No Spare Key

Chap 25😧

"Bitch, are you serious?" My sister asks incredulously

"As cancer, ho." I'd been needing to update Annie on everything, she always has very interesting takes on things.

"I told you Jen would end up choosing that asshole. It's not personal, she's great but she's his family at the end of the day." She reiterated

  I hear a knock on the front door and panic a little.  "I just heard someone knocking. I'm completely alone with just Rose right now, I know I haven't ordered anything, and anyone who needs to come in from who I know already have a key." 

    "Can you check who or what it is?" She asks

"Yeah, I'll go check now."
   I look at the cameras like Jaime taught me and see it's a short man with dark hair dressed in casual clothing and holding a pen and a clipboard.  He seems harmless but who knows, as long as I'm with Jaime, Rosie and I are targets. 

  "It's some guy I've never seen before with a clipboard."

"Oh, he's probably just trying to sell you something or have you take a survey."

  "Yeah, probably.  I'm not taking any chances though, I'm not answering that door.  I'll just gonna call Jaime."  

"Okay, be careful and give little Ro a kiss for me."

"I will, love you.  Bye."

I hung up and called Jaime immediately and told him what I saw.  He checked the cameras from his phone and I heard Johnny say something and Jaime ask him "Are you sure?"

  "Is who sure?" I ask

"Johnny, tell Lucy what you just told me."

"Whatever you do, don't answer that door and make sure he can't get in!  It seems like he may have come alone, which is unlike him, but don't take any chances.  Lock all of your doors and windows, keep Rosie right by you and don't even let him know anyone's there.  He might be testing to see if Julia and me are there or maybe he's pissed that the guys who he killed, ditched or got killed by Jaime couldn't do what he might be trying to do now."

"Johnny you're talking way too fast, who is this guy?  Is this Aaron?" I ask, walking to Ro's room and sitting in there with her

"Darling, Anders, Frankie, the lad and I will be there in five minutes.  If he's still there, go down to the basement, and lock yourselves in the red room.  It's impenetrable."  Jaime ordered

"Okay, I'll do that now.  Do I take Rome too?"  Rome is Jaime's Rottweiler puppy

  "Yes please.  I love you, don't panic."

"I love you too." I hang up and take the puppy and Rosie with me to the red room and lock us in until I get a text from Jaime saying they're here.

  I hear the large red door open from the outside and hear Johnny say "I'm so glad Julie was with Butcher."

I let a tense breath out and see Johnny and Jaime coming in to give us a hug

  "Are you two alright?" He asks

"We're fine, but that's what Aaron looks like?"  I ask Johnny

"I know he doesn't look all intimidating, but that's kind of a part of his threat."

  "No one suspects the little lad." Jaime agrees

"That's for damn sure." I say, still cradling Ro

  We head out of there and I get Johnny, Rosie and Rome to play in the balcony outside and Frankie and Anders to work on the cameras outside since someone shot two of the lenses out just now.  So Jaime and I can talk alone.

I stare at him from across the dining room table and break the moment of silence
"James...you gotta tell me what's going on.."

"I'll tell you anything you need to know." He insists

"Jaime, you've been saying that for ages! I know there's things I need to know that you're not telling me!"

"I don't want you worrying, love."

"You not telling me shit makes me worry. Babe, I am getting tension migraines.  I haven't gotten those since before I got glasses."  I exclaim

  He sighs and says "Ask me anything you want, I'll answer honestly."

I take a minute to think about it and finally ask "What have you found out about this Aaron guy?  Was he connected to the weird box that was left at my old place?"

  "We're pretty sure he was, yes.  Frankie and Anders are both certain this Aaron person isn't who's really after me though, he just works for the people who are."

"Who does he work for?"

  "Do you remember that night I came back from London?  I told you I'd taken care of someone who's been giving my...company grief?"

I nod

  "Well, he was working for some..competition of mine.  And they're not happy I gifted their spy a permanent vacation underwater.  Especially since they couldn't find out much before I did."

"Elaborate."

  "How much do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Well-" he got cut off by a knock on the door.

  He checks his phone and sees on camera that it's a man, in a suit, holding a Manila envelope.  I see him frown and go to open the door.
  "Stuart.  How are you?"

The portly man smiles politely and says "Fine James, just fine." In an accent similar to Jaime's "Just here to drop off that information you wanted." 

  Jaime looks down at me, seeing my slightly annoyed gaze.  "More I should know about?" I ask rhetorically, knowing the answer.

  "Thank you Stuart, would you like to come in and discuss it?" 

Stuart looks over to me and subtly asks him "Wouldn't you be more comfortable stepping outside with me?"

  "Anything you need to tell me you can tell Lucy, too." He clarifies

  "Brilliant." He answers and steps inside

We sit in the living room couches and I ask "Could I get you anything?  Coffee, tea?  Water?"

  "No no, that's alright.  This should be quick.  You may want to get a glass for yourself however.  If my instincts serve me, this information affects you and your daughter most of all." Stuart says, gesturing with the envelope

"Excuse me?" I say, confused

"Lucy, you should know that since I saw You-Know-Who come around here with Jen and start that whole argument with you, and since I caught that bloke taking pictures of me at work, I wanted to look into exactly what he's been up to recently."

  "Wait a second, someone was taking pictures of you at work?"

He nods and gestures towards Stuart to commence.

  "Right then," he opens and takes the contents out of the envelope and spreads it out on the coffee table "Mrs.Schneider, are you aware that you're still legally married?"