I lifted the mug to my lips, shit-eating smile in full force. “Oh yeah? And how’sthat going for you?”
My eyes flicked to him, fast enough to see him suck in a breath and pulse his hands as they clasped. “What happened with Mr. Radcliffe has never happened before.”
I shrugged, my face pulling as if that was something to be impressed by. “Oh,well, doesn't that make me feel special.”My smarmy smile met his smirk.
Then something in the air shifted. His back stiffened, his stare was hard as stone, and his smirk vanished in a heartbeat. “We fucked up.” He said straight, his tone makingmyspine stiffen. “It’s never happened before because Mr. Radcliffe was an external hire. A one off. And I can promise you that it will never happen again.” He sat back, rolling his shoulders as his demeanour glued me in place. “The training our officers go through is finite, but with Mr. Radcliffe, we didn’t know what he was trained for or why he was trained to do it. The only thing we do know is what happened to you.” His jaw clenched. “But unfortunately, we don’t know why.”
It was as though the temperature of the room had fallen below freezing, themug in my hands feeling colder, too. I shook my head as I kept my eyes on him.“So… what does that…”
The words got trapped in my throat.
He glanced at Louellen for barely a second before swooping his eyes over me,the glisten in them morphed from stern to guilt. “It means I failed. As an owner and as an entrusted partner with the agency. My…” He cleared his throat. “Our, only goal was to keep you safe, and we didn’t do that.” His head sank, dark strands falling from their place and casting shadows over his forehead, before he sucked in a long breath and looked right back at me. “Which is why I’m here, and not one of my officers.”
That feeling settled over me as his words came crashing down onto me, thekind where I wasn’t sure whether to feel safe or scared. I suppose I could have been both. On the onehand, it was obvious to even the blind that he was built like a brick shithouse. He could be sent to protect Everest, and I’m sure the mountain would breathe a sigh of relief.
But on the other, I couldn’t shake how out of the blue this all was. I still hadquestions about why he’d come to see me this morning, and why Louellen had no idea about it. Why this sudden fascination withme?
You’re not special, Cora. He’s probably just doing his job.
Maybe I was confusing being scared with simple curiosity, but when Iremembered what I went through three months ago, I realised that I had every right to feel scared about putting my faith in a stranger who could just want to hurt me again.
I felt the fire burning low in my chest begin to spit as the thoughts invaded mymind.
I turned to Louellen, lowering my voice. “Can I ask why we're evenconsidering this company after what happened?”
Her brown eyes softened, her hand resting on the table as she leaned closer.“Besides what happened to you, every other public figure under our agency with a social presence as big as yours is with a Romano security guard. They’re professional, well-trained, and they keep us safe.” She stole a glance at Marcus, before looking back at me. “They’re the best of the best.”
I lifted my arms in a shrug, looking around the room as if I was the only oneseeing how weird this was. “That’s fine, except for the fact thatIwasn’t kept safe.Iwasn’t protected.” My fired gaze flew back to Marcus. “I appreciate the offer. And congrats on the company. Really, great stuff.” My voice wascalm, but the words tasted like glass. “But I think I’d rather set myself on fire than trust you, or anyone you’ve trained, to watch my back.”
I rose from the table slowly, gripping my mug like it was an anchor, refusing tolet my hands shake. Step by step, I crossed the room, each one deliberate, each one making it clear this was my choice. And that fire only made the words I’d swallowed before spew out, like giant embers blasting from the sun.
I couldn't help but turn back.
“You think I need you?” My heels spun, meeting Marcus’s eyes dead-on as heturned to face me. “You’re the reason I was attacked. The reason I lost months of my life, hiding, terrified, while the world tore me apart.” My head shook. “I’d rather take my chances alone than let someone who doesn’t know me, who doesn’t care, pretend to keep me safe.”
For a heartbeat, we just stared. His calm had cracked, fire flashing behind hiseyes, a knowing look that dared me to keep going, that told me he felt every word like a strike.
I held his gaze, chin lifting higher. “Trust me, I’ve done worse on my own.”
The room felt taut, the air stretched thin, and when I thought I’d driven theknife into his heart just enough, I cast my eyes to Louellen.
“Tell Prada I’ll see them Saturday.”
chapter six
it's a good thing i love a challenge
Flames might as well have followed her out of the room.
Cora was more feisty than I realised, but that was fine. I never backed downfrom a challenge. Especially one that could insult me so well and make me want to stay close by to see what else she had up her sleeve.
I watched her leave, my eyes noting her white knuckles from how hard she wasclinging to the mug in her hands, which told me more about her than that weapon of a mouth she had.
She was terrified. Of me. Of this conversation. Of everything.She could keep up that feigning apathy all she wanted. But I wasn’t buying it.
The pink door slammed behind her as she disappeared into the hallway, leavingme and Louellen in her dust.Lou’s pale hands skimmed over her face, cupping her cheeks as she shook herhead. “I really thought she’d say yes to you. But if she’s refusing to even discuss this, there’s no way she’s gonna let anyone look after her.”
Her head sank again, and a sigh that I felt in my gut echoed around the room.I hadn’t told Lou I’d been to see Cora thismorning, only because I knew she’dtell me to leave her alone. To let her come to us. As though she were an abandoned cat that had to learn to trust again.
