Damaged Perfection (The Perfection Series Book 1) (16 page)

              “How many?”

              “Too fucking many times,” I say, as I lightly sink my teeth into the back of her shoulder and she screams out.

              “That’s right baby, scream for me.” After pushing my boxers down, I bury myself deep in her. She screams out again as my pace is ferocious.

              “Fent…”

              “I know, baby.” I pull her back on me one last time before we both come undone. I move her hair so I can rest my head on her shoulder until I can catch my breath while she rests her head against her arms on the counter.

              “Come on, let’s go back to bed. We have an early day tomorrow.” She grabs my arms when she stands as she has wobbly legs. I have to contain my smile but damn that is hot! Once she gets her balance, we leisurely walk back to the bedroom. We climb in bed and she places her head on my shoulder right before I drift off.

* * *

              Light snores wake me, the clock reads six and I feel like I have been hit by a bus. I scrub my face with my hands and savor the last few seconds of lying in bed with this angel.

              “Piper?” I whisper, while lightly rubbing her arm. When she doesn’t budge, I swiftly move from under her without waking her and head for the bathroom for a hot shower. I turn on the water as hot as I can stand it. I need to rid myself of yesterday. Today is a new day and my questions will be answered. I quickly finish and get myself ready.

              When I walk back in the bedroom, Piper is making the bed. She must notice the horror on my face as she grins when she finally looks up at me.

              “Oh, am I doing this wrong?” Her lips twitch.

              “No not at all, looks great. Let’s go.” She will not win this even though I physically have to keep myself from turning around and re-making the damn thing.

              “What do you have for breakfast?” she asks, while looking in my pantry. I walk up behind her and grab a pack of Pop Tarts and hold them up for her. It is her turn to have horror written across her face.

              “No thanks.” She turns and walks out the front door in front of me.

              “I really wish I hadn’t left my bike across the tracks, I want to ride this morning.”

              “I think the truck will do.”

              “Were you scared?” I ask, while we climb in the truck.

              “Not at all. I am just too tired to walk all that way to get it,” she says as she tries not to yawn. I chuckle at her when I remember her sister’s words.

              “You’re not a morning person are you?” She shakes her head and leans it up against the truck door as we begin driving.

              As I am merging onto the interstate, my phone rings. When I see it is Frank, I turn the sound off. I can’t handle him this early in the morning.

              “You’re going to have to drop me at my place so I can get my work stuff.”

              “That was the plan but you will be riding with me.”

              “I can’t ride with you, Fent. What if Frank finds out?”

              “Why the fuck does that matter?” That came out a little harsher than I meant.

              “Well…I don’t know, I guess I just thought that he shouldn’t know, for work purposes.”

              “I don’t give a shit what he knows.”

              “Ok then.” She lays her head back on the door and I feel like an ass.

              “I’m sorry, I am an asshole. If you want to ride separate, I won’t throw a tantrum.”

              “Thank you…” She hesitates a second before adding, “I just don’t want to add any unnecessary hard feelings between you and Frank.” I don’t really give a shit about Frank and his hard feelings but I don’t want her upset.

              Once we reach her apartment, she turns her body toward me.

              “Its going to be different not working with you today. Are you sure you will be ok in that dozer without me?” Her laugh is infectious. I pull her face to mine and stop inches from her.

              “You can get in that dozer with me anytime you want and I don’t give a fuck who is watching.” I selfishly devour her mouth. I need her taste to linger on my lips until I can see her later.

              “Can I see you after work?” I whisper on her lips.

              “I don’t know. I will have to check my schedule and see if I can pencil you in.”

              “Let me see your calendar, I will make sure you always have time for me.”

              “I have to go, Fent. We are both going to be late.”

              “I will see you later. Don’t forget!” I warn. She smiles and leaves me with her taste and her memory until later.

* * *

              I find Liam once I get to the job site. I need to find out what kind of shit storm I have created.

              “Mornin’ man. How was yesterday?”

              “Do you really want to know?”

              “Yes.”

              “Well between you taking off with Piper the other day and then not showing up at all yesterday, I thought Frank was going to send out the National Guard to find you. You couldn’t answer one of his calls?”  I thought that would be the case. Frank hates anything that he cannot control and I am number one on that list.

              “Sorry you had to hear about it man. I am going to make this right today.”

              “I hope you have your shit together, Fent, for more than just your sake.” The determined look he has tells me that he is talking about Piper.

              “You know I won’t hurt her, man. Where is this coming from?” His reaction confuses me..

