Page 10 of What Comes Around

Only then did I glance down at myself. A fitted charcoal-gray office dress that hugged my waist and fell just above my knees. Paired with expensive black heels that suddenly felt like a terrible life choice. The kind of outfit meant for climate‑controlled boardrooms, not… whatever Knox Sinclair was about to drag me into.

I couldn’t change. I couldn’t even complain. This wasn’t a meeting I’d been warned about, and I doubted he cared whether I was dressed for a runway or a construction site.

I followed him toward the elevator, already regretting every inch of heel.

The elevator arrived almost immediately. Knox stepped inside without slowing and I slipped in after him. The doors closed with a soft chime.

I glanced at his reflection in the polished steel wall. He didn’t look at me, but I knew he was aware of me.

The ride down was quiet.

When the doors opened into the lobby, the shift was immediate. Conversations softened. Heads turned. People tried not to stare and failed anyway. Knox didn’t acknowledge any of it. He walked straight through the space like the room had arranged itself around him.

I followed half a step behind.

Outside, a black SUV waited at the curb.

Nathan stepped ahead of us and opened the rear door.

“Miss Richards,” he said politely.

Knox waited until I was seated before sliding in beside me.

“This is Nathan Reed,” Knox said as the door closed. “My driver and head of security.”

Nathan met my eyes in the mirror and gave a brief nod. “Nice to meet you, Miss Richards.”

“Likewise,” I replied.

Titan was already waiting in the back of the SUV.

When I turned, I could see him clearly through the open cargo area, stretched across his bed behind the headrests. He lifted his massive head, studied me once, then rested his chin back on his paws. Eyes half closed. Still alert.

Nathan had taken him out for his daily walk during lunch.

During the ride, Knox reviewed documents on his tablet. I watched Chicago slide past the windows, glass towers slowly giving way to warehouses and empty stretches of land.

When we arrived, the location was exactly what I had suspected. A wide stretch of dirt and dry grass. Broken concrete edges where something had once stood. No buildings. Just open, waiting space.

Three men were already there.

They straightened the moment Knox stepped out of the car.

I slid out after him.

Nathan opened the rear hatch and let Titan down. The dog moved quietly beside him, though his attention never strayed far from Knox.

“Mr. Sinclair, what an honor.”

“Thank you for coming out personally.”

“We truly believe this project will redefine the area.”

Metaphorical ass-kissing in synchronized formation.

Knox barely acknowledged it and he gestured toward me instead.

“This is my analyst, Miss Richards.”