Safe Place, page 19
"Coke for me." Prince took three plates out of the cupboard and set them beside the pizza.
"Water for me." Trevor went over to Prince, opened one of the boxes of pizza and put two slices on a plate. "We got one pepperoni and two combinations. Hope you like one of them."
"I like both. Thanks for bringing them over." Aydin set drinks on the table, then went to get his own pizza. Once he'd sat down, he looked across the table at Trevor. "So is everything okay?"
"It's all good. You're missed, but we're doing fine. I hired a new kid the other day. Kit is a bit nervous, but I think he'll do well once he relaxes. He reminds me a bit of Charles. Doesn't like being around people much. But the job is yours again once you come back. Kit's willing to work nights once he's trained."
"Thanks for holding the job. I know what an inconvenience this is for both of you." He sighed. "I'm not even sure I'm in that much danger."
"He attacked you on the street." Prince frowned. "You're in danger. Don't worry about your jobs. You've got them if you still want them after we discuss our idea. It might change everything." Prince nodded to Trevor. "Tell him."
"Well, Prince told me that you two had talked about you helping him with accounting. We all know how lazy he is when it comes to keeping track of receipts and handling the books. I spent four hours in his office last night and I still can't figure out where half his money has gone." Trevor narrowed his eyes at Prince.
Prince held up a hand. "I'll find the missing receipts, I swear."
Aydin tried to hide a smile. He doubted Prince would ever find them. Most had probably ended up in the trash.
"Anyway, we both know he's not going to suddenly change and have everything come together. Because of that, I think it's best if we do like Prince suggested and have you start handling the books at the bakery. I don't mean just help him clean up his mess, but take over the books completely." Trevor sighed. "It's a mess and I won't blame you if you take one look at it and say fuck this, but we thought we'd come to ask."
Aydin leaned forward, very interested, but unsure what it would mean for his job at the restaurant. "What would that mean for my other job?"
Trevor wiped his mouth. "We'd have to see how much work the books take. At first, we'd like you to put all your hours into cleaning up his mess and helping him find a system that will work. That would mean skipping the job at my restaurant for the time being and putting in full-time hours plus some at the bakery. You can make your own hours. Whatever works for you. I just need to know where the money is going. I know there's not anyone stealing or any nefarious things going on, but I do need accountability."
Prince focused on his pizza, not looking up to meet either of their gazes.
Trevor shook his head. "Prince isn't going to change, which is why I need the system to change. What I'm thinking is we work out something where all the money has to go through you. If Prince wants new equipment, he has to ask you to okay the purchase. If he places an order for flour, it goes through you. He'll still decide what he needs and when he needs it, but this way, you'll be able to keep a written record of everything. If you're there with him all day, you sign on deliveries and the receipts are in your hands so he doesn't misplace them. I dug into your background when I hired you and know you come from a very creditable accounting firm. You know what you're doing. You've got experience with large companies. This is just a small business. Nothing like what you were used to, but probably a bigger mess than you've ever seen."
Prince sighed. "What he's saying is that working for me as my accountant would be your new full-time job. It would come with a pay increase and full benefits. Once you get the books in order, you might not need to put in so many hours in the office. If that happens, you can still work at the bakery or restaurant to pick up more hours if you want."
Aydin set his pizza on the plate. "Are you serious?"
"Very. If I try to figure out these books, it's going to affect our marriage. I can't stare at the mess and not come home in a bad mood. He knows better than to just toss receipts in the trash or not make at least a note when he buys something for five hundred dollars. I've never been a numbers guy. It's why I hire people to handle my books, but I at least take care to make sure all the paperwork is there to hand over to the guys I hire. Prince doesn't even have a paper trail to put together. It might be so bad we'll have to start from scratch, but at least from here on out we'll have records of everything. I don't even want to think about tax season this year." Trevor cast a look at Prince who still hung his head.
"While I'll miss working at the restaurant, accounting is what I really love. I'll be happy to accept the job once I'm able to come in. I can still help out at the bakery as well. I'd like to continue coming in early with Prince and getting things set up for the day. Once that's done, I can move to the office and work." Aydin was so excited, but he tried to remain professional. This was exactly the news he needed to bring some brightness into his life.
"About that." Trevor smiled and picked up the briefcase. "We figured you could work at home as easily as at the office until you get this stuff with your stalker cleared up. So for now, I brought you some of Prince's mess to look through and see if you can make heads or tails of it. You can work from home and just let us know the hours you put in. If you need more, there's a file cabinet full of stuff we need to go through. I can bring you more over."
"I don't know how to thank you." Aydin took the briefcase and set it by his chair. "Thank you for this. You have no idea what it means to me."
"You don't know what it means to me. He threatened to sell the bakery if I didn't do something." Prince leaned over and hugged Aydin. "He's never mean to me, but he was this time." He pouted like a child being told he couldn't have candy.
Aydin smiled. "I'm not going to be any nicer than he is. You've got to learn to account for every dollar you spend."
"Thank you." Trevor threw his hands in the air.
"I'll try. I just get busy." Prince sighed. "It will be easier if I can just toss the paperwork at you and not have to think about it again. I hate it so bad I end up putting it off until I just forget about it, or the papers get lost."
