Page 51 of Huge Dynamite
Crossing her arms before her chest, she scowls. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You can’t live here. You can’t even work here.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because it’s way too dangerous.”
“Too dangerous?” Throwing her hands up in exasperation, she sighs. “Oh, my gosh. Seth Hardy, I don’t think I have ever been more wrong about a human being than I was about you. We spent one night together when I thought you were this cool, accepting guy. Then, the next morning, when you had the audacity to tell me what ‘my kind of woman’ would do—” She uses air quotes. “—I left. I would have expected you to get the message. But here you are again, judging the people in my neighborhood. I’m perfectly safe here. I’ve already made friends. You know how many people I’m friends with in my luxury apartment in Phoenix?” She forms her hand into the shape of a zero. “Zip. None. Not one holiday card, and barely a ‘hello’ in the elevators. Here, I already have dinner invitations.”
“From Julius?” I scoff.
“Really, Seth?” Sighing, she looks me up and down before staring into my eyes. “For your information, Julius is a nice kid, and he’s helping me out.”
“He’s crushing on you.”
“So what? What does that matter? Maybe hanging around me, he’ll learn a thing or two about how to treat a woman with respect. And no, he’s not who I have dinner plans with. It’s Mrs. Drakos down the street. I’m treating her son for asthma.”
Pushing past me, she hustles down the stairs and I hurry to keep up.
“Holly, I’m sorry. I know I sound like a jealous asshole—”
“—Yeah, you do.”
Ouch. “But you have to hear me out.”
Making it to the bottom floor, she whips around and faces me. “I do nothaveto do anything, Seth.” Holding her hands up by her ears, she shakes her head in frustration. “All of my life, I have done exactly what people told me to do. I’m done with it. This isn’t some rebellion against my parents, and I’m not moving from one set of people who boss me around to another who does exactly the same.” She gestures to me. “No. No more. I do not need to do anything anyone tells me anymore. I am a grown woman. I’m building a clinic for people in need and, hell, I even own a building.”
“Wait. You own this place?”
“Closed on it last week.”
“Holly, you have to sell and get out.”
“I most certainly will not.” Her voice is louder now. “Didn’t you hear what I said to you? You can’t tell me what to do.”
“You’re in danger here.”
“Ugh!” she yells in frustration. “Will everyone please stop treating me like I’m a fragile princess?” She moves closer to me. “I pulled a friggin’ knife out of your shoulder. I fish bullets out of people’s bodies. I save lives. Stop treating me like I’m a damned—”
“Holly, be quiet and listen to me!” I snap at her. Lowering my voice, I explain, “Your life is in danger here.”
“What?” Shaking her head, she steps back. “What are you talking about?”
“The Dogs. They made a threat against you.” Pulling out my phone, I scroll through the texts and bring up the pictures of her.
Taking another small step back, her voice is quieter. “I did see someone taking a photo of me. Why would they do that?”
“They did it to antagonize me.”
“Why? Who would connect us?”
“The Dogs.”
Her eyes light up in recognition. “They were here. The first day I came to see the place. They drove by slowly, and then I saw one of the guys take a picture of me and I-I sort of flipped him off.”
“What?”
“Never mind about that now. Why would they think I’m the link to you?”
