“Well, I have to give my notice at work and see if the leasing office will let me sublet my apartment so I’m not charged for breaking the lease. I’ll need at least a week to take care of all that, plus pack all my stuff and—”
“I’ll take care of your flat. You won’t have to give it up or pack anything.”
“What?”
“I want to keep it. We’ll need a place to stay when we visit Florida.”
“Isn’t that what a hotel is for?”
He laughed. “I like your flat. It’s become a second home for me. I’ll hire a cleaning staff to make sure it doesn’t get dusty or stale smelling while we’re in Glasgow. Don’t you want to have a home base in the States?”
Feeling slightly dizzy, I made my back to the bedroom. “I thought the…the penthouse was going to be home base or whatever. I don’t need to keep this apartment. Unless you think living together isn’t going to work out.”
“Lia,” he growled. “Stop overthinking. I don’t care where we live as long as we’re together. Keeping your place in Orlando isn’t an underlying exit plan. I want you to have it.”
I flopped onto the bed, sighing into the mattress. My mind flew through a zillion thoughts before I sat up straight. “If you keep it, Nathan will always know where to find me.”
“Fuck all,” he hissed. “That bastard won’t come within a hundred miles of you. I’ll make sure of it.”
His anger and vitriol resonated throughout my bedroom even though he was a thousand miles away. Instead of freaking me out, it made me want to know exactly what was going on. My curiosity could be quite persistent if it wanted.
“What is it that he’s done, Alastair? Tell me.”
“No.”
“Jesus,” I muttered. “You know, keeping shit from me only pisses me off.”
“Don’t start,” he warned. “Let me handle it. He’s done enough manipulating and coercing for a lifetime.”
“You can’t control everything.”
“I can.”
I bit back a salty remark, mentally and physically drained from this whole day. His stubborn streak was as impenetrable as his protective shield. Banging my head against it will get me nowhere fast.
“You win. I’m going to bed.”
“Lia,” he said softly, “you know I’m doing this because I love you. I want you safe. Please don’t go to sleep angry with me.”
Ugh, I’m too easily swayed by his soft side.
“I’m not mad. I promise. I’m just exhausted and scattered and—”
“Missing me?”
I sighed heavily, picturing his smile. “That damn charm thing.”
“Stay on the phone with me until you fall asleep.”
“That’s a tempting thought.”
“Is it?”
Grinning, I settled into the pillows. “Will you whisper sweet nothings into my ear?”
“Hmm,” he hummed, sending a ripple of pleasure through me. “That would lead me to believe you think I’m romantic. I thought we’d established I was cheesy.”
“Quiet,” I snickered. “Just say something hot in your accent.”
“Something. Hot.”
“Okay, yeah, now you’re cheesy and corny. You have a voice like velvet and a killer accent. Use them to your advantage.”
His low, sexy laugh curled my toes. “I wish I were lying next to you, kitten, holding you close. Breathing in your scent. Touching you.”
I pulled the pillow that still smelled like him closer to me and moaned quietly, picturing his arms securely wrapped around me. Sleep easily clouded my thoughts and took over my body. Alastair kept talking but I had no clue what he was saying. I only had a vague awareness of a stunning accent trickling through my subconscious. For a second, I thought he really was next to me.
I was on the verge of succumbing to sleep completely when I heard his silky voice whisper, “Tell me what you want, love.”
“You,” I mumbled into the pillow. “Always.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“This is a good news, bad news meeting,” Bruce said solemnly, pacing the conference room. I sat at the far corner of the table, flanked by Tyler and Wesley. Sydney caught my eye from across the room and shrugged. “As you know,” he continued, “we’ve been dealing with a potential lawsuit. Thankfully, the young man at the center of all this has decided not to pursue it any further.”
Vance and Cynthia applauded. The rest of the room released a collective sigh of relief.
“What changed his mind?” Vance asked.
“I think he finally realized that mistakes happen and you can’t demand a million dollars just because your feelings got hurt,” Jeanie grumbled.
“Not quite,” Bruce interjected, annoyed. “Our legal team worked hard with his lawyers to come to an agreement. This doesn’t mean we should be any less vigilant in our writing and proofing before air. We’re under a microscope now with corporate. Which leads me to the bad news.”
Everyone groaned.
“I had some very lengthy meetings yesterday with our vice president,” he continued, rubbing his eyes. “There have been rumblings in the newsroom about layoffs. Nothing is set in stone. Don’t start spreading rumors and speculating. It won’t help anything. That’s it. Go. Do your jobs.”
Sydney cornered me in the hallway as we walked back to our shared cubicle.
“That was productive,” she snickered. “What are you doing for lunch today?”
“I haven’t really thought about it. Want to do a smoothie run?”
“Absolutely. We’ll leave in half an hour?”
“Sounds good.”
