CHAPTER 9

Alex rubbed her temples slowly as she sat in her office going over the paperwork of unpaid bills. Why her employee's hadn't done it, she had no idea, but here she was, stuck at ten pm going over them.

"What?" She practically yelled into her phone as it rang, not even bothering to look at who was calling.

"Wow, sorry, I was just calling to see why you weren't home yet. I was getting worried," Marissa's voice sounded.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry baby," Alex dropped her hand from her head to the desk and sat up.

"Are you okay?" Marissa's voice came across concerned.

Alex sighed, "yeah, I'm fine, I'm still at the garage in my office going over past due bills that my stupid employee's didn't fucking go over." She jammed her pencil down on the desk at the end of her words.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm just worried about you…after everything the past couple of days with them being back in town and everything…"

Alex smirked, "I'll be okay baby. They won't try anything."

"Can I come down there then?"

Alex' face turned to a quick scowl as worry overcame her. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" She quickly asked.

"I'm just scared. I keep hearing noises and I'm just…I'm paranoid."

'I'm gonna kill that bastard for ever laying a hand on her,' Alex thought in regards of Trey. "Why don't I just come home?"

"No, you're working. Please, can I come down there?"

"I can bring my work home. But if you want to come here, I'm not stopping you."

"K, good, cause I'm already on my way."

Alex chuckled, "where are you at?"

"Just pulling up to the garage."

Alex stood and weaved her way to the front of the store. She saw Marissa turn the headlights off on her car and exit it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone else.

"Baby, don't freak, I want you to get back in the car," Alex said as she watched the figure.

Marissa looked up and turned to look behind her. Without hesitation, she quickly climbed into her car and locked the doors. "What's going on?"

Alex watched the figure and quickly made her way to the front doors. Unlocking them with her key's she stepped outside into the night air.

"Are the doors locked?" Alex spoke into the phone.

"Yes…" Marissa turned in her seat to see what Alex was watching. "Who is that?"

"Get your gun out and roll the window down to give it to me," Alex ordered as she approached her lovers' car.

She watched as Marissa set the phone down then glanced back to the figure walking towards her.

"Here," Marissa rolled the window down enough to hand Alex the gun.

Alex took the gun without taking her eyes from the person.

"You better have a damn good reason for following my girlfriend here," Alex spoke harshly to whomever the person may be, pointing the gun at them.

"Alex, its me, Seth," the figure finally appeared to her.

Alex dropped the gun and scowled at the curly haired boy. "What the hell are you doing here?" She relaxed.

Marissa looked and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Seth standing in front of Alex.

"Someone was at mine and Summer's place. Summer is in the car, they followed us here."

"Alex, Summer's calling," Marissa spoke up.

Alex turned her head to the girl as she answered it.

"Coop?" Summer's voice came over terrified.

Alex saw the color leave Marissa's face and looked to Seth.

"What's wrong, Summer?"

"There…there's someone watching me over here in the car. I'm scared."

"Someone's watching her," Marissa told Alex, which Seth also heard.

The scrawny boy whipped around, fear overcoming him. Alex looked but saw nothing.

"Come on," she spoke to her girlfriend who still remained in the car on the phone with her best friend, her look not breaking from the blackened area around them in search of the person.

Marissa rolled her window up, turned the engine off, and exited the car. "Won't I be safer here?"

"No," Alex answered and grabbed her hand after Marissa shut the door. The lanky blonde locked it. She stayed close to her girlfriend while they walked in the direction of Seth's car, Seth just a few steps ahead of them. "If it's them, they're watching us right now and I'm not taking a chance leaving you alone."

Seth approached the car first and Summer jumped out and into his arms.

"Where are they at?" Alex asked once she and Marissa approached the couple.

Summer looked back to where she saw the person not 10 seconds before.

"They're…they're gone!" The tiny brunette looked around frantically.

"Both of you get in the car. Seth, call JJ."

Seth nodded and both brunette's got back into the car.

"Come on, I'm taking care of business," Alex led Marissa back towards her car.

"JJ, it's Seth."

"What's up?"

"We're at the garage, someone is following me and Summer."

JJ sat up in his chair, stopping his girlfriend from kissing his neck.

