Caught in the Middle

Chapter 29.5

Dane's Perspective (Third Point of View)

Damn it!  Did she ever listen?

No.

When she made her up mind, she went after it.  Everything else, be damned.

He clearly told her not to go home but she left.

The old man, Thorton, was sitting on a chair with a coffee he bought him nonetheless.  The owner looked at him warily, both hands trembling to hold a paper cup.

Dane had half a notion to relieve the cup from his hands but his presence was already doing enough damage.

He passed a hand through his hair while sighing.

His other hand pressed tightly against the cellphone in his jacket pocket.

"What you want with her?" the old man questioned him.  Dane could tell that the man felt uneasy talking to him.

"I need to know where she went," Dane answered him as calmly as he could.

The man shook his head.

Dane made a fist and pressed it into his other hand.  His blue eyes looked away from him as he reminded himself to remain composed.  His anger was not at the old man but at Tessa. 

He should have kept her locked in his apartment.  Instead, he was trying to please her and look where it got him.

Now, he couldn't locate her.  Thorton was adamant not to reveal her address to anyone.  At any other time, he would be impress with his loyalty to Tessa but he needed it, now.

"Look."  He tried to reason with him.  "Tessa went home, right?  Imagine what she can be going through.  What if the same bastard that came in here is waiting for her there?"

The owner's eyes widened a bit.  Good.  He was getting to him.

But then the man grumbled incoherently under his breath.  He looked him in the eyes and said, "The only bastard I see here is you."

Dane looked skyward.

"You were kissing her right behind the booth."

Dane glanced at him with disbelief.  "What does that have to do with Tessa?"

"Everything."

Really?

"I've known her for two years.  The woman is a great worker.  Never missed a day, except for vacations and she is entitled to that.  Never called in sick.  Then you appeared and her work ethics shot through the roof."

"Not everyone is perfect."

"Yeah, and you are the root to her problem.  If she never met you then the other man wouldn't have harassed her too."

That got Dane's attention.  "The other man?"

He already had an idea who the old man was talking about.   Tessa had called him and she sounded worried and desperate.  Then Nathan called him to brag.

Thorton gulped when he moved closer to him.  The cup shook more in his hands.  Black liquid splashed from the sides of it.

"He was here, right?  A blond man with green eyes?"

The other man warily nodded his head.

He exhaled.  He approached the owner, took the cup from his hands before it fell to the floor. He put the object on the counter and then stooped to the man.  "That man is dangerous.  He wants to badly hurt Tessa.  I can protect her.  I will do everything in my power to protect her.  But if you can't help me, he wins."