in my voice.

“Morning, honey. Sleeping in?”

I check the time and it’s already eight-thirty. I suppose I have.

“It was a weird day yesterday, I think my exhaustion caught up with me,” I say, sinking back into my pillow.

“Everything okay at the house?”

“Yeah, nothing’s wrong. I’m just still not used to sleeping alone, that’s all. Molly had to take your place.”

“Lucky girl. But…that’s actually one of the reasons I’m calling, Emma.

Things are going well here, it looks like the sale is going to go through without any issues, so that’s good.

” I hum in agreement. “Unfortunately, it looks like John wants to cram one more viewing in while we’re down here. I’ll probably be another week.”

My heart falls, but I bite my lip, and force my voice to be light-hearted. “This is just part of the business, right? I know there’s going to be a little more expected of you if you want to grow your company.”

“ Our company, honey. It’s not just mine. All of this is for you, and our family once we have one.”

This soothes the thumping anxiety that’s spreading through my chest. He’s right. He’s still focused on us, our goals. Why for a second did I feel like he was slipping away from me ?

I almost spill the bad news from the day before.

It’s on the tip of my tongue, but I press my lips together and lock it back inside myself.

I don’t want to unload bad news on Eric when he’s working so hard to make things better for us.

I can wait, and when he’s home we can talk about the next steps.

“You do so much for us,” I say, the words ringing with truth.

“Anything for you, angel. It does mean you’ll need to spend a little more time at the bank. Not everyday, just making sure things run smoothly. Is that going to be okay? I can hire someone if it’s too much.”

Sitting up and scooting off the bed, I slide my slippers on and head to the bathroom to get ready for the day, phone pressed to my ear. “I’ve got it, Eric. Don’t worry about a thing. Just let me handle this for you, okay?”

“If you’re sure. I know this wasn’t what either of us had planned, so I called my parents and told them we weren’t hosting this month. You just decide what your pretty little head wants to do for your birthday and we’ll do it. Anything at all.”

A giant smile takes over my face. “That’s something I can definitely do.”

“Good. I can’t wait to hear what you come up with. Alright, I’ve got to get ready for my meeting. Love you, honey.”

“Love you, too.”

I hang up and busy myself getting ready for another shift at the bank. It’s a nice feeling having something to look forward to. I could get used to this. Helping give back to Eric, who gives everything he has to please me.

Throwing some cat treats down by the flap in the back door, I unlock my Cadillac and slide inside.

There’s an irresistible feeling inside me that today will be a good day. Maybe it’s everything Eric is accomplishing, or the hope that next month we might get the good news we hoped for and I’ll be expecting soon.

I can’t pin it down, but the cause doesn’t matter much. It feels like something life-changing is on the horizon, and I long to find out why that is.

After a brief morning rush, Bo takes advantage of the mid-morning lull by heading outside for a short break.

Effortlessly handsome as always, he leans back against the brick arch at the front door, phone to his ear as he laughs at whoever he’s snuck off to talk to.

He almost looks like an ad for the bank, his wild, dark hair a stark contrast to the button down shirt and dress pants he wears to work.

Maybe it’s the cosplayer he’d matched with, and a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. From the looks of it, there’s some chemistry there.

Hopping onto a stool behind the counter, I start sifting through my emails when I hear the bell on the front door ding and look up with my customer service smile already in place.

I freeze. Pulling open the second set of doors is a man I’ve never seen before, and I can’t tear my eyes away.

He’s…well, he’s intensely good looking. A real tall, dark, and handsome type with thick, black hair that falls into strange whiskey colored eyes, bright enough that I can see the color from the distance between us.

Our eyes clash and he maintains the connection, watching me take him in while he approaches the counter, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

I blink, trying to look professional after he’s caught me checking him out. “Um, hi. How can I help you?”

Tilting his head slightly, the man leans forward the smallest amount, gripping the edge of the counter. I can’t help but notice how the movement causes his corded arm muscles to flex, and wonder if that was his intention.

“Morning,” he checks my name tag. “Emma.” The way he says my name feels intimate. “I just moved to the area and need to open an account. Can you help me with that? ”

His eye contact is strong, and I have to look away to regain my thoughts, his entire aura having shaken them away.

