“Thanks.”
He checked the street up and down before she even took a step toward her car. Ben jumped in the back seat and Summer reminded him to buckle up.
After his door was closed, she met Pope’s gaze across the top of the car. “You don’t have to escort us to school like we’re VIPs.”
“It’s my job.”
She smiled faintly as she slipped behind the wheel.
The drive to school passed quietly except for Ben explaining playground politics from the back seat, and Pope kept half his attention outside the vehicle, watching for strange cars makingall the same turns they made and ensuring pedestrians didn’t rush the car.
By the time they pulled into the school drop-off line, Pope already disliked the setup of the school. The entry was too exposed. Too easy to approach. Too many distracted adults stood around talking instead of paying attention to what was happening around them.
He climbed out with Summer and Ben and scanned the building. As they approached the entrance, the poor security had all his instincts screaming.
Pope stood in front of the door, blocking Ben’s path. A crowd streamed around them.
“Vander?”
He didn’t glance away from the door when he spoke to Summer. “I don’t like the way the school door locks look.”
“What?” She pitched her voice low.
“That security keypad can be hacked in thirteen seconds.”
He felt her stare on him and turned his head. “Summer, do you realize that? Thirteen seconds.”
A few nearby parents glanced at them. One mother subtly steered her child farther away from Pope like he might breach the school himself.
Summer’s touch on his arm was gentle. “Okay.”
“No, not okay.”
“Vander.”
“The system’s outdated.”
At that moment, a tall, thin man appeared in the entrance. He looked Pope over. “Can I direct you someplace?”
Summer gave Ben a little nudge toward the door while Pope sidled up to the man.
“And you are?”
“Uh…” A flush crawled up from the collar of the man’s dress shirt. “I’m Principal Aldman.”
“Good morning, Principal Aldman,” Summer hurried to say. Then to Ben, she said, “Go inside, buddy. I’ll pick you up after school. Have a good day!”
She latched on to Pope’s arm before he could grill the guy about security and steered him through the sea of people flooding toward the door.
After they were inside her car, she turned to him, gripping the wheel. “I appreciate you taking this seriously.”
“I do.” He stared at the front of the school but he was seeing her face the way it looked that night she told him they had nothing to offer each other.
“This matters for my future in Black Heart Security,” he gritted out.
She didn’t move to turn on the engine. “You didn’t tell me about that.”
“The Malones approached me to join the security agency.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose hard enough to burn. “I’m trying to prove I can do this.”
