“Yes, but this way I can have everyone’s orders ready to go, and hopefully make things easier on whoever has to deal with this large order.”
I rolled my eyes but told him exactly what I wanted, which consisted of three eggs scrambled, ham, and grits topped with lots of butter. There was only one way to eat diner food, and that was to give in and drown your arteries in cholesterol.
As we cut through the main lobby on the ground floor of Willis Security Tech, Reed’s company, I gave a wave to the security guard who was just setting up for the morning shift. His large smile in return was the very thing I needed to jump-start this day.
Did it technically count as a new day if you hadn’t slept?
It certainly didn’t feel like it to my brain, which was threatening to turn into mush if I didn’t take a break soon.
I clamped my mouth shut to fight against a yawn as I opened the passenger side door to Reed’s SUV and threw myself into the seat.
Reed was cool, but there was something unnerving about being in a car with your boss, especially when he knew all the things you didn’t want anyone to know. He knew the ugly, the real. The parts I didn’t let anyone see.
“Is there something you wanted to say?” I asked, getting it out in the open. I didn’t want him to beat around the bush if there was a reason why he’d picked me to go with him on this little outing.
I held my breath, the minutes ticking on. A feeling like ants crawling under my skin took over my body.
Finally, he sighed, and his shoulders sagged with the deflated breath.
“I heard rumors about a documentary in the works.” As vague as his statement was, it still sent an icy chill down my spine. He didn’t need to tell me what the documentary was going to be about because there was only one reason why he’d bring such a thing up. “If they start harassing you, let me know and I’ll do what I can to put an end to it.”
Swallowing hard, all I could do was nod.
It would happen. I had no doubt about that.
Anger rose inside of me and I tried to push it down.
Reed parked the car on the street, the little diner a few feet up ahead, the red and white striped awning giving it away. Undoing his seat belt, he turned to face me. I was too full of shock and rage to look at him. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about.
Lucky for me, his phone started ringing before he could open his mouth to speak.
I didn’t hesitate to jump out of the car, trying my hardest not to slam the door behind me. I left him to his call, or that was the excuse I was going with. Reed was an important, well-known person. He not only owned a company with two branches— the one here in Atlanta and the original back in Chicago— he also headed this secret project I was a part of. More often than not, he needed privacy for his calls. But in all honesty, it was probably one of his men checking on him or wanting to video chat becausethe baby was awake. Heaven forbid she didn’t get to see her daddy for a whole day.
Okay, that wasn’t fair. They were amazing parents, and that little girl was so lucky.
My steps were heavy and hard as I made my way down the block. My entire body was vibrating.
I forced myself to stop. Closing my eyes, I leaned my back against the building of a store that wasn’t open yet.
It took a few deep inhales for me to calm down.
A fucking documentary.
I wasn’t going to have a damn thing to do with it, that was for sure. But I guess I was glad Reed told me. I knew it was bound to happen at some point. At least this way it wouldn’t be such a shock when it came out… or if they tracked me down for an interview.
I’d spent too long running, too long hiding, too long pretending to be anyone but who I actually was.
Panic set in hard enough that I felt the need to reach for my chest. Was it possible that my heart could beat out of my body? Because that was what it felt like it was trying to do.
“Hey!” Reed called out, causing me to flinch and push off the building. I turned to face him, hoping like hell that I was playing it cool. I didn’t need him to see me on the verge of a breakdown because of what he’d told me. The weight was bearing down on my shoulders, and it was all I could do to shake some of it off as his steps brought him closer to me.
But my panic didn’t seem to matter at the moment. His face said it all, looking more somber than it had earlier, if that were even possible. Which, strangely, helped me push my shit away quickly. Like a snap of my fingers, practically.
I let out another long breath, preparing myself for the favor that he was about to ask, because there was no denying theexpression on his face. Yeah, I could read him like an open book at this point.
“Ford called,” he said, eyes a little sympathetic as he stepped so close to me that our toes were an inch from touching. “He’s in a bit of a bind. Do you mind going to get him? And, maybe, keep watch over him?”
Great, another fucking bodyguard job.
