Hired to Protect (Book 2 of The Hired Series)

3. Penelope

Hobbling out of another AutoCab in her new boot, Penny made her way into her apartment building. The doctor was right about the strain but there was also a hairline fracture, and now she was going to be stuck in this giant awkward thing for the next few weeks. Considering how much walking she did for her job, she was not happy about it.

Glaring at the stairs that she usually took to get to her apartment, she jabbed the elevator button, crossing her arms as she waited for it to arrive. While she lived in a newer building near downtown, the elevator had always seemed too slow for her, especially since she only lived on the fourth floor. Waiting for it to come down from the top took longer than it did for her to climb the stairs, but with the boot on she knew she couldn't manage to make it up three flights before the elevator could get her there with a lot less trouble.

A cheery ding preceded the doors sliding open, the family exiting the elevator forcing Penny to wait even longer to enter the metal death trap. Stabbing her finger into the button for the fourth floor, she tapped the toe of the boot on the tiles impatiently as her stomach was left behind on the main floor.

It caught up to her once the elevator stopped with a swoop of nausea and bile burning the back of her throat. Stumbling into the hallway, Penny was grateful it was only a few steps to her door. Sliding the keycard through the reader and typing in her passcode, she gratefully stepped into her home, leaning her back against the door behind her.

Letting out a sigh, she felt the tension leave her body as the lock clicked into place. She hadn't realized how strained she had felt until it slid away. Dropping her purse on the table beside the door, she kicked off the one shoe she still wore, digging her other out of the purse before stooping to pick up its mate. Almost tipping over, Penny had to bend her knee and lean awkwardly to be able to reach it, grumbling about the stupid boot as she hobbled towards her bedroom.

Tossing the heels onto a shelf full of others like it, she reached back and unzipped her skirt, letting it puddle on the floor around her feet as she pulled her blouse over her head and dropped it into the basket of dirty things. Grunting at the skirt, she left it where it was on the floor as she limped to her dresser and pulled out a large t-shirt to wear around the house. She wasn't going to risk falling on her face just to pick it up, and it wasn't like she had anyone who would see it laying there instead of in the basket.

Slowly making her way to the fridge, Penny whined as she scanned the contents. In her quest to eat better she had stopped buying anything that was what she called grab-and-eat, so the only way she was going to have dinner was if she stood in the kitchen and cooked something.

Deciding it wasn't worth it, she grabbed lunchmeat and cheese, tossing them on the counter as she went to the pantry for bread. A sandwich would work for tonight, she was just too tired to make anything else.

Cramming a quarter of the sandwich into her mouth as she put the stuff back in the fridge, she spotted the bottle of wine on the back of the top shelf. Figuring being chased and choked by her ex had earned her the right to drink, she wrapped her hand around the cold neck and made her way to the living room.

While her apartment wasn't a penthouse suit, it was still a nice place. She had plenty of space, with an extra room for when her sister wanted to visit, and a nice view over a little park. The walls were thick enough that she never heard her neighbors, and it came with a safe room attached to the master bedroom.

Settling onto her couch with her back to the arm, Penny propped her feet up on the cushion next to her and pulled the cork out of the wine bottle. She had already opened it the week before and only inserted it part of the way back in after pouring a glass. This time she simply raised the bottle to her lips, taking a long drink before sitting it on the floor beside her and finishing her sandwich as she turned on a movie to distract herself with.

Penny knew she should be dealing with what had happened that day, but she just wanted to forget about it for a little while and pretend that everything was fine. Drinking her wine, she lost herself in the silly romcom she had put on until the credits began to roll across the screen. Realizing how late it was, she levered herself up from the couch, keeping a hand on the back of it to steady herself as she hopped towards the kitchen to dispose of the bottle she had finished.

Tripping over her kitchen rug on the way back, Penny landed on her hands and knees with a yelp.

"Stupid, useless, damn boot," she muttered.

Giving up on trying to walk, she began to crawl to her bedroom, almost missing the slip of paper on the floor in front of her door. Eyebrows drawing together, she frowned as she sat on the floor and began to read it.

Penelope,

We didn't get to finish our conversation. I hope that boot isn't too uncomfortable.

I'll see you soon.

A

Gasping for air, it felt like her heart stuttered to a stop. Penny had moved when she broke up with Adrian and realized that he wasn't taking it well, not feeling safe in a place he had been in and knew her passcode to. He had caught her today outside one of the shops he knew she frequented, but she hadn't realized he had actually been following her and knew where she lived.

Trembling, she tried to get her legs under her, falling a couple of times before she managed to stand. Rushing as fast as she could to her closet, Penny grabbed the first pair of pants she saw and tried to pull them on, cursing when they wouldn't fit over the boot.

Throwing them across the small space, she spotted the skirt still on the floor and jumped into the center of it, leaning over to shimmy it up and zip it into place. Trying to rush to the door, Penny slammed the boot into the frame of her bedroom door and screamed, more in frustration than in pain.

Slamming her fist into the wall, she whimpered as that, too, began to throb. Limping as she shook her hand, she finally made it to the front door, grabbing her purse as she looked out of the peephole, checking what she could see of the hallway beyond.

Cracking the door open with her boot wedged behind it, Penny checked the hallway again before poking her head all the way out. Seeing nothing but the grey carpeting, she quickly hobbled the elevator, pressing the down button repeatedly until the doors finally opened.

Twitching for the whole ride down to the main floor, Penny bolted out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Stepping out into the night air, she realized she forgot to call an AutoCab first and was more exposed now than she had been in the building. Glancing around, no one was within view, so she walked out to the curb, knowing a cab was sure to pass within a few moments.

I was barely two minutes before she was proved correct, and AutoCab slowing to a stop in front of her as she raised a hand to flag it down. Slipping into the backseat, Penny told it to take her to the nearest Force center, letting out the breath she had held since leaving her apartment.

Glancing down at the slip of paper in her hand, she wondered how something so small could inspire so much fear.