Chapter 8
Vic glanced at the clock. She was on time today. Early in fact. That was a good thing. She did not want to piss off her uncle again. At some point, she was going to have to take a serious look at why making her uncle mad frightened her so much. She was an adult. If he fired her, she could get another job. She had skills and a degree. Hell, she was planning on leaving in three weeks anyway. She wanted to build a new life. But for now, she didn’t want to rock the boat.
Cowardly? Maybe. But it was only three more weeks. The mere thought of his anger directed at her spiked her blood pressure.
The coffee she’d already consumed burned like acid in her stomach. Today was Friday. Thank God for a weekend off. There were no meetings or social events she had to attend this weekend. A whole weekend to herself. Just the thought of it was bliss.
She checked her look in the full-length mirror on her closet door one more time. Black pencil skirt with a white wrap blouse. Hair neatly back in a bun. Just the look her uncle loved for the office. Nondescript. She pulled on her beige trench coat and grabbed her bag from the sofa, swinging it over her head and across her chest as she pulled open her front door.
“Oh!”she yelped and stepped back, putting her hand on her chest.“You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry,”Ryker said.“Didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to offer you a ride to work. You got in late last night and I know your uncle likes an early start.”
She didn’t quite know what to say. Or maybe the appearance of this seductive man at her door left her tongue-tied. He was looking fine in another lightweight suit. Navy this time, with a matching red silk tie. It brought out the color of his eyes, or maybe his eyes stood out no matter what he was wearing or not wearing. He was sexy as hell. Was he hitting on her or just being friendly? By rights, she should decline the offer of the ride. Stop anything no matter how innocent before it started, but the sound of the rain on the skylight behind her made her rethink turning him down.
“Sure. I’d love a ride. Thanks for the offer.”
Ryker stepped back and she ventured out into the hallway. She locked the door and they headed to the elevator. She lived on the fourth floor of a five-story building. By the time they got out of the elevator, she was second-guessing herself. Again. Maybe it was better if she didn’t go with Ryker. Her uncle wouldn’t like it.
They came to the door of her building, and she stumbled over the rug. Ryker reached out and caught her by the arm without breaking his stride.“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
With a curt nod, he propelled her forward through the doors into the rain, and directly into his Porsche.
She was silent as he got in on the driver’s side. She didn’t know what to say to him. He’d just started working for her uncle, so she didn’t feel like she could quiz him on the security changes he was making, but she wondered about his overall assessment. Not that he hadn’t already told her she was right. She knew she was right, and her uncle needed better protection, but what exactly did that mean?
“You are overthinking it.”
His voice in the quiet car startled her.“Excuse me?”she asked.
“Whatever it is you’re thinking of asking me, I can guarantee you’re overthinking it.”He shot her a glance.“Just ask.”
She swallowed. His voice made her tingle in ways she shouldn’t. She willed the heat out of her cheeks and butterflies out of her belly. She drew a deep breath and plunged in.“I was just wondering if you knew what changes you wanted to make to my uncle’s security? I know it’s only been a day so you can’t possibly have made any yet. You probably have just started a list but you know… I was just curious.”
“I’ve made some changes and yes, I have a list. It will take a while to implement some things. Others can be done immediately. Starting today, security will stay with your uncle when he’s moving around and when he’s in the office. I have my guys going to the house to add some cameras and move the existing ones. And I will coordinate with Joyce on all future bookings outside of the building.”
Vic snorted.“She’s going to love that.”
“She is a bit protective.”
“A bit? Try monumentally territorial. She reminds me of a chihuahua, always snapping at people and nipping at them. She hates my guts.”
Ryker glanced her way, and she immediately regretted her words. She shouldn’t have said that. No gossiping. It was one of her uncle’s rules.
“I’m sure she’s quite jealous of you. You are a threat to her.”
Vic blinked. She’d never thought of it like that. She didn’t want Joyce’s job and had no ambition to work any more closely with her uncle than she already did. What she really wanted to do was to find a way to travel. She’d never been outside of the US. Growing up in the commune, the opportunity never arose. Hell, even leaving the grounds to go into town was a massive undertaking. Once her uncle rescued her and put her in boarding school, she had to spend the holidays with him, and he never invited her on any of his trips. He’d left her home and made her get a job and there was nothing wrong with that. She was grateful for his mandate since now she had a great work ethic. Still, she would have loved to work in the travel industry instead of studying law, like her uncle wanted. She would travel someday. Three weeks and she would have a whole new life. It would take a while to make enough money to travel but the potential was there. Three weeks.
