9. Sloane
9
SLOANE
A drenaline rings through my veins with each quick beat of my heart. It’s pounding hard as I’m pressed against the front of Shepard and his wide, strong chest.
God, don’t think of that. What is wrong with you? He’s a jerk.
One who’s just pulled me out from under a toppled tower of inventory that would have seriously hurt me. I didn’t see it coming, too focused on my task.
I don’t realize I’m shaking until Shepard places his hand over mine and gives it a squeeze. His arm is still around my back, but it’s loosened a fraction. Those stony blue eyes analyze me, ready to set my nerves ablaze, but his voice is soft when he asks, “You alright?”
“Yes.” I step out of his grip, brushing my hand down my shirt to smooth it out, regaining my composure. “Thank you.”
Shepard’s hands drop, open, and close like he’s unsure whether I’m steady.
I turn from him to survey the damage, shaking my head and sighing. “I get that you guys are in a rush to get out of here, but you’re hourly, just like me. Not paid by the pallet.”
This time, no one grumbles back at me, and they put on those sheepish looks that come after being scolded by their mothers… or their drill sergeants.
I catch Shepard’s smirk as he steps forward to help the crew clean up the mess. It’s going to take at least another half hour to go through everything that's left.
After the loose stack is righted, Shepard is the one to open each up for me and look over my shoulder as I tally and mark items damaged. So far, this delivery has had no mistakes in its inventory or tracking information.
Good. One less thing to worry about.
Everything goes to its designated spot, and I take the broom to the debris left on the concrete floor, helping the recruits finish putting everything to rights before the shift is over.
And thank God, it’s over. I give Warren a cheerful wave goodbye and nod at the men as I charge out to my car. Time to pick up my daughter from school.
Something loose and heavy sinks in my stomach as I pull out of my spot and find Cole leaning against the exit with his arms crossed, watching me go. He meets my gaze through the passenger window, and I huff out a sigh.
I get that they want to protect me or whatever, but other than that vague threat from Caspian Vorn, nothing’s happened to warrant it. No one is likely to come after me, even if they do have my information.
What are they going to do? Take me out when I haven’t found anything concrete yet? Wouldn’t that just lead to more suspicion on them? I get that bad people have a different sense of morality, but they also have to possess some actual sense. You know, logic?
Besides, everything I’ve done is already logged in the system. It’s tagged and shared, and there’s nothing they can do to reverse that.
Well, I guess they could hack the government database, but what good would that do?
I shove the thoughts away as I pull into the near empty parking lot of Reese’s school. The moment I’m in park, I can see her burst out the front door toward my car.
She climbs in and struggles with her bag as she shoves it on the seat.
“You need help?”
“Nope. I got it.” And she does, closing the door behind her and buckling herself into her booster seat. She complains about being old enough not to need one, but she’s still too short and doesn’t weigh enough to go without it.
“How was your day, Ketchup Queen?”
Reese frowns. “I tried to get it out, but all it did was give me a wet spot for the rest of the day.”
“It’s fine, sweet cheeks. How was the rest of your day? Other than the animated eating that caused your wardrobe malfunction?”
“Good. We got to paint today, and not just with our fingers. I asked Miss Leslie if I could use a brush, and she taught us how to draw rainbows with them. I get to bring mine home tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” Grinning, I catch a glimpse of hers in the rearview mirror as I pull onto the two-lane highway home. “What have you got in your bag today?”
“Macie’s mom brought in a tin of cookies, and when they were gone, she said I could keep the round box. It’s such a pretty blue, Mommy. I want to keep my crayons in it. Is that okay?”
Reese’s big green eyes go wide with pleading, and it’s an easy request to grant her. “Of course. It’s very smart to reuse it that rather than throwing it away.”
My daughter preens in her seat, and she settles into her story time, telling me about the kids she played with today, and what songs they sang, and the book Miss Leslie read during storytime. She complained about having to learn to tell time on these round clocks when all the ones she sees outside of school tell her the numbers clearly.
The sun lowers across the horizon as we head west toward our new apartment. The drive is a little longer than it used to be, but I’m glad Reese can appreciate the view with me on our ride.
“I like it when the sky gets purple and pink. I wonder if Miss Leslie can teach us how to paint that next time.” Her forehead is pressed to the window beside her, and the setting sun makes her skin glow.
My daughter is such a beautiful girl, and I know mothers are biased, but I truly think so. I’m going to have to invest in a big stick once she’s old enough for the boys to notice. It’s the same threat my mom made when I became a teenager.
