The Fallback (18+)--Sample

9. Accidental Exhibitionism, Purposeful Voyerism

"Are you sure you're fine?" Grey asked again, his voice rough and his features a permanent scowl on his face.

"I'm fine... Geez, Dad," Tati huffed at him with a roll of her eyes.

"I always knew that fucker—"

"It's done and over with," she interrupted him, her eyes creasing in irritation. "Can we please not talk about it anymore?"

Tati was back at home and in her new apartment. Grey had Skyped her as soon as he was back in Denver, though they had chatted on the phone several times when he was in Boulder. Each time he interrogated her about the incident with Matt and grew angrier every time he mentioned the man's name or what had happened. This was only their second Skype session in as many weeks since her move to her new one-bedroom apartment.

"Fine," he said, a hand running through his perfectly coiffed hair like butter. "So, how did the move go?"

"It was fine," she heaved on a sigh. "I'm just surprised Cole didn't ask the fire department to do a thorough inspection of the place as well."

Grey raised a brow. He didn't particularly want to talk about the asshole Tati was seeing. The man was in more and more of her Facebook pictures, and it was all he could do not to punch his fist through his screen when he saw them cuddled up or standing next to each other on social media. Apparently, the ass had taken her to a Mariner's game just before her vacation, and she had posted several photos of them together at it. Not to mention several after she had gotten back from Denver. When he saw the new photos, he always averted his eyes from the big gorilla and stared only at Tati.

"Overprotective, is he?" Grey asked, jaw locking in disdain at the man.

"A little," she admitted. "Nothing too over the top, though. That would be damned irritating."

"I'll bet," he pushed out, the words coming out gritty and stiff. "You still haven't fucked him though, right?"

Tati's brows rose in shock.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," she informed him. "Why do you ask?"

Grey opened his mouth, hesitating. "I dunno, Tati," he said, his voice low and sounding worried. "There's something about him I just don't trust. And don't tell me he's a cop again. All law enforcement can't be good. You get the dirty or corrupt ones."

"He's fine, Grey," she protested with a downward curve of her lips. "You know I'd tell you if anything was wrong."

"You didn't with Matt," he reminded her stubbornly. "Freya had to tell me."

"Well first off, I was passed out, and by the time I woke up and got over the shock of it, Freya was handing me the phone and you were interrogating me like I was the one who started the fight!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," he told her a bit sheepishly. "I was a little upset. If Jon hadn't already given the man a severe beating, that boy would be walking around with one less appendage hanging from between his legs."

It wasn't the first time Grey had threatened a guillotine to the privates when talking about Matt, and Tati had no doubt that Grey would have made good on his promise of dismemberment. There was something utterly psychotic about the man sometimes, though it never really frightened Tati. It was kind of like having a horny and protective older brother.

"I know, I know," Tati said, trying to mollify him. "Let's forget about Matt. How was your grand opening?"

Grey admitted that it had gone fine, but he didn't mention the level of anxiety he'd had to deal with before he could see Tati's face over Skype and make sure for himself that everything on her pretty little body was still as it should be. It was one hell of a long week before he could do that, and he was sure that the manager of the new gym would quit before the establishment even opened. To say he was unpleasant to be around while in Boulder would have been a thoroughly gross understatement.