I grabbed my purse and reached for the bat I kept under the table.
“Oh, no. Not that again.” He moved his massive body in my way, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I don’t need a bat to kick your ass.” I kept my arms by my sides and tried to think of other things to grab. Thankfully, Calloway had sent me a large vase of flowers that would be perfect to smash over his head. “I can do that just fine on my own.”
He grinned, but it was utterly disturbing. “I’ve always liked that fire in you. Sexy—”
When his eyes were locked on mine, I kicked him between the legs.
He turned his knee and blocked it, slightly wincing from the tip of my heel. “Nice try, sweetheart. You’ll have to step it up.”
“Get out of my office.”
“No.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m inviting you to dinner tonight. There’s something I want to talk about.”
“You can have dinner with my answering machine.” I snatched my purse and headed for the door. I didn’t care enough about my office to defend it from a sick motherfucker like him.
“Oh, I don’t think so—”
The bell rang overhead, and Christopher walked inside. “You ready for lunch? Dude, I’m starving—” The words died in his mouth when he spotted Hank behind me, just about to grab me before I got through the door. Still shocked, Christopher stood there as he took a moment to absorb what he was looking at.
I knew he was about to snap.
“You wanna die, you piece of shit?” Christopher charged him, using his size and strength to barrel Hank down.
But I got in the way. “Christopher, no.” I pushed him back then grabbed him by the arm. “He’s not worth it. You know the second you touch him, he’ll sue your ass and get your license taken away.”
Christopher pushed me back. “Couldn’t care less.” He darted for Hank again.
I grabbed Christopher by the shoulders and pushed him toward the door. “No. He’s not worth it for you or me.” I managed to get him through the door and to the sidewalk. “Now, let’s walk away.”
“No. Let’s call the cops.”
We could’ve done that, but no good would’ve come of it. “We know that’s not gonna get us anywhere.”
“So we do nothing?” he asked incredulously. “Is this not the first time he’s shown up at your work like this?”
I pressed my lips together tightly.
Christopher blew up all over again. “Rome, this is unacceptable.” He kept eyeing the door, waiting for Hank to come out so he could rip his throat out.
“We’ve been down this road many times. Nothing we do works against him. He’s too powerful. All we can do is go about our lives and not let him drag us down. So, let’s go eat.”
Christopher twisted out of my grasp and walked away, too pissed off to even look at me. He walked up to the stop sign and punched the pole so hard he left a dent in the metal. Everyone nearby stopped and stared, looking at him like he was a loose cannon. Christopher eyed them. “What the fuck are you looking at?”
Christopher ordered a sandwich, but for the first time, he didn’t eat his food. He leaned back into the booth and stared out the window, his mouth in a permanent grimace. Bloodlust was in his eyes, his hands desperate to strangle Hank until he stopped breathing.
I picked at my food, not very hungry either. I wished Christopher hadn’t witnessed the ordeal at my office. He was playful and humorous all the time, but he had a serious temper problem that derived from his childhood. When he was worked up, he made a lot of stupid decisions—like hitting people. While I thought Hank deserved an ass-kicking, he could do some serious damage to Christopher if he felt like it. Being close to the police department, the judges, and other lawyers allowed Hank to monopolize the entire justice system.
“Christopher…” I reached across the table and rested my hand on his.
Christopher yanked it away. “Don’t fucking touch me right now.” He kept his voice low so no one else would hear us. “Does Calloway know about this?” He finally looked at me, the hatred in his eyes obvious.
God, no.
Absolutely not.
I could only imagine what would happen if he did.
“No,” I finally answered. “And he’s not gonna know, so keep your mouth shut.”
“Fuck no. Calloway is rich, and he knows people. Of course I’m telling him.”
That was something I couldn’t let happen. “Christopher, this is my business and not his. Do not tell him.”
“Watch me.”
“I’m serious.”
“And you think I’m joking?” he snapped. “He needs to know you have a psychotic ex following you around.”
“Hank left me alone for a long time. I’m not sure why he’s made a resurgence.”