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Enzo
I stared at Audrey, unable to conceal my disgust any longer. “Audrey, come on,” I told her sharply. “We have to get going.”
Audrey blinked. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Pepper and I are staying right here.”
“No, you’re coming with me. I don’t give a shit about hurting your feelings anymore, so I’ll tell it to you straight: you’re in danger if you stay here. Do you get that? You’re in trouble. Furthermore.” I glanced down at her dog, “Pepper’s in trouble, too. What happens to her if someone breaks in while you’re at work? Did you ever think about that?”
Audrey blinked. I could tell that I’d hit her right where it hurt. “She’ll defend the apartment,” she said, but her voice was shaky.
“Audrey, look at her. She’s not a guard dog. She’s a pet, and she’s not going defend shit. See, she doesn’t even act afraid around strangers.” I slapped my thigh and Pepper walked over to me, tail wagging broadly in the air. “Audrey, she’s going to get hurt if someone comes back here looking for you. They’re going to be really angry that you’re not at home, and they could hurt her. They could even kidnap or kill her.”
Audrey’s face crumpled again. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll get my things. Give me ten minutes.”
I sat on Audrey’s ruined couch as she bustled from room to room, packing a small bag full of Pepper’s foot, water bowl, and some of her clothes. I didn’t want to say anything, but I planned on getting rid of all of her clothing as soon as we got back to my condo. Just because she’d broken up with me didn’t mean she could continue looking so unprofessional at work. That is if she doesn’t quit like she told you she was going to do, I realized with an unhappy sigh.
“I’m ready,” Audrey said stiffly. She was standing there, looking like she’d seen a ghost. “Come on, Pepper.” She patted her leg and Pepper ran towards her, barking and drooling. “We’re going to stay with Mr. Enzo for a while,” she told the dog. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
I led Audrey outside before calling a driver with a Town Car to come from LennoxCo and pick us up. The day had warmed slightly—the sun was out at least—but it was still bitterly cold. It was also beautiful, there wasn’t a single cloud in the bright blue sky.
Audrey shivered and wrapped her arms around herself in that hideous pink coat. “Pepper, don’t worry,” she told the dog. Pepper looked calm to me, and I knew that Audrey’s words were more for the benefit of herself than the dog.
Finally, the Town Car pulled up. Audrey and I climbed into the back seat. It was wide enough where our bodies weren’t touching, and Pepper curled up on the floor, drooling with her tongue hanging out of her wide, pink mouth.
“Take me home,” I called to the driver. “And then I want you to wait for me. I’ll be showering and then going into the office.”
“Yes, Mr. Lennox,” the driver called back. I frowned, he wasn’t one of the men I recognized. Normally, a guy named Rico drove me home.
“Where’s Rico this morning?”
“He’s sick, Mr. Lennox,” the unfamiliar driver replied. “I’m Lenny.”
“Right,” I muttered. It didn’t matter. Aside from Rico, most drivers blended into my memory. In fact, I wasn’t even sure that I’d memorized any other names.
“Enzo?” Audrey’s voice was quiet. “Do you have a second bedroom?”
I nodded. “I have three. Take your pick.” I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her right now. I rested my hand on my fist and stared moodily out the window. “It doesn’t matter, Audrey. But I want you to have those clothes. I bought them for you.”
Audrey frowned. “I won’t need them if I’m no longer working at LennoxCo,” she said cuttingly.
I sighed. I didn’t have a reply for that. Just as Lenny was rounding the corner to my condo, I saw that he was turning on a red light.
“Hey, asshole. Lenny! Pay attention! You nearly got us killed!”
The car seemed to slow down, and panic rose in my throat. “Mr. Lennox, don’t worry,” Lenny said in a smooth voice. “I know exactly what I’m doing.” He turned around and flashed me a grin.
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car plowing across the intersection. My stomach jumped as I realized it was headed directly for the Town Car.
“Lenny!” I yelled, my voice giving way to panic. “Move!”
Audrey’s eyes were wide with fright, and she reached down to the floor to grip Pepper. I tried to unfasten my seatbelt, hoping to dive on top of her, but it was too late.
There was a loud crash, and everything went black.
# # #
WHEN I WOKE UP, MY head was aching. My vision was fuzzy, and I struggled to focus on the man looming over.
“Lenny?” I croaked. “Where’s Audrey? What happened?”
“Sir, I’m going to need you to calm down,” a sharp voice replied. “Stay calm, sir, the ambulance is on its way.”
“What?” I blinked, struggling to clear my vision. Slowly, things were coming into focus. I was freezing cold. When I looked down, I realized that I was somehow sitting on the asphalt, in the middle of the road. Audrey and Pepper were nowhere in sight.
Panic rose inside me, and I fought the person who was holding me down. “Let me go!” I yelled. “Audrey! Audrey!”
“Sir,” the voice said again. “Sit down, sir!”
I tried to stand up but dizziness overcame me, and I tumbled back down to the ground, weak as a baby. Sirens and flashing lights were all around me, and more panic overwhelmed me. Where was Audrey? I looked around nervously, not catching a glimpse of her pink jacket anywhere.
“Audrey!” I yelled. My voice sounded strangled and harsh. “Audrey, where are you?”
“Sir,” the voice said, and suddenly I felt a needle slip into the crook of my arm. “Just calm down. We’re taking you to the hospital now.”