Glass Towers, Shattered (Glass Towers Trilogy) (8 page)

“What?
Now why would Marion be going after Simone? This troubles me even more. Why didn’t she say anything to you before now?”

“I asked her that
, and she assumed that I had sent it. Things have been a mess for me, so I am sure it slipped her mind. Anyway, there was also a bouquet of red carnations and a bottle of wine left on my counter tonight. There was a note, on a card with a kitten on the front, that said ‘
Au Revoir
Danielle’. Then, when Simone and I got out to her car to come here, there was a single red carnation under her windshield wiper.”

He gasps.
“Danielle, they obviously know where Simone lives! You are not going to be safe staying there either. Have you told the detective about the rest of this? I want to assign a bodyguard to keep watch until this is over.”

“NO! Harrison
, is that really necessary? I admit I am scared out of my mind, but I just feel weird about that. I’m not the kind of person who has a bodyguard.”

“You need to listen
, Danielle. I am in fear for your safety and having someone protect you around the clock is the only way that I will be able to sleep at night. It’s not open for discussion, so I will have Garrin send someone tomorrow. Most likely, we can have a guy there around noon.”

He sounds so matter-of-fact
as if he is talking to one of his business associates. I want to object, but I remind myself that this is Harrison Towers, not Bradley Pyne. I could manage to get my way with Bradley, but that is not the case with Harrison. 

“I am completely opposed to the idea!
It seems so drastic, but I know that I am not likely to win if I try to argue with you. Just let me know when I should expect my keeper to arrive.”

“Now, that’s a good girl.
I may also have a solution for your living arrangements.  I just need to work out the details. Oh, and don’t worry about cancelling your lease, I know the building owner, remember?” He lets out a soft chuckle and sounds rather pleased with himself.

I stifle a yawn, I am so tired that I had to think about that for a moment.
Oh yeah, he owns the building. Duh! I am not firing on all cylinders right now.

“I don’t really like the idea of having to buy out four months on my lease
, but I don’t expect handouts from you, Harrison.”

“Well that is your first mistake
, Danielle. This is not a handout; consider it a small token of restitution for all of the disruption this situation has caused you. It is not your fault that any of this is happening in the first place.”

“When you put it that way, I might just accept your pardon for the lease.” 

“There you go; you are learning!”

“Make sure everything is locked up
, and if she has an alarm, see that it’s on. I will be in touch in the morning.”

“Sounds good.
Um…I love you.”

I hold my breath.
Is it too soon to say that? Did I just screw up…holy shit, what did I just do?

Then I hear him let out a faint sigh.

“And I you, Danielle. Goodnight and sleep well.”

Then
, before I can say anything else, he hangs up.

Gulp…now that sent a different shiver down my body.
One of pleasure, not fear. I melt at how his voice caresses over my name like his hands feel running down my body. 

I put the phone down on the nightstand and plug in the charger.
I set about finding something to wear to bed. The suitcases were hastily packed, so I have no idea where everything is. I give up and grab my overnight bag full of toiletries. After I finish preparing for bed, I venture out to the living room and see that everything is restored to its usual tidiness.

I w
alk to the front door and double-check the locks. I glance over and see the red light on the alarm that indicates it is set. Good, now I can sleep. I walk quietly back to my room and gratefully crawl into bed.

My sleep is fitful and frequently interrupted
. I have that dream with the person chasing me again. It always comes to me when I am stressed out or emotionally distraught. So, it’s no surprise I find the dark figure chasing after me again tonight. Of course, this dark figure is a coward because every time I catch a glimpse of his identity, I am awoken.

As I slowly open my eyes, I strain to recognize the room.
I don’t recognize anything. The room looks foreign to me. Where the hell am I? I rub my eyes and, once they re-focus, I see my pile of luggage and boxes on the floor across the room. Ah, that’s right, I am at Simone’s.

Whew! For a moment there
, I completely forgot everything. I stare up at the faint beams of light on the ceiling. As the cobwebs clear, everything comes rushing back to me.

Harrison loves me.
I love Harrison. We can’t be together right now, and who knows when we ever will be. I have nowhere to live because I am the target of that wine bitch’s wrath. The part that just pushes me over the edge is that she is not woman enough to do it herself. She sends her minions. Knowing that, in all likelihood, it is her at the helm of this would normally set me a little more at ease. However, what Harrison has told me about her, prevents me from thinking these are the harmless tricks of a jealous woman.  He obviously thinks she was involved in Adelaide’s death and that I may meet the same fate as Adelaide. It’s an awful lot to digest. Since the woman is so desperate, I suppose it makes sense. Harrison said he would put nothing past her. After all, it’s not just his love she is after; she’s driven by a hungry desire for his wealth and power,  as well as his heart. 

I reach over to the nightstand, grab my phone, and pull it off the charger. I look at the time. Holy crap! It’s 10:47 in the morning! I have slept most of the day away already!

I quickly scroll through my emails and note
that nothing that needs immediate attention. I see a text from Harrison and open it.

8:10 AM

Harrison Towers

Good morning
mon amour
! Garrin is coming over after lunch around 1:00pm. Will have another guy there the rest of the week. Call you soon.

I smile to myself and feel a warm blush come over my face.
Despite all the nonsense of last night, what a delicious way to start my day! I may not know French, but
Amour
means love. That I know.

