Part 9 (1/2)
Chapter 8.
”Who's on the phone?” I ask Chloe, walking into the bedroom, where she is sitting up on the side of the bed with the phone to her ear while she paints her toenails some strange purple color.
”Bre called to see if I was okay,” she says, leaning her head back and accepting my kiss.
”What did I tell you about speaking to her” I ask.
She presses her lips together then frowns and pulls the phone from her ear, setting it down on the bed next to her hip.
”What's wrong?”
”She hung up.” She shrugs and begins painting again.
”Good,” I mutter, looking down at the phone and seeing that the image on the screen is a picture of Bre that pops up when she calls. The longer I look at the picture, the more something in the back of my head keeps niggling me. I know her from somewhere, but I just cannot place where. I shake off the feeling and head for the shower.
My guys are working on getting the security tapes from what happened this afternoon. Hopefully, they will have something for me before too long. I want all of this s.h.i.+t taken care of before Chloe has our child. There is no f.u.c.king way I will be able to work if I think for even one moment my family is in danger.
”What's this?” I ask as I walk into my living room.
Four heads turn my way, and I know that Chloe is going to get her a.s.s spanked tonight for disobeying me again when one of the heads that turns towards me is Bre's.
”Our moms were here going over the plans for the nursery and Bre stopped by to bring me flowers, and when she saw what we were doing, she asked to see the plans,” Chloe says as her eyes plead with me to understand.
But all I can think about is the woman in front of me and the familiar way she looks. My mind keeps nagging at me to remember, but for some reason, there is a block. The idea of her knowing anything about the room that my child will sleep in makes me feel like I could kill.
I look at Chloe and nod towards the kitchen. She bites her lip but gets up from where she's sitting on the floor and heads in that direction. I give her a few moments before following behind her. When I reach the kitchen, Chloe is standing near the sink, her eyes on the doorway, and she looks away as soon as our eyes connect.
”What did I tell you about Bre?” I growl, stepping towards her.
”Be reasonable, Nolan,” she pleads, looking back at me.
”What did I tell you, Chloe?”
Her face falls at the sound of her name. I never her call her by her name; I have always called her Angel or Beautiful. But she has pushed me too far.
”I don't understand why you have such a problem with her.”
”I told you already I do not trust her. I also explained that, once I find out what is going on with you, and if she has been cleared and proven to be innocent, you can resume your friends.h.i.+p.”
”She's really nice. If you just give her a chance, you will see that.”
I shake my head no. ”People believed that some of the most notorious ma.s.s murders in history were nice, Chloe. So please forgive me if I don't buy it.”
”You're insane,” she hisses.
”Get rid of her or I will,” I snarl, pointing towards the door of the kitchen.
”Fine.” She stomps out of the kitchen.
I follow a few steps behind her into the living room. When I walk around the corner, Chloe is talking to our mothers and Bre is nowhere in sight.
”Are you happy now?” Chloe asks, turning to look at me. ”She left.”
”Good.” I shrug.
My mother looks at me like she's going to say something, but I hold up my hand.
”Chloe is in danger, and until I know who is trying to hurt her, everyone is a suspect.”
”Darling,” my mother stammers, putting a hand over her heart.
”No. This is not up for discussion. And know that if you do anything to put her in danger and she goes along with it, I will be spanking her a.s.s for it.”
”Oh my,” Chloe's mother mutters as Chloe's eyes light with fire.
”Now, I have work to do. Please stay out of trouble,” I tell them before leaving the room and heading towards my office.
In the back of my head, all I can think about is Bre-something about her is setting off red flags. I know I may seem a bit harsh right now, but this is about keeping my woman and unborn child safe, and I will do whatever is necessary to see to that.
”You're sure about this?” I ask Bernard while going through the stack of pictures he just handed to me.
”One hundred percent certain,” he says as I come across a picture of my ex-wife with Bre.
It took some time for it to click, but after a few days, I got it. I realized who Bre really was. Plastic surgery had changed her appearance, but her eyes were still the same.
Breanne's were just like my ex's-her older sister's-cold and distant. She had a way of looking at you that made you feel like she was looking right through you.
”Tell me what the plan is,” I say, leaning back in my chair and setting the pictures down on the top of my desk.
”Hear me out before you say anything.” He sits down.
”If your idea has anything to do with Chloe, the answer is no.”
”Hear me out.”
”No.” I slam my hand down on the top of my desk.
”I want to build the best case possible,” he says calmly.
”Do that without risking Chloe in the process,” I snarl, the idea of Chloe being in danger making my blood boil.
”I would never let anything happen to Chloe.” He shakes his head, running a hand through his hair.
”I know I would never let anything happen to Chloe.” I point a finger at myself. ”And I refuse to put her in harm's way, so figure something else out.”