Page 38 of Romancing His Heart
“Sloane, while I would love to hear about the enemies you make while writing your books, this one isn’t on you. This was a professional, coordinated attack. A random ex wouldn’t be able to get past our security systems. Whoever did this was highly trained and had inside help.”
“Did what exactly?” I ask as we enter the apartment that’s been gutted. “Holy shit,” I say with a gasp. Placing a hand over my mouth, I look around in fear. There are holes in the walls as if someone took a sledgehammer looking for buried treasure. Broken glass litters the floors, and they have turned every drawer inside out.
“Grab just the necessities. Clothes, if there are any left intact, personal items, things like that.”
“What about my computer?” I ask frantically. “I can’t write without it, and I have a deadline coming up. I can’t afford to miss a deadline.”
Seth stares at me like I’m losing my mind. And, okay, in the scheme of shit going on, a deadline is probably not a priority. But it’s mine. It’s something I’ve done on my own, and that’s where my brain is right now. Maybe it’s less scary to think about a deadline than whoever was just in my home.
“Ah, I don’t think there’s much left, Sloane. Plus, you can’t take any electronics with you. Ashton is working on replacements for you. Phone, laptop, etc. Ones that can’t be traced.”
“But … but what about my book? It’s on—” The words die on my lips as Ashton rounds the corner holding the pieces of my laptop. Someone has carved the word “mine” into the screen, and I feel lightheaded.
“Shit,” Ashton utters, attempting to hide the pieces behind his back.
“Can you fix it?” I ask.
Sighing, he shows me the pieces. “I doubt it, Sloane. But, I’ll have a replacement for you in about an hour.”
“What about the work I had saved on it?”
“Sloane, this really isn’t a priority right now,” Seth says, his usual edge back.
“It is to me,” I yell. “That,” I say, pointing to the shattered laptop, “is mine. It’s all I’ve ever done on my own. It is a priority for me.”
Loki steps out of the kitchen. “It’s okay, Red. I get it. Ash, do you think you can pull any files from there?”
Ashton glares at him like he just asked him to rob a bank. “Ah, probably. Eventually. But, we’ve got some other things—”
“We don’t know how long we’re going to be away, Ash. She needs this. Can you try? Please?”
Ashton closes his eyes and takes a long breath. “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“What else do you need?” Seth asks.
“Ah, my notebook and pens are upstairs. I have a trunk in the bathroom. It’s kind of … ah, big and heavy.” I feel my face flame.
“And you need to take that with you?”
“If it’s still there, then yes. It has, um … some writing props and tools in it.”
Gawd, if they only knew what kinds of props.
“Okay, I’ll look for it,” Seth offers. Glancing around, he tells Loki, “The closet is pretty shredded. You guys are going to need some clothes.”
I hear glass crunching underfoot and turn to find Preston entering the apartment. “I’ll have clothing sent over for the both of you within the hour. What else do you need?” he asks, glancing around in dismay.
“We’re going to be in the mountains, so make sure she has the proper clothing and some boots,” Loki says while staring at me with concern.
“I’m going to head upstairs and get your electronics set up.” Irritably, Ashton heads for the door.
“We need to get you suited up and armed, Loki. The house will have everything you need, but I’d carry at all times,” Seth says seriously.
“Yeah, just give me a minute, okay?”
I stare with blurred vision as Loki crosses the room. Standing inches in front of me, he lowers his voice. “It’s going to be okay, Red. I promise. No one will hurt you.”
