“Yes, leave. As in get out of here. As in, not be in this space anymore.” I try to say it as simply as possible.
“You can’t leave, you are in danger. Where would you go? You can’t be wandering around out there alone,” Carter says this as if I am a 5 year old who doesn’t understand.
“I am not going to wander around alone. You are going to take me to my friend, Piper’s coffee shop. Where I will work. Then, when Sterling is done doing surveillance, I will go home,” I explain.
If Sterling wants to continue this bodyguard business, he can do it from outside. I’m still working through the specifics in my mind. I know I can’t be here right now. I know when Sterling gets back, I won’t know exactly what to say. It is time to go. I start packing up my laptop and go to get my suitcase.
This makes Carter jump into action. He puts his computer in his bag and grabs his keys. Sliding his phone out of his pocket he taps out a message.
Probably to Sterling. Tattling on me. Oh well.I can’t bring myself to care. I’m starting to feel like the walls are closing in on me. I need a small sense of normalcy. If sitting in Piper’s coffee shop will let me feel that way for a few minutes, I will take it. Maybe it will also make me think a little more rationally.
“So where are we going,” Carter asks tentatively. It’s like he is afraid to upset me. I raise my eyebrow at him.
“Since you did such a deep dive, you should know where the coffee shop is,” I state sarcastically and head towards the door. Carter is trailing behind me swearing.
Chapter 26
Sterling
Holt and I are sitting outside at Meg’s house in the back. Hidden by a holly tree.I am so fucking bored, and all I really want to do is Meg.My phone buzzes in my jacket pocket. I pull it out and see that Carter has sent a message.
Carter: Sorry, she found out about the background check. She doesn’t want to be here so she is having me take her to Piper’s.
Sterling:Shit, WTF? Don’t let her out of your sight.
Carter:I’m on it. You will have some groveling to do.
I don’t bother responding to that. I know he is right. Apparently Holt is reading over my shoulder. He is snickering.
“Man, I told you yesterday to tell her. How did you think she was going to react,’’ he asks me. Knowing I won’t answer.
“This shit is getting old,” I say instead. I hate waiting for a bad guy to come out. I would much rather be tracking his ass down. Holt nods in understanding.
“I know, lets get out of here. We will monitor the cameras from afar, and maybe do some more digging with Carter. Something is bound to turn up,” he states. Clapping me on the shoulder we start heading toward the copse of trees that we pulled our bikes behind.
It isn’t long before we pull into Piper’s shop, Doe’s. Holt and I pull off our helmets and I stride toward the front door. Meg and Carter are in the corner, both quietly tapping away on laptops. She hasn’t seen us enter yet. I’m happy for a moment to study her.
She is concentrating on her work, and you can tell she isn’t happy about something. She is biting on the pink lower lip and has a crease in between her eyes. Almost scowling at the screen. I know that look well. In the last few days it has been directed at me more than once.
As she stands up, to get a refill on coffee I assume, she sees me. I was wrong, the scowl directed at the computer is nothing compared to this one. She heads towards the counter to ask Piper for a refill, pretending to ignore me.
She chats with Piper, who seems to be giving her a bit of a hard time. It is a bit hard to hear what is being said.
“Meg, do you think that’s a good idea? It’s not like my place has the best security,” I hear Piper saying. Meg sighs and nods her head. I head over to the table that Carter is still sitting at.
“She is a wily one. Funny too,” Carter muses. “She wasn’t too happy about the background check. Thinks that it was an invasion of her privacy,” he murmurs.
I knew it would be an issue. I just hoped she would understand why I did it. I guess we will have to hash out a lot tonight. She won’t be staying anywhere that I am not. So we will have the time to do so.
“I’ll have to explain to her my reasoning,” I start to say only to hear Carter and Holt chuckling. These assholes need to keep their noses out of my business.
“Good luck with that, her perspective is interesting,” Carter mysteriously states. Next time he can go on the stakeout with Holt. I don’t know why I didn’t arrange it that way this time.
“Hey Holt,” Meg greets as she comes back with her coffee. I guess she is going to continue to give me the cold shoulder. I’m shocked as hell when she looks at me.
“Sterling,” she states. Its civil and cool, but I’ll take it. I know it may take a bit for her to thaw out, but at least she isn’t ignoring me completely. Before I can tell her that we are going back to my place, Carter’s computer speaker emits an alarm. Quickly he toggles to the screen that houses the cameras.
“Shit, motion detected on camera 3,” he mumbles and looks at it. There is a figure there dressed the quintessential bad guy uniform. Meg rounds the table to take a look. It is hard to tell who he is. Dressed in all black. The way the hood is pulled over his head and his head is tilted down, you can only see a sliver of his chin.