              “She’s a good girl, Fent.”

              “Yeah, I got it.” Fuck this, I don’t have to take this from anyone but it hurts coming from Liam. He is the one that never judges. I have always been able to talk to him and it pisses me off that he is questioning my intentions.

              I finally make it to my station only to find Ty standing there waiting for me.

              “What the fuck do you want?”

              “I want to let you know how good your girl tastes.” Without a second thought, I lunge at him. A crowd is beginning to form when Liam is finally able to pull us apart. I shrug out of Liam’s hold and walk away. When I make it to my truck, I have to fight the urge to take a swig from the bottle. Instead, I lean up against the truck to try and regain my composure.

              “Are you ok?” Liam asks sternly.

              “What the fuck is your deal man?” I tried to be nice but I am not going to take his attitude anymore, friend or not.

              “I have just been hearing that you are out acting foolish.”

              “You know me Liam, what is the difference now?”

              “I don’t want you pulling Piper down with you. She is a good girl Fent.” I don’t know what to say. Liam and I have been friends for years and at the drop of a hat, he jumps to conclusions about Piper and me.

              “I see how it is,” I say and turn my back to him. I am not going to going to argue with him. I will just have to show him that I already know she is different.

              “You want to explain to me what the hell has been going on the last couple of days, Fenton? I am not pleased with you this week.” I was expecting Frank. But I am not sure what to do with Liam, so I will leave him for now.

              “Frank, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I turn to face him and he is so close that we are face to face.

              “Why have you and Piper been gallivanting around as though you can do as you please while I have been gone?”

              “I had a meeting with Alan. Liam knows all about it.” We both look at Liam and he puts his hands up, feigning innocence.

              “What the fuck, Liam? You knew where I was.”

              “I didn’t.” This mother fucker has got to be kidding me.

              “Fenton, let’s take a walk,” Frank says.

              “No, I am not walking anywhere with you. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say right here. I have nothing to hide.” He laughs sadistically.

              “Are you sure about that? Anyway, I think that it is time you part ways with the company.”

              “Are you firing me?” I was going to quit, he doesn’t get the satisfaction of firing me.

              “Yes, I am Fent. You are too much of a liability to the company.”  We stare at each other, one waiting for the other to give and it isn’t going to happen. It’s a draw when we both look away.

              “You are going to regret this.” I scream at him.

              “I doubt that.”

              As much as I don’t want to be a part of this company any longer, I can’t help but feel like I am leaving something behind.  I always pictured walking away on my own, not being forced to leave. Working for this company for the last five years has been hell but it has been my constant. I turn and look at the crowd that has formed to watch and listen. I spot Ty standing behind Frank and Liam and I want to smack the fucking stupid grin that is on his face. After a few seconds, I lazily walk back to my truck and drive away from the site for the last time.

Chapter Fifteen

Piper

            
 
No matter the amount of caffeine that I consume, I cannot focus. I need my desk sitting in the middle of the job site. After the last few days of hard labor, answering email after email seems so inconsequential. I want to be able to look over my shoulder and watch Fent work. That has become my favorite past time.

              After having to type a reply to this email for the third time, I decide that I need a break. I pull out my phone and send Fent a quick message.

             
Piper: “The sight of you driving that dozer would be much easier on my eyes than these emails.”

             
I set the phone aside on my desk while I await his reply and return to my screen. I pull up another email and begin reading. Three words in and I have to rest my head on desk. I can’t handle this anymore. I need to be on the job site. I grab my purse and phone and head out of the office.

              “Jane, please hold my calls.”

              “Yes, Piper…” I am almost to the door when Jane calls my name. I turn back to her, “Yeah?”

              “Please be careful.” Almost as soon as the words leave her mouth, her eyes are back on her computer, as though she shouldn’t have said anything.

              “Thanks…” I don’t know what I am thanking her for but it seemed the thing to do. Once I hit the parking lot, I run to my car. I am going to tell Frank that I still want to hold my position but I also need to work on the site a few days a week. Before I take off, I check my phone for a message.

              Nothing.

              I can’t wait to get to the site and see Fent’s face.  I weave in and out of traffic and make it fifteen minutes later. I hop out and search for Fent. His dozer is parked along the orange mesh fencing at the back of the site. I don’t see him up on his normal set of scaffolding. I spot Liam and head in his direction.

              “Liam, how is it going?” I see the surprise register on his face.

              “Hey Piper, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the office today?”