Application . I need the paperwork. “One sec,” I say, sliding off the stool to grab the papers from the cabinet behind me.

I can feel his eyes on my back, burning into me and it makes my hands shake.

What is wrong with you? I berate myself, slowly searching the files to give myself time to recover. It’s just a man. Help him and get him out of here.

I turn back around with the paperwork in my hand, and he’s still taking in my every movement. My mouth feels dry as I hand it to him, placing a pen on top. “Can you fill this out first?”

He picks up the pen, brushing his finger against the back of my hand as he takes the stack of papers. Embarrassingly, a shiver runs through me and I feel my face heat.

“Whatever you need.” His voice is deep, and there’s a playful glint in his eye as he starts completing the forms.

The next few minutes are loaded.

The only noise is the scratch of the pen, and my heart is pounding for reasons I refuse to explore.

Get a grip, Emma.

“Done,” his voice cuts through the tense silence, extending the papers to me.

Offering a brief smile, I take it and place it next to my keyboard, opening the program to create his new account.

Dean. Thirty-six. I press my lips together and start typing everything in.

He clears his throat and I glance up to see him watching me. It’s irritating how flustered I am.

Casually, I sweep back my bangs with my left hand, making my wedding ring impossible to miss.

This also makes him smile, as if he knows what I’m doing and finds me amusing.

“So, Dean, I’ll need a photo ID, proof of residence and whatever you would like your deposit to be.

Just as a heads up, we do have to put a hold on any large deposits for thirty days, so I would advise against that if you need to access it right away.

” My customer service voice is back in place, thank goodness.

He pulls out his wallet, then places it on the counter with a business card. My husband’s business card.

“Here’s everything,” he says, placing the needed items in front of me along with a stack of cash. Nodding at where my husband’s face smiles up at us from the card, he looks back at me. “Is the owner in? He gave me his card a couple weeks ago and told me to come down to discuss some business loans.”

I attempt to sound apologetic. “He’s unfortunately out for the week, but he’ll be back on Monday if you want to come back then.”

He nods, as if mulling over his options. “You know what? I’ll do that. After our last meeting I really was looking forward to getting to speak to him again and hear what he had to offer.”

The way he says this has me peeking back up at him. His oddly colored eyes study me, and I can’t help but wonder what they find. What he’s thinking.

“Sure. I hope it goes well and we can see you again soon.”

His eyes brighten. “You absolutely will,” he says, pointedly checking out my name tag again. “ Emma .”

Then, he winks at me and an easy smile lights up his face as he picks up the paperwork and his wallet and turns for the door, leaving my heart thundering at the strange interaction.

I shouldn’t watch him walk away—I shouldn’t even be affected at all by that entire conversation, and yet there’s a shallowness to my breathing as he pushes open the door, biceps straining against his short sleeve t-shirt, covering the tops of intricate tattoo work that extends all the way down to his hands.

He walks out to a truck, opens the door and slides in. Moments later, he pulls away and I spot a man in the passenger seat with bright green hair, a cigarette in his hand as it rests outside the window.

Bo’s also watching them drive past, looking back at me with dramatically raised brows. He opens the door, eyes wide and whistles low as he walks back into the lobby. “Those two were fine as hell.”

I lower my eyes and smile. “He was…nice. ”

He looks pointedly at me. “I’m not going to call my cousin and tell on you for thinking that man was hot. You can just say it, you know.”

I huff, turning to head back to the office. “Absolutely not. He was okay, I guess, but nothing special.”

Back in Eric’s office, I check the calendar. Monday he’d be back and could take the meeting with Dean. I’d be back at home. Back to the relentless circle of dishes, laundry and fixing dinner.

Existing and waiting, while not really knowing what I’m waiting for.

I try to comfort myself with the idea. It used to be calming to me, the thought of getting home. My house is my safe place, where I can take care of my husband and create a soft little oasis for the both of us.

It’s what I want, it’s basically the only thing I’ve ever wanted.

Sitting back down at Eric’s desk, I try to forget the way his eyes keep burning through my thoughts as I finish my work of the day.