Derek, Hunter, and Lola had worked out some sort of schedule for themselves for watching monitors, walking the perimeter, and sleep rotations. I didn’t bother to ask about it. I’d been through it before and it was best if I just went about my day.
“I just had an interesting talk with Cap,” Derek said as he entered the kitchen. I was standing at the stove, attempting to make dinner for all of us. How it turned out would be questionable.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, he says that you were assaulted in the bathroom at The Pittsburgh Press, which I already assumed, but now I know for sure. I just got my ass reamed for not keeping watch over you.” The animosity rolling off him was as plain as day. He didn’t want to be on my security detail and would probably prefer that I be taken by Carl Reiner just so that I wouldn’t be in his hair anymore.
“Hunter was the one with me.”
“But I’m in charge of your detail. Let’s get one thing straight, you don’t give the orders. If one of us tells you to do something, you fall in line or I’ll have your ass strapped to mine twenty-four seven.”
“Well, we’re going to have to work out some sort of agreement because I have an interview to conduct and I can’t have you all following me around like lost puppies.”
“What part of ‘you don’t give the orders’ did you not understand? There’s a maniac out there that’s just itching to get his hands on someone that he can use as leverage and since you pulled that stunt in New York, you’re the obvious target.”
“But you don’t know that for sure. He hasn’t made a move yet.” I placed my hand on my hip and faced him. “Look, I told Sebastian that I wouldn’t do anything to put myself in danger and I won’t, but I still need to be able to go about my day and do my job. I’m meeting with Amelia Sanford tomorrow to interview her about a charity she runs.”
“That’s it?”
“What do you mean?”
“That doesn’t sound like the hard hitting story you normally go after.”
I smirked and went back to my cooking at the stove. “Well, it turns out that her husband, Beau, is also involved in the charity.”
“And what’s he doing that’s going to potentially get you killed.”
I turned back to him in mock surprise. “I take offense to that.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“He happens to be the one that handles the finances for New Hope Charity. They’re currently raising money for families that have kids with serious illnesses. Like, helping to pay with travel and hotel expenses. I’ve run the numbers for what they said they need to raise and I looked back at previous events they’ve held and what was raised. The numbers don’t add up. Only about half the money is getting to the families that need it.”
“What about overhead?”
I shook my head and started to dish out the food. “I’ve already accounted for that. Which means that millions of dollars go missing when they hold one of these fundraisers.”
Derek sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Freckles, why do you always have to stick your nose in this crap? It never turns out well.”
“I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Security Agent. How many people have been injured from your company?”
“It comes with the job.”
“It does with mine also. Face it, neither of us do our jobs for the pay. We do it because we want to help people.”
He stepped toward me and crowded me against the counter. “I know I do it to help people, but I really wonder if you do it for the thrill of the chase. Which doesn’t make your cause noble, but selfish. Especially to the people that are trying to keep your ass safe.”
“I didn’t ask for anyone to keep me safe,” I said, feeling my hackles rise up. “If you want to leave, then do it. I have a life to live and I don’t need someone hounding my every move. And as for my motivation for doing my job, that’s none of your goddamn business.”
“You keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better. Just remember what happened the last time we had to protect you for one of your stories.”
Wow, that was like a slap in the face. Cal’s death still weighed heavily on my shoulders and no matter how many times Sebastian told me that if I wasn’t there, it would have been him or Cal, I just couldn’t really allow myself to believe it.
“Then do me a favor and just leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Then I’ll call the police and have you thrown out.”
“Do you really think Sebastian will let you just walk around without protection? For some reason that I don’t understand, he loves you and wants to protect you.” He scoffed and backed away. “If I’m going to get my ass shot off, I at least want it to be for a worthy cause.”
“Is that what you tell yourself happened with Alex? Was she a worthy cause? Because I don’t remember her coming out of that in one piece.”
Derek clenched his jaw and his fists balled up tight, like he was trying to restrain himself from hitting me. At this point, I just didn’t care. He acted like he was so much better than me and he didn’t even know me. Of all the people at Reed Security, he and Chris McKay were the least friendly and the two men that I really didn’t know anything about. They had never really given me a chance to prove myself and always looked at me like I was a nuisance and didn’t deserve a place amongst them. I got the feeling they only tolerated me because of my relationship with Sebastian. Now that our relationship was up in the air, it seemed Derek felt I was no longer worthy of his protection.
“Your house is wired and we have every protection we possibly could around you. We’ll keep a watch from outside from now on, but we’ll be driving you wherever you go. I’ll let Cap know that you don’t want us here.”
He turned and stormed out of the room. I heard loud voices down the hall and then a door slam. Hunter walked into the kitchen and eyed me suspiciously, then shook his head.
“Why couldn’t this just be an easy job?”
I didn’t say anything. Hunter didn’t seem to hate me, so at least there was that.
“Do you really want us to leave?”