              “Y-yeah. I just thought I would come by and make sure everything is running smoothly with my design. I have been here this week to make sure it is being executed properly and I am not here today to see what is going on; I was just curious.” He raises an eyebrow at me and I know he is seeing right through me.

              “He isn’t here, Piper.”

              “Who?” I ask, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

              “He has been taking part in some illegal business, Piper. If I were you, I would stay away from him.”

              “What are you talking about?”

              “You may want to ask him but we believe that he had something to do with the death of his friend Gibson.”

              “What?” I ask incredulously. I can’t believe what he is trying to tell me.

              “Go talk to him, Piper. But please be careful, he can be dangerous.”

              “I thought you were friends, Liam?”

              “I kept him at arm’s length, there is a difference.” I don’t know if I should be pissed or sad right now. Someone is lying and it damn well better not be Fenton. I pull my phone from my purse as I walk back to my car, this time I call him. It goes straight to voicemail. My mind is racing as I drive to his house. Why would he not answer? This morning we were arguing about him driving me to work and now he won’t even answer a phone call from me? I don’t get it.

              As I merge onto the exit ramp, my phone begins ringing. Finally he has received my messages.

              “Fenton, where are you?”

              “Piper, it’s Frank. I need you back at the office ASAP.”

              “Um, ok. I will be there as soon as I check on Fenton. Would you happen to know where I can find him?”

              “No. And please get here as soon as possible.”

              “Yes, sure thing Frank.” I don’t see Fent’s truck when I pull into his drive. I get out of the car and run in the house.

              Nothing. In fact, Andy is still in his cage and he is squealing at me to let him out.

              “Not right now boy. I have to find your dad.” He sits and barks as I walk toward the back door. I don’t see any evidence of him; no shoes or car keys, nothing. I run back to the pond, to see if maybe he decided to go for a swim.

              Nothing there, either.

              My eyes travel to the woods. I know I need to check them but I am sure I will get lost being on my own. I begin heading for the woods when my phone rings. I check the ID to find its Fent.

              “Fent?”

              “Piper, where are you?” he slurs.

              “Have you been drinking, Fent?”

              “Jus a l.i.t.t.l.e.” He enunciates every single letter.

              “Where are you?”

              “I am…in your office. Where…are you?”

              “I will be right there, stay put until I get there.” I pray he listens to me and doesn’t run in to Frank in the meantime. I run back to the house and lock everything up before I leave while Andy is still squealing.

              “I know buddy. We will let you out in a little while, ok?” Oh, if only Fent was normal and left some treats out that I could quickly give him but I am sure they are in their very own special place. I smile as I remember the bed this morning. I love seeing that look of helplessness on his strong face.

              As I hop in the car, I realize that I have driven more today than I have worked. I know I am going to get my ass chewed for this but I need to make sure Fent is ok, considering everyone has turned on him. My phone chirps an incoming message and my heart drops at what it could possibly say. I accelerate just a bit, just to try to make my trip a little faster. I know yesterday started out awful but I believe it ended well; very well, actually. I was hoping today would be smooth and stress-free. I guess that was too much to ask for.

              While pulling into the lot, I glance around for Fent. I don’t see him, so he must be in the office. I pull in my parking spot and head in the building. When I walk in, Jane is giving me a warning glance. She nods her head to the left toward my office and sure enough, there stands Fent leaning on the door frame that leads to my office, swaying a little, back and forth.

              “What are you doing here, Fent? Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

              “Yes I am supposed to be working,” he says after grabbing my hand and literally pulling me along with him. I can feel the downshift in mood that he is radiating and I briefly wonder if it has something to do with Frank. I knew that Fent missing yesterday was not going to go over well, I just wasn’t sure to what extent.

              As we walk in the lobby, Jane stands but Fent waves her off. He can be callused at times, but it is usually only when he has to deal with someone of whom he isn’t fond. My attention reverts back to Jane and I can see the off-put look on her face. I mouth
sorry
at her but she is already focusing back on her computer.

              “Fent, why were you so rude to Jane?”

              “Because she is fucking Frank, and I hate everyone associated with him.”

              “Oh,” I say, taken completely off guard. Although it isn’t really any of my business, I am more upset that I didn’t see that one coming.

              I am not sure how I feel about this side of Fent. This morning he was so sweet and he was joking around. I want that back. I wish he would tell me what is going on to cause him to be in such a foul mood.

“Fent, where are we going?” He has been uncharacteristically quiet. He isn’t here in the office all that much but to my surprise, he has maneuvered us from room to hallway to stairwell, effortlessly. I work here on a fairly regular basis and I am not sure I knew this stairwell existed. We make it to the top. Before he opens the door, he faces me and from the look on his face, I am not sure what to expect from him.

