Chapter 4 #2
“Nothing. It’s just…it’s cool.”
Craig’s shoulders relaxed a fraction, and Ember felt good that she could do that for him. “It’s just a job.”
Ember snorted. “Yeah, right. And I’m the President of the United States.”
They shared a smile.
“Come on, I’m just as hungry as you are.”
“You sure it’s safe?”
“You’re with me. It’s safe,” he said simply.
Ember had no doubt that was true.
“You gonna carbo load tonight? Or do you like to load up on protein before you compete?” Craig asked.
Ember knew he was intentionally changing the subject, but that was okay.
She planned to go online later and find out as much as she could about Delta Force.
She knew enough to know they were pretty badass, but that was about it.
“A little of both,” she said as he opened the door for her.
She walked out into the hall in front of him and watched as he made sure her door was secure before gesturing for her to precede him toward the elevator.
She noticed that his eyes were constantly in motion.
Scanning the hallway, alert for anyone who might not belong or for anything out of the ordinary.
Thinking about it now, she’d noticed his friends doing the same thing in the cafeteria.
It was obvious being aware of their surroundings was as engrained in them as breathing.
He stood close to her in the elevator, and when it stopped on a lower floor, he moved in front of her, as if protecting her from whoever might get on.
It was a little excessive, but Ember couldn’t deny the sense of security it brought.
She’d had bodyguards who weren’t as alert and attentive as Craig.
As they walked into the cafeteria, he said, “I hope you don’t mind, but Trigger and Lefty are joining us for dinner.”
“That’s fine.”
“I mean, I wanted to have you to myself, but with everything going on, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have extra eyes while you were out and about.”
She liked that. A lot. Not the extra eyes thing…but that he’d wanted her to himself. Goose bumps broke out on her arms. “It’s okay.”
Craig stopped her and put a hand on her elbow, turning her so she was facing him.
“I’m serious, when you’re out of this building, you need to be on alert.
You’re a high-value target, Em. Any terrorist organization would get a lot of publicity if they managed to hurt or kill Ember Maxwell at the Olympics. ”
She understood that. Probably more than he did.
Hell, her eating a candy bar in public was huge news in some circles.
Getting shot or killed? Shit, people would lose their minds.
It wasn’t an ego thing, it was just a fact.
Her parents were very smart and both had a head for business.
They’d made her into a household name, succeeding in that goal beyond any of their imaginations.
It was a pain in her ass…and she knew there were people out there who didn’t like her, who might see her as a target for their own agendas.
“Okay,” she said softly.
Craig looked like he wanted to say more, but someone cleared their throat nearby.
His reaction was instantaneous. He moved so his body was between her and whoever had approached them.
“It’s me,” Trigger said.
Craig nodded and turned to Ember. “Come on. Trigger will have your back while we go through the line.”
Ember followed behind Craig as he led the way to the buffet. Luckily, it was relatively quiet. She could feel people’s eyes on her, but with the way she was sandwiched between Craig and his teammate, no one felt brave enough to approach.
The feeling of safety she experienced, standing between the two men, was something she’d never really felt before.
That was exactly why, over the last year or so, she’d become even more of a recluse.
Whenever she went out, people stared or approached or took pictures.
Being famous pretty much sucked, and it made Ember extremely uncomfortable.
So she’d gotten used to going to work out, then straight back home.
She’d lost touch with the few friends she’d made in middle school years ago.
The only people she talked to regularly were the other athletes at the facility where she trained.
And Bobby, Julio, Shawn, Lori, Megan, Marie, and Becci were all very used to having her around.
She was just another athlete they trained with, not the famous Ember Maxwell.
Other than the fans who sent her letters, she had little contact with the outside world.
Her dad didn’t understand why she liked to read her fan mail, saying they had people to take care of that stuff, but even the rude or mean letters made her feel more human, not as much like a cartoon version of herself who only existed online.
The pictures posted to her accounts were always filtered so she had no blemishes, makeup and hair perfect, and her teeth shone whiter than white.
“Em?”
She jerked and looked up at Craig. “Sorry, what?”
He smiled down at her. “Fucking adorable,” he murmured under his breath. Then louder, he said, “I asked if you wanted a salad plate.”
