Chapter 11 #2
We have a silent stare-down right beneath the bathroom light. Then his eyes shift from mine, and I realize he’s studying each tiny detail in the walls. The cabinets. The sink drain. The shower. Looking for a camera small enough to fit in the button of a shirt.
The way my heart is beating right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if I dropped from a heart attack. I raise my voice a bit louder, in case anyone might be listening through some hidden device.
“You run a private security business now, right? You’re head of security?” I swallow.
“Head of security?” he repeats.
I lower my voice again. “Please? I’ll pay you. Whatever clients pay, I’ll double it. If I hire you then you have to stay, right?”
My eyes burn. I get that he didn’t come to the party for me. He came because Hollis asked him to. Regardless, I don’t want him to leave today.
“I’ll call my guys and get them here to help. But, Bay, my judgment is clouded because I know you.” He drags a hand through his hair, then throws it out to the side. “I care about you. And this guy’s already gotten away from me once. I need to be smart about this.”
“Right . . .” I trail off, feeling gutted, again.
If he cared, he wouldn’t want to bring some of his guys in here to replace him.
I should have known he wouldn’t want to stay any longer than he had to.
I suddenly feel short of breath, like I need to get out of this room.
I step past him and into the bedroom. “Right. You flew in as a favor to Hollis and that’s done.
You want me to set up a more long-term plan.
Maybe I can get Axel to fly out. I’d prefer him to someone I don’t know here anyway. ”
He follows me out. “Axel can’t.”
I turn and freeze with my back to the wall.
“How do you know—” I start to ask, then it dawns on me. I close my eyes. “Because Hollis asked him first, didn’t she?”
He nods.
Another gut punch, like the air has all been knocked out of me. One more person to add to the list of people who knew before last night and didn’t tell me.
“I’ll call one of my guys whose already here in New York,” he says. “I can have at least one guy here by the end of today. Maybe two.”
I lean my head back against the wall, imagining some new team of security guys staying here at my apartment twenty-four seven.
“What?” he asks, seeing the look on my face. “What’s wrong with that?”
“How am I supposed to trust someone new to be around me right now? And all the time?”
“You need more than just me here,” he says. His eyes darken, like he’s not going to relent, and I want to scream. Why is he being like this?
“I have, like, three people I barely trust at the moment considering you — all of you — kept this from me. I don’t want some stranger sleeping here or sitting around my apartment all day. If Axel’s not able to come, and you won’t stay, then—”
“Who said I’m not going to stay?” he interrupts.
“You’re talking about hiring other guys.”
“To help me, Bailey. Not to replace me.”
“To help? That means you’re staying?” My eyes suddenly fill up again.
“Where else would I go while you’re dealing with all this?”
“I figured since Hollis had to ask you to come, that you didn’t want to be here and you’d leave as soon as you found another security team to step in.”
“Bailey . . .” He sighs. “Of course I’m not going anywhere.
But I do think it’s smart to have more than just me here.
When it was just the emails, that’s one thing.
But if he’s potentially gotten in here already?
That’s another situation entirely. When shit hits the fan, a few good guys can make all the difference. ”
“I don’t want anyone else here,” I tell him. “Not in my apartment. You’re the only person I trust right now. Please.”
“Guys?” Hollis’ voice cuts out through the heavy silence from the phone speaker down the hall. “You left to get Bailey dressed or something like five minutes ago. Axel and I are just breathing awkwardly with each other down here. Hey! Guys! Is everything okay?”
Neither of us turns toward Hollis’ voice streaming down the hall.
We both ignore it.
He leans in. Then he reaches one arm over my head. It lands firmly on the top of the doorframe behind me with a thud.
His voice lowers.
“You sure you don’t want anyone else?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t want anyone else.”
He nods, like he’s coming to grips with the idea of handling all this alone.
“You told me to follow my gut, and my gut says you’re it,” I tell him.
He stares down at me, as if he’s negotiating this whole scenario out in his head.
Finally, he says, “If I do this alone, which, it looks like I am, then we’re going to have some rules.”
“I can do rules.” I nod. Whatever he wants.
Blood rushes past my eardrums.
“You have to listen to what I tell you to do. You’re going to think some of it is overkill. You’re going to tell me I’m overreacting at times. But there’s no room for mistakes. Not when it comes to you. I won’t have it any other way.”
“I’ll cancel your flight then,” I breathe the words out, fighting the urge to hug him. He doesn’t look like someone who wants to be hugged right now.
“I can cancel my own flight if you promise to—”
Fuck it. I throw my arms around him, exhaling a tidal wave of relief.
“Deal.” I breathe into his chest. Holding on to him until I feel his arms wrap around the back of me, and I’m positive that he’s not going to leave. I press my cheek to the sound of his heartbeat. Thrumming inside him like a drum.
“Guys!” Hollis’ voice calls out again. “I’m going to send a better security team to replace my brother if you two can’t answer me in the next thirty-five seconds!” She pauses, waiting. Then, “Here I go! Thirty-five! Thirty-four! Thirty-fuckin’-three!”
I hear Axel grumble something back at her, followed by Hollis shouting “Thirty-fuckin’-two!” even louder.
“Thank you,” I mumble against him, not ready to let him go.
She counts down another two numbers before Rhett loosens his grip.
“Why do I love to torture her?” he asks, pulling away, his grin slowly sliding back into place.
“I should go put your sister out of her misery,” I tell him.
“Give her five more seconds of torture. You need to get dressed anyway.”
I adjust my robe. “Right. Hang on.”
“Coming!” he yells down the hall. “Take as long as you need, Bay. Grab your clothes.”
“Guys!” Hollis yelps. “I’m nearly down to one!”
“For the love of God, please come back so this one will stop screaming,” Axel’s voice echoes after hers.
I turn to grab the first outfit I see hanging in my closet, then pass Rhett on my way into the bathroom to change.
“Out in two!” I tell him, then close the door behind me and press my back into it, breathing heavily, before pushing myself off to release the robe and towel wrapped around me.
After speed-changing in a room I can’t be sure is void of recording devices, I pull the door back open again.
Heart pounding.
Feeling paranoid as hell.
But grateful that I’m not being left here to deal with all this alone.