FROSTBOUND

Five

"I know Sankey, I'm supposed to pick her up after work."

I say rolling my eyes. Sankey didn't come back and he has been repeating the same orders to me on phone. He's treating me like I wasn't the one that took care of that girl.

I'm packing up my stuff, it's fifteen minutes to five and I know the boss will probably have a problem with me leaving early, but until he gives me a good reason as to why he wants me to be staying up to late, I will be leaving when I feel like it.

"And sis..."

"Yea..."

"You really need to come and see the old man, he is not doing so well." Given that Sankey didn't come back, I bet dad is really back but that doesn't mean I'll just pack up and go back home.

I'm sure he isn't dying, so I need some time to think.

"I'll think about it."

"He is our father Cass, why would you even want to think about it." He is slowly pissing me off and if I don't hang up we'll have a huge fight. I've been trying to avoid that of recent.

"Sankey, you and I both know why I don't want to meet him just yet."

"I know, but it happened years ago, can you at least forgive him." I close my eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Bye Sankey, I need to pick up Kim." I hang up before he can say anything else.

My dad was doing okay and was in good health until a couple of years ago when he started having spinal complications. The doctors say it's because of the work he did when he was in the army. It had a side effect on him. They did a spinal operation on him and as much as he is doing okay now. He always has complications every once in a while.

Judy walks into the office her face looking all dolled up. I've seriously never seen her in make up before so it's a bit of a shocker. And she looks beautiful.

"You look all dressed up..." She smiles and blushes.

"I have a date."

"Oh wow, that's good."

No wonder she came in this morning with that beautiful pink chiffon dress, she's normally in official pants or skirt suits.

She walks to the seat across from my desk and sits on it.

"I know you probably know more about dating than me, can I ask for some advice?"

I'm most definitely the wrong person to advice her, but she always looks up to me as an older sister or something like that so, I don't want to disappoint her.

"Sure."

"I met this guy a couple of weeks ago, he's a little bit older than me, like ten years older, I don't know if I should go out with him because of the age difference, but he's really nice and extremely handsome, I'm a little confused."

Again, as I said, wrong person to ask for advice.

"Is he financially stable?"

"He's loaded." She says with a little more excitement.

"Well, if you like him then go for it."

I mean, which campus girl doesn't want to date a financially stable man. I know I would go for it if I was her age.

"He is a little mysterious though." I raise a single brow when she says that.

"Like mysterious good or mysterious bad."

"I don't know, it's so hard to tell."

"You're still young Judy, I'm sure you'll have nothing to lose, if you think you like him a lot then go have fun."

I know I should probably give her a different kind of advice where I tell her not to go after mysterious guys, but it's her life, her lessons to learn, if there will be any.

"Thank you so much Cassidy." I nod and she grabs her bag and leaves the office.

She's an amazing person and I feel she deserves happiness. I haven't talked to the HR about her contract extension because I still have to figure out first how to talk to him without him trying to ask me out.

I grab my stuff and walk out of the office and just when I'm stepping out of the building I bump into the one person I so don't want to see.

Kira.

"Nice place you have here." She says with a cocky smile.

I want to tell her something wicked but I choose to ignore her and walk to my car instead.

"Cassidy come on, you're seriously going to ignore me?"

I turn around and sigh.

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to talk."

I c**k an eyebrow.

"Really? I'm certain you and I have nothing to talk about."

"Fine, Coffey sent me." I roll my eyes. I so don't believe her. I know she came here because of the fight we had back at the bunker.

"I didn't realize he lost my number."

"Come on Cass."

I shrug and walk away.

"I know you and Cory had s*x!" She blurts out and I stop on my tracks and smile.

The fool just had to tell her. I turn around.

"If it's an apology you want. I'm sorry but I'm not sorry."

"Actually I didn't come for that." She says with a frown.

"Really?"

"Yea, I knew somehow you two would get to it, I was even surprised it took you guys this long, I just don't understand why you had to wait until him and I started dating for you to put your claws on him."

My eyes move to my stick on nails and I chuckle. They are long no doubt, but no where close to claws as she calls it.

