Securing His Destiny (Power Security #2)

Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

T abitha kept a watchful eye on the door as she counted the day’s takings, something she’d never done prior to her attack. It was fortunate that on the day of her attack, she’d already done this and was doing the final cleanup when it happened.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she started at the sensation. She quickly jotted down the amount she’d just counted, and fished her phone out of her pocket, smiling when Steve’s name flashed up. “Hey, how are you?”

“Tabby, I’m good. You?”

Her stomach did a little loop-de-loop at the sound of his deep sexy voice, and she closed her eyes, remembering how good it had felt to have Steve’s hands on her that morning. “The same, just counting up the cash.”

“You should’ve waited for me to get there before you did that.”

Any other man telling her what she could and couldn’t do would’ve had her rolling her eyes, but with Steve, it had the opposite effect. It made her feel protected.

He was saying it, not because he considered her incapable of counting cash, but because he didn’t like the thought of her being alone when she did it.

“I’ve done this by myself for a long time, you know.” Just because Tabitha kind of liked his protective streak didn’t mean she was going to let him know she did.

“I know you have. Sorry, that was probably bossy of me.”

She could picture him running his fingers through his hair as he spoke. The way his lips would turn down a little. A look of contrition in his eyes. He might like to think he was a closed book or that he kept his emotions in check, but he wasn’t.

Tabitha saw him. Of course, Steve could be completely different when he was off doing his work. Then she could imagine he showed as much emotion as a rock.

“Not at all, because I know you’re coming from a good, caring place. Not a controlling one. I was teasing you. I kind of liked it, to be honest.”

Looks like I am going to tell him how much I like it, after all.

“Is that right?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. I lied.”

He laughed, deep and sexy. If only he were standing in front of her instead of sitting in his office. “I saw that, by the way.”

Tabitha glanced up at the camera in the corner of the room. “You did not, and if you’re watching, then how come you asked me what I was doing? You would’ve known I was counting the money.”

“I only just switched over to the app.”

“Hmm, I thought you said you’d be watching all day.” It’d been the idea that Steve was there in some small capacity that’d had a calming effect on her.

“I checked in periodically. I didn’t want to seem like a creeper, because honestly, honey, I could watch you all day. Shit, that sounded as though I’m a level-ten creeper, but I’m not.”

She laughed. “Stop! I know you’re nothing like that. And if you did watch me all day, I wouldn’t care because I know you’re doing it to keep me safe.”

“I’ll be there in ten.” There was an urgency to Steve’s words she hadn’t heard before.

It was as though he needed to see her in person to see that she was fine.

“I’ll be waiting.”

The call ended, and Tabitha blew out a breath. Things were getting intense with Steve, and she was here for it.

She stood behind her counter, and instead of finishing up the tallying of the day’s takings, Tabitha stared at the front door, waiting for the moment when Steve would appear in front of it.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at a message from Lauren. She picked up her phone and opened the message, laughing when she saw the picture Lauren had sent.

Her assistant had mentioned her daughter had gone to school as her favorite person but hadn’t said who that person was.

The picture showed Lauren standing next to her sweet daughter, who wore an apron and chef’s hat while holding a sign with the words Tabby’s Café in big bold letters.

Tabitha fired off a quick response and looked back at the door, her smile fading when she saw who was standing there. Her heart rate kicked up and fear slammed into her.

As if drawn by an invisible thread, she headed for the door and opened it. She was likely making the biggest mistake she could, but when there was a gun pointed at her, giving the person what they wanted seemed the most logical thing to do.

“What do you want?” Tabitha demanded.

“You,” the person said before pressing the gun into her chest, right over her heart. “Now, if you want to live, you’ll come with me.”

She willed Steve to turn up

He couldn’t be that far away, could he?

How much time had passed since they ended their call?

“I don’t know why you’re hesitating. Now come on, bitch. Let’s go. I should’ve just done this in the first place, instead of hiring that bumbling idiot to trash the joint and scare you.”

“What do you want?” Perhaps if Tabitha kept the guy talking, and they stayed where they were, Steve would turn up.

Surely, someone had to be watching the cameras. Had to be seeing what was happening to her.

“What I’ve always wanted. This shop.”

“Why?”

“Because it should be mine, not yours. My mother should’ve handed it over to me. I had a sweet deal worked out with Linex when she retired. They have every other place in this complex except this one. I told them I would bring it to them. Only my bitch of a mother decided that instead of closing up shop and giving it to me, she sold it to you.”

That was a lot of information for Tabitha to sort through. Elton Quinn was Bess’s son?

In all the time she’d worked with the sweet older woman, Bess had never mentioned she had a child.

“How do I know you’re who you say you are? I asked her about her family, and not once did she mention that she had a son.”

Elton scoffed. “Of course she didn’t. She hated me. Told me I would cease to exist to her if I went and lived with my father when I was six. She wasn’t the nice woman you thought she was. She fooled you all. But the last laugh is on me because I will get this shop from you and then sell it to Linex. After that, they can do whatever they want with the whole block. I don’t care. I’m going to be too busy enjoying my life with the money I’m going to get.”

Was Elton right? Was Bess a heartless woman?

The person Tabitha knew just didn’t correlate with the person Elton was describing. Bess had been nothing but sweet with the children who came into the café. Always taking time to talk to them and give them a little treat. It doesn’t seem possible that she would turn her back on her own flesh and blood. Perhaps there was more to the story that Tabitha didn’t know.

At the end of the day, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was keeping herself alive so she could have the future she wanted with Steve.

To do that, Tabitha had to make sure she kept Elton right there at her café. Steve was going to be here soon.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry Bess did that to you. Maybe if you explained all of this, I would’ve reconsidered the offer.” Like hell she would’ve, but Elton didn’t have to know that. Tabitha was buying herself some time and if she had to make this man believe that she would’ve given in easily, then that was what she’d do.

“Would you, though? I somehow don’t think you would’ve. Just like her, all you care about is this shitty little café. What is so goddamn special about it? Why don’t you want to give it up?” He was yelling at her, his face red.

The gun was still pressed against her chest, but she could feel a slight tremble, as though Elton’s grip on it was shaky.

Movement behind Elton’s left shoulder caught her attention, and a subtle look confirmed that Steve had arrived.

Relief swept through her, but she couldn’t let Elton know help was close by.

No way did she want to put Steve in danger. Although, the look on his face suggested he was in special forces mode. His eyes were narrowed and focused on Elton.

Tabitha couldn’t see what he was doing with his hands, but she imagined his fingers were flexing into fists before relaxing and then repeating the action.

Elton turned, and in quick succession, two shots sounded.

Both Elton and Steve collapsed to the ground, Steve’s head hitting a table on the way down.

“Steve!” She jumped over Elton’s prone figure and rushed to Steve’s side, her heart thumping loudly in her ears when she saw blood pooling beneath him.

His eyes were closed, but his chest was rising and falling.

Tabitha skittered down next to him, her hand over his chest, needing the reassurance that he was indeed alive, even with him being so still. “Steve! Don’t you die on me, I’ve just found you. Don’t you leave me, not when I love you.” Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t want to believe the possibility that her happiness was going to be snatched away from her.