Running From the Devil

Chapter 15

Ben

Steve and I leaned back against the wall, surveying the room.  We were working a security gig, providing several layers of protection for an African dignitary during his stay in the city.  There were two of our guys in suits and headsets directly behind the dignitary's chair at the table.  While they would provide physical support they were really just decoys.  Dressed in plain clothes and standing a ways away from the table Steve and I were the real eyes and ears of the job.  Sometimes the only warning you got of trouble was the way someone's eye twitched as they passed by the mark.  We were watching everyone, everywhere.  Or Steve was.  I was trying hard to keep my mind on the job but  I was twisted in knots over the situation with Laney.  Every night she called my phone and every night I watched the display light up.  I didn't answer it.  I couldn't. 

What had started as a morning tiff had turned into something so ugly I couldn't even bear to think about it. When I saw the tears in her eyes I realized just how monumentally I had messed up.  I had been gentle with her this entire time and in one moment of anger I let my lust consume me and I got rough with her.  Not in a harmful way, just a sexually dominate way that most women in my bed loved.  I forgot all about her needs.  I forgot all about her past and her wounds.  I just saw my deep unending need for that stubborn, beautiful woman and I lost my head.  And because of it I had probably lost my girl.  I was certain if I answered my phone I'd hear her tell me she was leaving so I just let it ring. 

Steve's nudge pushed me out of my misery. 

"2 o'clock, brown jacket." 

We watched the man slow down as he passed by the table.  We tensed, ready to spring into action but he continued to walk past right into the arms of a beautiful red head. 

Steve grunted.  We'd keep an eye on Mr. Brown Jacket for the rest of the evening.  This was our last night on this job.  It had been a long, boring two weeks and I was ready to go home.  Home.  Where Laney was.  Where Laney was probably waiting furiously to gouge out my eyeballs.  Women didn't like it when you didn't answer their phone calls but I just couldn't.  In lumping me in with every other man who had taken what he wanted from her Laney had damaged something deep in my pride.  How could I be with her if she wouldn't trust me?  How long did I have to prove myself over and over before she would understand?  I didn't know how to fix this and I needed some expert advice. 

Pulling out my phone I dialed a number. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey Lisa?"

"Yes."

"This is Ben, is Martha there?" 

There was a short pause and some background noise before I heard Martha's voice come over the phone. 

"Hello Ben!" 

I chuckled at the old woman's enthusiastic greeting. "Hey Martha, I need your help, can I take you out to breakfast tomorrow?" 

"If you needed a date all you had to do was ask!  You don't have to bribe me with pancakes."  She giggled at her own cleverness as I laughed along heartily. 

"Ok Miss Sass I'll be there at 9."

"Ben, before you go... How's Laney?" 

I sighed.  "That's what I need your help with." 

"Ah.  Alright dear, I'll see you in the morning."

The meeting finally ended at midnight and we escorted the dignitary back to his plane on a private airport about an hour outside of the city.  It was an uneventful drop off.  Security jobs were mostly dreadfully boring hours of waiting and staring and waiting some more but they paid well and we were good at it.  Really good at it.  Our heightened senses gave us advantages that human teams just couldn't match and after a few years of making a reputation for ourselves we were the top security firm in the surrounding three states.  After getting back to the warehouse and writing up a detailed report with special notes about Mr. Brown Jacket and his redheaded date I pounded out my frustrations and boredom in the gym for a few hours and then fell into a restless sleep dreaming about an eye-gouging flaming faced Laney.