DECLAN
Weekends when I’m not traveling for work follow a thorough routine: Training rides. Sauna at the gym. Muscle recovery.
This past weekend was anything but routine. Certainly not relaxing. Instead of training, I ran through hours of security footage on my laptop while I staked out Charlie’s apartment.
You need to be more trusting.Oliver’s parting words to me on Friday evening played over and over in my mind.
It’s not lost on me that no one was shooting at mebeforeCharlie Ross arrived.
But if I take Oliver at his word and wecantrust Charlie, then she is in a shitty position. She didn’t know what she was signing on for. Like it or not, she’s one of us now. I need to assume she’s going to help our team, but I’ll keep my guard up for a double cross.
I am the kind of person who helps, who protects. And Charlie needs someone –me– to watch out for her.That’s why I’m here. I’m working.I won’t let us lose another team member, not on my watch.
Walking into the office on Monday morning with a crick in my neck, my eyes catch on the fresh patches on the cement pillars in the parking garage. I needed rest to be able to focus, to be able to get to the bottom of what is going on. I didn’t get that, but work still demands my attention.
I let out a yawn as I walk past Charlie’s desk. “Good morning,” I call out before I set my bag down and dock my laptop. In the hours of footage I watched from the driver’s seat of my parked car, I couldn’t get a clear shot of the motorcyclist’s plates. It’s like they knew where the cameras were.
I don’t hear Charlie respond.Did something happen between when I saw her leave for work this morning and arriving?But she is there, steadfastly ignoring me.
At nine thirty, everyone heads to the lobby for an all-company town hall. Oliver does this once a quarter and the atrium of our building is the only space large enough to fit us all. The lobby has a few couches and ledges where people can sit. Many opt to stand.
I spot Charlie at the far end, sitting near the lobby fountain, chatting with Trey and one of the paralegals. I make my way over and sit next to her. She does a double take and then unlocks her phone and makes every attempt to ignore me.
“You OK?” I ask.
She gives one nod and sets her phone aside. “How is your wrist?” she counters, finally looking at me.
I move my right hand, the one with a receding bruise, and show her. “It’ll be fine. How’s your hip?”
Charlie has her arms wrapped round her waist. Her salmon-colored T-shirt dress and navy-blue blazer are professional. Her hair is down and neatly straightened. Nothing about her appearance would give away any trace of the trauma from Friday night. “I’ll live,” she says, once again avoiding my gaze.
“You on board?” I ask. The cat is well and truly out of the bag. She’s involved in this now, whether she likes it or not. It would be nice to start briefing her on the mountain of information for her to catch up on.
Her dark blue eyes connect with mine through her glasses. I think she is about to say yes or to ask for more time. Instead, she looks away and shrugs. Not the enthusiastic sign-on I was hoping for. Charlie waves Ana over. She moves to the side so her friend can sit between us.
This tells me two things: 1. Charlie thinks I will give up because someone is sitting between us, but she has no idea how focused I can be. 2. She hasn’t told Ana about what happened on Friday. Otherwise there is no way Ana would smile and sit next to me.
I pull out my phone and send a text message to Charlie. I could have pulled her number from her file, but instead I asked Oliver for it. He was more than happy to give it to me if it means more protection for Charlie.
Declan Davidson
It’s Declan.
Are you going to help us, like
your uncle suggested?
I try to push on the familial obligation.
I see Charlie check her phone out of the corner of my eye. She dismisses the notification.
I try to get her attention with the financial benefit.
Declan Davidson
The pay is better on the
strategic operations side.
