“Uh-huh. I expect to see him. By the way. It’s perfectly acceptable for you to have a life. You can’t allow the past to keep you from exceling personally.” A haunted look crossed her face. She’d never gotten over what she’d endured all those years ago.
Maybe she was right about enjoying my life, but he’d never go for taking me to some glitzy party. I might not know a lot about the stodgy author, but that much was easy to see.
For whatever the reason, when she closed the door behind her, I felt a sense of relief. Maybe she was right. Work had been my life, a protection that up until now had worked just fine. Everything had changed in the last few days. Now I had a protective detail, which couldn’t continue. I refused to play victim twenty-four hours a day.
No matter if Maverick’s intentions were decent.
Still, I kept a brutal glare on the door while grabbing my phone, dialing the one woman who knew every gory detail about my sordid life and had never judged me. Not once.
Maybe my mood needed a little shakeup for a change.
Sandra was just the girl to do it.
CHAPTER 12
Alexia
“Your boss is correct. You suffer from the feelings of being completely inadequate in both your job and your personal life. You can’t sleep if you think you’ve wronged one of the victims, when in fact all the bad stuff that occurs is rooted in the ridiculous system of justice. On top of that, you’ve failed in the passion department. Think about it. When was the last time you were on a date? And that didn’t go so well. But you need to give yourself a break.”
My fork was midair where it had been poking through the limp salad before. Now there was less than zero interest in the tasteless food. Meanwhile, my bestie of several years was gobbling up her pasta dish with gusto.
“Are you going to finish that or do you need me to find some barbarian to join you? Maybe I can talk to the chef and he has a whole chicken leg you can gnaw on together.”
She lifted her head while forking in another huge mouthful. “What?”
Shrugging, I did my best to keep from laughing at her, which prompted a hateful look, something else I adored about the girl.
“I skipped breakfast, okay? I was due to rake a count over the coals for how he treated a painter. Your lack of a decent sex life isn’t anything you haven’t admitted before.”
“Okay, fine, but hearing such condemnation of every aspect of my life at this moment isn’t exactly what I need. It’s been a rough few days.”
Sandra laughed. “A standard line for you. I’d think you’d be celebrating after learning that the execution date had been set. That way you can put the past behind you. Or you could have had you not purposely looked up the agent who rescued you. That sounds like something I’d do.” She dropped her fork, grabbing her napkin instead. Where she could shovel food down like a burly man, she was dainty when wiping her mouth. I knew the routine. She was reading me like most people would do a book.
The moment she wrapped her fingers around her wineglass, I sat back in preparation for her soliloquy on the changes my life needed. Meanwhile, something caught my eye. Just briefly, but I took a deep breath in response, forced to pull my attention back to the table when she grabbed my arm.
“Unfortunately, the past doesn’t want to cooperate with me. Trust me. I’ve tried to let it go.” The nightmares alone prevented me from making any real headway.
“You honestly believe the real killer is still out there.” Sandra’s face was pinched as always happened when we discussed a single element regarding the case. She’d talked me down from more than one precarious ledge over the years.
“I don’t know. Maybe I was hoping Maverick would convince me otherwise.” Or maybe just the opposite. The jury was still out on that one.
“You’re on a first name basis now, I see.” Her grin was wildly infectious.
“He’s a very personable man.”
“Ah, which is why you suddenly called and wanted to go shopping for a new dress.”
I tossed my head from side to side while making a face. “Ha. That’s for the office party.” An office party that it would seem I was being required to attend. Maybe I was wrong, but Betty’s reactions to some of what I’d told her continued to trouble me.
Maybe everything was having a toxic effect at this point.
“You mean the by invitation only party considered a social event of the year that I’d die to go to, but my best friend is forsaking me for a date with a man.”
Her exaggerated huff blew her long dark hair from her eyes. “Are you finished yet?”
“I’m very serious. And did your handsome hero manage to dispel your fears?”
“Unfortunately, no. He just put more questions into my mind than answers.” Including why he had someone trail after me if he wasn’t worried about what I’d told him. And after I’d explicitly told him not to have some off-duty officer following me.
