Page 44 of Russian Roulette
I nod, grateful for his reassurance. “Thanks for telling me, though I never did.”
Seven’s lips turn upward in a small smile at my words. “Leroy, take us to my place.”
“Alright boss,” Leroy replies. “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”
Taking Leroy’s advice, I lean back against the plush leather seats and try to forget my worries for a while. The limousine glides smoothly through the streets, the sound of the engine barely audible as we make our way to Seven’s penthouse. The tinted windows keep the bright lights of the city at bay, creating a sense of seclusion and privacy inside the limo. I’m curious about where we’re headed and what the night holds for me.
I’m in Seven’s capable hands now.
24
SEVEN
I’m relieved to hear Jade isn’t frightened of me. There are many people she should be terrified of, but I’m not one of them. Now that we’ve discovered her hacking skills, I’m worried for her safety more than ever.
The short ride back to my building doesn’t take long since we’re driving against the flow of heavy traffic. Leroy pulls behind the building and into a secured level of the parking garage.
“We’re home,” I say to Jade. She’s been quiet on the way over.
“You live in a parking garage?” she jokes.
“No, in a high-rise,” I reply. “Giovanni pays for me to live in a penthouse suite here.”
Leroy parks the limo, and I take Jade’s hand to help her out. When Leroy climbs out of the limo and starts to follow behind us into the building, I turn and hold up a hand to stop him.
“Goodnight, Leroy,” I say pointedly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Leroy stops walking and gives me a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
“You can go home early for a change,” I tell him. “Take the rest of the night off. We won’t be heading back out tonight. You’re free to go.”
Leroy stands there, perplexed. “If you’re sure you don’t need me,” he says, his voice sounding miffed. “I’ll have my phone with me if you change your mind and want to go back out.”
“That’s okay, we won’t,” I assure him. “We’ve had enough excitement for one evening. Goodnight, Leroy.”
“All right,” Leroy says, reluctantly accepting my decision. “I’ll be here in the morning, same time as always. Are you sure you don’t need me to hang around to help you or carry Jade’s suitcase up?”
“No, I’m sure.” I reach for the suitcase on the front floorboard of the limo. “Have a good night.”
I punch in a code to open the door leading into the building and usher Jade inside. After walking along a long hallway, we reach a private elevator where I insert a key card for the doors to open.
“There are a lot of security precautions at this hotel,” she remarks.
I nod in agreement. “Layers and layers. You wouldn’t believe how much effort they put into security here. Cameras are located all over the building, capturing every movement from all angles. Plus, there’s a huge security team, both uniformed and in plainclothes. Nobody can move an inch without security watching. There are quite a few celebrities who live in the building. Safety is a prime selling point for the suites here.”
I slide a protective arm around her waist while we wait for the elevator to arrive. “Don’t worry,” I say, glancing at her. “You’re perfectly safe here. No one can get to you.”
The elevator arrives, and we step inside. I press the button for the penthouse floor and the elevator ascends. Jade’s facial expression is neutral, not giving anything away. I can’t tell if she’s impressed by the building or if she’s searching for another way to escape.
“The building is nice,” she says, breaking the silence. “Not that I expected anything less from you.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“Only that you appear to enjoy living an expensive, luxury lifestyle, that’s all.”
When the elevator doors open at the twentieth floor, I take her hand firmly in mine. I’m afraid to take the chance of her fleeing again. I wouldn’t put it past her to take off running for the stairs. Jogging down twenty flights of stairs wouldn’t be anything for her, and she could probably beat me to the street if we raced.
While we walk along the thickly carpeted hallway to my penthouse, her eyes are scanning, taking everything in. The distance to the door leading to the stairwell, the fire alarm box on the wall, the lack of other doors on my hallway since I’m the only penthouse suite. She’s carefully analyzing the surroundings, searching for any weakness or opportunity to turn to her advantage. I can’t blame her for being cautious. She has every reason to be.
