Page 36 of Submission

“If that girl doesn’t have a place to stay, bring her home with you. You told me she was practically homeless and that Naomi is always over at her new boyfriend’s house, right?”

“Yes, but–“

“So don’t let her out of your sight for the next two days.”

“Hunter.“

“Trust me.”

Megan gives me a doubtful look before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I just think it’s weird for me to hire her one day and have her live with me the next.”

“Some would say it was weird for me to move you into my apartment building when you needed a safe place to stay.”

“Are you throwing that in my face?”

“No, I’m just making a point, Megan. There was something about you that made me want to take action, to protect you.”

“And so you’re saying you feel the same way about Lacy?” She raises an eyebrow.

“Again, it’s not the same. This is different, but you’re just going to have to trust me. Have I ever lied to you?”

“Fine.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “But she seems like a sweet girl, and she can cook her ass off. You’d better not have anything heinous planned for her.”

“I don’t,” I assure her. “I just need to confirm something, but I need to keep her somewhere safe until I do.”

Megan studies me and then nods slowly. “It’s still weird, but she can stay with me for a bit. I’ll give her my room, and I can sleep in the living room. Even though she’s never home, Naomi still pays rent, and I wouldn’t want to invade her space.”

“Okay.”

“That’s if Lacy even agrees to it.”

“You can be very persuasive when you want to be.” I smile, leaning down to give her a chaste kiss on her pouty lips.

“And so can you, Mr. Middleton.”

An hour later, I tell Lars and Parker to drive both Megan and Lacy to the apartment.

“Stay with them,” I order both men. “Keep your guard up.”

Neither of them probably understands why I’d want my two best men to transport and guard two women who are not an imminent threat, but it’s not a requirement for my security team to understand my orders. The only thing I require is for them to execute them, and Lars and Parker do that without fail.

In the meantime, I’m going to send in the drinking glass that Lacy was using in Megan’s office, along with a strand of my hair, to a local lab that Vaughn has connections with.

“Are you sure?” he asks me, his face grim.

“I have to check, Vaughn. She was wearing colored contact lenses, and her hair was definitely dyed.”

“So you think she’s purposely disguising herself?”

“I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“That’s unlike you.”

“Tell me about it.”

“It’s going to take me at least two days to get the results,” Vaughn says.

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