“I’m going to print this out,” she said, already doing just that. Jonathan didn’t respond. All of his attention was on the man’s face. Anger, hot and fluid, moved over every inch of his skin. “Wait,” Lola said, pausing in what she was doing to look back at him. “Do you know this man?”
“No,” he admitted. “I saw him earlier today, though. He had a woman with him then.”
But, what Jonathan really wanted to know was, where were they now?
Chapter Eight
Kate rubbed her arms as if the motion would scrub away the feeling of unease that had crept in. The two NYPD officers who had shown up had eyed the bloody threat with a good dose of concern, but it hadn’t lasted long. They took pictures, removed the letter and bagged it.
“We’ll check the blood to see who or what it belongs to,” one of them said. “If anything comes up, we’ll let you know.”
Kate watched as Jonathan’s mood darkened. He had expected more.
“And the man?” he asked when the two looked like they were ready to leave.
“We’ll run his name and pay him a visit,” the most senior of the two said. “What happens during that visit depends on if this is real blood or not.”
They didn’t stick around past that. Kate watched them walk down the narrow hallway to the elevators with a flush of frustration she’d bet the bodyguard was also harboring.
“I thought they’d be more helpful, somehow,” she admitted when the officers were in the elevator. “They didn’t really even seem to be too concerned about it. I mean, I know they’ve probably seen much worse than a blood-soaked letter, but still...”
Jonathan muttered something angrily beneath his breath before motioning to her door.
“Go ahead and get your things together.”
Kate’s eyebrows flew straight up.
“What? We aren’t leaving,” she exclaimed. “I don’t care if some sadistic person is trying their best to freak me out. I have work to do and I’m not—”
“Kate,” Jonathan interrupted. He held his hand up to further emphasize the need for her to stop. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t leave, even if I asked. The hotel manager is letting us move to another set of rooms off book.”
Kate felt her face heat slightly.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, so please go get your things together so we can go to our new rooms.”
Kate nodded, but paused before opening her door.
“What do you mean, ‘off book’?”
“In the computers we’ll still be registered as staying in these rooms. The ones we’ll be using are now booked under different names. Hopefully that will keep our letter writer from paying us another visit.” He quieted a moment. “I don’t think they will rebook this room on the off chance the writer decides to escalate, either. Also, may I point out that you should care that some sadistic person is trying their best to freak you out. Caution isn’t for stupid people, Kate. It’s smart people who’ve realized that they should be careful.”
Kate felt the low thrum of nerves in her stomach get a touch louder. She nodded to Jonathan and his words of wisdom, and again she wondered what that next step might be. Either way, Jonathan wasn’t taking any chances. He waited for her to go inside and lock her door before she heard him go to his own room.
Packing quickly made the methodical side of her cringe. What normally would have her taking her time—finding each article of clothing and accessory a specific place—had her cramming her luggage full. The room, she realized, now felt tainted in a way. Whose blood had been on that letter? Was it the man she’d seen earlier on the street? Or had he taken it from someone else?
Kate’s eyes traveled to the side pocket of her bag. Within it was a small leather-bound notebook.
What you’re doing is important, Kate, she thought. Don’t let them scare you.
She took a deep breath.
Jonathan was already packed and waiting for her in the hall when she finished. Without a word he took the bag from her and began walking. She gave the door one last look. The hotel manager had said she would be cleaning it off personally. Kate hoped she’d do it soon, or some late nighters would get more of a scare than they’d bargained for.
“We need to talk more about tonight,” Jonathan said as soon as the elevator doors closed them in. Kate followed his finger as he hit the third-floor button. She didn’t want to look him in the eyes. She didn’t want to fight.
“Aren’t bodyguards supposed to be quiet observers?” she asked with a small smile. Even though she’d taken a nap earlier, fatigue was pulling her body down. Her adrenaline had spiked when she’d seen the present left on the door. Now it had all but worn off, leaving exhaustion in its wake. She didn’t want to talk about any of it right then. Not even with the man who was obviously trying his best to keep her safe without knowing whom he was protecting her from.
“I thought you didn’t like men who quietly watched you from a distance.” Though the reference was done in a humorous way, Kate detected no lightness to his mood. She cut her eyes toward him.
Looking straight ahead, there was no denying Jonathan Carmichael had an absolutely handsome profile. Hard angles to his jaw, chin and nose gave him a sculpted, tough look, while his eyes...
Jonathan turned and met her stare with his own. Those very eyes she’d just been trying to find descriptors for were now focused squarely on her.
Kate prided herself on being meticulous in work and in life. She labeled things—and people—with no second thoughts. She paid attention to the smaller details while often losing sight of the larger picture, as her father liked to say. To know the name of something—the essence of what made it up—was a natural and necessary ritual for her. A reflex of sorts that had made her work life flourish while, perhaps, stunting her personal one. Her emotions were included in the latter. Kate wouldn’t go as far as to say she didn’t have feelings—she did—but they were calculated and timed with reason.
