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He’d realized it too late. There’ll be other opportunities.
Back in control, he pulled out his cell phone. Allison and Raimono couldn’t be together all the time. He’d remind Kane what needed to happen. Then he’d wait. But he couldn’t wait forever.
Chapter 12
Man, she hated this. She couldn’t even walk outside the building for a coffee without Connor following her. The man had been her constant shadow since he’d arrived at her house this morning. Actually, she’d had a shadow since Friday night, but one of them she didn’t mind having.
Although not her original plan, she’d spent Friday night at Rock’s apartment. Then on Saturday, he’d followed her home and stayed with her until this morning when he’d left for the base, but only after Connor arrived. Now she was stuck with Connor until Rock got back tonight. And lucky her, she got to repeat the entire process again tomorrow.
Yesterday, she’d tried to convince Rock they’d overreacted on Friday, that she’d imagined someone had followed her to his apartment. The whole experience had been like talking to a concrete wall. No matter what argument she made, he had a counterargument. In the end, she gave up, promising herself that if all remained quiet for the next few days and Elite Force didn’t see anything suspicious, she’d get rid of the bodyguards. If Rock wanted to keep staying with her and commute everyday, he could. She liked having him close, and besides, he gave her some personal space unlike Connor, the bodyguard now sitting outside her office door.
When they’d arrived at the Falmouth Foundation earlier, he’d insisted he sit inside her office. If she had to, she could deal with having a bodyguard in the building and even driving with him in the car, but she drew the line at him sitting across the desk from her. If he’d stayed in the room with her all day, she’d never get anything done.
It took some big-time persuading, but she’d managed to get him to stay just outside her door. Of course that meant the man knew when she left her office to get a coffee or even go to the restroom, and he insisted on going everywhere with her, which was something she’d found out very quickly this morning when she’d tried to make her usual ten thirty coffee run next door. The moment she opened her office door, he came to his feet. When she’d told him of her plan, he fell into step next to her.
She’d allowed him to accompany her to the café without an argument, after all she hired him to keep an eye on her. Doing so would be impossible if he stayed here while she walked outside and to the next building. She’d even bought him an espresso and a muffin. However, when they returned and he tried to check the restroom before she went in, she put her foot down. Invading her privacy was one thing. Other female employees used the ladies room though and they didn’t need Connor or any other man walking in on them.
Connor hadn’t like that one bit. Only after she reminded him the receptionist would’ve seen any nonemployees go into the bathroom, had he conceded and stood guard outside the door instead.
The only positive thing, if one could call it positive, was that Jake had taken a few days off this week to spend time with Charlie and Garret, so he didn’t know about the situation. He would soon enough. After all a large, armed man had followed her into work and now sat outside her office door. No doubt Cindy, Jake’s personal assistant, would tell him the next time they spoke. When he learned the truth, questions would follow. Hopefully none of that took place today because she needed to get things done. Several grant proposals required her attention if she hoped to meet their end of the month deadlines.
Allison scrolled down and started on the next grant section, but two hard knocks on the door made her pause. What can he possibly want? Except for following her around every time she stepped out of her office, he’d left her alone to work so far today.
“Come in.” The sooner she found out, the sooner he’d go back to leaving her alone, well at least until she tried to make a break for the ladies room again.
“Something you want to share?”
Phooey. Jake. So much for a little more time. “I thought you were out until Thursday.” A little small talk never hurt anything, even if it did only postpone the inevitable.
“I was until Cindy called and said you had a guard sitting outside your door. Out with it. What’s going on?” Jake stood on the other side of her desk, his arms crossed and his serious expression making him look like a younger
clone of Uncle Warren.
“First, how’s Charlie and Garret. Do you have any new pictures of him?” She’d answer Jake. In the long run, what other choice did she have? Still, she didn’t appreciate him barging in and demanding answers. He might be her boss at the Falmouth Foundation, but he wasn’t her master.
His expression didn’t change, but Jake ran a hand through his short hair. “Okay, fine, we’ll do it your way. Everyone’s great. Maureen and her husband are down visiting again.” Pulling out his smartphone, he touched the screen before passing it to her. “These pictures are from last weekend when Sara and Christopher flew out.”
Score one for me. With four brothers and a slew of male cousins, she didn’t often win. She scrolled through the various pictures. Many of them where of Garret alone, but there were also a few of Garret with Jake’s sister Sara and her soon-to-be husband, who also happened to be Jake’s best friend, Christopher Hall. “He looks like you. Uncle Warren must be crazy happy. Two grandsons in less than a year.” She reached the last of the most recent pictures, one of Garret asleep on Charlie.
“Allison.”
“What? He must be.”
Jake grabbed the phone before she could scroll through any older photos. “I answered your questions. Now out with it. What’s with the armed guard outside your door?”
Looks like the reprieve is over. “It’s nothing. He’ll be gone in another few days.” She didn’t care what Rock or anyone else said. Unless someone at the security firm came back with evidence confirming she needed a full-time bodyguard, she’d be parting ways with Connor and Neil, the other bodyguard Elite Force assigned to her, soon.
“That’s not an answer.” Shoving the smartphone into a pocket, he sat and eyed her over his steepled fingers, a clear indication he had no intentions of budging until he got the answers he wanted. She’d seen both her dad and uncle strike a similar pose when dealing with their children.
When did Jake turn into a walking copy of Uncle Warren?
“Something made you hire a bodyguard. I can’t help you, Allison, if you’re not honest with me.”
She loved Jake like a brother, but she didn’t need or want his help. She had plenty of help already.
“Since I moved down here, I’ve had this weird feeling like someone is watching me. And a few weeks ago, I received a gift here with no name on it. At first I thought it was from Derek, some kind of silly practical joke.”
“He told me about the bear and candy. He said you contacted the police.”
