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“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Cody Parker. I’m from Blackhawk Security. Mel Melbourne, one of the owners, sent me to be your bodyguard.”
She tilted her head as she studied him. Finally sighed. “That sounds very dramatic. But since I confirmed with Alex that the owner sent you, I suppose you can come in. Tell me what this is all about.”
She held the door open, and he stepped inside. Brushed past her. She smelled of lemons and some light, flowery scent that suited her.
After he cleared the door, she closed it and locked it. Tugged on the doorknob to make sure it was locked. It looked instinctive, like she did it every time she closed the door. Like she needed that extra tug for reassurance.
Maybe there was more to Sierra Baker than her Suzy Sunshine exterior.
She studied him for a long minute, and he wanted to squirm. But he met her gaze and held still. Finally, when she looked away, he said, “Satisfied?”
“Not in the least. But I can describe you if I need to. Give the police a very thorough description of you.”
“Good to know.” He leaned against the hallway wall and studied her. “Care to tell me why you’re so wary this morning?”
She studied his face for a long moment, then her gaze drifted to his hands. His feet. His body. As if she was assessing him.
Figuring out if he was up to the job?
Good for her. So far, Sierra Baker was doing all the right things.
She turned and went into the living room. Lowered herself onto a chair and indicated the one beside it. “Have a seat. Since you’re supposed to be protecting me, I need to tell you what happened last night.”
She described her drive home from work, the man dressed as a police officer who’d stopped her, and how she’d reacted. “It was odd and scary and disconcerting.”
Cody nodded grimly, knowing it was a real threat. “Probably the Bratva. That sounds like their methods. If you’d gotten out of your car, the guy would have forced you into his trunk. Driven away.”
“The Russian mob?” she asked. When he nodded, her shoulders relaxed. As if she wererelieved. What the hell was going on in her life that the Bratva was cause for relief?
Cody loved puzzles, and Sierra Baker had just become much more interesting.
“Okay,” she said calmly. “I’ll work from home today. You can hang around if you think it’s necessary, but I have no plans to leave the house.”
“Absolutely not,” he said, shaking his head before she’d finished speaking. “We’re leaving town. The men who are after you? They’re not nice people. They don’t want to chat with you. They want to snatch you and hold you for ransom. And if they don’t get what they want, they’ll torture you until they do. You can’t take the Bratva lightly.”
She frowned at him, as if he were speaking a foreign language. “I can’t leave town. I have a business to run, and my partner’s not here.”
“I know all about why Alex Conway isn’t here. And since the Bratva can’t get to her, you’re their next choice. They’ll use you to put pressure on Conway. Get a bag together with what you’ll need for several days.”
She stared at him for a long moment, as if deciding whether to comply. Finally she nodded. “Fine. I’ll be right back.”
Fewer than five minutes later she was back, carrying a large backpack, a computer bag and her purse. “I’m ready,” she said. “Let’s go.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “You packed all that in…” He glanced at his watch. “Two minutes?”
“No. I always have a go bag ready.”
Her voice was calm. Normal. As if everyone had a bag prepared so they could leave their house on a moment’s notice.
Cody reared back, wondering if he’d been too quick to admire her. Was she one of those people who kept a years’ worth of food in her basement? Ready for anything, including the zombie apocalypse? “Are you a prepper or something, Ms. Baker?”
“Of course not.”
Sierra Baker was becoming more and more interesting. She was a puzzle, and Cody loved puzzles. “Why the hell does an Evanston lawyer need a go bag?”
She stared at him for a long moment. “That’s none of your damn business.”