What were they talking about? She’d gotten completely lost in her own thoughts. In fact, she was shocked to find Ryker was already pulling into the parking garage. Five minutes later, they were getting off the elevator and found themselves in the midst of the most chaotic scene. Joyce looked like she was hyperventilating.“What do you mean you moved it? I didn’t authorize you to do anything. Put it back the way it was. You have precisely twenty-one minutes to do so before Senator Davis arrives.”
“Lady,”the building maintenance guy said,“I just did what I was told. You want it moved again, you gotta get my boss to sign off on it. I need authorization.”
“But I didn’t authorize this!”Joyce was waving her arms in the air and her face was an unbecoming shade of eggplant.
“I did,”Ryker said in a calm voice.
Vic looked up at him. He looked completely unbothered by Joyce’s anger.
“You?”Joyce’s mouth gaped open. She snapped it shut.“You had no business authorizing this without consulting me.”
“My job is to keep Mr. Davis safe. Authorizing this rearrangement helps accomplish that goal.”
Joyce’s eyes narrowed. Her gaze shifted from Ryker to Vic.
Shit. She should have gone over to her cubicle and stayed out of it. Somehow this would be her fault. Joyce would see to it she suffered over this. She turned and headed for her desk. No need to stay and make matters worse.
Tracy shot her a quick smile and slid down behind her cubicle wall as Vic put her bag on her desk. She looked around. The whole office was watching, a fact that Joyce probably wasn’t aware of until just that moment. Joyce looked around and her face turned a darker shade of red. She glared at Ryker and then addressed the maintenance man again but in a much quieter tone.
Vic couldn’t hear what was said but the maintenance guy hightailed it out of the office. He didn’t wait for the elevator, opting instead for a speedier retreat. The door to the stairwell almost drowned out the sound of his rushing footsteps. Vic considered following him right out the door.
“Your uncle is going to freak.”Tracy was back looking over the top of the cubicle.
“What happened?”Vic asked.
Her friend smiled.“I came in early to work on the project and Joyce arrived a couple of minutes after I did. She went into Austin’s office and came out yelling. A couple of maintenance guys came out after her. I had no idea they were in there. Anyway, one left while the other stayed to reason with her. You came just after that.”
“What’s going on in the office?”
The dimples were back.“Apparently, the hottie bodyguard moved your uncle’s desk and credenza away from the windows. I’m guessing he thought the desk’s view of prime real estate was a security risk.”
To hide her smile and the urge to laugh, Vic bent over in her chair and ducked into the footwell of her desk to stow her purse. If Joyce caught her even so much as smirking, the woman would be merciless. But seriously, all this drama over moving the desk? Ryker had no idea what he was getting himself into. She frowned. Guilt gnawed at her belly. She’d brought him into this mess and now he was getting yelled at. But he had to know this wouldn’t go down easily.
Vic straightened in her chair and reached to turn on her computer.
“I saw you arrive with him.”She cocked an eyebrow.
“He offered me a lift. I guess he doesn’t live too far from me.”
She looked wistful.“Wish he’d offer me a lift. Does he drive a nice car?”
“A Porsche Panamera. But he’s going to start driving with my uncle so that’s probably the last time I’ll get a ride.”
“Uh-huh. I wouldn’t be too sure about that. The man came and picked you up. You better be careful, or you’ll be dating Hottie McHotterson and your uncle won’t like that one bit.”Tracy lowered her voice in a pretty good imitation of her uncle.“One should not fraternize with colleagues. Makes for a difficult workplace environment. See that you do not date at work.”
Vic fought and lost the effort to hold back her smile. She rolled her eyes.“I don’t think I have to worry. I think he picked me up because he found out last night that my uncle makes me take public transport when I’m working late.”
Now it was Tracy’s turn to roll her eyes.“Your uncle is such a class act.”
Vic would normally jump to his defense but honestly, she just didn’t have it in her today. The elevator signal dinged, and the doors opened. Her uncle strode out with his two security guards.
