“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said, my voice steady even as my grip failed me. I ended the call and set the phone down, only then noticing my hand was shaking.
“Bash?” Ethan asked, cutting through the fog in my head.
“My mom fell,” I said. “She’s in the hospital. That’s all they could tell me. The doctor’s supposed to call, but I need to?—”
Ethan was already dialing, motioning to Victor.
Victor grabbed my jacket from the back of the conference chair and helped me shove my laptop and files into my bag. By the time I had what I needed, Ethan was off the phone.
“There’ll be a driver here in five,” he said. “He’ll take you straight to the airport. There’s a plane leaving in an hour. It’s booked.”
I nodded.
“You won’t have time to go home.”
“I have a bag in my car.”
I made it to the elevator as the doors were closing, leaving both Ethan and Victor in the conference room. They’d see the implementation through. They always did.
Damn it.
I needed to convince my mom to move closer. Somewhere that didn’t require a plane ticket and a knot in my chest every time the phone rang. I glanced around as I pushed the button, wondering why the elevator doors had been open, and when they bounced back open I got my answer.
I stepped in, the doors sealing us into the narrow space. The hum of the elevator filled the silence as it began its descent toward the garage.
I checked my watch again, shaking my head. “Don’t you get off work at five?” I asked, leaning back against the wall even though the last thing I wanted was to sit still. It was after eight-thirty. I’d been holed up in the conference room since four and assumed Mira had left after delivering dinner at six. She and Micah had done their part. From here, it was on us.
She shrugged but didn’t answer.
There were scripts for moments like this. I knew I should just nod and smile, keep a professional distance but I never been good at following scripts.
My hand lifted before I could stop it, hovering just short of her face. Another inch and I could have cupped her cheek. Felt the warmth of her skin. Grounded myself in something real.
She didn’t step back.
She held her ground, eyes searching mine.
I let my hand fall.
“Mira,” I said quietly.
The blush that rose in her cheeks wasn’t dramatic, but I saw it. We weren’t technically on a first-name basis like that, but I liked the way it felt. Oh, to have her call me something other than Mr. Reid.
The elevator hummed as it continued downward.
“I need you to promise me you’ll be careful.”
Her brow lifted, the request clearly catching her off guard.
“I have to deal with something out of town,” I said. “If it weren’t important, I wouldn’t be leaving. I’d like to be able to check in on you while I’m gone, if that’s okay.”
“I don’t understand,” she said, tilting her head.
I stepped closer, close enough to catch her scent, to feel the heat of her presence, but I didn’t touch her even though it was all I wanted to do.
“Whoever’s been siphoning funds is about to realize we see them,” I said. “And brilliant minds like yours make convenient targets. Even when they shouldn’t.”
Her breath hitched.