Too bad it hadn’t worked. The reality of sneaking out to see my boyfriend at sixteen resulted in my being a single mom come the middle of my first year in college as a seventeen-year-old.
I wouldn’t undo it for the world, but I will make sure Reese doesn’t have to sneak and get into the same kind of trouble I did.
But we’ve got a long time for that yet.
When I peek in my rearview mirror again, oddly shaped headlights are on my tail. They keep pulling close and backing off, but I refuse to give in to the pressure to speed up. Five miles above the speed limit is more than enough for this stretch of the road. Especially with my precious cargo.
An opportunity comes for the car to pass me, but they stick behind me.
Worry grows in my gut.
Why would someone follow me home? How would someone know where I am?
A deeper dread builds in my chest.
What if it’s one of Alistair’s friends? He’s used them before to keep tabs on me when he couldn’t. I don’t recognize the car, but that doesn’t mean anything.
And I can’t see the driver’s face.
The long-rooted fear has me barreling past our exit. I don’t want to bring one of my ex’s spies home. It will undo all of the work I’ve done escaping from his clutches.
“Mommy. You missed our street.”
“I know, honey. Just taking a little detour. You’re buckled in tight, right?” My hands squeeze the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white.
“Yes.” Her voice is soft and scared.
“Okay. Just hold on to the door. I’m going to make a rough turn.”
The next exit comes up. I don’t signal or brake. I just crank the wheel and send us flying down an unfamiliar road.
That car follows.
Fuck.
I don’t know this neighborhood very well, but I’m thankful for my automatic locks because it looks worse than the one I moved us to.
Two more turns has the car still close on our tail until I pull a U-turn and end up in a rough patch of gravel. Dust flies up around us, but when it clears, the car is gone. Its tail lights disappear in the distance.
Hand to my chest, I take a few deep breaths and meet Reese’s gaze in the rearview mirror before I turn to her. “You okay?”
“Yes. What was that?”
I shake my head. “Just got nervous is all.”
“Did you think that was Alistair?”
Closing my eyes, I shake my head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Might be the stress getting to me. Did I tell you about the three new men at my job who are stepping on my toes?”
Her beautiful eyes go big and round. “No. Why are they hurting your toes?”
I laugh. “Not hurting my toes, honey. It’s an expression. They were getting in my way today is all. Made it hard to do my job like I usually do.”
“Oh.” Reese turns thoughtful. “Like when Collin uses my water glass in Art, and it makes my paints all gunky when I use it after him.”
“Yes. Just like that. I think it’s just got me on edge. We’re alright.”
She nods sagely. “You should tell them that your toes need more room to wiggle.”
“I will.”
I put my car in reverse to back out and get back on the highway, but my phone rings. Stalling, I pull it from my purse and don’t know whether the unknown number is a good sign or not.
Still, I swipe it open. “Hello?”
“Sloane. Why are you stationary just off Highway 90?” Shepard’s voice turns my anxiety into anger.
“How do you know—you bugged my car, didn’t you?” I latch onto the hot emotions rising. They’re so much easier to deal with than the ones lingering just beneath the surface.
“Sloane. What happened?” His tone is no-nonsense, authoritative in a way he hasn’t used on me yet. I don’t like it. He’s not my boss, and he has no say in my life. Let alone, no right to keep tabs on me like this.
“I’m not talking about this right now. Not with my daughter in the car.” I hang up on him and ignore the ringing of my phone directly after.
The rest of the way home, I play some music, but Reese’s eyes are drooping, and I know it’s going to be an early night for her. She doesn’t need any more of this stress in her life.
Except, when we do finally make it home, I spot Rhett waiting in front of our apartment building with his arms crossed.
Nope. This is not happening. Did Shepard call him to come check on me? If so, how did he make it here before I did?
Renewed anger silences my other thoughts as I realize that he was already waiting before I got spooked. It’s the only way he got here so quickly.
I get out of my car and collect Reese from the back, slinging her bag on one arm and taking her hand in the other.
“Who’s that?”
“Just someone from work who’s overstepping their boundaries.”
“But boundaries are important. Miss Leslie told us so.”
I smile down at her and nod. “You’re right. We’re just going to walk on by him, okay? Get inside and upstairs.”
Reese doesn’t fight me as I usher her past Rhett. After I unlock the access control door and gently push Reese inside, I turn and hold my hand out to Rhett, who looks ready to follow us inside.
“No. This crosses the line. You’re not coming in.” It more than crosses a line, but I’ll keep things civil if only for my daughter’s sake.
He remains on the porch as I shut the door in his face, and I can feel him watching us as we climb the stairs until we’re out of his sight.