“Or he may think you’re just a concerned neighbor.” Erik returned. “I don’t think most people would immediately jump to the conclusion that someone has a bodyguard.”
Chloe motioned to the laptop. “Did you catch him on camera leaving the rose on my car?”
Jayla shook her head. “It was a young boy. Probably one from the neighborhood that Savoy bribed to do it.”
Poor kid probably thought he was leaving a romantic gesture for someone’s girlfriend.
“It’s up to you, Chloe.” Erik looked her in the eyes. “Tell us what you’re comfortable with. If you want, we’ll flank you, make it clear to anyone watching that you’re under our protection.”
If she was going to finish this, she couldn’t have Jackson suddenly deciding to lie low. He’d only wait until things cooled down, then start again. She needed to lure him out.
Saying as much to them, she saw the respect on both their faces and couldn’t help feeling a bit of pride.
“Jayla and I will leave the building first, then.” Nodding thoughtfully, Erik continued. “Make it look like we’re a couple in case he’s watching. Savoy wasn’t in the building, so for all he knows, I stayed with her at her place last night.
“You’ll come out after, once we call you with an all clear. We’ll be able to keep an eye on you, and move at a moment’s notice if he approaches.”
Chloe nodded. “What time’s the meeting with Lattie?” She still had no idea what she’d done with her phone.
Erik consulted his watch. “You’ve got almost an hour before we have to leave if you want to eat something.”
Her stomach still felt off, but she probably should eat. At least some toast or something. Going into the kitchen, she popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. As she waited, a faint, familiar pinging sound drew her attention. Her bag was on the floor by the door where she’d dropped it when Jayla had steered her back into her apartment yesterday.That’swhere her phone was. She’d forgotten to pull it back out after the rose on her car had aborted her trip to the art supply store. Retrieving it, her entire body prickled with dread, and she forcefully reminded herself thatJackson didn’t have this number. There would be no angry texts from him when she unlocked it.
There was the expected text from Lattie, calling the mandatory meeting. One from John, asking if she knew what the meeting was about. Another from Danny asking how she was holding up, and an earlier one from John asking if she’d heard about Thadeus.
Her guilt returned with a vengeance. She hadn’t even thought to call Lattie and ask him about the two dancers who had been injured. Because of her. She’d brought this monster down on all their heads. Her sinuses prickled, and the phone’s screen began to swim in front of her eyes as tears welled. She blinked them back hard, but one still managed to escape and splash her hand.
Her toast popped, startling her, and tossing the phone back in her bag, she swiped impatiently at her eyes. She hadn’t had much of an appetite to begin with, but now it was completely gone.
Alone in her apartment, Chloe watched the surveillance feed of her building’s exterior on Jayla’s laptop as Erik and Jayla exited the building together. She was aware of the plan, that the two of them were going to put on a show, make it look like they were a couple to anyone watching, but it still sent a jolt through Chloe to see them like that. Erik’s arm was around Jayla’s shoulder while herswas around his waist, and as she looked up at him, her lips moving as she said something, her happiness was blinding.
Jayla was a beautiful woman with her long, dark hair braided back from her face, only highlighting her gorgeous skin and delicate bone structure. Tall, fit, long-legged, winning smile… What man wouldn’t be attracted to her?
Jealousy crawled over Chloe’s skin in a sudden wave. The feeling was ridiculously inappropriate. Erik wasn’t hers. She may have asked him out, he may have even accepted, and sure, he’d comforted her when she’d needed it, but when it came right down to it, she was a job to him. Plus, what she was seeing on the screen was all an act… Unless it wasn’t.
The toast she’d forced herself to eat suddenly felt like a boulder in her stomach. Were they a couple? Had he only accepted the coffee date because it was his duty to keep an eye on her?
Erik opened the passenger side door of his vehicle, and Jayla got in. A moment later, a text pinged Chloe’s phone: All clear.
Her lips twisted as she wondered how either of them could possibly know that for sure, considering they’d been too busy gazing longingly into each other’s eyes.
Stop it, Chloe.
Grabbing her bag, she headed out, locking up her apartment behind her. Now her skin was crawling for a very different reason. Would Jackson be watching? Reminding herself that Erik and Jayla would be keeping an eye on things, that they wouldn’t letanything happen to her, should have been a comfort. It should have eased the tension, but Chloe was wound so tight she felt like she’d snap at any moment.
One step at a time. Down the stairs, into the foyer. Mrs. Haskell was there, checking her mail, and Chloe offered her a tight smile. Her phone pinged, and she stopped dead, her fingers fumbling as she pulled it out of her pocket. Had something happened? Had they spotted Jackson?
She nearly crumpled in on herself when she saw it was just a text from John, asking if she was mad at him.For God’s sake. Typing quickly to say that she wasn’t mad and that she’d see him at the meeting, she kept her phone in her hand as she resumed her trek.
Out the door, down the front steps, her eyes scanned the other cars parked on the street, the familiar buildings, and the shadowy nooks in between, looking for anything out of place. All clear. Just like Jayla had said, but she wouldn’t be able to take a deep breath until she’d locked herself in her car.
The rose was gone. Whether Jackson had retrieved it or someone had taken it, she didn’t know. She was just glad not to see it. Getting behind the wheel, it was tempting to sink into the seat, let her shoulders sag, and just breathe, but the thought that Jackson might still be watching kept her stiff and alert as she started the car and pulled out of the parking space.
Her phone rang, and seeing it was Jayla, Chloe pressed the button on her steering wheel to answer.
“We’ve got eyes on you. You’re doing great. Just drive naturally.”
Easier said than done. Right now, she was a trembling mass of nerves.