"We'll find a process that will make it easier. I have some ideas. I won't be able to do much until I can come in, but if you'll put everything in a drawer, at least I can find it when I need it." Aydin glanced at Trevor. "Once I figure out what's going on, I'd like to sit down again with you and find out more about how you do your taxes and maybe talk to your tax guy so I can make sure he gets what he needs."
"Of course. I'll even buy you both lunch so you can talk in person." Trevor picked up his pizza again. "I can't tell you how much weight this takes off my shoulders."
"I can imagine. I've seen his office." Aydin smiled over at Prince.
"I just want to bake," Prince argued.
"And once we get you organized, you'll be able to. You just have to go through me to order or pay for things." Aydin shrugged. "If you go out and use the company card, bring the receipt back to me. It's that easy."
"Says you." Prince stood and got another piece of pizza. "I'll get used to things. It will just take time. Anyway, what's new with you? Any news on Jason?"
The change of subject killed the excitement Aydin was feeling. "Not a word. Haven't even seen him driving by, but I'm convinced he got another car we don't know about. He hasn't been home or back to his father's house that we know of, but we know his stepmother lied to the police Saturday about him being there, so she could be lying now. He hasn't shown up at work either which shocks me. His job was the only thing he took seriously. They haven't seen him in almost a week. I'd love to think he's moved out of the area, but Kent said his stuff is still at the house. I don't know what to think, but I'm so tired of having to hide."
"You're not hiding. You're staying safe. If you were hiding, he wouldn't know where you are. I'm sure he knows by now you're back home. He just can't get you here." Prince licked his fingers clean.
"I just wish I could understand what he wants with me. I mean, he obviously hated me to beat me, right? Why keep after me? Why not forget about me and move on? I don't have anything of his, so it's not like he's after something I took. I don't know anything about his work or his father's so it's not something I might know. I just don't understand."
"Sometimes we can't ever understand people. Especially those with issues like I am guessing he has. I'm no psychologist, but I'm guessing outside of his anger issues, there are others. Being spoiled and able to get away with everything doesn't help. His problems go way beyond anger issues. I'm not sure you'll ever be able to understand why." Trevor stood and took his plate to the sink and rinsed it. He leaned against the counter. "Do you know any of his ex-boyfriends?"
Aydin shook his head. "He never talked about them."
"I'm betting you're not the first to be abused. My guess is it's gotten gradually worse over the years. Probably started out abusing animals when he was younger. Anger issues, a need for control, who knows what's going on. Unfortunately, you got caught up in the middle of it. Let's hope you can also be the last of it and he is locked up."
"Which reminds me." Prince looked over at Aydin. "Chris said his husband had offered to help but never heard from you. Give him a call so you can go over everything with him, so when the time comes, he's up to date on the case. He's a great attorney and knows your story. He won't charge you a dime."
"I agree. Give Jay a call. Get ahead of this. You know Jason will hire the best, you should too." Trevor reached out and tugged on Prince's hair. "You about ready? We need to be at my brother's house in thirty minutes."
"Yeah." Prince turned and handed Trevor his empty plate.
"Leave it. I'll clean up. I can't thank you guys enough for bringing dinner and for the new job." Aydin stood.
"Go through the briefcase and see what a mess you have. We won't be upset if you change your mind. If you decide you want to dig in, try and sort what you have there. If you can't come into the bakery, well bring you more papers as you work through it." Trevor rinsed the plate, then turned around. "You're a lifesaver taking this on."
"It's what I enjoy doing." Aydin smiled at Prince. "I know what a mess he keeps things in. I'll be okay. It might take some time to weed through it, but I'm sure I can."
"Do you need anything else? Anything to make being trapped here easier?" Prince asked.
"Nah, Kent is great about making sure I have everything I need. I'm hoping it won't be much longer. Unless Jason's left town, I can't see him hiding out long. He doesn't do well stuck in one place for a long time."
"Let's hope." Trevor walked over to him and held out his hand. "You need anything, you call us."
Aydin shook his hand. "I will. And again, thank you for being so understanding."
Prince threw his arms around Aydin for a tight hug. "Miss you in the mornings. Can't wait until you're back at work."
Laughing, Aydin hugged him back. "I miss it too. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He walked them to the door and said his goodbyes. As he shut and locked the door, he smiled. He really did have friends now. Good ones who he was coming to trust. They'd done so much for him. He would never be able to pay them back, but he would do all he could not to let them down. Going back into the kitchen, he cleaned up a bit, then grabbed the briefcase and headed to Kent's office down the hall. Saving Prince's ass wasn't going to be easy, but he was determined to do it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Aydin glanced at the clock, seeing it was just about nine. He still had at least three hours before Kent would get home. As he looked at the papers piled around the office, he tried to think of a better way to sort everything. Right now, he had piled things according to dates, but once he'd gone through everything in the briefcase, he'd have to go through each stack again and sort them again based on what the receipts were for.
It was a mess. He'd found receipts for three years ago stuffed in with stuff from last week. Thankfully, Kent didn't use his office for much and Aydin could probably leave everything stacked as he worked his way through it.
