Six Hale
Six
Hale
I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that the stupid fucker was going to obey his command.
He’d been real damn mouthy for someone who had a gun pressed that close to his lungs.
I had no doubt, however, that Snow White was going to have a million questions when she walked outside and found me.
But I’d rather deal with her hammering me than chance the dipshit showing up on her way to work this morning.
I’d spent the evening having her work schedule pulled and getting a background check done on her. And I was positive she wasn’t involved with Vilmer, which meant she wasn’t my concern, yet here I was. Instead of dealing with why I was in DC, I was here. Doing this.
Linc was going to have questions. And I didn’t have answers. At least not the ones he would want.
I did know a lot about Bay Fox though. And for some goddamn reason, I was here, doing what? Being her personal bodyguard. Jesus.
The front door to her apartment complex opened, and she came walking out. Punctual little thing. She stopped and glanced down the street the other way before turning her gaze toward me. Her blue eyes widened in surprise. There were the questions. I could see them churning now.
“Mornin’,” I drawled, then took one last pull from my cigarette before dropping it and covering it with the toe of my boot.
“What?” she said, shaking her head, but not finishing the sentence.
“Figured I’d just venture on the side of caution and give you a ride to work. That kid didn’t seem real smart yesterday.”
She pointed at her chest with one perfect manicured fingernail. “Give me a ride?” Her tone of voice led me to believe she thought that idea was ludicrous.
“Yeah, but I’m guessing from that reaction, you don’t like it much.”
Her brows shot up. “I don’t know you. Why would I get in a car with you? And how did you know I was going to work?”
She’d caught that one quick.
“I didn’t. At least, I wasn’t sure. But like I said, my daughter lives close by, and I thought I’d check things out. See if your stalker was staying away, like I was promised he would. Then you came outside, and taking you to work so you’d get there safely came to mind.”
She looked at me skeptically. It wasn’t the best excuse, but it was all I could come up with.
“Thank you for stepping in yesterday. I’d clearly had no idea that Pooky had fallen in with a bad crowd. But I’m sure he will stay away now that you held his own gun on him. I’m fine.”
Probably, but I didn’t like the idea of her going to work on the bus.
“Kid has a temper, one that is probably gonna get him killed. And he doesn’t like to be told what to do. That much was clear. I’d like to believe he is gonna listen, but I’m not real sure that is the case. And, darlin’, it ain’t a bad crowd. It’s a deadly one.”
She needed to accept that and not confuse the kid she had known with the gang member he had become. They were not the same. Not anymore. If Pooky lived, he would just grow more violent and dangerous.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and glanced around nervously. “Do you—I mean, should I be concerned? I could…perhaps tell the police…and they could keep an eye on the building or something.”
I chuckled. So fucking naive. “Yeah, you could, and they might check it out a few times, then forget about it. Listen, I’m not here to hurt you.
I swear it. Let me give you a ride. If we keep standing here, you’re gonna be late.
And if you take the bus, I will just follow it.
Might as well be comfortable on your way to work. ”
She studied me, then glanced around again. I could see her weighing her options.
Then she slipped her hand into her bag and looked at me. “I’m going to tell my coworker who I am with. Someone needs to know. For safety reasons.”
Meaning if she were to disappear, they’d have a lead. Smart. I liked it.
I nodded. “By all means. My name is Hale Carver, and I live in Madison, Mississippi.”
I waited until someone answered her call, and she gave them my name and where I lived.
I watched as she hesitated, then added, “The man in 2B.”
There was some louder response from the other woman, and I could see an annoyed line form on her mouth. Then she told her she would explain later before putting the phone back in her purse.
“All right. She knows who you are. She can identify you in a lineup,” the beauty informed me.
Had to have been the other flight attendant who had kept finding reasons to brush past me the other night.
“I guess we are ready to go then.”
With her tight nod, she still didn’t look so sure about this, but she followed me over to the Escalade that was kept at Opal’s apartment and owned by the family. Bulletproof, tinted windows and tracking—the usual safety measures we had on our vehicles.
Walking over to the passenger side, I opened the door for her, then held out my hand to help her step up.
A surprised look flickered across her eyes as she glanced at me, then said a quiet, “Thank you,” as if she didn’t know how to react to someone doing something so very basic.
The girl had grown up in Virginia, which was considered Southern, and most Southern men opened doors for ladies. Perhaps this was a first for her.
Her dainty hand rested in mine, and I tried real hard not to smirk as I helped her inside the vehicle.
Snow White was entertaining as hell.
Once I was in the driver’s seat, I gave her a quick look to see she had buckled and was twiddling her thumbs nervously in her lap. With me driving, she’d get to work thirty minutes earlier than if she’d taken the bus route. Which meant we had time to get coffee.
Already knowing her schedule, I decided to see how honest she was going to be with me and asked, “So, what’s your day look like? Flying anywhere interesting?”
She shrugged. “If you like Sydney, Australia, I guess. But I won’t see much of it. Just sleep and then get on another flight back.”
When I had read her work schedule, I’d been relieved to see she was leaving the country for a couple of days. She’d become a distraction for me, and I needed to get back on track.
“I’ve been there. Can’t say I love the flight. Must suck, having to work one of those.”
She laughed softly. “Yeah, but it pays well, and the majority of the time, passengers are sleeping. I will be in the first-class cabin, so it’s a lot easier.”
“Did you always want to be a flight attendant? Or was it something you decided in college?”
I knew she’d gotten a degree in marketing and wasn’t using it. Not only that, but she’d had a full ride to William & Mary, and that was fucking rare. They didn’t give many of those out.
She didn’t respond right away. I cut my eyes at her to see her brows drawn together as she stared straight ahead. What about that question bothered her?
“Not exactly,” she finally replied. “I, uh, decided to pursue it later in life.”
She wasn’t telling me something. I knew she had worked at Hark Allen Enterprises in the marketing division.
Then she’d just left. There were no specifics as to why.
I could have dug deeper, but I’d just pulled a basic background check.
I might have to have a more thorough one done on her now that she’d made me curious.
“What did you do before?” I asked as I slowed and pulled into an empty parking spot outside the coffee shop she preferred.
She looked out the window, then at me. “What are we doing?”
“With me driving, you’re going to save at least thirty minutes on your commute. I thought we’d grab a coffee. I’ve not had one yet.”
Reaching to unbuckle, she nodded. “Oh, yeah, okay.”
The spark in her eyes at the mention of getting coffee was cute. She wasn’t going to argue about that at least. Small miracles.