“Promise me that you will keep an open mind.” He is almost pleading with me and this makes my heart hurt. I knew something was up as soon as I saw him brooding when I walked in the office. I search his eyes for a tell but get nothing; he is completely void of emotion.

“Of course, Fent.” He nods and we continue on our journey. He opens the door to the roof of James Design and the wind knocks us in the face. Considering Fent’s foul mood, I do not have a good feeling about this. When I don’t move past the door, he looks at me confused.

“Piper?” He raises an eyebrow in question. For some reason, I feel like if I step onto this roof, things are going to change. I have this looming feeling of sorrow. I have to decide if I can take this plunge that I know will break my heart. One more step and our lives could be completely different. I look into the eyes of the man that I would do anything for and have gained so many feelings and so much trust in. Can I do this? Can I do this for him?

When I don’t move he lets my hand fall and begins walking away. I take a deep breath and decide that whatever he is getting ready to throw at me, I can handle. So I take that step and hope to hell I don’t regret it.

I am on his heels once again. He is leading us to the edge of the building and I am getting more nervous the closer we get. When we reach the edge, he sits. I am a little more hesitant as sitting at the top of a very high building with my feet dangling over the edge really isn’t my idea of fun. He looks up to me and pats the spot next to him.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Fent.”

“You’re not afraid of heights are you?” He smiles sadly and my heart drops. I wish he would just spit out what he brought me here to tell me. I sit down right where I am and gingerly move closer to the edge until I can swing my legs over. I feel the adrenaline surge through me and I close my eyes to savor the moment.

“Do you feel that? That is freedom, Piper.”

“Freedom from what, Fent?” I question, without opening my eyes.

“Let me take you on a journey. Are you ready?” I continue to keep my eyes closed as I don’t think I can see the anguish on his face that I hear in his voice.

“Yes,” I say simply and he grabs my hand.

“Fifteen years, Piper.” He closes his eyes and rubs the back of his neck.

“What about fifteen years, Fent?” I wasn’t sure when I showed up if he was using or not but I am certain he is. He can’t focus on anything and he seems a bit wound up. That coupled with the alcohol and the ledge of this building, is a dangerous combination.

“That is a long time to carry around guilt. It was an accident, Piper, I promise it was. I go to sleep and wake up thinking about it, every single day. The drugs only numb the pain for a while. The woman I used to sleep with would only mask it. I am so tired, Piper.” He is breaking my heart more and more with each word he speaks. I don’t know what is coming next but I am sure it isn’t going to be good. I decide I am finished playing with kid gloves, he clearly needs to talk about this.

“Is there more to the story, Fent? Tell me.”

“I will tell you the story, Piper. He is obviously too messed up to tell you the truth.” We both turn to see Frank standing there. I stand immediately but Fent continues to sit.

“Go back to your castle old man,” Fent says over his shoulder to him.

“I am ending this today, Fent. I will not allow you to pollute the mind of this poor girl any longer. She deserves the truth.” With that, Fent stands. I can see the hatred in both of these men’s eyes. I can tell this hatred is much deeper than before. I don’t know if I have just missed it or if he has just drawn this from deep within.

“You’re right. She does deserve the truth, but my truth not your convoluted spin of it.”

“Ok guys, I don’t know what is going on here but I think we all need to calm down.”

“You’re right, sweet Piper. Let’s all go to my office and talk about this.” Oh that is a good idea. Fenton laughs with skepticism. He walks to Frank so they are nose to nose. Oh shit, this is not good.

“I will never be caged up at your demand again,” he exclaims, and I can see the figurative lightning strike between them.

“Listen guys, maybe we can just have a seat and talk this through in the lounge. We don’t have to go to Frank’s office.” Neither man looks at me.

“Piper, are you ready to hear this? I am going to warn you, it isn’t going to be pretty.”

“Yes, please,” I beg. “I think more than anything you both need to reveal what happened. Then maybe the two of you can begin to heal.” They both laugh.

“I can guarantee you that this is the only time that we will agree.”

“I will never need to speak to this man again after today,” Fent says.

“Fenton killed my family, Piper,” Frank blurts out.

My mouth falls open and my hand involuntarily moves to my chest as I gasp.  My eyes meet Fent’s and I see them soften. In that moment, I know that whether it was on purpose or not, Fenton had something to do with whatever Frank is talking about.