Page 6 of Dangerous Refuge

I turn over my shoulder to see him approaching from behind me. He must have been out front not in the kitchen, and now he’s seen me sitting here talking while I should be working. I pop to my feet, ashamed and embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, sir.” I smooth my apron and pull out my order pad and pen.

Kyle is a no-nonsense sort of person who doesn’t take shit from anyone. He may even fire me on the spot, which makes me nervous because I really need the tips I’ll make the rest of this week. I still have to find another place to live.

“I’m sorry, Mr…” Kyle leans down condescendingly and purses his lips at Sven.

“Sven,” he says, reaching a hand out. Kyle does not take it; instead he folds his hands in front of himself and his nostrils on his pointy nose flare out.

“Sven, our waitresses must work. They can’t sit and socialize on the clock. Other customers need them. Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to do. Allie, I want to see you in the kitchen.” Kyle sashays off in all of his pomp and circumstance, which is decidedly in his head, and I stand there humiliated.

“I have to go.”

“He seems fun. Don’t worry; I’ll talk to Jim.” Sven gives a soft smile and I want to ask him what he meant about a different way, but I hear Kyle call my name from the kitchen and nod at him.

“Thank you for listening to me. It felt good to get that off my chest. I’ve never really told anyone before.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Allie. Go on before he blows a gasket.” Sven returns to looking at his menu and I slump back into the kitchen to take my lecture with grace. He’s such a kind man, or it seems anyway. But now I’m curious what he meant, and the entire time Kyle is lecturing me I find myself wondering what Sven meant by a different way. And now I want to see him again, just to ask him.

If there is a way to keep Paul off my back so I don’t have to keep moving and running away from him, I will do it. Rico has a friend in this building and I hate that he hasn’t had any real friends because we move so much. Thoughts of Sven and what he does for a living toy with me for the rest of my shift. What if he’s a lawyer and knows how to make Paul leave me alone for good? Lawyers are wealthy and powerful. That would explain his fancy suits and the way he thinks dropping his name with the owner will get me out of trouble with my manager. Or I wonder if he’s a police officer or something, though that wouldn’t explain the money so much.

I spend the rest of my shift daydreaming about Sven and how he made me feel heard and safe. And after another lecture at the end of my shift, I apologize for switching tables with Dana and tell Kyle it won’t happen again, then head home. Rico is already sleeping, curled up in bed with his Nintendo DS on the pillow next to him. I send Sarah home, thankful for such a good friend to watch my boy while I work, and I pour myself a drink.

The day has worn on me and I’m craving relaxation. I sip my whiskey as I start a bath, letting the water fill up while I smoke a cigarette and think of Sven again. Life has a way of surprising me at times, like this man. I swore to myself years ago I’d never let a man get to me, but there is something about him that just draws me and I can’t say no. Like the way he convinced me to go against my conscience at work and sit down to talk with him. He has authority in his voice that I can’t rebel against. Paul never had that. No man I’ve ever met has ever had that.

But Sven is different.

I pour a capful of bubble bath into the water and strip off, tossing my soiled work uniform into the hamper before dousing the cigarette in the toilet and sinking into the bath. The water instantly warms me and lulls me into its comforting embrace. I lay my head back and shut my eyes, and Sven is there. His azure gaze is seared into my memory, but I don’t mind. Dana was right. He’s incredibly attractive. I find myself picturing what he might look like without his shirt.

Then I find myself picturing what size his dick might be. Sitting across from him as he told me he found me attractive pushed some buttons, but imagining him naked in this room with me finds even more buttons to push. I slide my hand between my legs, touching lightly at my soft folds. I’m wet, no surprise there. I’ve felt aroused by him all day, the ache in my pussy hardly fading even during the lecture from Kyle.

I open my eyes, checking that I’ve locked the bathroom door, and with that reassurance, I let them flutter shut again, massaging myself. I’m so horny because of that guy, and I know nothing about him. Maybe that’s even more arousing to me, that he’s a mystery. I dip my fingers into my slit, feeling my sticky, thick juices collecting. I want release badly. When I push a finger into myself, the ache grows. I need it now.

As I play and touch myself, stirring up my body, I imagine Sven there, kneeling next to the bathtub with his arm submerged in the bubbles, his fingers hidden beneath the surface where I can’t see them. My fingers pushing into my tight hole become his, thrusting and massaging. But it’s when I imagine his voice whispering my name that does it. My body comes hard, convulsing as I fuck myself with two fingers. The water sloshes around me, and I nearly sink below the bubbles. How on earth does a man do this to me so easily?

And how can I get him to actually be the one doing it for real?

4

SVEN

Standing in the quiet sanctuary of the family bookstore, I find solace amidst the rows of books and memories. My brothers and I used to play amongst these shelves, fashioning ourselves superheroes or villains. But as I delve into the captured footage, my eyes lock onto the screen where a figure lingers outside, and a knot forms in my stomach. With every frame that plays on the monitor, my suspicions grow. The man skulking around the perimeter has unknowingly drawn the attention of Matty, my younger brother, who insists I investigate further.

The shadowed man on the recording from yesterday’s overnight security camera footage is hunting, searching for someone or something. With a mole ready to take my brother down—my younger brothers have no clue—I am not taking any chances. I study his stealthy moves with one hand on my cell phone ready to call Red. The man on the footage sneaks up to the front door and brazenly tries to pick the lock, completely unaware that we have cameras watching every square inch of this property. I shake my head and dial Red’s number. This idiot has it coming.

The line rings through, and after a few seconds, Red answers. “Yeah, Sven, what’s up, man?”

I turn back to the monitor, watching as the intruder fumbles with the lock. He's just a small-time crook, probably looking to steal some books or cash. But I can't let him get away with it. I take a deep breath and speak with a calm and steady voice. "Red, I need you to look into something. Matty told me someone was snooping around last night. I've watched the footage, which I'm sending to you now." I quickly email the footage to Red, and I can sense Red's excitement. He's always itching for a chance to prove himself, to show off his skills. "Have a look."

There's a pause at the end of the line and I hear rustling. Red understands the sensitive nature of what's happening. Dominic has read him in on the situation with the mole; probably before he even told me. I found out about it when I overheard something I wasn’t supposed to and Dom was forced to let me know what was happening. I get the feeling he wants me to stay out of the way but how do I do that if my family is at risk? So I’ve been handling things my own way as I can.

“Got it?” I ask, trying to move the conversation along a bit.

“Just watching it now,” he says, sounding thoughtful. “Yeah, you’re right. This guy needs a talking to.” I sense hesitation in his voice, not the usual ambitious desire to rush into danger.

“You don’t sound so sure.” I pause the video on a frame when the creep looks right up at the camera, as if he’s aware we’re watching him and wants us to see his face on purpose. I don’t recognize him, which means he most likely isn’t one of our known enemies. Besides, which Italian would be stupid enough to look right into our cameras after trying to break into our building?

“I’m just saying, I don’t think he means any harm.”

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