Page 41 of His Curvy Woman

Chapter 17

Hunter

It’s beena few weeks since Whitley, and I had our heart to heart in the kitchen. After putting everything out on the table, we’ve grown even closer. I know with everything inside me that she’s the woman I’m spending the rest of my life with, but I’m worried asking her to marry me this soon after we’ve gotten together will be too much for her. I’ve already upended her life as it is since moving her in almost immediately. So, I’m biding my time and waiting for the right moment, while the ring that I’ve had for months burns a hole in my pocket. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold off from making her my wife.

There’s also the matter of the new Bratva leader supposedly lurking around. I haven’t seen or heard anything to that effect, and I’m hoping that nothing comes of it. The sheriff checked the video that John gave to him and ran the best image he had of the guy through their software, but nothing has hit on him yet. Life has gone on with nothing happening out of the ordinary. While the question of the open window at Whitley’s place weeks ago is still unanswered, life around here has been normal.

Whitley has taken to Arya just as I’d hoped, and I feel better knowing Arya is there when I’m not able to be. Whitley walks her around the neighborhood every morning before work and in the evenings after she gets home. On the days that I’m able to, I join them. Arya has also settled down around me and has accepted me as part of her family, it took her long enough.

Things between James and I are square. Once he got all of that off of his chest, we haven’t had any issues. To be honest, I don’t think it was as much about Whitley as it was about me coming back into the picture and disrupting their normal. I still watched the fucker the few times we’ve all gotten together for dinner.

I text Whitley to remind her I won’t be here when she gets home since I’m meeting Marshall McManus for a drink.

Whitley: Thank you for letting me know. I completely forgot. I’ve been so tired lately.

Me:That’s what I’m here for baby.

Whitley: I hope it goes well.

Me:Me too.

Whitley: Dinner?

Me: I’ll grab something for us on the way home. What are you feeling tonight?

Whitley: French fries! All the french fries you can get your hands on. And a Coke, but only if it’s in a styrofoam cup.

Me: LOL. You got it, baby. If you want anything else, let me know. I love you!

Whitley:I love you too

Before leaving the house, I look at Arya who’s following me to the door. “You be good tonight and take care of our girl,” I tell her, and she barks. I lock up and use my security app to set the alarm in the house. As I’m pulling out of the garage, I notice a black sedan parked across the street. I immediately think of a few weekends ago when Whitley was upset about a vehicle just like this one. As I make my way to the bar where I’m meeting McManus, I keep checking my rearview mirror and spot him a few cars behind me. I take a few unnecessary turns to see if he’ll follow me, and he does. Fuck. Pulling into the bar, I watch as he slows down as he passes the entrance and then speeds off, tires squealing behind him.

Shaking my head, I wonder if this is the end to all of the peace around here. I walk into the bar and spot McManus sitting in a booth away from everyone else. Smart. I sit down across from him and wait for him to talk.

“Took your sweet ass time getting here, didn’t you son?” He growls at me.

“You’re what, ten years older than me? Don’t fucking call me ‘son,’ McManus.”

He studies me and lets my comment drop.

When he doesn’t say anything, I fill him in on what had just happened. “I was followed here.”

His shoulders tense. “How do you know?”

I crack my neck. “There was a car parked across the street from my house. It followed me, and all of my extra turns here. When I parked in the parking lot, it slowed down like whoever was inside was watching me, and then sped off.”

“Did you get a look at the person inside the vehicle?” He asks.

I shake my head, no. “The windows were too dark, but there’s something else.”

“What?”

“I believe Whitley saw this vehicle three weeks ago. I brushed it off as someone who was lost, but it spooked her enough to come in the house and set the alarms.”

“Has she seen the vehicle since then?”

“Not that she’s told me, and this is the first time I’ve seen it.”

---