I scurried off to the main lobby before heading back to my desk. I needed to talk to Paxton. Before our impromptu good news/bad news meeting I’d been on the phone with a local jeweler about a gift I’d bought for Alastair. He’d already given me so much, I wanted to surprise him with a little something when he arrived tomorrow. I’d found a beautiful pair of platinum cufflinks at the jeweler’s downtown. They were vintage-inspired, shaped like an oval. I’d requested they engrave his initials, ARH, in them. I never had enough time during my lunch break to do any personal errands so I was hoping Paxton could pick them up for me.
He looked concerned as I approached the SUV.
“Miss Meyers. Is everything alright?” he asked, stepping out of the car.
“Everything’s fine,” I smiled. “I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Well, I…feel free to say no if you want. I bought something for Alastair but don’t have time to pick it up. Would you mind running down to Bijoux Jewelers and getting it for me?”
He leveled an amused gaze at me for several seconds. “You need me to run an errand for you?”
“Sort of, yes. Like I said, you don’t have to.”
He kept his imposing bodyguard/MI5 stare fixed on me. Clearly, this was a bad idea.
“You know what, never mind. I’ll go tomorrow morning before coming into work.”
Relaxing his stance a little, Paxton sighed. “I don’t mind going for you it’s just that I’m not supposed to leave or take my eyes off this building while you’re here.”
“I figured,” I muttered. “It’s not that big of a deal, really. We can go in the morning.”
“I can drive you right now if you want to go.”
I smiled. “I appreciate the offer but I can’t. I have a ton of things to get through before we go live. Really, it’s not a problem.”
“Then you best not waste any more time out here and get to it, Miss Meyers,” he said sternly but with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, sir.” I saluted him. “And you’re welcome for the brief human interaction. Go back to work.”
I waved goodbye and dashed across the street. My desk phone rang the second I sat down. I noticed on the caller display that it was Gus from the assignment desk. I looked up at him, confused as to why he didn’t just walk over to my desk.
“What’s up?”
>
“You have a guest waiting for you in the small conference room.”
“Who?”
“Nathan Greyson.”
My blood ran cold. “Why is he here?”
“He said you had a meeting scheduled with him about an interview or something.”
“When did he get here?’
“Not even five minutes ago.”
Son of a bitch. “Okay. Thanks.” I hung up and looked over at Sydney. “I have to go take care of something. Our smoothie run might be delayed.”
“No problem. Take your time.”
I grumbled to myself as I walked toward the back of the newsroom. This was so like him to just show up unannounced. I gave him the perfect distraction, too. If I hadn’t been talking to Paxton, he never would have made it through the front doors. I could see him through the windows, sitting at the table. He was in character, dressed to the nines in a double-breasted suit with his game face on. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Lia,” he smiled, standing up. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“Like I had a choice,” I spat out. “What the hell do you want?”
“No need for all the hostility, Sparkle. Sit.”
He motioned to the chair on his left. Several folders were spread out in front of him on the table. I sat cautiously next to him, eyeing the folders.
“What’s all this?”
“Trouble.”
I shot him a look, disliking the cryptic vibe he’d released into the atmosphere.
“Get to the point or leave. Your choice.”
“The items in these folders could ruin your life.”
Stunned, I sat up straight and stared at him. He looked smug. I wanted to slap the expression right off his face. Echoes of what Alastair told me rattled through my brain. He’s a con artist. He’s lying to you.
Composing myself, I glared at him.
“I know you lied to me about Alastair’s uncle paying Rachel. I know you went to see him. You’re still a sneaky bastard, Nathan.”
“Is that what he told you? That I’m lying to you?” His eyes narrowed. “I’m trying to protect you, Lia.”
A gravelly, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Protect me? Are you insane? I don’t believe a word you say anymore. You are doing whatever you can to get me back. It’s not going to work. I don’t love you. I don’t want you. We’re finished.”
Nathan sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. The muscles in jaw tightened and bulged. His whole exterior was set in stone.
“Regardless of how you feel about me, this,” he tapped the folders, “is real. This is the work of someone who holds such a grudge against your boyfriend that she is willing to destroy you. I stopped her, not him. He just rests on his fucking laurels and thinks his money will solve everything.”
Not enough oxygen was getting to my brain. The room spun violently. I honestly felt like I was being pulled in a hundred different directions. She? What the…? My stomach lurched in a sickening jolt. Olivia.
“Do you know who it is?” I barely managed to speak.
“No. All I do know is she lives in France and dated him several years ago. Obviously, it ended badly.”
I pressed my hands to my temples to try and dull the throbbing. It had to be Olivia. After what he’d told me, and the way she still looked at him, this had to be her handiwork. But it didn’t feel right. It didn’t make sense. This could all be another lie.
“Is this what you wanted to show me tonight?”
“Yes. But you constantly have someone following you or driving you somewhere now, so it’s hard to get you alone.”
“I wonder why,” I lashed out.
“Don’t take it out on me, Lia. I’m not the bad guy here. I only have your best interests at heart.”
I raked my hands through my hair. I couldn’t take this anymore. My heart was racing so fast I thought it might explode.
“I can’t do this here, Nathan. I’m at work. I have…I can’t do this.” Tremors shook every inch of my body. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I didn’t believe him. I can’t believe him. Nothing good will come of this if I let him manipulate me.
