Page 5 of Breathless
“We have no idea what their plan of attack was. There could have absolutely been a contingency in play if this attempt failed,”he explained. “If you don’t have somewhere you have to be and can hang on while we take care of filing the report against these men on your behalf, we’ll be happy to see you home.”
“We were going to lunch,” Justus told him. “Maybe some shopping afterward.”
“I wouldn’t advise that. Ordering to go and picking up under the circumstances yes, but shopping is out of the question,” he said.
“I will not be held a prisoner!” Justus shouted.
“Sh-h-h,” Liberty hissed, reaching for her arm. “You need to calm down. No one is trying to lock you up, he’s only suggesting we take precautions.”
“Come on, Justus, be real here,” Chaney said. “The last thing I want to do is go out today after what happened. The sooner I get back to my condo the better.”.
Justus glared at her. “I thought you said your driver was waiting to take you home meaning you couldn’t even go to lunch or anything else with us? That means you don’t have a say in this.”
Chaney stepped toward Justus, narrowing her eyes. “That’s just cruel. Even if I could, I definitely wouldn’t want to after what you just said.”
Justus took another step toward her until they were almost nose to nose. “Maybe your parents are right. We shouldn’t see one another.”
“If that’s how you feel,” Chaney choked out as tears stung her eyes.
Rafferty slipped his hand between them and snapped his fingers. “Cool it ladies. Raw, see Miss Daniels home.”
“Sure, Raff.” Rawlins touched Chaney’s elbow. “You said your driver is waiting for you outside?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Do you think he’ll oppose my riding with you?”
She blinked away the tears forming at Justus’ hurtful words. “He won’t have a choice when I tell him who you’re with.”
“Let’s go then,” Rawlins said, leading her away.
CHAPTER 2
Rawlins wasthankful her driver Broderick had been sensible and not put up a fuss when Chaney informed him that they had company. He’d only nodded and drove them back to her condo in the gated community. Rawlins had never been to one before and he wasn’t sure he liked the thought of always having to show identification at the gate to just be let inside. But the driver didn’t seem to mind at all with the hassle and if it was keeping Chaney safe…well, he guessed, he shouldn’t either.
It made him wonder why some people chose to live in these communities. Did it make them feel safer? Had the world become that dangerous? And now looking at the spacious condo Broderick pulled up in front of, he began to feel his first impression of Chaney Daniels may have been off the mark.
“This place wasn’t my idea,” Chaney said as she opened the car door to get out. “My parents picked it out and even furnished it before they left me here. But at least there is plenty of space. There’s three bedrooms. You’ll have your own bed and bath for privacy.”
Rawlins looked up at the two-story condo and noted it seemed out of place among the houses on the street. Hewondered why it was the only one in the gated community as he followed her to the front door.
“Out of the three bedrooms, I’m using two of them. One for my study room for when I return to campus and the other for my bedroom. Your room has a king bed in it that just needs to be made up,” she explained, opening the front door and leading him inside. “After all, my parents had to have a place to sleepifthey chose to come back to visit.”
He noted a hint of humor in her voice.
“I’ll get you a set of sheets and a blanket from the linen closet. If you don’t like the comforter my mother selected for the room, we can order something online. It’s still in the bag in the closet.”
“I don’t need anything fancy. A quilt will do,” Rawlins said.
She led him upstairs to the bedrooms and pointed him in the direction of his room. “Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t want to use that comforter my mother picked out so I’m sure you wouldn’t want too either. It’s ugly as all get out, but that’s her taste as opposed to mine.”
She went to the linen closet and pulled out a set of pale green sheets and a quilt. “This quilt is one my grandmother purchased at a charity auction as soon as she found out I was coming to Colorado for college. She didn’t want me to freeze during the winter. It isn’t large enough to cover a king bed, but it will do until we can get something else,” Chaney laughed when she handed him the bedding. “I haven’t frozen yet, but I haven’t actually found myself that cold either. It’s far colder in Baltimore during the winter to be honest.”
“But grandmas worry,” Rawlins said.
“They do.”
Together, they began making up the bed.
