Dare She Stay — Chapter 7
I’m not putting out the fire
Stormee forced her feet toward the building’s entrance. She stopped at the nurse’s station and asked for directions to Nana’s room. At first glance, the room appeared tidy, even the broken aquarium sat empty and clean atop the dresser. Nana’s aquarium rocks, including her precious blues, lay alongside the fish tank packaged in a clear sandwich bag. Stormee picked them up and stuffed them into her purse.
“Miss Waters?”
She stared at the towering man dressed in casual black slacks and khaki shirt who filled the doorway of her grandmother’s room. “Yes, I’m Miss Waters.”
“My name is James Scott,” he said, touching his chest with his hand. “I work for Mr. Savage. I have orders to take you to your brother whenever you’re ready.”
Stormee’s heart jumped a beat. “Please thank Mr. Savage for his help, but if you’ll just tell me where I can find Josh, I’ll manage on my own.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied, spreading his hands in apology. “I can’t give you that information. My instructions are to ensure your safe arrival. When you’re ready, I’ll bring the car to the entrance. We should reach your brother’s location in under an hour.”
Stormee considered her options. She didn’t need to be a mind-reader to realize this stalwart messenger wasn’t veering from his proscribed orders. Going along with his plan would get her to Josh quicker, and that was the important thing.
“Okay. Let me tell the floor nurse I’m leaving. Why don’t I meet you at the front entrance?” Her quick stride belied the weariness she felt from yet another battle-of-wills.
Skeeter sat on the barstool next to Dirk and watched his boss twirl a full glass of bourbon in his hand. The golden liquid tilted from side to side, touching, but not lapping over the rim. “You think another one of those will solve the problem?”
“Nope,” Dirk replied, not bothering to conceal his bridled anger.
“Anything I can do to improve your mood?”
Dirk smirked. “You want to go a couple of rounds in the gym?”
Skeeter raised his hands defensively. “Are you kidding? The last time I accepted a similar invitation, I spent a week nursing the bruises. Learning to predict your lethal moments is one of my new hobbies. Whatever has you burning, I’m not putting out the fire.”
Dirk lifted the tumbler to his lips and took several gulps, emptying the glass. The bourbon singed a trail down his throat. “Heard from James yet?” He pushed the empty glass away and turned to face Skeeter.
“Yeah. He should be here with Miss Waters in thirty minutes.”
“Where’s Josh?”
“Where else? The game room.” Skeeter chuckled. “The kid is good, he’s beaten me on every try.”
“When Stormee arrives, bring her to the library.”
“Sure thing, Boss, anything else?”
Dirk stood. “Get the plane ready. I’ll be flying to Houston tonight.”
“What about…”
“James will be taking care of everything on this end,” Dirk interrupted, slicing through the air with his raised hand. I’ll send the jet back in the morning so the two of you can escort Stormee and her family to Houston.”
“I thought you and Miss Waters…”
“I pay you to get results, not evaluate my decisions.” The sharp words shattered the amiable mood as Dirk strode toward the door.
The shack
“We’ll arrive at the Shack in five minutes,” James stated as he maneuvered the car through traffic.
His statement made Stormee wonder where the humble abode might be located in this exclusive section of Chicago’s North Shore district. Nothing but affluent estates lined the road they were on now.
She held her breath when they turned into a gated entrance and stopped. The massive gate creaked on its hinges as it yawned open. She could just make out part of a roofline farther up the tree-lined driveway. Manicured lawns and flower beds spread out on both sides of the curving road.
A palatial home of cream-colored stone and tall elegant windows with ornately carved ivory-colored casings sat like a jewel in the lush green landscape. Double-storied, with two adjoining wings and a towering arched portico, the place rivaled a five-star Resort. A Shack? Indeed!
“Please follow me, Miss Waters. Mr. Savage wishes to see you in the library before you meet with your brother.”
With a polite nod, Stormee acknowledged Mr. Scott’s instructions. She followed him up the stone steps toward the front entrance. Stepping through the door amounted to entering another world, one of unimaginable wealth and prestige. She knew Dirk had plenty of money, but this place made the scope of her estimation puny in comparison.
The polished marble beneath her feet glistened so much it resembled crystal clear glass. Straight in front of her, tucked under a double staircase, was a set of oversized doors that opened into an elegant dining room. Beyond the table was a wall of glass. She could only imagine the magnificent views those privileged to dine there experienced.
“Mr. Scott,” Stormee strained to naturalize her voice. “Does this home belong to Mr. Savage?”
“Please, call me James. The Shack is just one of Mr. Savage’s five residences.”
“There are more?” Stormee blurted before her manners resurfaced. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I asked such a rude question.”