Thoughts of Kent had him smiling. The two nights at the hotel had brought them even closer together, giving Aydin a better sense of security that Kent really wanted him. It wasn't Kent he questioned anymore, but it was his own mind. He was so messed up after what Jason had done to him, that he was overanalyzing everything now, making sure he wasn't ignoring some glaring warning sign that he wasn't in control of his own life anymore. As foolish as it felt at times, he couldn't let his guard down.
Kent was good to him and hadn't shown a single sign that he was trying to take control of any part of Aydin's life, but it had started off that way with Jason too. He couldn't help but be on guard.
He needed to decide if he was staying here or getting an apartment. Staying here would be cheaper. He could split bills with Kent and wouldn't have to furnish an apartment. Not to mention the bonus of having Kent with him all the time. Or as much as work would allow.
He was sleeping in Kent's bed every night now, but that might change when he went back to work. He didn't want to wake Kent when he got up at three in the morning to go to the bakery and Kent didn't want to wake him when he got home at midnight. The issue was that neither of them wanted to sleep apart. Aydin wasn't sure what they'd end up doing, but he was willing to risk being woken up each night if it meant welcoming Kent to bed beside him.
With a sigh, he pulled out another stack of papers from the briefcase and started laughing when he saw the top receipt. It was for a local sex shop in the area. Aydin couldn't help but scan the list of items purchased, then almost wished he hadn't. He knew Prince was very sexual, but he could have gone without knowing what kind of fetishes Trevor and Prince were into. He quickly put the receipt in the pile of stuff that was unrelated to the bakery and refocused.
The sound of the doorbell had him pausing. His breath caught and his chest tightened at the noise. Reminding himself it could be Matt or even Trevor and Prince with more paperwork, he quietly made his way to the front door. He was in the entry hall when the bell rang again, followed by banging on the door, then a voice that made Aydin's blood run cold.
"I know you're in there. We need to talk. Let me in," Jason yelled through the door.
"Fuck." Aydin pressed himself against the wall, fear gripping him. He took a deep breath, trying to remember what he was supposed to do if Jason showed up. They'd planned on getting him a phone, but Aydin had put it off, telling Kent he didn't want him to pay for one and that he'd get his own once he got paid on Friday. Why had he waited?
More pounding came on the door. "Aydin, let's talk. I know you're in there. I saw you when your friends left earlier."
How long had he been out there watching? It had been hours since Prince and Trevor had left. Trying to remain calm, Aydin went to the security system box that sat on the wall at the entry. He quickly hit a button that would alert the police if there was a problem. The alert would also go to Kent's phone, letting him know the system had been activated. Kent had told him to hit the button, grab a gun, and go hide in the back bathroom. But Aydin wouldn't know what was going on if he hid. He had to stay out here so he would know if Jason broke down the door or tried to get inside.
Taking a couple more deep breaths, he stayed against the wall, sliding down the hall to the office. He was careful to stay out of sight of the windows. He opened a small drawer and pulled out the handgun he'd used when they'd gone to the shooting range. It was one he was comfortable with and confident in using should he have the need, which he prayed he didn't.
Again, he moved back out, staying in the shadows and away from windows until he was back in the entry. The doorbell sounded again, and Jason's constant yelling echoed through the closed door. Surely, the neighbors could hear him. Matt would be on the phone with the police as soon as he saw there was an issue. Aydin just had to sit back and wait. He was safe in the house and Kent or others would come any minute.
"Aydin, I know you're in there. I just want to talk. We never had a chance to discuss what happened. I came to the hospital, but they wouldn't let me see you. If we could just sit down and discuss what happened, I'm sure we can work things out." Jason was using the soft, calming voice he'd used when trying to convince Aydin to do what he wanted.
It would no longer work. Aydin wasn't falling for it. He knew now what Jason could do to him. He had the scars to show it. He rubbed his hand over the scar on his arm and rolled his tongue in his mouth, remembering the blood dripping down his chin after nearly biting it off.
He wanted to scream back at him to go away but didn't want to confirm he was inside. What if Jason started to break the door down or break windows? Could he really shoot him? Could he kill another man? He wasn't sure. His hands were shaking so badly that he'd be lucky to hit anything he aimed at anyway.
He wasn't going to let Jason get his hands on him. He would kill him before that happened. He would never let him beat him again. He was thankful he'd had some practice and training with Kent on how to use the gun, but it was hardly enough, still, the feel of the gun in his hands made him feel a bit more secure than he would have felt without it.
"Aydin, I know you can hear me. Why aren't you answering? I just want to talk. Open the door and we can work things out." The handle of the door jiggled.
How long had he been sitting there? Where were the police? Had Matt heard the noise? Was help coming?
He saw the light flashing on the security box, alerting him that it was active. He could push another button and talk to someone but figured the silence was better. Confirming he was inside would only make Jason angrier.
God, he hated feeling like a victim. He wanted this to be over. Just when he was starting to feel secure in his new life, something else happened. Until Jason was locked up, Aydin feared he'd never find freedom again.
Minutes seemed like hours as he waited. His heart pounded and tears stung his eyes, but Aydin stayed where he was.