Yet, in that moment, Kate found a part of her floundering to make sense of a new warmth that had taken place within her. What’s more, in all of her vocabulary and thought, she couldn’t seem to find one word to describe the dark blue of her bodyguard’s eyes.
And certainly not how they made her feel all of a sudden.
“Are you okay?” he asked, the world beneath their feet stopping. The elevator beeped. The door slid open. “Kate?” His voice dipped low, concern clearly there. She’d known him for less than a day and here he was, showing genuine concern for her well-being. Was that just part of the job?
Kate blinked.
“Sorry. I just—I’m tired. I guess I was more worn out from traveling than I’d thought.” To prove her point, she stifled a yawn, stretching her arms out wide. “Don’t you want to get some sleep?” Jonathan held her stare a moment longer before she slid into the hallway, trying to escape whatever fog she’d just found herself in. Why would it matter if he cared for her beyond his bodyguard duties? Or if he didn’t? Kate didn’t detest the idea that Jonathan could genuinely care. Instead it created an anxious feeling inside her. What would she even do if he did?
“I’ve learned to operate on little sleep,” he said matter-of-factly, following her out. “Call it a trick of the trade.”
They moved down the hall and to their new rooms, Jonathan unlocking the first before going inside. He did the same sweep he’d done that morning, checking every inch of the space before giving it the okay. When he was finished, however, he went to the door and threw the top latch.
Locking the two of them inside.
The fog from earlier rushed back, but this time lightning jolted through it. Heat rose up her neck and spread to her cheeks. She raised her eyebrow, questioning the man. Was he staying the night with her?
Quickly her eyes flitted to the one king-size bed in the
room. Her skin grew hotter.
If Jonathan noticed her burning blush, he didn’t say anything.
“I know you’re not a fan of adjoining rooms,” he said, walking to the one next to her. “But given what’s happened, I thought it might be smart to have access to one.” He pulled another key card from his pocket and slid it into the lock on the door. It clicked and he opened it wide. Kate peered in to see another duplicate room. One with its own king-size bed.
The heat that should have abated at realizing the bodyguard wasn’t trying to stay in her room didn’t. Kate turned to her bag on the floor and unzipped it, talking over her shoulder while she hoped her face wasn’t too red.
“As long as you don’t decide to turn into a creep and come into my room while I sleep, I think I’ll survive.”
He laughed.
“I won’t come stare at you sleeping if you don’t do the same to me.” She turned as he placed a second key card on the TV stand next to the door. “If you need me, just knock. Good night.”
He started to close his door when Kate moved toward him. He stopped as she called his name.
“Jonathan?” He turned and once again she was slammed with the full impact of his eyes. She didn’t let it divert her current thought process, though. “I don’t know exactly how Orion and its agents work—if you call in and give updates—but I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention to my father what’s happened.” She gave him a small smile. “I know technically he’s the one who hired you, but he worries too much.”
The bodyguard looked like he was going to say something but decided against it. He didn’t return her smile.
“You know, it’s okay to have people worry about you. That’s all some people want in this world.” The way he said the last part pulled at her heart. It also piqued her curiosity about the life of the man in front of her. Regardless, she pressed on.
“My father has had enough worry to last him a lifetime,” she said. “I don’t want to add to it until I have to.”
She searched his face, looking for the cause of the hardened man.
“When this is over, I’ll give a full report to my boss and then she’ll debrief the client. But, for now, I think we both need some sleep.”
It wasn’t a yes to her request, but it wasn’t a no, either.
* * *
NO THREATENING LETTERS covered in blood appeared during the night. The hotel’s day manager, a balding man named Ted, kept a vigilant eye out for the man caught on the security footage as well as any other suspicious activity after Lola explained what had happened. Like Jett, his enthusiasm worked to their advantage. It was like he’d been asked to be a spy temporarily. He seemed to enjoy a break from his normal, everyday activities.
When Kate and Jonathan came down to the lobby to introduce themselves, he was more than accommodating.
“If you’d like to have breakfast, it’s on the house,” he chirped at them. Kate’s stomach growled in response. She hadn’t eaten since the Chinese restaurant the day before.
“That’s nice,” she commented. Ted in turn kept smiling even as he leaned in close to ask for any updates from the police.
“I called in before we came down but was told there was no new information,” Jonathan answered with a shrug. “I suppose we just have to wait.”
Ted nodded to that, and Kate and the bodyguard took advantage of their free breakfast. It wasn’t until they were halfway into their eggs and bacon that the man across from her asked a question she’d been expecting.
“So, what exactly is this convention all about?”
Kate paused her fork in midair.
“What do you know about it already?” she asked, curious.
“Nothing other than you need to be invited and wear something nice.”
Kate smirked.
“The convention, typically, isn’t a public affair. Depending on your field of study, what you’re working on and your connections, you get invited to showcase your research or invention. You basically present to potential sponsors for funding.” She felt her smirk transform into a more genuine show of excitement. “I had a breakthrough with the work I’ve been doing and was invited to present my research.” Jonathan nodded, seemingly impressed. If he wanted more details than that, he was going to be disappointed. Only those who needed to know did. “That’s actually why we’re meeting Greg for coffee. He’s more of a mentor and, I’m hoping, has a present for me.”