I put the phone down and stretch.
I look over and see that my door is ajar. I wonder if Simone cracked my door to check on me, or should I be alarmed? I climb out of bed, still wearing my track suit from last night. I start to walk over to the door, when I trip over something and hear a yelp, as my foot comes in contact with the floor and something warm. I quickly turn around to see Henry, Simone’s overgrown chocolate lab, scramble to his feet. I apparently stepped on his tail. How did I forget Henry was here and how did he end up in my room? Hmmm I wonder if she let him in my room to keep me company. I reach down to make amends for the assault on his tail. He happily accepts my apology and wags his wounded appendage in response.

After giving Henry his due attention, I turn my sights on unpacking.
If I am to get dressed today, I figure I had better get my things organized first. I hastily put everything away in the empty dresser drawers of Simone’s guestroom. Then, I set to the task of finding room for my hanging clothes in the packed closet, which Simone uses for her wardrobe overflow. Once all my bags, suitcases, and boxes are unpacked, I change into my running clothes and put on the tennis shoes that my mom bought for me last year. I consolidate the suitcases by stowing the smaller ones inside of the larger. I stack them up neatly in the corner of the room, under one of the windows by the dresser. I grab my phone off the nightstand and my ear buds out of my briefcase.

Once out in the kitchen
, I notice half a pot of coffee, a key, and a note on the counter. In Simone’s pretty handwriting, it says:

Danners,

Help yourself to anything. Not a lot to eat, let’s just grab dinner out later. I have clients today. Text or call me! I think that key should work. Don’t forget to call the detective about the flower on the windshield and the mystery wine. Must admit, I am a little worried. Please lock up and be a doll and take Henry out to bathroom?!

Hugs

I pour myself a quick mug of coffee and take a couple swigs. I head back to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I throw my hair hastily into a high ponytail, thinking that I should call the detective when I return.

Back out in the kitchen
, Henry has now joined me. He looks at me expectantly. I look down at his wagging tail and questioning eyes. “Do you want to go for a run?”

He continues to wag his tail with enthusiasm.
I look around for a leash and find one hanging on a hook in the mudroom off the kitchen. Henry starts doing circles and then rears his front legs. “Sit Henry.” He complies. I fasten his leash to his collar and then my phone and ear buds set up. I grab the house key to lock up, and we head out.

Simone lives in the Southwest Hills of Portland
, in a cute, old neighborhood. Her house is a well restored bungalow style, with lots of old world charm. She has done well for herself, and was able to get the house for a screaming deal when the economy crashed. I helped her decorate when she bought the house four years ago. Bradley was annoyed that I wasn’t getting paid anything for the project.  I was exasperated that he would even suggest that I should charge her. It was a really fun house to decorate, and since I was still green in my career, it was great practice. She has very eclectic taste, so I was able to infuse antiques with modern pieces. I called it “polished shabby chic”. She chose pale cabbage green and white as her color palette, with accents of chrome. I still find the colors to be soothing and peaceful. Not at all like her bubbly personality. It was a challenge to make it all look like a cohesive home, but I managed to do it and to date, it remains one of my favorite projects.

With Henry by my side
, and the music blaring in my ears, I can almost let my mind clear of all the recent events that have led me up to this very moment. I take deep, cleansing breaths as I enjoy the brisk fall air. I smell the musty, rotting leaves and feel the glare of the sun on my face, as it peeks through the clouds. I love running. It does so much for my sanity. I have not had time to run for a while. When I retreated to my parents’ house for a week, I got back into running every day. It helps with my stress level and dealing with my tangled up emotions. I muse at how much things have changed in just 24 hours. It is extraordinary, really.

I keep heading up the hill on my run
, without paying much attention to my surroundings.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, I feel a hard, quick shove at the middle of my back. I topple over my own feet and lunge forward, skinning my bare knees across the asphalt.   As I fall, I accidentally let go of the leash and my ear buds yank out of my ears. I catch myself with the palms of my hands. I turn my head quickly to look over my shoulder, expecting to identify my assailant.   Nobody is there.

All I can hear is Henry barking
, and I see him running after a person who is dressed all in black. I hear a man’s voice let out a shriek, as the dog continues his pursuit. Suddenly, Henry lets out a wounded howl, followed by the sound of screeching tires. I’ve already scrambled to my feet and am now limping down the hill as quickly as I can, toward the noise. Calling to Henry, I pray that he isn’t harmed.

Here he comes
, with his tail wagging, tongue hanging out of his mouth and his leash dragging behind him, as if nothing has happened. The car is already gone, but I can see, off in the distance, a black SUV careening down toward the bottom of the narrow, winding hill.

I would be willing to bet that
it was the same SUV that I saw last night. When I get back to the house, I’ll give the detective a call. I sure have a whole lot to add to the events of last night.

I pick up Henry’s leash and hobble back down the hill to Simone’s
, while telling Henry what a good boy he is. I wonder if I would have fared so well, if he hadn’t been with me? It is scary to think what else may have happened had he not been there. It occurs to me that these Marion Minions, as Simone calls them, are getting more brazen. I mean, here I am, running in broad daylight with a dog, and they attack me without care for who might be watching --not very bashful are they?

I get back to the house and let myself in
, once again not being aware of what is going on around me. The pain in my knees and hands is enough to have me sufficiently distracted. I reach up to hang Henry’s leash on its peg, when he starts growling and showing his teeth.

The hair is standing up on my neck
, as I turn around quickly. I scream and jump back a foot, when I see Bradley standing in the doorway to the mudroom.

What the hell???

“BRADLEY!” I yell “What the hell? You scared the living shit out of me! What are you doing here?” I demand, as my heart is beating out of my chest.