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But no amount of pulling herself together could mask the flush on her cheeks that I’d put there.
“Maeve, this is Booker,” I introduced her as her gaze moved over the man who dressed a lot like I did, no matter the weather.
Booker was tall and fit with dark skin, a bald head, and intense eyes that could cut right through all your bullshit and see what was beneath.
As if sensing that, the flush on Maeve’s cheeks went straight to a charming blush.
“Booker, this is Maeve, Triss’s sister,” I added.
“Ma’am,” Booker said, offering his hand, and Maeve took it with even more blushing. “I hear these guys have gotten you into a bit of trouble,” he went on, all charm when he wanted to be.
“I mean, it’s not, you know, their fault. Someone tried to run him over,” she said, refusing to look at me even as she was talking about me.
A little part of me wanted to lean in, to tell her that I could still taste her on my lips, that the least she could do was glance in my direction. But I didn’t want to give her any more excuses to keep avoiding me.
“Well,” Booker said, looking around. “It’s always easier when there is only one floor, so I am hoping we can get this done in a day or two. We are going to need cameras, motion sensors, keypads, and some decent locks. My biggest concern is the sliding glass door,” he said, walking around, leaving us to all follow.
“What are you going to do for that?” Triss asked, a little more serious than I’d ever seen her.
“Well, the glass is already shattered. So we could, instead of replacing it, choose to change it out for something that isn’t breakable. Tempered glass is a popular choice. If you want some added security, we could look into impact guards. Which would be made of metal. They can be slid into place when you want the extra security, and pulled away when you don’t.”
“Do you think they’re necessary?” Maeve asked.
Booker’s gaze moved in her direction, and he let out a deep exhale as he looked at her.
“If you were my wife or sister, I would want you to have the added security. But it is up to you.”
“Order the guards,” I demanded, ignoring the way Alaric, Seeley, and Triss looked over at me with knowing looks on their faces.
“Okay then,” Booker said, nodding. I had no doubt that he, too, had immediately picked up on what was going down in the room. I’d never seen anyone as good at assessing a situation as he was. I guess that was what made him so damn good at what he did.
“It’s so much,” Maeve said as Booker led Triss around, talking about each individual change he planned to make.
“Are you worried about the aesthetics?” I asked. “Because I can assure you that Booker has great taste. He will make it all blend in, or be decent to look at.”
“No. I mean, maybe a little, but not really.”
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about the cost,” I said. “I’m paying for this.”
“What? No.”
“Yes, sweetheart,” I said, shaking my head at the stubborn look on her face. “Don’t even bother arguing about it. This is because of me. I’m paying. Your safety is priceless. And whatever it is, it is worth my peace of mind too. Don’t,” I said when she opened her mouth to object again.
She exhaled hard at that, looking over toward where Booker had disappeared with her sister.
“Booker is the best in the business, babe,” I told her. “It’s why we had to wait for him. He’s booked out with actual clients for months. We are lucky that he’s a friend and could fit us in.”
“I feel guilty,” she said, shaking her head.
“For what?”
“For all of this,” she admitted. “Taking him away from other clients. Or away from his free time. How much it’s going to cost. Being… inconvenient, I guess.”
“Babe, what the fuck?” I asked, watching as her head snapped over in my direction.
“What?”
“Look,” I said, taking a step closer, so I could lower my voice. “I get that you maybe struggle a little with some self-confidence issues, but don’t you dare go around downplaying what you are worth. Because it’s a fuckuva lot more than a couple grand in security upgrades.”
Fine, knowing Booker, it could easily be a solid ten to fifteen grand. But even so.
Her eyes were soft then as she looked up at me, but whatever she was about to say was cut off by a squealing sound that Triss made as she ran back down the hallway toward us, her long blonde hair streaming behind her.
“Miss Maeve! Guess what!” she exclaimed, literally jumping up and down once as she grabbed her sister’s hands.
“What?” Maeve asked, looking just as perplexed as I felt.
