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I might be receiving threats around every corner, but my business doesn’t stop for threats. There are apps to be developed and clients to keep happy so I can’t miss work.
I decided to wear a black pencil skirt and silk green top today. The guys all told me how hot I look in this outfit, but I don’t feel hot. I don’t really feel anything but paranoid at this point.
I step off the elevator, waving good morning to the cheery Shayla before I head to my office to start the day. When I turn the corner, I see Brandon walking down the hall to his office. I can’t be sure, but it kind of seems like he just came from my office.
“Hey Brandon, wait up,” I call to him as I slow in front of my office door. Brandon turns and glares at me before he approaches. “How’s Love in Sight coming along?”
“It’s almost done. I’m just configuring the last couple of algorithms and Greyson will be all set.” Greyson. Weird. Every other time I’ve talked to Brandon about this project, he’s called him Mr. Nash. Maybe it was just a slip up.
“Great! I want to see it when you’re done.” Brandon just nods and turns away like it’s the biggest inconvenience talking to me. He’s been like this toward me lately but today he seems really on edge.
“Everything okay, Brandon?” I ask, causing him to stop in his tracks.
He turns toward me slightly. “Yeah.” He stomps away before I get to the chance to speak again.
I don’t know much about his personal life. At least I never found anything when researching him. I did find that his parents are still alive and he has two sisters, but I don’t know if they’re close. That’s something you can’t find on the deep web.
Not that I should know everything about him like a stalker, but I feel like as his employer I should know if something is going on that could affect his work. I let it go for now and let myself into my office.
I power up my computer to tackle the copious amount of emails that are sure to be waiting for me. I spend my morning answering emails and taking client calls. The guys pop in occasionally to check on me.
I’m entranced in an email when Rian pops his head in, causing me to flinch.
“Shit. Sorry baby girl, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The rest of his gorgeous body emerges through the doorway.
“It’s okay. You know I’ve been extra jumpy lately. What’s up?”
He gives me a heartwarming smile as he comes around the desk to stand behind me. He leans down so close to my ear I can hear his soft breaths. “I came to see if you want to go to the little cafe downstairs with me for lunch.”
“Lunch?” I guess I let time get away from me while trying to avoid thinking about the threats. I had no idea it was lunchtime.
“Yeah, I need to get you out of this office and get some food in that sexy body of yours. You haven’t moved from your desk since we got here this morning,” he says with concern.
“I’ve been trying to escape my thoughts, so I drowned myself in work.” I put my computer in sleep mode and head out to lunch with Rian. The building our office is in has the best cafe on the bottom floor. It’s all homestyle comfort food which is just what I need. Some kind of comfort.
* * *
It’s almosttime to go home for the day and my stomach is still full from the meatloaf and mashed potatoes I had for lunch.
Rian swings around my office door again. This guy sure has been consistent today.
“I need you to stay at the office for a little while longer.”
“What? Why? Where are Zep and Thiago?” I ask in suspicion. They haven’t been around since this morning, which is weird.
Rian moves to stand by me and I swivel my chair so that I can look at him. “We received a call earlier about a lead on Omega and they’ve been checking it out. They need me to get into a computer they found, so I need you to stay here where I know you're safe.”
Anger burns inside me. “You guys kept this from me?!”
“We didn’t want to get your hopes up if it’s nothing. We’ve seen your heart break from false hope before, we couldn’t do it again.”
I understand why they didn’t tell me. They were trying to protect me like always but I don’t need them to.
“I’m going with you,” I announce as I shut down the computer and grab my purse.
“Oh no you’re not. We need all our focus when we’re there and we can’t do that if we’re worried about protecting you. You’ll be safe here since we updated the security after the mail incident. Just wait for us to get back.” Zep and Rian beefed up the cameras and security system on our floor. That makes me feel a little bit better when in the office, but this is still a public building so people have access to the other floors.
They think they have to protect me all the time like I’m helpless. Newsflash: I’m not. The thought of them seeing me as helpless enrages me more. “I can protect myself if something goes wrong.”
