Page 25 of A Soldier's Temptation
“Still, it doesn’t look like you’ve got a good handle on this.”
“You have no idea what is in play here.”
“Then why don’t you tell me?”
“Excuse me. You two are going back and forth like I can’t make my own decisions. You both need to back off. The testosterone in here is oppressive.”
“You can’t.” Again, with the stereo answers. Just how well did they know each other? They were too in sync to have not seen each other for years.
“Excuse me, sir, they have the video and are running it through facial recognition.” Saved by the Shadow. At least he’d saved something that evening. Maybe she was being too hard on him. He’d been following orders and she hadn’t been hurt.
“Good.”
“That’s why you don’t need Mrs. Laramie to sit with the artist?”
“Exactly. We have several cameras on the property, inside and out.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Ariana, contrary to what you seem to believe, we take your safety very seriously.” The look on his face left no doubt he believed every word he’d said. But she still wasn’t satisfied.
Unhappy with the options they’d discussed in front of her, she didn’t have much choice. She’d have to pick one of them. If she stayed with John she was close to home. Mr. Darcy would be comfortable, and she’d still be able to go to work. Not knowing where the safe house was located, work might not be an option. But there was one big drawback to staying with him, second bedroom or not. It had been hard enough not to fall into his arms when they were in public. How the hell would she be able to live in the same space with him without ending up in bed?
“If she stays with me, I’ll make sure she’s safe and her life won’t have to be as disrupted.”
“She won’t be able to go to work or anywhere else. I don’t want her out in public.”
“I wish you would stop talking about me like I’m not standing here.”
Going back and forth and weighing the pros and cons of the two choices, she decided on John. Hopefully, she wouldn’t regret the decision. One thing was for certain—there would be way more than twenty questions in her future. At least she had no doubt he’d keep her safe. She wasn’t as confident about the Shadows.
“I’ve decided to stay in John’s apartment. Mr. Darcy knows him. You already have the building under surveillance, so it makes the most sense.”
“I don’t like it,” Colin said. From the expression on his face, you’d think she told him he was fired.
“Sorry, but it’s my decision. I’m sticking to it unless you can prove to me with absolute certainty that it’s too dangerous to stay here.”
Colin looked at his phone before answering. “No, I can’t tell you that. I know John’s a SEAL, so he’s more than capable of protecting you should something happen. But I believe you’d be better off at the safe house.”
“I understand, but I think I’ll feel safer with John.” She’d bet he was smirking right now, but she didn’t want to turn around to check. “The trial is in one week, right? I promise I’ll be extra careful.”
“Fine. But if anything else happens, we’re moving you to one of our safe houses. For the next week you won’t be going anywhere without John or one of the agents on your detail. No work, no coffee shops, you’re to stay inside as much as possible until after the trial.”
“What?”
“It’s already been cleared with your boss.”
“Jesus, do you guys hear yourselves? You can’t just take over my life like this.”
“We can, since you’re our key witness, and we will if that’s the only way to keep you safe,” Colin answered with an expression that said he was done with the discussion.
“Whatever. I’m going to pack a bag.” When Shadow four started to follow her, she stopped him. “Alone. There is no imminent threat. I will be fine.” Ari was done too. Exhausted, stressed, and on the verge of tears. The relaxed warmth from the wine at dinner was long gone. What she wouldn’t give to be on the beach sipping margaritas in the sunshine. Instead, she was on house arrest for the next week.
As bad as the living room and kitchen had been, her bedroom was ten times worse. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the smashed angel figurine her grandmother had given her when she was seven. It was one of her prized possessions and now it was in pieces, like her life. Nothing was left alone, even her bed had been turned upside down and shredded.
Wading through the mess, she grabbed an overnight bag from the floor of the closet and threw in as much as she could that wasn’t destroyed. For once she was happy she was a trust fund baby because it would take more than she had in the bank to set the place back to normal. After her parent’s death, she’d sworn not to use the money except for an absolute emergency. Most of her childhood they’d traveled for work and left her with her grandmother. She barely knew them and didn’t want their money. But if this didn’t qualify as an emergency, she didn’t know what would. Not that it made her feel any better.
After packing what she could, she gazed around the room. It didn’t look anything like the room she’d gotten ready in a few hours earlier. This really was a nightmare and she prayed that the end was in sight.
