We didn’t need some kind of coup to form to attempt to take Pharrell out. Internal fighting did no one any good.
I made my way through the room, careful not to disturb their work. A few gave me nods to acknowledge my presence. Others kept focused, as if they worried there would be backlash for anything less.
After I checked on them all, I made my way to the office in back. The door was locked, which was a good sign no one had attempted to mess with it.
Still, to be sure, I pulled up the cameras I’d had discreetly placed in the space to ensure no one would betray us ever again.
Fast forwarding through the footage showed the room to be undisturbed. With that peace of mind, I dropped into the chair and sighed.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back for a moment to get my bearings. It had been a whirlwind of a year. Too many negative or unknown situations were at play. I needed a win. Something good.
Hopefully we’d get it with Jean’s intel. Pharrell had sent him off on a special assignment. I was the only person who knew the details of what it was. The less people involved, the better. Jean’s safety was at stake after all.
If Jean was successful with this mission, then there would be a good chance of us finding some stability again. Since Stasia, we’d been walking around on eggshells, not sure who would attack next.
As I thought through what all my friend had to be going through, I felt myself drifting off. I figured a few minutes to close my eyes wouldn’t do any harm.
Only, when I opened my eyes again, there was a definitive shift in the air. I didn’t have to look at the clock to know more time had passed than I intended.
Moving wasn’t an option anyway. Not when I could sense someone else in the space with me.
I let my gaze shift around the room from the position I was in. It’s then I saw what—who—had likely woken me.
Pip was perched on the filing cabinet in the corner, one leg brought up to his chest as the other hung loosely. His chin laid atop the arm he had crossed over the raised leg.
He looked the picture of calm.
I couldn’t recall another time he’d been as still as he was now. Even when he hid in plain sight, the man had to move around.
All that energy in him needed an outlet.
“What are you doing here?” I rasped, easing into an upright position.
My shoulders ached at the awkward position. I rolled them a bit as I stared down the too still, too silent man.
“And how did you get in the door? I locked it.”
At my added words, he finally spoke up. “I got in the way most people do. I unlocked it.”
“But…”
He cut me off, continuing with, “And as for why I’m here, it’s because no one knew where you were. I needed to be sure someone hadn’t made their way here to hurt you.”
I shook my head. Was that worry in his voice? It had to be the lingering tiredness I felt. Pip didn’t care about anyone but himself.
“No one is going to come hurt me. Aside from your ability to pick locks, these other men know not to disturb me when I’m tucked away working.”
“Ah, yes. But you weren’t working, Henny.” He eased his leg down, then jumped from the cabinet in a single graceful movement. “And we both know some of those men out there aren’t as faithful as they want you to believe. They could have killed you with the right opportunity.”
“I’ll repeat myself then: The door was locked. They couldn’t get in.”
“Yet here I am. Most of those fuckers may be brain dead but there’s bound to be one with the skill. You need to be more alert, Henny. We can’t let anything happen to you.”
I bristled at his words. Who was he to tell me what to do? I obviously hadn’t meant to fall asleep.
“Well, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. There’s no reason for you to stay. Don’t you have someone to torture or knives to clean?” I grumbled.
He laughed as he strode across the space. The desk sat between us, though it didn’t feel like enough room.
