Page 149 of Nothing to Fear

Some of the bluster left his aura. “Whatever you need.” He exhaled. “You know how to find me.”

As he walked on out, she stayed put. They were attracted to each other, two people in an intense situation who needed comfort. What was wrong with that?

FIFTY-ONE

BREAKFAST WAS LAID out on carts near the windows when she emerged the following morning. Darroch was at the dining table, a laptop and other office type things laid out around him.

“Why are you over there?” she asked, going to pour coffee. “There’s a desk here.”

That the actual desk was closer to her room didn’t make it hers.

“See the stack of stuff on it.”

Yes, she did. Files, a laptop, some thick stacks of documents bound together.

“What about it?” she asked, inhaling the scent of the coffee before drinking it.

“That’s your work for today.”

“My work?” Was that some kind of joke? She didn’t even have a job. Going over to check what he could possibly… “Huddle Hope.”

Everything was related to the scheme Roxie wanted her to be a part of.

“Time to familiarize yourself.”

“Hmm.” She sat down to take a closer look. Wouldn’t hurt, right? She hadn’t signed anything, there was no commitment. “At least I’ll have something to do to pass the time.”

Somehow she couldn’t see herself vegging out in front of the TV and forgetting about the drama in her life. Work would give her a focus.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

She sipped her coffee and started to spread everything out. “Good. Considering. Any news?”

“I haven’t seen anyone this morning. But no calls, no emails. I’ve got a call with the task force at noon, if you want in on it.”

“The task force?” she asked, feeling sort of swanky while simultaneously holding in a laugh. “There’s a task force?”

“This person is pursuing you.”

“Yeah,” she said without hiding her smile. “But a person like me doesn’t get a task force. We wouldn’t even get a call back.” She edged her cup aside. “Guess that’s what money gets you.”

“Want me to disband it?”

Twisting around, she caught the back of her chair to look across the room at him. “Disband—no.”

“No problem for me, baby. I’ll live here forever with you, sounds ideal.”

Some might expect that to be snide. It wasn’t. Darroch Breckenridge couldn’t slight her if he tried. Her shoulders dropped. Except he could. Why did she have to keep reminding herself that the man she thought he was didn’t exist?

“No, you’re right. The quicker this is over, the better.”

“You sure about that? ‘Cause I could relive last night for the next fifty-something years, if you’re with me.”

Last night being locked in there together, dinner? Family…? Sex?

“Look, I’m sorry if I confused things. Maybe I had too much wine, I don’t know, it just felt okay, like it was okay to…”

“It was okay. Is okay. I’m here for whatever you need. Just like you said.”

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