"I don't have claws Kira, now if you don't mind I have a niece to get to."

"Kimberly, right?" I crease my brows when she says her name.

It's only Coffey who's allowed to know more about our families and even where we work, so I'm a little surprised that she knows her. Even how she found out where I work is still a puzzle.

"How did you know her?"

"Oh I know a lot about you Cassidy, I'm just waiting for you to piss me off and I'll strike, trust me you won't like it."

I lean forward my brow wrinkled earnestly. I can't help the angry chuckle that comes out.

"Did you just threaten me?"

"It's a promi.." I don't even let her finish her words, I grab her by the throat and bang her back on the car.

She tries to fight as she struggles for air.

"You're a very smart girl Kira, I'm sure you don't want to cross that line with me."

"I can't breath." She whines in struggled breath.

"That's right, threaten me ever again and I'm chocking the air out of you, this time for real." I let her go and she bends over holding her chest as she coughs continuously in pain.

I push her away from my car and get in. I drive off but I can't fail to notice the look of hate she is giving me.

Kira is good at what she does, and what she does is not fighting, she can seduce men okay, but believe me if she dares cross my line again I would care less what Coffey thinks.

I'm so sure she even knows that.

And as I said, she is a very smart girl, she knows better than to threaten me or anyone close to me ever again.

I know she's mad I screwed her boyfriend but I'm not the one that made the first move, he did, and who am I to say no, when I'm a woman, I have needs.

The drive to my brother's place is normally twenty minutes from my working place, I have no idea why he chose to stay this close to town given he has a daughter. He said it's easier to access his workplace and her school.

The nanny has already packed her clothes in her suitcase and all I have to do is to pick her up.

She runs into my arms and I lift her up.

"How's our baby girl doing?"

"I miss daddy." She says in the midst of tears.

"I know, he will be home soon, meanwhile, are you ready to spent the night with me?" She nods as she rubs her eyes.

She is not used to her father leaving for more than a day. It's been two days now and Sankey isn't back yet.

Which makes me worry if dad could be seriously sick.

But I know he can take care of him. They don't need me there.

When we get to my house, Kimberly is asleep in the back seat. She's probably exhausted from school and the long time we got stuck in the traffic. I now get why my brother chose to stay closer to town. He's never been caught up in traffic.

I walk out of the car to the back to pick her suitcase when I hear the sound of a twig breaking.

I stop moving and listen in keenly but there's nothing, must have been the breeze. When I take another step I can hear footsteps approaching. I slowly tiptoe to the front door of my car holding my breath.

Just before I can unlock the door I feel as strong arms grab me by my shoulders and I'm lunged back making me fall on the tiled pavement.

I yelp in pain as I try to get up but before I can even do that, I feel as the person kicks me on the face making me fall on my back.

Whoever it is, they have a mask on so I can't tell who they are but I sure as hell can tell they aren't here for games. Whoever it is they are here to kill me and I need to fight back.

He walks towards me and just when he wants to grab me, I kick him on the leg making him stumble and fall. I quickly get up and before he can get up I punch him on the face.

I punch him on the face again and kick him by the stomach making him groan on the face. I grab him by the neck and just when I want to punch him unconscious, I hear a gun c*****g.

I take a step back and turn slowly.

Whoever has the gun is a woman but they also have a mask on.

"What do you want?" I ask but she ignores me.

She takes off the mask and my eyes shoot wide open.

"Phoina!"

"Wow, I thought you'd retired." She says in excitement.

"What the hell is this?" I turn to look at the guy and he is standing up.

"We had a bet with a friend on whether you could still kick his ass even after you quit, I think he owes me now."

She says as she tucks her gun.

She can't be serious.

All that was a bet to her?

"She still has the mojo in her." The guy behind me says and the moment I hear his voice my heart skips a beat.

I turn around my heart racing. And there he is, looking like he did five years ago, not much has changed about him. Not even the stupid smirk on his lips.

"Lincoln!"

"Hi Cassidy." He waves his hand with a wide grin on his lips.

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