I shrugged. “I don’t want any of you to get in trouble with Sebastian, but I know that none of you want to be here.”
“Freckles, I go where I’m sent. If Cap told me to go guard the devil himself, I would.”
“Hunter, you’re such a good guy.”
“Don’t let my cool demeanor fool you. I’m as lethal as they come,” he said with a smirk.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. It’s probably your secret weapon.”
Hunter came over to me and handed me a small device with a chain attached. “You wear this at all times. We’ll never be far. If you need us, you press that button and hold it down. We’ll be here on the double.”
I took the device and slipped it around my neck, watching Hunter disappear out my front door. Looking around my empty house, I felt even more alone and miserable than when I first came here. I was angry at myself for letting Derek get to me, but I was also angry because for the first time since I became a reporter, I let him get to me and question why I really did this. I told myself it was because I didn’t want others to feel how I did when my parents died. I had no answers about their deaths and no one that was willing to help me. Maybe that’s what I really needed, closure.
I picked up the phone and dialed Becky’s number.
“Please tell me you’re coming home. Boss man has been a bear since you left.”
“Not yet, but I think I know what I need to do.”
“Please tell me. I’ll do whatever’s necessary to get you back here and the boss man out of his grumpy ass mood.”
“I need you to get me all the information you can on my parents’ deaths. I also need everything on everyone that was involved in investigating their accident.”
“Uh, so you know how I just said I would do anything? Well, I’m going to need to tell boss man about this. I can’t just run this through
the system. Everything is monitored and he would find out eventually.”
“I thought you were some badass hacker? Are you telling me that you can’t cover your tracks and make it so he would never know you were looking?”
“Why can’t he know? It’s not like he doesn’t know what happened to your parents.”
“I know, but then he’ll want to help me and I think I need to do this on my own.”
“Honey, I hate to tell you this, but you seem to think that you need to do everything on your own. Why won’t you let him help you?”
“Becky, either you need to help me or I’ll find a way to get the information on my own, which you know will be much more involved and probably cause a lot more trouble.”
She sighed and started typing in the background. “I’ll help you, but only because I want you and boss man to work this out.”
“Thank you, Becky.”
“No problem, give me a day or two and I’ll get you everything I can.”
After chatting with her for a few more minutes, I got off and decided that my dinner was cold and gross. I tossed it in the garbage and went to my room for a hot shower. I was exhausted mentally and physically. I hadn’t been feeling well the last couple of days and this was a terrible time to catch a bug. I was tired of fighting so much with everyone I came into contact with. Sebastian was probably going to be pissed with me. After getting out of the shower and getting in a t-shirt, I laid down and was just closing my eyes when my phone rang. That had to be Sebastian.
Rolling over, I picked up my phone and said a weary hello. No one responded.
“Hello?”
Still no answer. I sat up in my bed, completely frustrated with the caller on the other end.
“Who the hell is this? Don’t just breathe heavy on the other end. Like that’s really going to intimidate me. If you have something to say, then fucking say it already so I can go to sleep.”
But, of course the little shit on the other end didn’t say anything. Frustrated, I hung up and flopped back on my pillow. The phone rang again and I answered with a shitty hello.
“Do you have something to say this time?”
Still heavy breathing. What a jackass.
“The funny thing is that you think you can intimidate me, but all you’re doing is pissing me the fuck off. Say something or stop calling.”
Still nothing. I hung up again and put my arm over my head, screaming in frustration when my phone rang a third time.
“What the fuck do you want, asshole?”
“I didn’t realize I went straight to asshole when we broke up,” Sebastian’s deep voice slid through the phone. Sighing I sank down into the comfort of my bed and snuggled my pillow, wishing it was him.
“Sorry about that.”
“What’s going on?”
“Just a prank call.”
“Uh-huh. How about I find out where the call was coming from?”
“I’m sorry, who are you and what have you done with Sebastian?”
He cleared his throat before speaking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The Sebastian I know would never ask permission to do something he wanted.”
“I’m trying to be respectful of your space.”
I didn’t like it. As much as I said I didn’t want Sebastian all over my business, I didn’t like him this way either. Sebastian was naturally demanding and commanding. Seeing him ask for this was just wrong.
“Do what you have to do,” I said, trying my best to sound irritated. The smile in my voice no doubt tipped him off that I wasn’t at all upset with him. “So, I suppose you’re calling because I kicked your team out.”
“Is there any point in trying to argue with you about the merits of them staying in the house with you?”
“Derek hates me and so does Lola. Hunter is the only one that doesn’t seem to care what’s going on with you and I.”
“They don’t need to like you. They need to keep you alive.”
“Sebastian, don’t you think this is a little much? It’s got to be costing you a fortune to have them out here with me when they could be off doing a job they’d be getting paid for.”
“You could make this simple and come back here.”
“I could, but then we’d end up back where we started. I think this is really for the best.”
