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Tatum
Sequins.
Glitter.
Rhinestones.
Leather.
Motorcycles.
Funny sayings.
That was the extent of the clothes I had to wear.
Ethel had a thing for anything sparkly, it seemed, and the clothes Meg had left at the cabin over the course of her visits here were a bit more in line with what I would wear, minus the leather.
Good thing Murphy wasn’t in the MC because I didn’t think I would fit the stereotype.
Not that I was anything to Murphy other than someone he needed to keep safe for the time being.
Last night after dinner, we had turned on the TV, but only after a few minutes, I started yawning and knew I needed to get my butt to bed unless I wanted to spend the night on the couch.
I had taken Ethel and Gravel’s bed while Murphy took residence in the spare bedroom.
I had woken up this morning and was surprised to find Murphy awake. He had been out on the front porch with a cup of coffee and his phone to his ear. Not wanting to disturb him, I made a cup of coffee and headed to Ethel’s closet to find something to wear for the day.
Another problem I had was that Ethel and Meg were different body types than me.
Ethel was more on the svelte side, while Meg was curvy in all the right places.
Neither of their pants fit me unless they were leggings or jogging pants; Meg’s shirts were the only ones I would consider wearing. However, the sayings on them just made me giggle.
‘Don’t Be A Richard’ was splashed across the chest of a white shirt. In large font on the other were the words ‘That Sounds Like A Terrible Idea,’ and then in smaller print, ‘What Time?’ was underneath.
My favorite one was bright pink that had the ox and covered wagon from the computer game Oregon Trail in the center with the words ‘Get In Loser’ on top, and in smaller words underneath the ox said, ‘We’re Going To Die Of Dysentery.’
It called to my geeky girl heart.
“Dysentery and leggings it is,” I sighed.
“Words I never thought I would hear together.”
“My god,” I yelped. I clutched the shirt to my chest and whirled around to see Murphy leaning in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. His beard was filling in after not shaving for days, and a huge smile was on his lips. “You scared the hell out of me, Murphy.”
“Sorry, baby girl. I figured you would have heard me come in.”
“I was too busy trying to figure out if I wanted to be a funny old lady or a sparkly one,” I laughed. “Meg and Ethel each have their own kind of style.”
“Did you find something to wear, or do we need to go into town?”
I tipped my head to the side. “We can do that? I thought we needed to be ghosts right now.”
Murphy chuckled and wandered into the room. “We need to lay low, baby girl, not disappear from society.”
I looked down at the shirt in my hands. “I mean, I would love to have some clothes that are more me, but I don’t have money.” I looked up at Murphy. “Or anything. You never really think about the consequences of kidnapping until it happens to you, you know? That came out completely wrong.”
“I get what you’re saying, baby girl,” he chuckled. “We can head into town to get you some things.”
“Did you not hear me when I said I don’t have any money, Murphy?” I sighed and dropped the shirt on the bed. “And I am not going to have any money when I get back home because I won’t have a job. Oh god,” I moaned. The past seventy-two hours had been a whirlwind, and now everything was crashing down on me. “And I won’t have an apartment because if I don’t have a job, then how can I pay my rent?” I tried to take a deep breath but struggled.
“Hey, hey,” Murphy called. He gathered me in his arms and pulled me to his chest. “Calm down, baby girl. You don’t need to worry about any of that.”
“I don’t need to worry about where I’m going to live and a paycheck?” I wheezed. “Are you insane? Those are two of the most basic things a human needs.” I tipped my head back. “And I am a human.”
“Baby,” he chuckled.
“This isn’t funny, Murphy. I know we are supposed to lay low, but I gotta get back to work.” My boss, Jada, was amazing and really liked me, but I knew she wouldn’t be cool with me not coming to work and still expecting to get paid.
Murphy shook his head. “You’re not going back to work right now, Tatum. You can call your work and see if you can get some vacation time or something.”
I blinked slowly. “You want me to call my work where I am supposed to be working right now and ask them for vacation time?”
Murphy nodded. “Yes.”
“When you said you live in a different world than me, I think you meant you live in a different world than the whole world. You live in Banachi land. I don’t live there. Leo isn’t my boss, and I need to clock in when I’m scheduled.”
“Where do you work?” he asked. “Are you still at the law firm?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Uh, not for the past four years. I got burned out, sold all my stuff, and got a job at a bookstore.”
Murphy tipped his head. “Seriously?”
“Do you have something against me working at a bookstore? People need to read, and I like to be the one to help them find their next escape. I also like just to be surrounded by all of these books.” Not that I needed to explain myself to him, but I could see why he was a little confused. I had been a personal assistant for a high-profile defense lawyer when he met me.
Leo was looking for someone to represent him for some hot water he had gotten into, and Murphy had been with Leo when he came for a consultation.
Murphy shook his head. “I don’t care what you do for work, Tatum. I didn’t know you quit.”
“A lot happens in five years.” I pulled out of his arms and paced back and forth. “We have to go back. We can stay at my apartment while you keep me safe, and I can go back to work.”