"Where's Alex? She said she would be there late tonight."

"She's with Marissa, here at the garage. I guess Marissa and I pulled in at the same time, Alex thought I was someone else."

"Where are they now?"

"Alex took Marissa back to her car. Before I got back into the car, I heard her say she's taking care of business."

"Alright, come over here. That's why she had you call me."

"What if they follow us there?"

JJ chuckled into the phone, "man, I don't think you realize who you're talking to. Just get you and your fine piece of ass girl here. I'll take care of whoever it is."

Seth hung up the phone and turned to Summer.

"It's okay, baby."

"I'm really freaked out, Seth."

Seth frowned and sighed.

"We're gonna go to JJ's."

"What about Marissa and Alex?"

"Alex can take care of her. It's probably just Kevin and his goon's trying to freak us out."

Summer nodded silently as Seth maneuvered the car out of the parking lot and back onto the street. She looked back into the parking lot and noticed Marissa's car gone, but Alex' Jetta still there.

"Chad, it's Alex."

"This better be good, Alex. You just interrupted me."

Alex heard a random girl in the background, 'Chad, baby, come on.' The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Who's paying you again?" Alex spoke into the phone. She heard the man sigh.

"Sorry, what's up?"

"Well, Marissa was hearing noises at the house, she's with me now, she called while she was on her way to the shop, and someone followed Seth and Summer to the garage."

"I'm on it."

"Good." Alex flipped of her phone shut and dropped it into the cup holder. She looked at Marissa. "You okay, baby?"

Marissa looked over to her girlfriend, "Alex, this is really freaking me out. And you know it takes a lot to scare me…but these guys—"

"I know baby. Nothing is going to happen to you or Summer or anyone we care about. I'll make sure of it."

Marissa nodded and hung her head down. Alex sighed and reached over with her right hand to caress the girls leg, then grabbed her left hand and locked their fingers together, "I know you're scared. But I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

"What about you though?" Marissa's eyes showed the worry and fear she felt.

Alex checked her blind spot and switched lanes to pass the cars in her way, "baby, I'm a martial arts expert and advanced in kick boxing. Not to mention a great marksmen."

The blonde looked in her rearview mirror and kept the scowl from coming over her face, "bastards…" she muttered and switched lanes again.

Marissa turned in her seat to see the car come up on them, "Alex…"

"I know they're following us," the blonde knew what her lover was thinking. She pushed on the gas, then the clutch to put the car in fifth gear.

Marissa sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. "I love you," she said quietly.

Alex looked over at her as she concentrated on driving. "Baby…"

Marissa looked at her, her eyes filled with tears.

'Remind me to kill them,' Alex thought. She reached back over and wiped the tears from Marissa's cheeks that escaped the girls eyes, "I love you too, baby."

"Are we going home?" Marissa took note of the exit Alex just got off at.

"Yeah, I rather have you there than in here."

"You're not leaving me are you?" Marissa's voice was panicked.

"No, I'll be there," Alex assured.

Marissa felt her guard go down and she relaxed into the seat. The remainder of the ride was quiet. Within five minutes, the older blonde pulled the car into the extra long driveway and the two exited.

Alex quickly made her way to Marissa and protectively wrapped her arm around the lanky blonde. The two turned as they heard a couple car doors shut. Alex felt Marissa tense up and her grip tighten on her arm.

"I knew you were following me. What do you want?" Alex questioned as Trey and Ryan approached.

Ryan looked back to Marissa and sneered at her. Trey grinned at the tall blonde in a sadistic manner. Neither actions went unnoticed by the protective blonde.

"I'd get that smirk off your face," Alex spoke. She grabbed the gun from the back of her pants and cocked it. "Get the fuck off my property before I kill you for trespassing," her voice was deathly quiet.

The two boys grinned and backed off.

"Now!" Alex shouted, pressing her finger on the trigger, pointing it at Trey's chest.

"This isn't over, Kelly," Trey pointed his finger at her as he opened the driver's side door.

Alex watched as the two boys got back into the BMW. Sure they were gone, she led Marissa into the house.

Just one more chapter for today. I didn't think I should levae you hanging here.