Jonathan raised his eyebrow.
“What kind of present?” he asked.
Her smirk came back in full.
“The game-changing kind.”
Chapter Nine
Greg Calhoun was short, round and had little hair. His dark skin was a complete contrast to his chemically treated white smile, and his glasses were as awkwardly shaped as the crumpled handkerchief he always carried in his pocket. He entered the coffee shop with a narrow focus that didn’t dissipate until his eyes landed on Kate. He shone his sparkling smile and made a beeline for her.
“Kate,” he exclaimed in greeting. “What a sight for sore eyes.”
Kate stood and accepted his embrace. She felt the corners of her lips lift. Her social life might have been stunted by her professional one, but she considered the older man a true friend.
“Nice to see you, too, Greg. It’s been a long time since we’ve talked to each other in person,” she said, sitting back down. Jonathan sat to her left and extended a hand to Greg as he sat opposite. “Greg, I’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Carmichael.” Kate hesitated before explaining their relationship. She hadn’t told anyone aside from a friend about her father’s need for his daughter to be protected. Was it against the rules to tell him now that Jonathan was her bodyguard? She trusted Greg. Few people in her life had garnered such intense trust and loyalty from her. Shouldn’t she pay him the same courtesy?
“I’m her bodyguard.” Jonathan spoke up while she was still deciding what to say. Surprised, she tilted her head. “You seemed to be struggling with what to label me,” he whispered before turning back to the man.
Greg shook his hand without issue and nodded.
“I’m glad you hired one, to be honest,” he said. “Once your father told me about the letters, I was concerned you weren’t being cautious enough.”
Kate’s eyes widened and a slow burn crept to her face.
“My father told you about the letters?” she asked. Greg paid her enough respect to look sheepish.
“He phoned me after he found out. I think he made the call to find out if I sent them or had received any like them. When he was convinced I really hadn’t known about their existence, he told me to keep an eye out for you at the convention.” He patted his pronounced stomach and then motioned to Jonathan’s flat front. “I’m glad you decided to get someone a bit more qualified.”
Jonathan let out a small laugh, but Kate wasn’t in the mood. Her father had gone behind her back. She could already imagine the unapologetic look on Deacon’s face when she eventually confronted him about it.
“Listen, don’t be mad at your father,” Greg added. “He’s worried about you and—” he put the silver case he’d been carrying on the table and gave it a pat “—I don’t blame him.”
Despite the subtle warning, Kate couldn’t help but grin.
“You actually got it,” she almost yelled in excitement. Suddenly the anxiety of the last twenty-four hours disappeared. “I was worried it wouldn’t be ready in time!”
Greg smiled.
“You may not be able to use it, but I think it will help to have at least one physical example of the work you’ve been doing. Seeing is believing and all of that.” He pulled the case off the table and set it on the ground beside him. Jonathan looked between the two without saying a thing. If it had been Kate, she would have questioned
the exchange, but she had a feeling Jonathan was staying professional. He was there to guard her, not nose into her business. Again, something she definitely would have been doing if the shoe had been on the other foot.
“Well, thank you,” she said. “Hopefully this will get people’s attention.”
Greg sobered slightly.
“I hope so.” He turned to Jonathan and gave him a sly smile. “Speaking of hope, I hope this one here hasn’t made your life too difficult. I know she can be a handful.”
Jonathan laughed.
“She’s not the most difficult client I’ve had,” he answered. “She’s not the easiest, either.”
Greg gave a hoot of laughter.
“I’m right here, you know,” Kate pointed out. Jonathan cut her a quick smirk. It jump-started parts of her she hadn’t realized needed jump-starting. Once again, warmth started to spread up her chest and neck. She hid behind her coffee, taking a big swig. Had he been this attractive when they’d first met? Or had she been too distracted by her disgruntled attitude to really feel it?
“That’s a very politically correct way to phrase it,” Greg said. His expression softened. “Cassandra was the same way. She liked to say she was just spirited. Kathryn here definitely could fall into the same category.” Kate lowered her cup. Her mother’s name impacted her in two ways every time she was mentioned. She remembered the woman who had loved her and whom she had loved back. Cassandra’s inspiring compassion and untouchable determination had left a lasting mark on her only daughter. Kate felt the same love she’d felt all those years ago every time the woman was brought up. Yet, at the same token, she also felt the emptiness her death had left behind. A blank space that should have been filled with memories of growing up with her. Memories that should have included school dances and birthday parties, teenage love problems that only moms knew how to fix, graduations and celebrations, quiet nights spent watching TV together, oblivious to the pain that would be felt if all of it were to be taken away.
Greg reached forward and patted the top of Kate’s hand. He wasn’t a stranger to the pain that Cassandra Spears’s death had brought. Jonathan once again remained quiet, obviously trying to respect the turn in conversation. He searched her face, though, as if there was something in her eyes that could lead him to the answer. In the moment, she felt an odd sense of obligation to him.
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