Page 101 of Protected

“When do I ever? I don’t think I’ve slept for the last seven years.” He grinned.

“Speaking of busy, why aren’t you with the senator at the press conference?”

“The what? What are you talking about?” Bradley felt himself panicking. What the fuck is Atleigh doing now?

“Yeah, right here, see? His secretary shares his calendar with me. He’s speaking right now.”

“Shit!” Bradley ran into the conference room where they kept a television and flipped it on. Sure enough, Senator Sean Atleigh was taking the podium.

• • •

Darci was glad Bradley was working late tonight. It would give her plenty of time to think of a way to tell him about her plan to work with his father. Settling onto the living room couch, she flipped on the television. There hadn’t been time to catch up on the news all day. When she saw Sean Atleigh at a podium, she froze. He was giving a press conference, and his press secretary, Sandra was right behind him.

“My office would like to extend our condolences to the families who have lost loved ones at the hands of this serial killer. I know many of you are wondering about my chief of staff’s involvement in the investigation, as he has a connection to both victims. He is currently grieving the loss of Miss Bricker and can’t be here to speak for himself. However, Mr. Givens wanted me to extend his sincerest apologies to the family of Miss Bricker, and Mrs. Dixon. While he admits to being curious about the lifestyle that the victims were all involved in, he himself does not practice it. His relationships with both victims originated outside of anything deviant and he went on one date with Miss Bricker. Mrs. Dixon was a family friend and that is all. I would like to add that he is not currently a suspect in the investigation. When he is feeling up to it, he will make a statement of his own.”

The senator kept talking but Darci wasn’t listening anymore. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, so she squeezed them shut.Why the fuck didn’t Bradley tell me about this? Why would he lie?Darci suddenly felt trapped inside his apartment. Where could she go? What could she do? She didn’t want to leave the safety of the protection detail, but she also couldn’t stay there. Not when he was willing to put his career and that bastard Atleigh’s campaign above her. She picked up her phone.

“Michael, hey it’s Darci. Are you busy?”

Peter tried to talk her out of leaving. But he soon relented and agreed to take her to Michael’s house because he needed to leave town again for a couple of days. After scrawling a note for Bradley, she walked out the door.

• • •

Bradley spent the next hour fuming inside his office. He couldn’t believe Sandra let him do that. The senator had gone home straight from the conference so there was no talking to him tonight. This was the last straw. He hoped and prayed Darci hadn’t seen the press conference but the chances of that were slim. When he tried to call her, she didn’t answer. This would be fun to explain to her. He’d sent a text to Sandra ordering her back to the office as soon as the press conference was over.

“What thefuck,Sandra,” he snarled when she walked into his office.

“Bradley, I’m so sorry. The senator insisted that this was the right move. The only way to make you see reason.”

“Reason? What the fuck does that even mean?”

“I’m sorry, Bradley, I was just doing my job.”

“By letting the senator get up in front of a crowd of reporters and lie about me? Toforceme to make a statement denouncing something I have no intention of denouncing?”

“I don’t want to talk about your kinky sex life. I don’t see why you can’t just give the statement and keep that shit private, anyway.”

“Get out, Sandra. Just get out. I’m too pissed to deal with this tonight.”

The woman retreated, and Bradley slammed his fist into the door behind her.

“FUCK,” he shouted.

Nobody could hear him though. He had already sent Adara and the rest of the staff home.

There was nothing he could do but go home and face Darci. When he got in the car, Peter was driving. Usually, one of the other guards picked him up.

“Everything all right?” he asked.

Peter looked uncomfortable. “I’m not sure how to tell you this, but Darci left and went to Michael’s place.” Fear washed over him as Peter spoke. She must have watched the press conference. “I tried to talk her out of it. I’m not entirely sure what happened, and I’m not going to get in the middle of it unless I find out you intentionally hurt her.”

“Fuck. I didn’t. I swear. My boss just royally fucked me. Why aren’t you with her? Even if she’s pissed at me, I still want her protected.”

“Don’t worry, brother. I left the rest of the detail outside Michaels place. She insisted I be the one to pick you up.”

At least there was that.

Once in his apartment he found her note.

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