James smiled and spread his arms wide. “That’s quite alright, Miss Waters. Actually, Mr. Savage has homes in Houston, Switzerland, and Greece. His fifth home’s location is private, but I can tell you it’s my favorite.”
Disbelief suspended her breathing as she could not imagine any home more palatial than this one.
“Are you ready to proceed?”
James’ casual stance indicated he was in no hurry, but delaying the inevitable would only add to her case of nerves. She answered with a half-truth, “Yes.” In reality, she was nowhere near ready to meet Dirk on his turf. The urgency of finding her brother made the risk necessary though, and one she couldn’t avoid.
She followed James down a wide hall furnished with small sitting alcoves, artwork, and views of an English-styled garden. She could fit her whole apartment into this one corridor.
He stopped in front of a set of double doors, opened one, and indicated she should enter. She didn’t allow herself time to retreat and stalked forward with a warrior’s gait.
“Mr. Savage will join you shortly. Please make yourself comfortable,” he said with a courteous nod.
“Thank you,” she replied as the door shut behind him, enclosing her in the space of her dreams. A balconied library welcomed her into its rich, walnut-paneled interior. A circular, sculpted-iron staircase occupied one corner of the room. Three reading areas gave plenty of seating. Her immediate favorite was the overstuffed linen chairs perched in front of a white-columned fireplace.
I might want to escape Dirk Savage, but if he locked me in this room, I’d gladly stay imprisoned forever. She sighed as she took in the beauty and tranquility the room offered.
“From your expression, I’d say my library, at least, meets with your approval?” Dirk marched into the room, indicated she should take a seat in one of the linen chairs, and dropped a large manila envelope on the coffee table in front of her.
“When we’ve finished the business at hand, you’ll be taken to Josh. And as for the preparations made on behalf of your grandmother, James and Skeeter will be assisting you with those.”
Stormee stiffened. “What arrangements? I don’t remember asking — “
“Before you object,” Dirk interrupted, widening his stance and placing both hands on his hips. “All provisions have been approved by your grandmother. I realize you hold legal guardianship and can undo these arrangements, but I don’t think you want to cause her unnecessary anxiety. The preparations will not only benefit Nana but you and Josh, as well.”
“I don’t understand.” Stormee sputtered.
He moved to stand behind the chair facing hers, glaring down from his superior height. “You’re not going to risk Nana’s safety because you dislike me, are you? Be assured,” he paused to rub his fingers across his cheek, “your rejection was quite clear.”
“I’m sorry.” Stormee ducked her head, too embarrassed to explain or justify her actions to a man who wanted no such declaration from here.
“Apologies between us are unnecessary. When I leave this room, our association will end. As for the arrangements, the information and paperwork are in the packet.” He prolonged the silence for several more seconds before striding toward the door.
She wanted to say something, anything to delay his withdrawal, but the lonesome click of the door’s latch stole the opportunity. Shocked to the core, Stormee felt the humiliation of Dirk’s dismissal. He’d tossed her aside with no more effort than he’d tossed the envelope on the table. And with that dismissal came an inexplicable sense of loss that drenched her like a cold, soaking rain.
Wasn’t this what I wanted? Then why is the pain in my chest radiating from my heart? Did I just lose something vital before I even attempted to understand it?
Misery forced a sob from her throat. Tears gathered on her cheeks and soft, tremulous sighs filled the companionless room.
Four hours after leaving Stormee standing in the library of his Chicago home, Dirk sat in his jet and gazed at the moon’s reflection on the clouds outside the plane’s window. The meager light mirrored the murkiness of his mental state. He picked up the report he’d laid in the seat beside him and began to read it again for the third time. Facts laid out in precise detail painted a melodrama of events, each pointing toward a dangerous outcome — one that put the woman he wanted to forget under a threat he couldn’t ignore.
A strange, unfamiliar fear crept through him like a chilling breeze that left no trace. He’d always been good at his profession because the more dangerous the situation, the higher became his ability to stay detached. Still, how did he detach his heart from Stormee Waters? He thumped his forehead with the palm of his hand. Like her name, she’d set him adrift in a raging sea. As lethal as a rogue wave, the swift and total rejection might yet drown him. How did a man separate himself from a young woman who, with one less-than-powerful slap, knocked him to his knees?
Anger twisted his gut. He’d scared her with the intensity of his feelings. In the process, wiping out any chance of winning her trust or affection. The least he could do now was to respect her wishes and back away.
To be continued…
Chapter 8: https://readmedium.com/dare-she-stay-chapter-8-80828d5c5e16
More Romantic Fiction by Lynda