Page 30 of Ugly Beautiful Scars

I turn down the brightness on the monitor, giving her some semblance of privacy while still maintaining surveillance. But now I'm thinking about what her friend said earlier.

Londyn thinks I'm cute, huh?

I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but Marine training and years in security have made my hearing better than most. Not great when I'm trying to mind my own business. Also, the Australianfriend's excited squeal had been loud enough for the neighbors to hear, followed by Londyn's mortified hang-up.

I grin. Most people think I'm never paying attention, too absorbed in my own thoughts or whatever I'm reading. They don't realize I'm always aware of what's around me. Every conversation. Every movement. Every subtle shift in energy. That's part of my job.

But now I can't get the thought out of my head:She thinks I'm cute.

"I mean it," Mike continues from the kitchen, his voice softening, "After getting laid off a few months back, things have been tight. Especially with Mona pregnant again."

That makes me turn around. "You didn't tell me Mona's pregnant. Congrats, man."

His face lights up like someone flipped a switch. "Thanks. It's another boy. Due in seven months." He pats the protein containers like they're somehow related to his virility. "This job, man, the pay is seriously generous. Londyn must have money, right?"

"Uh, yeah." I turn back to the monitors.

I can't exactly tell him the truth, that I'm the one paying him. Londyn is covering the rent on this second apartment, but I told her NexaProtect offers financial aid for certain cases.However,I'm not doing this through NexaProtect. I'm fronting the billfor everything: equipment, security setup, personnel. I have too much cash sitting in accounts doing nothing, so might as well put it toward something useful. I'm paying Mike three times what NexaProtect would offer. He's got a family, people who depend on him. Money does better in his pocket than collecting dust in my account.

I still hate lying about it.

"I've got a few job prospects lined up for when this ends," Mike says, now organizing protein bars in a cupboard. "Security supervisor at a mall in Tampa, couple of security gigs for visiting executives. We should be okay." Something clatters on the floor in the kitchen but I don't turn to look at what it is. Mike's voice strains slightly as he bends to pick it up. "But the money from this job is half my normal yearly salary. Mona and I are thinking about taking a vacation before the baby comes. Just us and a beach somewhere. We'll need it for our sanity because babies are pure chaos, man."

He pauses, and I glance over to catch the flicker of guilt crossing his face. "I feel bad about flying out here and leaving her alone with the boys, but we talked it through. The money was just too good to pass up." He nods to himself like answering an internal question. "Her sister's staying at the house to help with the kids, at least."

I feel fuzzy inside from listening to him. It's not just the contentment in his tone; it's the way his entire being seems constructed around his family, like every cell in his body is programmed to orbit them. There's something beautiful about that kind of wholehearted devotion.

Sounds nice.

And I trust him. Unlike Jeremy in Hawaii, the traitor who sold out Sienna for a payday and nearly got her killed, Mike is solid. I've known him since our Marine days. He's got my back, and I've got his. One less thing to worry about.

Now I need to make sure I don't fuck up and get Londyn hurt.

I make a mental note to start the background checks tomorrow. Didn't want to overwhelm her today, but I'll need names. Her boss, coworkers, the staff at that coffee shop she mentioned, even her Australian friend. Anyone with regular contact needs to be vetted, so I'll run them through the databases, check for criminal records, financial troubles, any red flags that might indicate some motive to stalk her.

Mike and I will probably need to do some light surveillance too. Scope out the coffee shop employees during regular hours, maybe tail a few coworkers. See if anyone's showing unusual interest in her routine. It's tedious work, but that's how you catch stalkers; they're creatures of habit, just like their targets.

I settle back in my chair, eyes returning to the screen where Londyn's ending her call with her friend. Her entire demeanor changes as she flops onto the couch. She draws her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them in a protective cocoon, and glances up at the camera with uncertain eyes. For a moment, it's like we're watching each other, though I know she can't see me.

Strangely enough, she waves.

Like she's sensing I'm here. Like she knows.

I find myself waving back before I can think about it, this absurd gesture at a monitor creating some thread between us. It's an odd feeling. I'm so used to being alone in hotel rooms, rental cars, airport terminals. Everywhere. Always moving, never anchoring.

She opens the book she picked for our book club, and I feel a peace in my bones. I've got a reading buddy. It's such a simple thing, but I've never been in a book club. Always wanted one, though.

And without her hoodie on today, I got a better look. Wavy brown hair that reminds me of the brilliant earth tones Sienna captures in her paintings. When we were in closer proximity in the bathroom, I caught the scent of something floral—not perfume, just shampoo. I couldn't stop wanting to breathe it in. Her lips, when they finally curved into a smile at one of my jokes, were pink and…

My brain flashes a warning:Human error in progress.This shit isn't good. I can't deny I'm attracted to her. It's been a long time since anyone caught my attention this way. My life doesn't exactly accommodate relationships. Not with my history or work or with the burden I carry.

It's surprising, and I need to fucking ignore it.

"Sean."

Mike's voice cuts through my thoughts, hard and serious. I hadn't even sensed him approach. That's a bad sign for someone in my profession. Thoughts of Londyn were distracting me. That realization opens a pit from hell in my stomach, all my demons wanting to unleash themselves.

Mike is standing beside me, arms crossed, eyes drilling into mine with an intensity that feels like an interrogation.

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