“Joyce,”he said as he approached her desk,“please reschedule my two o’clock. I’m having lunch with Cal Wallingford and I’m sure it will run long.”
“Of course, Senator Davis,”she said as she stood with her hands clasped under her bosom.“There’s a slight problem with your office.”She managed to get the words out just as her uncle put his hand on the doorknob of his office.
“Problem?”
She glared at Ryker.“Mr. Sterling moved your office furniture around without checking with me first.”
Ryker, who’d been silent up until now, moved away from the wall where he’d been leaning.“As I said yesterday, I would be making some changes. After doing some preliminary work at home, I came in late last night and assessed the situation. Your desk was too close to the window, making you an easy target. I had it moved to a more appropriate area of the room.”
Her uncle opened the office door and disappeared inside. Joyce followed him in.
Ryker glanced over and his gaze met Vic’s. He winked at her and then entered the office.
“Holy shit is he hot. And so cool at the same time.”Tracy disappeared into her own cubicle with a sigh.
Vic had to agree with her. Ryker was one hot and cool customer, all at the same time. She was glad he was on their side. God knows what it would be like if he were working against them. She shuddered at the thought.
* * *
The day stretched on as only a Friday could. She drank a large coffee in the late afternoon to stay awake but now it was going on six. Most of the staff had already left for the day. She was just finishing up a summary her uncle had asked her to write on a proposed bill. He was meeting some other senators on the weekend and wanted to sound knowledgeable. It was the type of thing she did but hated. Finally, she ran it through spell check and pronounced it done. She attached it to an email to her uncle and then, heaving a relieved breath, she shut down her computer.
Ryker was now sitting at his new desk across from Joyce’s, fully engrossed in whatever was on his screen. Joyce, on the other hand, looked like she’d been run over by a truck. She was also staring at her screen, but Vic was pretty sure she wasn’t seeing anything but red. Her cheeks had pink blotches and if Vic had to guess, Joyce’s knuckles were white. Her lips had all but disappeared, she had them mashed together so tightly. Lines radiating around her mouth looked as though carved from granite.
Vic actually felt sympathy for Joyce at this moment. Sure, she was a bitch more often than not, but she was an older woman in a young person’s world. Always trying to keep up and be on top of things. Ryker had come in and challenged her for control of her domain and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. That was a hard nut to swallow.
Vic got up from her seat and started towards the elevator. Tracy had left a while ago to get ready for a date. It would be so nice to go out on a real date. She hadn’t been on one of those in months. It had taken her about two seconds to realize the last guy she went out with was only dating her to get to her uncle. Uncle Austin was getting to be a big damn deal. The more attention he got, the more offers she got. None of them cared about her at all. It was Washington. People wanted to get as close to the power brokers as they could using any means necessary.
Ryker on the other hand… Going out with him would be a date she’d enjoy. He was close to her uncle due to the nature of his work, so she didn’t have to worry about that aspect of things. Of course, he probably wouldn’t ask her out because of the relationship with her uncle, and even if he did, she couldn’t go. Her uncle would have a fit. Still, it was nice to dream.
An alert on her phone dinged. She glanced at the screen as she waited for the elevator to arrive, then let out a long sigh. It was like Austin had a sixth sense when she was trying to leave. He wanted her in his office, immediately. She turned and tried not to trudge into the office.“Unc—Senator, what is it you need?”
His desk was still positioned against the left wall but much closer to the back of the office. Maintenance had moved the seating area over in front of the window. It didn’t look half bad. It looked better than before, but she didn”t doubt that her uncle wasn’t happy about not being allowed to sit close to the window.
Ryker was now seated in the chair farthest from her uncle. She had no idea when he’d entered the office. She must’ve been daydreaming by the elevator and missed it. Two of her uncle’s security detail, Tony and Melvin, were leaning against the right wall and Joyce was seated in front of the desk.
Her uncle looked up.“There’s a cocktail party I need you to attend tonight. It’s another charity event. I have to be elsewhere, so I need you to go in my stead.”He glanced at her. The black pencil skirt and a white wrap blouse that worked so well for work did not work for a cocktail party. His expression said he wasn’t pleased.“Do you have anything you can change into?”
