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I got up and went to her, pulling her in for a firm hug.
She was stiff against me. “Don’t do this,” she said, her voice quaking. “Don’t you say good-bye to me.”
“I’m not.” I held her tightly. “I just want you to know that I love you. And when this is all over, we’re going shopping. And out to lunch.”
I felt her relax a little. “And on a tropical vacation?” she asked hopefully. That was my little sister, taking a mile when I gave an inch.
“Whatever you want.” I pulled back, and although she was wiping her eyes, they had some of their sparkle back.
“Okay,” she said. “But we’re bringing men. And you’re wearing a bikini.”
“Huh?” I asked her in a panicked tone. “Did I actually already commit to this?”
“You said whatever I want.” She started to walk out, the bounce back in her step. “This is awesome. And I’m pulling Gabe in to plan the trip. He’ll probably want to rent an entire island.”
“The last thing I need is you two ganging up on me,” I said weakly.
She turned and gave me one last smile. “But that’s what people do when they love you, Lauren. They gang up on you and make you live life. So come back to me. You owe me that much. I’m so worried about you all the time, I’m starting to prematurely wrinkle. And if I’m going to have wrinkles, I may as well have a damn tan.”
Wes sprang up from the couch outside my office and followed my sister. I shook my head as I watched her sashay down the hall, her bodyguard close at her heels. Hannah had a sort of irrefutably vague logic that you couldn’t argue with. Not that I was going to argue with her right then. If I got back to Paragon in one piece, I could start arguing with her about staying in one when we went on our trip.
Chapter 28
Timmy drove me to Menlo Park, to an office located near Clive’s company, Warren Technologies. Li Na had instructed me to check in at the front desk, then head directly to my temporary office. She said that although the rest of the office was operating on a skeleton crew, someone would be waiting for me.
“Ms. Taylor,” Timmy said as we headed down the freeway, “it’s extremely important that we set some ground rules.”
I licked my lips nervously. “Okay.”
“First of all, we can’t let them separate us. We have to tell them that going in. If they try to, I will shoot them.” His tone was all business.
“I told Li Na that I was bringing a guard, and that you had to stay with me. I told her that was part of the deal. But one of her conditions was that I couldn’t involve the police or the FBI, so we’re flying solo.”
Timmy nodded, his eyes never leaving the road. “She’ll probably have me disarmed. If that happens, and if there’s an emergency, things are going to get messy. Just be prepared.”
I looked out the window. “I understand.”
/> “The second thing is, when I tell you it’s time to go, we have to go.”
I turned back to him. “I have to finish what I start here.”
He grunted his assent. “I understand, but I have a pretty decent grasp on when things are about to get out of control, and I need you to listen to me. If I tell you we have to leave, you need to wrap things up.”
That was one of Gabe’s conditions—I had to listen to Timmy.
I nodded. “Okay.”
A small smile broke out over Timmy’s face. “Besides, Mr. Betts told me that he’d have my balls if I don’t get you out of here safely. I promised him that I would. And I don’t break my promises.”
That was the first time Timmy had smiled at me while using a colloquial term such as “balls.” It annoyed me that it was because he and Gabe had been talking. I furrowed my brow.
Timmy coughed. “Sorry, Ms. Taylor. I was just quoting him, but that was still inappropriate.”
I frowned at my guard. “You know you still work for me and not for Mr. Betts, don’t you?”
Timmy gave me a sideways glance. “He wants to keep you safe. It’s my job to keep you safe. Sometimes, you give me instructions that don’t keep you safe. But yes, I know I work for you.”
“Well, as long as that’s settled.” I went back to staring out the window and tried not to think of Gabe. I missed him so much. I tried not to think about Clive either as we pulled into Menlo Park. I shivered, remembering the last conversation we’d had.