Murphy shook his head. “That isn’t going to happen. We’re trying to make it hard for Brandt to find us. He obviously knows where you live and work, Tatum.”
“I need to work, Murphy. Once this is all over, I won’t have anything to return to.” I stopped with my eyes wide open. “You don’t even know how long this is going to take. What if this Brandt guy disappears for a while? What are we supposed to do then?”
“You aren’t going to do anything.”
“Whatever,” I cried. “What are you going to do if Brandt doesn’t surface? We can’t live like this. I need a job and clothes. A place to live,” I cried.
Murphy looked around. “I mean, I don’t see anything wrong with this place.”
“Murphy,” I whined. “You’re not hearing anything I’m saying.”
He grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “I hear you, Tatum, and I promise everything will be okay. Until we get Brandt, I will take care of you. You need new clothes? I will buy them for you. You need anything at all? I got you.”
“That doesn’t help with my problems later,” I cried. “I’m going to have no job and no place to live.”
Murphy thinned his lips, and his nostrils flared. He dropped his hands and pulled his phone out. “Where do you work?” he asked.
“A bookstore.”
He looked up from his phone. “I need the name of the bookstore, Tatum. Is it the one across town from your apartment?”
“Uh, yeah,” I mumbled. “Happily Ever After.”
He looked back down at his phone. “Boss’s name?”
“Why?”
He shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll figure it out.” He swiped on his phone a few times and then put it to his ear. “How many days of work did you miss?”
“Eh, uh, well,” I sputtered. “Who are you calling?” I demanded.
“How many days did you miss?” he asked again.
“Today. Just today. I had off yesterday.”
Murphy nodded and paced in front of the door. “Hi, could I please speak to your manager?”
Oh my god! “What are you doing?” I hissed.
He put his hand over the speaker. “Fixing your problem.” He walked out the door and headed to the living room.
“You’re insane,” I whisper shouted at his retreating back. I followed behind him while he waited. “Hang up right now, and I won’t punch you in the nuts,” I called.
Murphy glared at me over his shoulder. “I would like to see you try, baby girl.”
He would definitely see it if he didn’t hang up the phone right now. “Hang it up,” I hissed louder.
“Hi, yes. I’m Murphy Banks. Who am I speaking to?” he asked.
I closed my eyes and prayed that Jada was in a good mood today. She was always nice and sweet to me, but she didn’t deal well with customers who brought attitude her way.
“Jada, the owner,” Murphy repeated. “Well, it is great to talk to you. I was calling about Tatum. She’s a friend of mine and is going through some things that will require her to miss work for an undetermined amount of time.”
Murphy listened, and I could only imagine what Jada was saying.
“Yes. She’s with me right now. She’s very concerned about losing her job with her unplanned absence.” Murphy glanced at me and winked. Winked! The man was insane. I was worried I would lose my job before, and now it was going to be guaranteed.
“Hang up,” I whispered. If he hung up right now, I could maybe salvage this. I could call Jada back and tell her it was an April Fool's joke... in September. Oh god.
“Honestly, Jada. I wish I could tell you when she’ll be back. I’m trying to take care of some business, and it’s best if she stays with me until it’s taken care of.”
Lordy, Murphy was smooth. He didn’t know it, but he was playing into Jada’s love for caring but domineering men. She was probably fanning her face and filing away Murphy’s smooth, deep voice for later.
“Yes, I can certainly put her on the phone.” Murphy moved the phone from his ear and turned on the speakerphone. “She’s right here,” Murphy called.
“Tatum?” Jada called. “Are you okay, girl?”
I rolled my eyes and stepped toward Murphy. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Please tell me Murphy is as good-looking as his voice sounds.”
I thinned my lips and glared at Murphy.
“You’re gonna need to answer that one, baby girl,” he drawled.
“Oh my god,” Jada called. “I’m going to get a recorder, and I’m going to need you to call her baby girl again, okay?”
This was going off the rails just like I knew it would. Damn, all of the romance novels Jada devoured.
“Jada,” I called.
“Yeah, girl?” she asked.
“I’m not going to be able to make it to work for a few-ish days.”
“Your man mentioned that, but I figured this was all a joke.” She paused, and I imagined her wrinkling her nose and squinting like she had when she had gathered her thoughts.
“He’s not my man, by the way. At least not now. He was like five years ago.”
“Girl,” Jada drawled. “You are hitting me with so much right now, and my brain can’t figure out what to focus on.”
“Focus on the fact Tatum won’t be back to work for a couple of weeks. Do you think you can hold her job for her? I can send someone over to fill in for her if you need,” Murphy offered.
I shook my head and cringed. “What the hell are you talking about? Who are you going to send to the bookstore to fill in for me?”
“Who is it?” Jada asked.
“What? Why do you sound okay with him sending a stranger to take my job?” I demanded. Here, I thought Jada would be upset I wouldn’t be at work and possibly concerned, but instead, she wanted to know who would be filling in for me.
“Look, Tatum, we’re more friends than employee and employer, but I still have a business to run here. If you want me to hold your job for you and your tall, dark, and handsome man can send me someone to help out until you get your butt back here, then you gotta be okay with it, too,” Jada lectured. “I’m also going to need a little more information on why you gotta be with the man while he works.”
