Page 56 of Dagger

I had no answers. It had only been fifteen minutes since my life had been turned upside down and I hadn’t even accepted the news yet, so I pushed it as far back in my mind as I could and stopped for lunch before returning to the school for my afternoon classes. If I let myself obsess about the pregnancy, I wouldn’t get anything done, and I had too much to do to be so distracted.

I told myself to focus as I stopped at the deli to grab a corned beef sandwich with extra pickles. The deli was crowded, and I waited patiently in line, looking around at the other customers to make sure my thoughts didn’t drift back to a certain person due to arrive in nine months or his or her father.

“Next!”

I stepped forward and placed my order before moving aside while I waited, still looking around. It was almost standing room only and I crowded against the deli counter to make room for other customers. That’s when I spotted him.

Or thought I did.

The man from the bake sale. It looked like him, except without the hoodie or the sunglasses. He had wavy dirty blond hair and brown eyes. The angry cut of his jaw and his hunched over posture were very familiar, but as the crowd shuffled forward again, I lost sight of him.

A tension I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying in my shoulders relaxed when I saw that the man was gone. There was something unsettling about him, an underlying anger that Dani had picked up on immediately.

***

I sat in the school parking lot and chewed, savoring the rich flavors of the sandwich and dressing while I searched my mind for any men named Nick or Nicholas in my past. Obviously, I’d met a few Nicks, it was a common enough name, but I’d never dated or slept with a man named Nick. At least not if that man had been honest about his name.

But that only made this situation even scarier, because if it wasn’t someone I knew, someone who felt I’d done them wrong, then it was just a random psychopath who might think we’re meant to be together or something.

My hands shook as I let that thought settle deep in my gut. I wasn’t safe, and I wouldn’t be as long as this guy was lurking on the outskirts of my life. He could strike at anymoment, and until I knew what I would do about this baby, I had to be extra careful.

Finishing my sandwich, I wrapped up the other half and stepped out just as my phone buzzed. It was a withheld number, and the message made my blood run cold.

It’s almost time.

I had no idea what that meant, but if the goal was to scare the hell out of me, it worked.

I should tell Dagger, about the message and about the man in the deli.

About the pregnancy.

My sandwich now lay heavy in my stomach like a dead weight. I didn’t think I could face seeing Dagger right now. I didn’t have a clue what I would say to him, and I think if I saw him right now then I’d fall apart. So, instead I went for denial and tossed the phone in my bag and went inside the school.

I had fourth graders to teach.

Chapter 30

Dagger

“You should really come back for another session.” The big ass burly man-baby sitting in my chair had a beet-red face and tears streaming down his eyes, but he refused to tap out.

“No, man, I can handle it.” He shook his head and swiped at his tears with trembling hands. “I swear.”

He couldn’t handle it, not one fucking bit, but a guy like this wouldn’t listen to shit I said. “No harm in admitting you need a break, man.” I pointed to my left arm. “This sleeve took three sittings. Nobody can do it all in one day.” I’d told him that when we settled the art and booked the appointment, but he was a big dude with too much pride.

“I’m good, Dagger. Real good. Promise.” He flashed a smile through clenched teeth.

I didn’t believe him, but I also knew he wouldn’t call it quits anytime soon. “Okay. Have some water and we’ll get back to it.”

“Yeah, okay.” He nodded and flashed a grateful smile as he got up from my chair and pulled out a pack of smokes. “Five minutes.”

I removed my gloves and washed my hands before I went to check on the other employees. Falcon was in heaven tattooing a rib piece on a twenty-something with big tits and a flirtatiouspersonality. “This’ll take another hour,” he said when I peeked my head inside.

I found Minx finishing up a septum piercing. “All good in here?”

“Yep. I have a three-hour block for a forearm piece and then I’m done unless we get walk-ins. How’s the back piece?”

I rolled my eyes. “Gettin’ there. It’s gonna take two more sessions probably.” If the guy didn’t quit altogether. My phone rang, and seeing Slate’s number, I picked up right away. “Yeah?”

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