ChapterNine
HEIDI
I’m not sure what pulls my attention away from my phone but one second, I’m filling the Scorned Girls chat with message after message about my crappy meeting and the next moment I stop mid-step.
A rush of something like déjà vu prickles over the back of my neck a nanosecond before a man wearing a suit comes barrelling out of a dark office. He moves so fast we literally crash into each other.
A wave of a memory sweeps over me as time stretches out and everything feels like it slows down just like in the movies. It’s completely illogical and makes no sense, but it doesn’t change what happens. The change of pace along with a blistering awareness means I get to see and feel everything.
The man’s eyebrows pull together—but it’s not like he’s shocked. If anything, he looks more stunned or mystified by our collision, because we do crash into each other.
And then in the next moment his brown eyes flare wide. Too wide, letting me see his secrets. My eyes move and without blinking I zero in on the faint mark in his eye telling me he is wearing contact lenses. And then I see a spot on his temple where his wig has lifted.
His brand-new briefcase and suit jacket falls from his hand in our crash. But then in the next moment both his hands tuck under my elbows so I don’t bounce off the glass window on the office opposite me. Strangely though, instead of a vice-like grab he used to start with, his hand relaxes, almost becoming a caress.
My weird responses towards him continue, and I use our momentum as a way to escape this chameleon’s arms. And there’s conflict in that too because I feel like we’ve met, but I also feel like we’ll be meeting again.
Either way, as my awareness grows, something else clicks into gear and I go super Matrix. My knee jackknifes up, connecting with his nuts and since we’re nearly nose to nose, I feel a small puff of air against my cheek as his lips pop apart before I hear him try to swallow his grunt of pain.
He pulls away. His eyes are still full of stunned shock but at the same time, they glitter with intrigue and a hint of pain.
I hiss in his face, as I somehow unleash a Herculean shove against him. No shit, I stun the both of us with how hard I push him, and he ends up flailing backwards into his office before he can find his footing.
And then instead of screaming for help like any sane person would do, I pull the door shut before I snatch my phone off the floor. Somehow, I manage to turn the corner to where the lifts are only just avoiding Bradley and Charlie who are both on their way to see why I’m so slow.
“Don’t ask,” I offer, swiping my hair into place and sidestepping around them. “Talking and texting is dangerous, Bradley. I hope you know that.”
Miraculously, the lift opens as I walk up to it and my fingers fly across my phone to send an SOS to my Scorned Girls. While I wait for their responses I count my blessings. The very last thing I need, besides getting attacked again, is for Bradley or Charlie to report back to the board that I got accosted in the corridor of my insanely secure office building.
My sliver of freedom would disappear quicker than me handling the staged encounter the way I just did.
I get I should be more freaked out, but there’s this voice in my head reiterating how easy it would have been for him to hurt me. That voice in my head also adds that he never would.
Raney’s face flashes up on my screen, cutting off my weird thoughts.
“I’m in a lift and Bradley supposedly needs complete silence to work in case we’re under attack,” I patronise because I’m like that. And sometimes it’s better to hide behind the truth than lie. “I’ll call you when I’m in the car. I’m going to stop at…”
There’s a beat of silence before Raney snarls like a vicious dog. “I’m home already. Get your ass here, what sort of fucking text is that to send!”
“What? You were away,” I stammer, turning into the corner, hoping my two guards can’t hear.
“Was. You needed me more.” She pauses and I can hear her worry from here. “Heidi, I’m serious. Tell Max to drive like his ass is on fire… what the actual fuck?”
“Yes, yes… see you soon. Order me a noodle soup and steamed buns,” I ramble before hanging up and cutting off the call and stopping her chance to say another word.
By the time Max pulls into traffic the rush of adrenaline has me rubbing my temples in an attempt to steer away a headache. With a grunt of something at my bodyguards I climb out of the car, going around the opposite side to thank Max for being awesome as always.
And then I nearly sag in relief as the watched gate at Unity Collegiate is opened. Unsurprisingly and thankfully, Raney’s there standing in a pair of Koz’s ginormous sweatpants and a Fallen t-shirt, her open arms stretched wide waiting for me.
“Are you all right?” she whispers as she squeezes the bejesus out of me.
“No,” I admit. And just for a moment I hide away from the world in a hug from one of my very best friends. I push her away too soon, struggling to breathe though the weight of her love but not letting her go either. “I hope you ordered wine too, Raney. No shit, this whole day has been way too fucked up. Chocolate shakes and onion rings does not cut it with what happened today.”
“Heads up, Ho, I panicked when I got your text and called Koz. He’s waiting in his car with Lew out the front of M1. Let him do a check of your office and the building for me. Give me the codes and he’ll see what is going on.”
“He won’t be able to get inside,” I insist.
But she just pops a hip and stares at me, like I’m telling bad dad jokes. I guess though she’s probably right, he is resourceful.
