the best. She’d reached a good place in her life, a calm place. The emotional turmoil Jack caused just by showing up put all of that at risk.
Still, as she walked into the house, dropping her gym bag on the entryway floor, she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “That’s not what I meant. You just have to understand that I won’t be dictated to, and I won’t be walked over. No matter how much you’ve helped me in the past, you can’t just ignore me when I ask you not to do something.”
“You’re right,” Jack said as he followed behind her. “And I apologize. But—”
“No. You can stop at sorry.” When he opened his mouth to speak, she put her hand up. “And you can remove the new system.”
“Afraid that won’t be possible,” Jack said.
“Why not?” She turned to Ben. “Whatever you’ve done already, just undo.”
“Well, it’s not as simple as that,” Ben said as he rubbed a broad palm across the back of his neck. “It’s too complicated to explain, but if we rip out the new system, your entire system will have to be rewired. You’ll have to buy and reinstall a new security system.”
Talia could feel the muscles in her jaw throb. She was tempted to tell them to rip the entire thing out, but she knew it could take weeks for a new system to be installed. No way was she staying here without a working security system, even if the greatest threat to her security was the local wildlife.
“Fine. How much do I owe you?
“Nothing,” Jack said.
“How. Much.” She pinned Ben with a hard stare. When he didn’t answer for several seconds, she reached for her cell phone. “Fine. I’ll call Danny and ask him.” Somehow she didn’t think this was a sanctioned Gemini work order. “I’m sure he’d be more than happy to collect for the time and the equipment.”
Ben and Jack exchanged a look, confirming her suspicions.
She’d met Danny only a couple of times, but on both occasions it had been clear that while he was more than happy to help Rosario, the innocent victim in the mess Talia had made of their lives, he was helping Talia only as a favor to Jack.
You’d better be damn careful, pulling him into this mess of yours,
Danny had said the first time they’d met. No way would he be okay with Jack throwing her any more freebies.
Ben’s gaze darted between their matching glares. “Well, fully installed, this usually runs a few grand.” A warning grunt from Jack made him sputter, “B-but since I had most of the equipment already—”
“Never mind,” Talia said, and yanked her checkbook out of her purse and quickly scrawled out a check for five hundred dollars. The ripping sound echoed through the kitchen and she thrust it at Jack. “This is all I can afford right now. Have someone at the office get in touch and I’ll set up a payment plan.”
Jack crumpled the check in his hand.
“I swear to God, if that check doesn’t clear by the end of the week, I’ll rip out the system myself.”
“Jesus, Tal, why are you being such a hardass?” Rosario said. “They’re just trying to help us out.”
Talia whirled on her sister. “Because it’s not okay for anyone to come into my home and do things against my will and then tell me I should be grateful.” She winced inwardly at her shrill tone, could only imagine that Ben must think Jack was crazy for wanting to help a bitch like her. But she’d spent too long being pushed around, her entire existence under the control of one man. Now everything inside her rebelled at the idea of being manipulated, having her needs and wants ignored, even if it was motivated by the best of intentions.
“I’ve never demanded your gratitude, Talia,” Jack said quietly, his hand still fisted around the check.
Talia let out huff of laughter and felt her shoulders slump under an unexpected wave of sadness. “No, you don’t seem to want anything.”
For a second something flared in Jack’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it
Still, as she walked into the house, dropping her gym bag on the entryway floor, she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “That’s not what I meant. You just have to understand that I won’t be dictated to, and I won’t be walked over. No matter how much you’ve helped me in the past, you can’t just ignore me when I ask you not to do something.”
“You’re right,” Jack said as he followed behind her. “And I apologize. But—”
“No. You can stop at sorry.” When he opened his mouth to speak, she put her hand up. “And you can remove the new system.”
“Afraid that won’t be possible,” Jack said.
“Why not?” She turned to Ben. “Whatever you’ve done already, just undo.”
“Well, it’s not as simple as that,” Ben said as he rubbed a broad palm across the back of his neck. “It’s too complicated to explain, but if we rip out the new system, your entire system will have to be rewired. You’ll have to buy and reinstall a new security system.”
Talia could feel the muscles in her jaw throb. She was tempted to tell them to rip the entire thing out, but she knew it could take weeks for a new system to be installed. No way was she staying here without a working security system, even if the greatest threat to her security was the local wildlife.
“Fine. How much do I owe you?
“Nothing,” Jack said.
“How. Much.” She pinned Ben with a hard stare. When he didn’t answer for several seconds, she reached for her cell phone. “Fine. I’ll call Danny and ask him.” Somehow she didn’t think this was a sanctioned Gemini work order. “I’m sure he’d be more than happy to collect for the time and the equipment.”
Ben and Jack exchanged a look, confirming her suspicions.
She’d met Danny only a couple of times, but on both occasions it had been clear that while he was more than happy to help Rosario, the innocent victim in the mess Talia had made of their lives, he was helping Talia only as a favor to Jack.
You’d better be damn careful, pulling him into this mess of yours,
Danny had said the first time they’d met. No way would he be okay with Jack throwing her any more freebies.
Ben’s gaze darted between their matching glares. “Well, fully installed, this usually runs a few grand.” A warning grunt from Jack made him sputter, “B-but since I had most of the equipment already—”
“Never mind,” Talia said, and yanked her checkbook out of her purse and quickly scrawled out a check for five hundred dollars. The ripping sound echoed through the kitchen and she thrust it at Jack. “This is all I can afford right now. Have someone at the office get in touch and I’ll set up a payment plan.”
Jack crumpled the check in his hand.
“I swear to God, if that check doesn’t clear by the end of the week, I’ll rip out the system myself.”
“Jesus, Tal, why are you being such a hardass?” Rosario said. “They’re just trying to help us out.”
Talia whirled on her sister. “Because it’s not okay for anyone to come into my home and do things against my will and then tell me I should be grateful.” She winced inwardly at her shrill tone, could only imagine that Ben must think Jack was crazy for wanting to help a bitch like her. But she’d spent too long being pushed around, her entire existence under the control of one man. Now everything inside her rebelled at the idea of being manipulated, having her needs and wants ignored, even if it was motivated by the best of intentions.
“I’ve never demanded your gratitude, Talia,” Jack said quietly, his hand still fisted around the check.
Talia let out huff of laughter and felt her shoulders slump under an unexpected wave of sadness. “No, you don’t seem to want anything.”
For a second something flared in Jack’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it
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