“I know, sweetheart, I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to put you through this here but I had no choice.” He placed his hand over mine, making me cringe. “I care about you, Lia. Regardless of how you feel about me, that’s how I feel about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt. I know I have no shot at getting you back but at least let me help prevent you from making the biggest mistake of your life.”
“Get out,” I ordered in a hoarse whisper.
The walls felt like they were closing in on me. A familiar pain squeezed my chest, keeping it locked in a relentless grip.
“Lia don’t—”
“Get. Out,” I said through clenched teeth. “Now.”
Confusion and hurt seized his expression. Underneath all the shitty things he’d done in our relationship, I knew he did them out some warped sense of love and loyalty. His face always read like an open book. I was too emotionally weak to fight against the remorse in his sapphire eyes. He sniffed out my fragility like a shark smelling blood in the water.
“Come to the house tonight. I know you’re smart enough to give those bodyguards the slip. I want this to be over for you. I want to help.”
“Leave, Nathan. I can’t listen to this anymore.” I stood up too fast and nearly lost consciousness. My head and the room spun rapidly, making me nauseous. Thankfully, this conference room was hardly ever used because it was tucked in the back of the newsroom. There weren’t any prying eyes to see what we were doing.
“Sit down, Lia. You look like you’re about to faint.” I felt his hands on my waist but was too disconnected from reality to shake him off. The folders taunted me from the table. Whatever they held certainly gave all the power to Nathan. They could be empty for all I knew. This could be just another story he made up to screw with my head and my relationship. I tried to clear the muddled fog from my brain. I needed to think rationally.
In a moment of clarity, I remembered the brief meeting I’d had with Rachel.
“I met with Jameson last week. She said she’s been receiving anonymous emails from someone who claimed to have something big on me. Did you know about that?”
“No. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I don’t have to report back to you,” I snapped. “Besides, you’d gone radio silent.”
He leaned back in the chair, smoothing down his tie. “I needed to get away for a little while. I went down to the Keys and shut the world out. There was nothing sinister about my absence. I thought a week or so of mental recharging would help. It did until I got back this past weekend and found all this,” he gestured to the folders, “waiting for me.”
Confused, I pressed the heel of my hand to my temple. I wanted the never-ending pounding to stop. “So you really don’t know who’s behind this?”
“No,” he said quietly, reaching for my hand. “We’re all caught up in this mess together. You, me, Rachel. The only thing I was able to discover was that this all stems from a jealous ex.”
“But how do you know that?”
“There was an email address and a note included with them. Whoever she is, she’s clever. I’m willing to bet she’s the one that emailed Rachel.”
“Alright, wait. So you have an email address and you can’t figure out who she is? Bullshit. In this day and age, and with your security team and love of stalking, you should be able to find her identity without a problem. Don’t give me that look, you know I’m right.”
Setting his jaw in determination, he leaned forward. “Come to the house tonight. We’ll figure this out together. I don’t want to see you this stressed. Ever.”
“I can’t tonight. I’m too—”
“Try. If not tonight, then come tomorrow. Please. Let me know and I’ll be available for you.”
He stood up with authority and conviction. I knew this posture. I knew that look. He would
stop at nothing until he got what he wanted.
* * *
I kept all the lights off in my apartment as I stretched out on the couch. I’d canceled dinner with Stephanie and Darren because I wouldn’t be able to get through it without both of them noticing I was a complete mess. My only real option was to tell Alastair. If this really had something to do with an ex, he’d know what to do. And if it didn’t, he’d be with me to put an end to Nathan’s harassment.
That scenario made me feel better. I wasn’t about to keep anything from Alastair again. Glancing at the clock I saw it was only half past nine. I was exhausted though. I shuffled into the bedroom, grabbed my laptop and plopped on the bed. I had no clue what possessed me to do what I did next.
I typed in ‘Olivia Garrison’ and hit search.
Not much came up on her. There were several photos of her with the Italian diplomat and the formal announcement of their engagement. I kept scrolling through the photos until one of them made my heart come to a screeching halt. She was with Alastair. It was obviously from a long time ago but the sight of them together cut through me like a hot blade. I clicked on the picture and found an accompanying article. Scanning through it I learned that their relationship was quite serious. Or at least that was how it appeared to outsiders. They were apparently inseparable.
This particular article speculated on when they’d become engaged. I stopped reading it before I really upset myself. She was his past. That was a lifetime ago.
I scrolled back up to more recent photos of her with her fiancé. According to this article they split their time between Rome, London and New York. One of the photos showed her at a dinner in London recently. According to the caption, it was only a couple of weeks ago.
Anxiety paralyzed me.
That was the exact same weekend Alastair rushed off to London in a shroud of secrecy.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I arrived at the jeweler’s Wednesday morning just as the doors were being unlocked for opening. A nicely dressed older gentleman smiled at me as I followed him inside. I told him I was there to pick up the cufflinks and gave him my name. A few minutes later, he returned from the back room and handed me a small box. I opened it, pleased at how beautiful they were.