I watched with fascination as his scowl settled on Carter, who looked too relaxed in the face of Gunner’s disapproval.
“Don’t you have work to do?” Gunner growled at him, getting a smirk in return.
“I’m allowed to take a lunch break.”
Gunner stomped over to the coffeepot that was half-full and poured himself a cup, ignoring my open-mouthed stare.
“Have you checked in with head office yet?” Gunner asked, taking a sip of his black coffee. I’d never understand how he could drink it like that.
“Guess I’ll do that now,” Carter said, not looking the least bit put out at being spoken to like that.
Good to know Gunner treated everyone equally and I wasn’t special.
Guess the difference was I was the only one who talked back.
Without another word, Gunner stomped back out. Carter followed after throwing a wink my way and promising to be back later.
Chapter8
Gunner
I went backinside my makeshift office, knowing Carter would be right behind me. We’d known each other long enough that he could read my rare moods. I set my coffee mug down next to a stack of papers I needed to go through. “I don’t pay you to entertain our clients.”
Not much could penetrate his own armor, and instead of getting offended by my tone, he shrugged. “I was taking a lunch break, boss. You should try it sometime. Might make you less grumpy.”
“I’m not grumpy,” I growled and crossed my arms over my chest. “Now, are you calling the office, or do I have to do it myself?”
He held up his hands. “I was just trying to settle her down a bit. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s doing everything she can to escape. Caught her up on the couch in the living room when I came in, trying to find a way out.”
I ground my teeth together. I knew he was just doing his job. Didn’t mean I liked him being this close to Freya. “I don’t care. Everything is armed. She won’t be able to get out without me knowing.”
Carter finally moved, shaking his head. “You could make your life—and hers—a lot easier if you tried talking to her.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that was exactly what I’d been trying to do, but he cut me off. “All you do is growl at her and tell her what to do. That’s not the type of conversation I was talking about.” He held my gaze, one of the few people who did. “I’ll be back later to make sure you two haven’t killed each other. Would be hard to explain to her father.”
Instead of responding, I glowered at him. He finally got the hint and started walking to the front door, leaving me to my thoughts.
I set the alarm again after Carter left, going straight back to the office.
After staring at my screen for a few more hours, I heard footsteps coming down the hall, then saw Freya pass my door. She disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes and then crept back to the safety of her room.
I couldn’t help but get up and step in front of her, the need to hear her voice overtaking my sense of self-preservation. “You still angry?”
She stilled in front of me, her body rigid, her face drawn tight, and a scowl marring her usually soft features. “I think I have good reason to be angry.”
I suppressed a sigh. She was lucky she had a family that cared about her. But she seemed to throw their every attempt to ensure her safety in their faces. “He only wanted to keep you safe.”
Her little hands balled into fists at her sides, and her scowl grew until she looked like she was constipated. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Whatever you think you know about him is most likely wrong. And good to see you’re still acting like his little lapdog.”
“I’ve been in this business long enough to know if someone is genuine or not. And your dad cares about you. Everything he does, he does to protect you. Don’t you think it’s time you stop acting like a spoiled brat and maybe say thank you for all he’s done for once in your life?”
She drew up tall and took a step closer, her eyes burning into mine. “How dare you. You know nothing about me or my life. You think because you lived in the same house as me for a few months five years ago that you have me all figured out?”
I took an involuntary step closer as well. “I know enough. And it’s time for you to grow up and stop blaming everyone else when something goes wrong.”
Her jaw dropped, and I debated if it was safe to stay as close to her as I was at that moment. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she tried to punch me. One thing that hadn’t changed was her fire. She was a force to be reckoned with when angry.
The decision was taken out of my hands when the world exploded around us. Bits of plaster hit my cheek. My ears were ringing, and dust was flying everywhere, making it hard to see or breathe.
