AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can’t go out,” she said gently. “For one thing, you’re only wearing boxers. And you can’t be alone. I need to come with you.”
I could tell by the way she was squaring her shoulders that she wouldn’t let me leave the apartment without her. Which, of course, was the right call. But that didn’t make me feel any better at that moment.
I feel like I’m in a prison.My apartment had never seemed that way before, but now the feeling was oppressive. But I had to get away from Cazzie, and the sinking feeling she had caused in my stomach, so I stormed into my room and closed the door.
24
Cazzie
I felt helpless as I watched Luke disappear into his room.
The past few weeks hadn’t been easy for me. Ever since learning about the Berlin job, I had struggled to focus on everything else going on in my life. I had no idea what I was going to do—taking the job felt impossible, but so did turning it down. I waffled from one side to the other several times per day.
Yet I never considered that Luke might take it personally. How it would makehimfeel. Part of me certainly understood, because I would have been upset if the roles were reversed. But the greater part of me was angry that he was so upset. This was my life. My career. My opportunity. I hadn’t even made a decision yet, and he was already mad at me about it?
The last thing I need is to let my heart affect a big decision. I’d already made that mistake several times with Jessie.
Dimly, I wondered if this was why Jessie had pulled the strings to get me this job. To drive a wedge between me and Luke. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and ruin things with my current boyfriend.
Boyfriend. I hadn’t used the word yet, but it sounded right in my head. I didn’t know if Luke felt the same way. We hadn’t discussed it. But he was definitelysomethingto me.
Now that he knew about the job offer, my emotions surrounding the decision were even more confusing than before. I didn’t want to take the job and ruin what we had, but I also didn’t want to turn it down because of his reaction. For one thing, I didn’t want someone else controlling my decisions like that. For another, it would add a tremendous amount of pressure on our relationship. I would always be wondering if I had made the right choice. After every spat, and every fight, I would wonder to myself:should I have gone to Berlin?
I retrieved the envelope from the counter and opened it. A thick stack of papers were inside, detailing every aspect of the assignment. My client was the German Minister of Finance. She was only two years older than me. That would be so much more fulfilling than following a dumb influencer around. It was the kind of resume booster that would let me get any job, anywhere in the world.
And the pay… wow. It was juicier than what I expected. I never imagined I could makethismuch money as a bodyguard.
As I flipped to the next page, the remaining stack of Luke’s mail caught my eye. Especially one specific letter-sized envelope in the middle, with a PO Box as the return address, hand-written rather than stamped. There was something about it…
On a hunch, I fetched a pair of latex gloves and examined the envelope. It was thin. When I held it up to the light, the outline of a single sheet of paper was revealed. Not that I expected it to contain Anthrax or something, but nobody ever regretted beingtoocautious. I carefully slid my finger underneath the flap to open it, then removed the letter within. Just like before, it appeared to have been written using a typewriter.
If you catch a single pass
in the Super Bowl,
everyone you care about
will die. Including Ms.
Price. There’s not enough
security in the world to
keep them safe.
Before now, the threats were secondary. Luke and his family were the ones in danger, and my safety was only in question because I was trying to protect them. This letter was different. Seeing my name made my skin go cold. “Fuck.”
I read the letter twice, then called the detective to report it. After that, I knocked on Luke’s door.
“I don’t want to talk,” he replied without opening. “I just need to be alone.”
“You got another threat. Fromhim.”
Luke emerged without hesitation and read the letter. His blue eyes scanned the page three times.
“Fuck.”
“That’s what I said.”
