Page 64 of Caleb
Okay.
Brushing the flaps of my jacket, I walk toward Ambassador Murphy’s office door and knock.
“Come in!” he shouts, his voice muffled through the thick wooden doors. I step inside feeling like I can breathe easy and take a seat across from him on his cue after offering him a firm handshake.
Ambassador Murphy folds his hands on the desk and leans in to say, “Caleb, I know you’re aware that we’re moving back to New York next month, and as much as I would love to say that my daughter is ready to start living her life without security, I know she’s not. Especially since she’ll be living on her own now. That’s a big step for her, so I don’t want her to feel overwhelmed with the transition.”
My hands rest in my lap while consciously avoiding fidgeting my feet against the floor. Instead, all I do is nod.
“I’m sure Aaron told you when he stepped out that I asked him to continue as lead security for my daughter in New York,” he continues, “but I’ve already hired another agent—American—to replace you. So this means I won’t be renewing your contract.”
Wait, what?
My vision blurs, and I’m unsure if he’s still talking. I think he is, but the sound of his voice is warped, and the walls are closing in on me. My neck feels hot. Is this a panic attack? I feel like it might be. Ishouldpanic, but I also can’t because I’m not ready to accept this.
How?
“No,” I say to myself.
“I beg your pardon?” He throws himself back on his leather chair, his elbows propped on the thick armrests, his fingers weaved over his stomach.
“My apologies, Mr. Ambassador.” I shake my head in a sharp move and adjust myself in my seat, the traces of panic quickly shifting into anger.
Becoming aware that my hands have gone into tight fists, I manage to relax them once again and spread my fingers over my thighs, sliding them over my black slacks to brush off the sweat exuding from them.
This is it for me—the end of the road. And I refuse to accept that I won’t be seeing Red ever again. Does she know? I don’t think she does. And I can’t be the one to tell her. I won’t be able to stand the look on her face.
God help me.
A sudden numbness invades me to the core. It’s like I’m stuck in this moment, in this chair, unwilling to accept this fate. And Annette knew. She knew, and I’m sure there was nothing she could do to change the bastard’s mind because I want to think she fought for me. She knows how important this job is to me.
How importantRedis to me.
She has to know.
“I know this might come as a surprise, Caleb,” he says.No shit. “And I know you and my daughter have become … close.” He drops his forearms on the desk again and leans in, his gaze penetrating mine like a threat. “But I don’t like it one bit.”
I swallow hard but maintain eye contact. “It’s not—”
He cuts me off with a subtle lift of his hand before I can even say anything else. I don’t even know what I was going to say. I don’t believe there’s anything I could say that would help my case or change his mind. It’s clear to me that he disapproves of the friendship that’s developed between us. And I was too naive to think he was unaware of how close we’ve actually become in the last four years.
“There’s no point in explaining the nature of your relationship with her,” he says, lifting a defiant eyebrow at me. “What’s done is done. But I don’t want you to think I’m not grateful for your … commitment. And I wouldn’t just let you go without securing a job for you first. That’s not who I am. I value and reward loyalty. I always have. Always will.”
I’ve never wanted to punch the smugness and entitlement out of someone’s face more than I do now. I’m not even thinking about what’s next for me. I couldn’t give a flying fuck about “securing a job.” All I care about is Red, and the thought of leaving her is gnawing at my insides. I can’t abandon her, even if I’m being forced to do so.
I refuse to accept this.
“So here’s the deal.” he says, tapping his desk twice. “Ambassador George Bailey will be sworn in as the new Ambassador of the United States to France, and he’s got two rebellious teenage sons who could use someone like you on their security team.”
My jaw flexes. The ambassador notices it and clears his throat.
“I would gladly recommend you for the lead position,” he continues with the nonsense, “ifyou tell my daughter that you’re not coming to New York because you’ve been offered a higher-paying job with Ambassador Bailey.”
I snort and look away. Asshole.
So this is how it’s going to be? This guy has got to be fucking kidding me. He’s more of a coward than I thought he was.
Or what?I want to say, but I don’t. So instead, I swallow down the words and level his gaze. “I don’t feel comfortable lying to your daughter,” I choose as a reply, enunciating the wordlying, knowing I’m walking on the thinnest ice. But I’m not scared of him. He’s already taken her away from me, so it’s not like I’ve got anything else to lose.