I glanced at Murphy. I wasn’t sure what I could tell Jada.
The police obviously hadn’t been involved when Murphy and I had been kidnapped, and I wasn’t sure if the Banachis wanted their business broadcasted to Jada.
“I work for Leo Banachi,” Murphy started.
“The Leo Banachi?” Jada gasped. “The man who owns the third largest skyscraper in Chicago and is a silver-haired fox? That Leo Banachi? I saw him in some business magazine, and that man is gorgeous with a capital g. Salt and pepper hair, chiseled jaw, steely blue eyes. Yes, please.”
“The one and the same,” Murphy clarified.
“Oh, girl. You sure know how to pick ‘em. Are you Leo’s bodyguard or something?” she asked. “Are there some Bodyguard vibes going on between you and Tatum? You know, except that Tatum isn’t a famous popstar, and you’re not Kevin Costner?” She paused. “You do have Kevin Costner vibes, though,” she muttered.
“Uh, you could call me Leo’s bodyguard,” Murphy offered.
I folded my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow. In the simplest way, you could say Murphy was Leo’s bodyguard, but he was way more than that. Murphy had told me the Devil’s Knights were like family, but the same went for the Banachis. I knew they weren’t related by blood, but they treated each other better than a lot of families I knew.
“So what are you doing that you need Tatum with you?” Jada asked. “And when did you two start back up?”
“Oh, well, it’s still pretty new with Murphy and me. We sort of just bumped into each other and, well...” My brain short wired, trying to think of more lies.
“We both realized we missed each other, and we’re picking up where we left off. I have some traveling I need to do with Leo, and I asked Tatum to come with me,” Murphy half explained.
We were doing some traveling, but some of that had been against our own will.
“Oh, where are you two going?” she asked.
“Right now, we’re in northern Wisconsin for a couple of days.”
“Oh,” Jada sighed. “That’s not as exciting as I was hoping. I thought for sure you would have said Spain or maybe Paris.”
I rolled my eyes. “You need to stop reading so many billionaire romances, Jada. They’re going to your head.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she sighed. “Going anywhere else? Somewhere warm and sunny?”
“Undecided,” Murphy chuckled.
“Well, let me know. Wait,” Jada called. “Why didn’t you answer your phone when I called this morning?”
“Oh, uh, I forgot it at home. That’s why I called you on Murphy’s,” I quickly explained. Technically, it’s not a lie. I had forgotten it, but it wasn’t because Murphy had swept me off my feet.
“This is Hottie’s phone number?” Her voice softened. “You can bet your ass I am saving this. I’m going to need you to send me a picture of the hunk so I can attach it to his number. There we go.” Her voice got louder. “You’re all saved. Send me a picture when we get off the phone.”
“Can we get back to my job?” I called.
“You’re good, honey, as long as Murphy sends someone to cover your shifts.” The familiar ding of the front door of the shop opening sounded. “Oh, hell. I gotta go. I should be good today, but get whoever you’re sending over her tomorrow,” Jada called. “And you can bet your ass I will be calling this number back tonight when the store closes. I need some more details, Tatum.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. I hadn’t expected Jada just to take what Murphy told her at face value.
“And make sure I’m just talking to you, Tatum. The hunk can be doing bodyguard things. Later.” She ended the call, and Murphy shoved his phone in his pocket.
“Are you insane?” I demanded. “You just called my boss and acted like you swept me off my feet, and we’re on some amazing trip.”
Murphy shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter as long as Jada has a job for you when you get back.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, but it does matter that I am going to have to tell her a butt load of lies.”
“Isn’t it boatload?” Murphy asked.
I threw my hands in the air and stomped back to the bedroom. “I don’t know. Does it really matter? We’re gonna have a ton of lies to tell people; how about that?” I grabbed the clothes I had picked out for the day. “Everything that is going to come out of my mouth about you is going to be a lie.”
“But you’ll still have your job.”
I spun on my heel and glared at Murphy, who had followed me.
“One problem down. Now we can work on the next one.” He nodded to the clothes in my hands. “Let’s go shopping, baby girl.”
“You’re insane, Murphy Banks. You can’t just fix my problem like they are nothing.” I hissed.
“You have those problems because of me, Tatum.” He stepped toward me and grabbed my arms. “So, that means they are my job to fix. I’ll call Candace at the office and have her send someone over to Happily Ever After to fill in for you.”
“It’s not your fault Brandt is a psycho,” I pointed out.
“I know. Now, get dressed while I call Candace. We’ll head to Eagle River to get some clothes.”
I frowned and looked up at Murphy. “I don’t like this. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, baby girl, but you don’t have to. Not when I’m around.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “Be ready in half an hour, okay?”
I nodded gently. “Okay,” I whispered.
Murphy being back in my life was nice, but it felt like he was here because he had no other choice. He was here because Brandt was a psycho, and he had to protect me. I wanted Murphy back in my life because he wanted to be, not because he had to.