“Just so you know, they have strict instructions to pick up your ass and drag you back here if someone even so much as tries to lay a finger on your pretty, little head.”
“Noted.”
“I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Alright. I’ll talk to you later.”
I felt like a school girl, not wanting to hang up, but I knew that if I stayed on with him, it would only give him hope.
“Goodnight, Cap.”
“Goodnight, Freckles.”
✯✯✯✯✯
“Shit!” I looked at my phone and saw it was already nine-thirty. I was supposed to be at Amelia Sanford’s house at ten. I had gone to sleep before nine last night, so I had no idea how I slept so late. I jumped out of bed and practically fell over when a wave of dizziness struck me. Damn, I had to start eating more. I debated taking a shower, but knew I didn’t have time. I finger combed my hair and threw on some dress pants and a professional top. After sliding on my shoes, I grabbed a banana and headed out the front door, car keys in hand.
Hunter stood on the front porch, lazily twirling his keys in his hand.
“I was wondering if you were going to come out.” He stood and headed for his truck without another word. I guess that meant I was supposed to follow.
“You look like shit this morning,” he said as we drove down the road.
“Thanks.”
I peeled open my banana and took a bite, not at all wanting to eat it, but knowing that if I didn’t, I would probably fall over. I couldn’t remember the last time I actually ate a full meal.
“Seriously, you don’t look so good this morning. Maybe you should reschedule.”
“I can’t. I have to meet with her when her husband’s out of the house.”
He reached into the back seat and pulled out a water bottle. “Drink this. You look like you’re getting dehydrated.”
“How does someone look dehydrated?”
“You look exhausted and you have dark circles under your eyes. Your skin looks like it needs a good soak in lotion and don’t think I missed the way you were stumbling behind me on the way to the truck.”
I grumbled and took the bottle of water from him, drinking in small sips. I pulled my sunglasses off my head and pulled them over my eyes. I was getting a killer headache, so Hunter was probably right. I was most likely dehydrated. I hated it when these guys were right.
We pulled up to a mansion just slightly after ten and I quickly got out, motioning for Hunter to stay in the truck. I pulled the black device from my neck, showing him that I had it with me. He stayed put and I went and rang the doorbell and was greeted by a butler moments later.
“Hi, I’m Ms. Curtis. I have an appointment with Mrs. Sanford.”
“Please wait here,” he indicated to a chair in the foyer, “while I see if she’s ready for you.”
He walked off and I sat in the chair, realizing that I was already tired. Crap. I was going to have to grab a huge meal when this was over. I flipped through my phone while I waited for the butler to return and looked at my calendar for the rest of the week. When I saw the asterisk on the previous Wednesday, I stopped dead in my tracks. What the fuck? I thought back over the last week and recounted where I should be in my cycle and sure enough, I was a good week late on my period. No, that wasn’t right. I didn’t have my period last month either. At the time, I had thought it was from the stress of breaking up with Sebastian and then completely forgot about it.
Was I the dumbest woman on the planet? Did women actually forget their periods hadn’t arrived? I even had the different colored pills to show me that I should have my period. What the
hell was wrong with me?
“Ms. Curis?” I jerked my head up, my eyes wide as I stared at the butler, trying to comprehend what he was saying over the roaring in my ears. “I said, Mrs. Sanford will see you now.”
I stared at him for another moment before quickly gathering my things and following behind him into a sitting room. It was poshly decorated with all white furniture with blue accents around the room. I sat down in the chair across from Amelia Sanford and wondered if the sick feeling I was getting was nerves from a late period or morning sickness.
“Ms. Curtis, if we could begin?”
Amelia was an impeccably dressed woman with her blonde hair pulled back in a bun that I could never pull off with my frizzy, curly hair. She was perfectly put together and I had just rolled out of bed.
I gave a quick smile and pulled out my recorder. “I hope you don’t mind, but this is easier and more accurate than if I take notes.”
“Of course not.”
“I wanted to ask you a few questions about your charity, um..” I swallowed thickly and tried my damndest to concentrate. Nausea started to swirl in my stomach and it took everything I had not to vomit all over her blue and white rug.
“Are you alright, Ms. Curtis?”
I nodded jerkily and took a deep breath. Feeling the nausea continue to bubble, I stood suddenly, another wave of dizziness hitting.
“Would you mind if I used your restroom for a minute.”
She nodded and in an instant, the butler was there guiding me out of the room. I barely made it to the bathroom before I threw up the banana and water I’d had on the way here. Wiping my mouth, I stood and rinsed my mouth in the sink and stared at my pasty complexion in the mirror. I was already pale, but I looked like death right now. The knock at the door pulled me from my depressing thoughts. The butler stood there with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash. I thanked him and then shut the door, embarrassed that he had known that I had thrown up. When I finished, I made my way back to the sitting room, where Mrs. Sanford sat with a tray of crackers and what looked like ginger ale.
Cap_A Reed Security Romance Page 6
