Page 6 of Home Coming

Good things didn’t happen to Jane Bailey Knowles. At least not for long.

One day the universe would realize that.

Realize she was a size sixteen college drop-out making obscene amounts of money for doing nothing more than putting on pretty clothes and make-up on social media platforms that could lose popularity and go the way of MySpace any day.

And when this surreal castle in the clouds she’d built came crashing down, she intended to have an investment portfolio strong enough she’d survive the fall.

With Xander doing things like hiring bodyguards and demanding she move to an expensive apartment, her imposter syndrome and fear kicked in doubly hard.

The tears threatened again. She felt them burning behind her eyes as she said, “Please don’t yell at me.”

Mouth pressed tight, Xander drew in a breath through his nose. “I’m sorry. I’m not yelling. I’m concerned. You can’t sleep here tonight. Hell, you shouldn’t sleep here ever again. I think we should move you out ASAP.”

She could agree with half of that statement. There was no way she would be able to sleep in this apartment tonight.

Tomorrow, maybe she could hire someone to fix the lock on the window that accessed the fire escape. She couldn’t count on the landlord to do any repairs in a timely manner.

With a working lock on the window, she’d feel slightly better. Although that wouldn’t stop someone from just breaking the glass.

Xander was right. In hindsight, that fire escape made access to her home scary-easy. Maybe she could get bars installed on the window. Or an alarm—

“Pack a bag,” Xander ordered, which seemed to be his normal way of speaking to people—in commands he was used to them following.

She leveled a glare at him. “Yes, sir.”

He cocked up one dark brow but ignored her attitude. “Do you have someplace to stay tonight?”

“I can go to Axel’s.”

They had plans for tonight anyway. They were going out to celebrate the six month anniversary of their first date.

She’d just go over early and finish getting ready for tonight there. She probably would have ended up spending the night there anyway. He hated her place.

His apartment was, admittedly, much nicer.

It must be nice to have a record contract with a big advance to spend rather than having to hope and pray the next sponsor contract would come through like she had to.

Looking at least satisfied temporarily with that plan, Xander nodded. “All right. I’ve got the company car and driver waiting downstairs. As soon as you’re done grabbing what you need for the night I’ll drive you over there.”

“Thanks, Dad.” With that plan, she felt lighter and gave in to the impulse to tease him.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m notquiteold enough to be your dad.”

“No, but you’ve got the tone down perfectly anyway.”

She actually found she could smile, until she turned and saw the mess the intruder had made of her apartment. Then there was no more smiling. Only fear.

He was right. She had to move. The question was, where? And how much was it going to cost her?

CHAPTERTHREE

San Diego to Atlanta to Albany.

It was a simple enough trip. Long, but easy given he was flying commercial and no one was going to be shooting at him at any point during the trip.

So far the journey had actually been enjoyable since Quinn had been on the flight from California to Atlanta with one of his teammates—Georgia-native Rich akaRichie-Rich.

“November in New York. Ya’ll got snow on the ground there already?” Rich asked as they exited the plane together.

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