“It was our cafeteria supply vendor,” Kade answered finally. “He was dropping off something that was missed in our delivery, so I’d imagine he’s done for the night now. I’ll see if he will wait for you to beat them to the warehouse.” He tapped out a message on his phone while he was speaking, and the phone rang right after he sent it.
“Thanks, man.” I was already out in the hall when the Director called after me, demanding that I return Ari once I’d found him. Since I had no intention of doing that unless it was what Ari wanted, I pretended not to hear and continued out of the building, breaking into a run when I reached the parking lot. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with Ari, but I was damn sure that having him alone and in public in that condition was a disaster waiting to happen.
I was parked on a side street with a clear view of the building Kade had directed me to well before the standard white delivery van pulled into a vacant parking space behind the tidy brick building. I waved to the driver as he passed, receiving a jaunty nod in return and then waited for the driver to leave in another vehicle. Not long after, the back door to the van swung open and Ari clambered down, nearly stumbling when his running shoe hit the asphalt.
I waited while Ari studied his surroundings, seeming confused as he looked up and down the nearly deserted street. After a minute, he seemed to shake it off and began to walk toward the road as though he had a destination in mind. Which, for all I knew, maybe he did. After all, I couldn’t think of any reason why he would have taken off if he didn’t have a place to go?
I turned my thoughts back to the situation in front of me. Ari had only walked a short distance before he hesitated, then stopped, and began to look over his shoulder like someone was following him. From my vantage point, I could see a fair distance and there was no one there, but Ari began to walk faster. Then faster still, until he was nearly running before I stepped out of my truck and moved to intercept him.
“Ari? Are you okay?” Even though I was careful to keep my voice low and calm, he jerked to a stop and began to look around desperately, as though searching for an escape. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“I..you,” he gasped out. “They!”
“They who?” I asked, taking a couple of steps closer.
“The Director,” he whispered, closing his eyes as though he’d just given up.
“What about him?” I was within arm’s length then and I reached for him gently, taking one of his trembling hands in mine.
He swallowed hard and looked up at me with glassy eyes, shoulders drooping in resignation. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’m prepared to answer for my transgressions.”
“Your transgressions?” I parroted, feeling my brows creep up. “What do you mean? Did someone threaten you?”
Ari didn’t answer, just pulled his hand from mine and walked around the truck, climbing into the cab and closing the door, waiting for me to..what, exactly? Deliver him to whatever punishment he anticipated?
I climbed up into the driver’s seat and cranked the engine but turned to face Ari while the truck idled.
“Ari, is that why you ran? You were expecting Director Keir to punish you for something?”
He didn’t answer but his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, telling me I’d gotten it in one.
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” I said slowly, “but I’m definitely not comfortable taking you back to ODI if you’re scared.” I drew in a long breath, weighing my options in my head before settling on the one that I suspected I was going to regret the most. “Ari, would you like to stay with me for a few days? Until we can sort this out?”
Ari’s shoulders dropped suddenly as though they’d been held up by tension alone and that was enough of an answer for me. I pulled out onto the road and hit my blinker, turning down the road that led away from Omega Destiny, International.
“All right, sweetheart. Let’s go home.”
ChapterTen
Ari
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
As soon as we’d returned to his cozy townhouse, Roger had installed me on the sofa, tucked into the crook where the two legs of the sectional met, covered me with a soft, fuzzy blanket, and then proceeded to hover over me like I was in danger of collapsing any moment.
“No,” I mumbled, leaning back against the cushions and snuggling under the blanket. “Tired, though.”
Roger was frowning thatconcernedfrown again. “Seriously? You just woke up from a nap a little over two hours ago.”
Huh. I was surprised that so much had happened in so little time, but I had gotten a lot of exercise and the fear and stress probably didn’t help. I opened my mouth to say exactly that but instead of speaking, I yawned.
Roger chuckled under his breath and leaned over to tuck the blanket up under my chin. “Never mind.” He brushed a light kiss over my brow. “If the air conditioning gets too cold, tell me, okay? I run pretty hot, so I keep it set low.”
I nodded sleepily, stifling another yawn and closing my eyes. Something about Roger’s presence had me much more relaxed than I was used to. I wasn’t sure how to describe it other than, well, settled. I wasn’t really sleeping, more like dozing off and on while Roger moved around the room. I heard him talking in a low voice, probably on the phone, my semi-conscious brain suggested. Then there was the faint clattering of glass as he puttered around the kitchen, followed a short time later by the delicious smell of roasting meat.
My stomach rumbled loudly.
A few feet away, I heard Roger’s low chuckle and I got the same funny feeling in my stomach that the fizzy drinks had given me. Opening my eyes, I blinked against the light and then found him lounging at one end of the L-shaped sofa with a book in his hand.