She bit her tongue. He was going to yell at her.“No. I used my spare dress last week and it’s at the dry cleaners. I haven’t brought anything in to replace it yet.”
Her uncle glared at her.“How many times have we discussed always being prepared?”
She bit her tongue to stop from pointing out that while she was always prepared, this was supposed to be her weekend off. She’d planned to walk out the door and not come back until Monday morning, like normal humans do.
He looked her up and down one more time and made a sound deep in his throat.“It will have to suffice. Do better next time.”
Heat crawled up her neck and into her cheeks. She kept her mouth shut though, and waited for him to continue, because she knew there was more. She’d made the mistake of arguing with him in her younger years. Raising a dispute with him never ended well. Situations like that tended to get very ugly very quickly. She didn’t need the humiliation. Just better to let it go.
“Joyce, send her the address.”He glanced over at her again.“You need to move quickly. It starts at six-thirty. Stay an hour and be sure to chat with certain people. Joyce will send you the list and the talking points. Make sure you cover each topic and talk to each person I”ve specified. Don’t miss anyone.”He gave a final sigh and then waved his hand.
Vic left the office, careful to keep her eyes on the floor to avoid making eye contact with anyone who might be remaining at their desks, though chances of that were limited. Every one of her co-workers had left ages ago. She made her way back to the elevator and stood silently, practicing yoga breathing to calm herself down. Tears swam in her eyes and her throat ached. She also wanted to scream at her uncle, but she couldn’t. He’d saved her almost fifteen years ago and she owed him. A fact he made sure she never forgot.
Ryker appeared at her elbow as the elevator doors opened. “Carl will drive you in your uncle’s SUV. He’ll be out front shortly.
“Thank you,”she muttered as she got into the elevator. The doors closed and she collapsed against the wall. The heat in her face was as intense as the cramps in her belly. She sucked in oxygen and tried not to cry. Crying was for the weak. She was just tired of being in the stressful environment that came with working for her uncle. There was never any downtime. Tired of his people hating her. Three weeks. But the mantra that had been working for the last three months was just not cutting it. The next three weeks would be brutal.
The elevator doors opened, and she walked out to the street. A couple of minutes later, Carl came around the corner in the black Mercedes SUV. He pulled to the curb and waited. She made a face. Not that she expected preferential treatment, but it would have been nice if he’d opened the door for her. She pulled open the back door and climbed into the SUV. Carl took off almost before she had the door closed. She flew back in her seat.
It took her two blocks to get her seatbelt on with all his erratic driving. The belt kept locking. Finally, she got settled and then tried not to pay attention to Carl’s driving. He was going way too fast and cutting people off. Apparently, he was majorly pissed off that he wasn’t back at the office waiting for her uncle. Or at least that’s what she assumed from the way he was driving and the daggers coming from his eyes when he looked in the rearview mirror.
The sound of a phone ringing reached her. It wasn’t hers. Carl picked up and exchanged a few terse words with the caller and then hung up, but he immediately slowed down and started driving like he normally did when her uncle was in the car.
Someone had called to yell at Carl. She would like to think it was her uncle, but she knew differently. Ryker. Her uncle wouldn’t have given her the SUV. Ryker was being as good as his word. Making sure she had a ride. And then checking up on that ride. She had no idea how he knew Carl was being an ass, but he must have because now Carl was behaving himself. Ryker was good at his job. And not half bad to look at. Who was she kidding? One thing about her upbringing in a commune was she’d learned to be honest with herself. Ryker Sterling was drop-dead gorgeous. Nice, too. A trait she didn’t come across too often in D.C.
Carl stopped at the curb in front of yet another hotel. He hopped out before she could say anything. He came around and opened her door.
“I can take a cab home, Carl,”she said as she gathered her things. She’d just put one leg out of the SUV and started to stand when the door next to her exploded. Bits of foam and leather flew in her face. She reared back and fell onto the seat of the SUV. Carl stood there as if stunned stupid. The next bullet hit him, and he went down. Vic screamed. The doormen ran for cover. It took a few minutes before she realized the shooting had stopped. The sound of sirens was getting louder.
She got up her nerve and got out of the SUV. Her knees almost didn’t hold her. She went over, flopped down on the pavement next to Carl, and searched for a pulse. There was none. Carl’s sightless eyes stared heavenward; shock still written on his face.