I hated how defensive I sounded. Like I needed him to understand that I wasn’t some overly emotional sister chasing ghosts.
“I don’t think you’re imagining things.”
“Thanks.” The certainty in his tone gave me hope that I wasn’t just spiraling for no good reason. “Part of the problem is that Carson is who I would’ve gone to if I stumbled across something like this before his crash. We moved so much as kids that he was my best friend, even with eight years between us. Now he’s gone. My dad has the Navy contacts to dig into this, but he took a job overseas six months ago. And my mom completely unraveled over the past year, so I definitely can’t talk to her about what I found. It would just make things even worse for her.”
“It’s good you shared this with me, then.” His eyes narrowed. “But you didn’t say why you think someone’s watching you.”
“A man stood at the far end of the lot after work that night.” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure nobody was nearby before meeting Keegan’s gaze again. “Something about him felt off. I haven’t seen him again, but there have been a few more times when I’ve felt that subtle prickle between my shoulder blades.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw, and his eyes darkened. “What did he look like?”
“I couldn’t see much because of how far away he was and how he positioned himself. Broad shoulders, I think. He had his phone in his hand.” I shook my head. “That’s about all I caught before I got the heck out of there.”
“Did he follow you?”
“I don’t think so.” The uncertainty in my voice made heat creep up my neck. “I drove home faster than usual, and I didn’t see him again.”
He exhaled slowly through his nose. “You need to be careful, little dove. Just in case. If anything else feels off, call me.”
His tone made it less of a suggestion and more of a directive.
“I don’t have your number.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Give me yours.”
I rattled off my digits before I could think twice, and my cell buzzed in my hand a moment later. Glancing at my screen, I saw the text he sent.
Unknown number
Keegan.
“Now you have mine.”
I saved his contact information and tried not to read more into it than I should.
“Why did you believe me so easily?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“I’ve seen what happens when money and ego mix,” he explained. “Greed makes people sloppy. Pride makes them dangerous. When reputations are on the line, the truth isn’t always the priority.”
A chill slid down my spine.
“I thought Aegis was solid,” he continued. “I wouldn’t have agreed to fly for them otherwise. But mismatched flight logs tied to a fatal crash aren’t something I can ignore.”
The implication settled heavily between us, making me shiver.
“You don’t need to worry, though.” He dipped his head lower, his voice rough as he murmured, “You don’t have to handle this alone.”
There was no missing how much he meant his promise. Some of my tension loosened at knowing a man like Keegan had my back. “Thank you.”
He brushed my gratitude aside with a shake of his head, his gaze dropping to the files in my hand. “You need to get back to work?”
“Yeah, unfortunately,” I muttered.
He tapped the top of my phone. “Text me. Let me know you’re doing okay.”
“Okay,” I whispered before turning away to walk back to the office.
I did as he asked and sent a few texts, including one as I left just to say that I planned to stop at the grocery store on my way home. His replies weren’t wordy, but it felt nice to share my day with someone. Even though I refused to admit how much it mattered that it was Keegan.
