He exhales. “No, this one is on me. She just decided to settle down here. This will only cause her to blame herself and leave again.”
“Caleb, she needs to know.” I all but snap at him.
“She doesn’t need to know anything about this. We are keeping her safe. You are keeping her safe.” The asshole hangs up. Fuck, the men in her life are so overbearing…but aren’t I part of that?
Sitting here, there’s an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I felt it once, and it’s one I never want to feel again. I look at the screen; Veronica’s face is staring back at me. I know what the brothers are going to do. One question is still gnawing at me; it’s been there ever since the club incident with her and Eric. I grab my phone and dial Gabe. Maybe I can talk some sense into him. He answers on the second ring.
“Gabe, she needs to know.” He knows exactly what I’m referring to. They are keeping so much from her.
“I don’t think she will handle this well,” he admits. “First the photos, now this? It will have her running or worse—spiraling. You know that she acts out. She becomes self-destructive and rebels. You know that trouble she’s gotten into. The crowds she surrounds herself with, at times, just to spite us.”
It’s the elephant in the room. The family tries so hard to protect her that they are actually causing her more harm. But who am I to interfere with their family dynamic? “You’re right, but this isn’t going to end well.”
“You know,” he starts off, “for someone who can’t stand my sister, you sure stand up for her.”
“Well, she is what I call job security. You know how much I hate job searching,” I tell him. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea. I made a promise to keep her safe. “Not everyone wants to be in love.” I regret it as soon as I say it. “Fuck, Gabe, I’m sorry.” I can be such an asshole.
“Don’t be. Just remember, your job is to watch her and keep her safe. From everyone and anyone. That includes herself.” With that, he hangs up.
I know what comes next with this family. They are all killers and sometimes get lost in the thrill of the kill. Before things escalate, I need to call in a favor. My second call is to a person who I can’t stand but I know is the best fit for what I’m going to ask. I press a code into my keyboard, and I see his smug face on the screen. I dial his number and see the moment when he knows it’s me. Fucker lets the phone ring a couple of times, then he decides to answer it.
“I know you’re watching,” he says without so much as a hello. “If you want something to watch, give me a couple of minutes.”
I can’t stand this guy. “I’ll pass. I’m calling in an I owe you.”
He scoffs, “I don’t owe you anything. You get paid for that.”
I push the enter button and hear his phone ping. He opens it, and I see a small smile creep in. It’s chilling; he’s a sadist with a sweet spot. He looks at the camera and gives me the finger. Holding the phone to his ear, he asks, “What do you want?”
After I’m done calling in my favor, I turn to my screens and pull up the nonprofit that Serena Nerva helped fund. Nina’s Hope is where Veronica will start volunteering in a couple of days. I don’t need to hack into anything. The security has been upgraded, thanks to Ian Kayde’s company. Everything is state of the art. The small number of full-time employees has been vetted. Right now, I’m just doing a maintenance inspection. I can’t help but smile as I remember how happy Veronica was to be given this opportunity. Jeez, is there anywhere I don’t watch her? Because did I hack into Nina’s cameras? Yes. All in the sake of keeping my job. I pull out my phone and send a message.
Me: Congratulations on your position. Don’t fuck it up.
Princesa: A simple congratulations would have been nice. But coming from you, I'll take it.
Me: Well, it wouldn’t be me if I did that. Hey, you never know. It may lead to something.
Princesa: Is this you rooting for me?
Princesa: Did hell freeze over?
Me: I wager 50/50 on this.
Princesa: It must be nice being you. Never failing at anything. Bye now, lapdog.
That last message hits hard. If she only knew that I failed at one of the most important jobs I ever had.
Veronica
Chapter 9
I look at myphone. Miles has a way of putting me in a bad mood. I bet he’s an overachiever, the perfect child who could do no wrong. I push thoughts of that limp-dick asshole to the side. I’m excited and nervous. Tomorrow is my first day volunteering, and it means so much that Nina and Serena trusted me enough to be part of something so important to them. I’ve never worked with anyone or for anyone. I look at the outfit I laid out; the dress code is casual but not too casual. I’m debating whether to have a drink to calm my nerves. One wouldn’t hurt, right? I go to my wine rack and stare at a bottle of red but decide against it.
My driver pulls up to the building located in the heart of the city. I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up to volunteer. I thought it would be a small building in a shopping center with three people working. No, this is a building all to itself. I walk through the front door; the walls are painted in shades of purple. Photographs of families andwhat I assume are volunteers are mounted on the walls. It’s welcoming. I walk to the receptionist. She’s wearing a vibrant red blouse, which is my least favorite color. What stands out is her bright and welcoming smile. Her name tag reads Lana.
“Hello, I’m Veronica Kayde. I’m a new volunteer.” I can’t tell if she recognizes my name. If she does, she’s not making it known. I’m grateful, and I already know that I’m going to love it here.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lana.” She extends her hand. “Serena and Nina let me know you would be coming.” I take her hand and shake it. “I’ve been here since the first day.”