Ember flushed, thankful it would be harder to see with her dark skin. “Yes, please.”
They moved through the line fairly quickly, and Craig led the way to a table along the back wall of the room. She hadn’t really noticed the day before, but she realized they’d been sitting at an out-of-the-way table then too. “Could we get any farther from the food?” she joked.
“No one can come up behind us here,” Trigger said as he sat next to her. Craig was on her other side, all three of them facing the room, and Lefty was sitting at the end of the rectangular table.
Ember nodded. She was beginning to suspect everything they did was very deliberate and for safety-conscious reasons.
Talk was a bit stilted at first. Ember felt a little awkward, unsure what to say. Craig was fairly quiet, so Trigger and Lefty were forced to carry the conversation.
Lefty asked, “So have you had a chance to meet many of the other athletes?”
Ember shrugged. “Some. Most are kinda keeping to themselves and their teammates. I’m guessing after they compete, they’ll open up a bit more and be a bit friendlier.”
“Yeah, there’s a weird tension in the air,” Trigger agreed.
“Can you blame them? This is the Olympics. Probably the most important competition they’ll have in their lifetime,” Lefty said.
“Wow, thanks for trying to make me feel less nervous,” Ember joked.
Both Lefty and Trigger stared at her with anxious expressions.
“Shit,” Lefty swore.
“Dumbass,” Trigger admonished.
Craig chuckled.
Ember glanced at him and shared a grin.
“Are you fucking with me?” Lefty asked.
Ember shrugged. “A little.”
“Damn,” Lefty said on a sigh. “I thought I’d really screwed up there.”
“You aren’t nervous?” Trigger asked.
“Oh, I am, but honestly, I feel so much less stressed about everything today than I did yesterday,” Ember said.
“Why? What changed?” Lefty asked.
Ember’s eyes involuntarily flicked to her left, and she saw Craig staring at her intently.
She reached for her water glass to give herself a moment to think about what she wanted to say.
After she swallowed, she said, “Being away from my parents helped, for one. They’re pretty intense and always on me about thinking and breathing everything having to do with the pentathlon or social media.
Don’t get me wrong, I love them and am appreciative of everything they’ve done for me, but not having to be Ember Maxwell has really helped relax me over the last twenty-four hours. ”
“I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to always have to be on,” Trigger said.
“It’s hard,” Ember agreed.
“Hard. I’m guessing that’s an understatement,” Lefty commented.
“Yeah. Anyway, before yesterday, I felt as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. That if I didn’t win, or at least medal, I’d be a complete failure and I’d let down every single one of my followers.
But I’m starting to realize that I don’t owe anyone anything.
All I can do is my best, and if that means I come in dead last, so be it.
No one can take the fact that I’m an Olympian away from me. ”
“Very true,” Trigger agreed.
“What are your chances of medaling?” Lefty asked.
Trigger turned and smacked his friend on the back of his head. “Don’t ask that, asshole! Didn’t you hear her just say she didn’t care about that?”
“I did, but I’m still curious,” Lefty said.
Ember wasn’t offended. She liked these guys.
They were honest to a fault, which was a rare treat in her circle.
So often someone would be friendly to her face, then turn around and bash her on social media.
She got along with the athletes she trained with, but those were superficial relationships at best.
“It’s okay. Honestly, I’d say I’ve got a fifty-fifty chance to medal. I’m an okay fencer, a little weak in horse jumping, but I’m damn good at running and shooting, if I do say so myself. If I can manage to get enough points to be in the middle of the pack before the run starts, I’ve got a shot.”
“How do you feel about spectators?” Craig asked.
Ember turned to him. It was the first time he’d spoken since the conversation started. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “With everything going on, I managed to get reassigned to the security team for your venue tomorrow.”
“You did?” she asked with raised brows.
“He did,” Trigger agreed. “The rest of us will be at the stadium where the first basketball games will be held, but he switched places with someone on another team.”
Ember couldn’t take her gaze from Craig’s. “I don’t mind spectators. I usually block out everything except what I’m doing.”
“Good. I’ll already be at the venue when you get there tomorrow, but I arranged for you and the rest of your teammates to be escorted from the dorm in the morning.”
“Is that necessary?” Ember asked.
“Yes,” all three men said at the same time.