34. Alex
ALEX
This all feels wrong.
The late May sun leans toward the horizon, the shadows between the skyscrapers lingering a bit longer. The cellphone in my hand buzzes with a notification, and I lift it to read King’s latest text.
Kingston: yeah. Flying home tomorrow. You missing us?
I can see his goofy half smile in my mind and grunt because how the hell do I miss a man I’ve only known for a few weeks?
Kingston: you do, don’t you? You can say it.
Kingston: I mean, type it. beaming face with smiling eyes emoji
Rolling my eyes, I toss my phone on my desk because he’s not wrong. I’m tempted to give in and tell him I do miss them.
And would they please get their asses home already.
Running a hand over the back of my neck, I try to ease the tension there. It’s hard to focus when they’re halfway around the world. And it’s increasingly frustrating to have such a massive chasm between me and Gabe. I never thought I’d be the one to pull everyone back together.
I pause from counting the hours until Katherine and Kingston fly home to answer the page from my assistant.
“Detective Garcia is here about your apartment building. He has a photo and is hoping you can identify someone.”
Interesting. Somehow, now surprising. Nothing’s going to surprise me for a good long while after Lucinda Winthrop’s insanity.
“Send him in.”
I push to my feet as the detective steps through the door.
Dark hair. Inexpensive suit. Keen gaze. Everything I’d expect.
“Mr. Hunt.”
I round the desk to shake his hand.
“Thanks for meeting me.”
“Of course.”
Staying close with local law enforcement is part of the job.
“I won’t take much of your time. I wondered if you’d ever seen this man before.” He taps his tablet a few times and then hands it over.
Taking it, I stare down at a photo obviously snagged from a security camera.
I recognize the setting immediately. It’s the elevator in my building.
It’s not a great angle to see the man’s face.
And everything about him seems average. Height, weight, complexion.
But a few things stand out, his maintenance uniform, for one, loose-fitting and not what the men in our building wear. It’s a dull gray instead of navy.
He carries a tool bag almost the size of a small duffle, but it’s not as worn as I’d expect it to be.
“No,” I say. “I don’t. But I can tell you that he’s not one of the normal maintenance guys for our building.”
I point out the incorrect uniform.
A trace of a smile curves the detective’s lips. “They said you were sharp.”
“We have to be, don’t we?”
“Anything else?”
I point out the bag. “When was this taken?”
He takes the tablet back. “A few hours before the leak.”
“I suggest you look into Lucinda Winthrop’s… associates.”
His chin lifts, momentary surprise flickering over his face. But then he nods as if that makes total sense.
“After last weekend, I wouldn’t put anything past her,” I say.
Once I’ve seen Detective Garcia off, I find a new text on my phone. This time from Gabe, asking me if I want him to grab anything from our apartment.
Suddenly, the sleek gray of my office feels too cold. No longer modern, masculine, and strong. But dull. Lifeless. Boring.
I page my assistant. “Cancel my afternoon. Send over anything I can handle from home.”
It’s past time to confront Gabe and get back to our friendship.
“Your next meeting is here,” my assistant says.
Blowing out a sigh, I settle back in my chair. “Okay, after this,” I say.
From the backseat of my SUV, I sort through the remaining messages I need to handle today.
And then I call Ben Carpenter, the bodyguard King is concerned about because the vibes haven’t gotten any better.
Normally, there are layers and levels of hierarchy, but everyone on their detail is hand-selected by me.
Answers to me. Will be dealt with by me.
Katherine half-jokingly told me to come with them, but I’d never do that to King. The man has earned his date with her.
But letting her travel halfway around the world without keeping an eye on her personally? Well, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done by far.
Doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes and ears everywhere. Some that they’re aware of, and some they aren’t.
“How’s everything? Any trouble?” I ask, like I haven’t had a half dozen reports today. They report every two hours, which is the only reason I’m sane and stateside.
There’s a beat of silence before Carpenter fills me in, but there’s nothing I haven’t heard. No trouble. No media attention. King and Katherine are safely in their own little world, and, for the moment, the world seems to be letting them enjoy their bubble.
I couldn’t have asked for more than that. But there’s something in his tone that isn’t quite normal. Like there’s something on his mind. Something he’s not saying.
“On a personal note…” He sounds resigned. “You should know that Miss Montgomery and Mister Saint are… involved.”
Well, that explains the undercurrent of tension King picked up on and the weirdness I was picking up on.
“I’m aware,” I say.
There’s another beat of silence. I expect him to drop it with a quick ‘very good, sir.’
But that’s not what I get.
“I don’t understand,” he counters, confusion and frustration lacing his words.
I release a sigh. “Which part?”
There’s an element of trust needed with all my employees.
This isn’t the military, where soldiers are expected to take orders and be almost robotic about it.
I want my people to think and feel, know when to draw the line with themselves, with our clients and even with me.
Personal protection can be an incredibly intimate endeavor.
I want my team to be able to come to me with their concerns.
But I’m just not used to the concerns being about my personal life.
“You’re okay with it?” he blurts.
Ahh. So he’s incensed on my account.
I should have seen this coming. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I will my headache to go away.
Katherine, Gabe, King, and I really need to sit down and talk about how we’re going to handle things. And by things, I mean the inevitable questions that will come our way. Even with people we trust, and NDAs and such, we need to be on the same page.
“I am.”
“Why?” he asks, not missing a beat.
“I don’t think that’s any of your concern or business, Ben. Take the next few hours and decide if you can still do the job. Fully and to the best of your ability. I’m not going to risk Katherine or Kingston because you don’t like their relationship status. I’ll expect your text by eight my time.”