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“On it.” Was his grim response. No comment on the fact that he was already effortlessly weaving between cars and trucks, rocketing at a speed that I knew had to be nearing, if not slightly exceeding, one hundred. If any of the men had reservations about how serious this job would be, those reservations had vanished in that instant.
CHAPTER 6
LAKE
“What the actual fuck did you do to my house?” My voice had gotten more shrill with each word, but I didn’t care. While the surrounding estates had a spread out feel to the structures lining the beach, mine was more compact in its outward appearance. And yes, it was mine. Robert may have owned the property, but he’d rarely, if ever, used the place after my mother had died and I’d been using the home with its private beach access as my escape ever since.
Only my once beautiful sanctuary was shattering my illusion of safety and comfort as I took in the additions as we rounded the driveway to stop behind the first SUV in our depressing parade. There had always been security around the house, but it had been discreet contact sensors on the windows and doors and motion sensored lights at the corners of the home. But this place resembled a prison with the pole mounted flood lights newly erected throughout the yard, promising a football field of light once the sun set. The trim of the house was now dotted with high end looking cameras that didn’t even try to fit in with the rest of my house’s old world elegance.
I swung the door wide and practically threw myself from the car quickly, mouth still open as I took in the harsh reality of my situation. “They make cameras smaller than buttons. Why couldn’t you use those?” I didn’t even want to touch the ruin of the once perfectly manicured lawn. Trying to fight back emotions as I felt each divot in the earth piercing my heart. My refuge was packed with danger, and it only made my stomach turn thinking about the car that obviously had been tailing us before.
“Discretion would be needed if we didn’t want them knowing you were protected. Since we aren’t using you as bait, the object of these measures is to not only protect you, but deter anyone from wanting to even try getting close.” Decker explained as he pulled the luggage from the trunk and handed them to Turner who was looking a little shell shocked.
As he passed me to enter the house with the bags, he leaned in to whisper. “I’ve worked for that man for three years, and that’s the most I’ve ever heard him say at once.” He straightened quickly and took the steps to the front door two at a time before disappearing into the house.
I gave a small snort of amusement as his conspiratorial declaration but let my eyes linger back to the cameras that were all gazing down at me; the dark globes mounted around the perimeter resembled a spider’s eyes. A shudder worked through me at the thought before letting my mind wander back to the drive that brought us here. I’d been surrounded by armed men spanning three cars, and someone still tried following me. Not well, but well enough to make them scramble. Obviously the loud and proud claims of protection weren’t doing shit. I didn’t feel protected in the slightest. I felt exposed and vulnerable, which was why I’d steeled my spine at the unwavering and harsh stare of Decker fucking Mullins. I’d been trying to process and asked a simple question only to be met with his intense hazel eyes that felt like they’d ripped my soul right out of me and stripped it bare. The harsh burn of his gaze had made me feel way too much so I’d let my defenses take over and simply glared until his eyes had changed.
They still held all the same intensity, only joined by something that was wild and fighting its restraints behind his eyes. I’d noticed the slight shift in his arm, eyeing the white knuckled grip he’d had on the armrest of his seat before he turned once again to face the windshield, leaving me in peace to glare out the window.
I left Mullins to continue unpacking the trunk, not bothering to offer help. He’d dragged me out here; he could unpack my shit. I stomped up the stairs eyeing the cameras on the overhang as I passed under them to enter the home. Only to be met with more cameras. As I hurried from room to room, I cursed, noting that every inch of the estate was in direct view of a camera, excluding the bathrooms and closets. I’d passed several men going about their day as I’d shot from room to room, inspecting the level of invasion that twisted my sanctuary into a prison. I moved from room to room again; this time looking for someone to unleash my rage on. Conveniently there wasn’t another soul in sight. How was I supposed to demand a change when they’d all disappeared?
With a frustrated growl, I stormed up to the closest camera and jabbed a finger in the air directly at the offending object, then pointed my finger sharply downward at the ground. I didn’t know if these things came with audio but my motions were clear.You. Here. Now.
“What’s with the charades?” came a voice from the camera, making me take a startled step back. The voice was familiar enough for me to recognize it belonged to the man referred to as Kasey throughout the drive.
“Get in here, now,” I seethed through clenched teeth.
“No can do, boss lady. I’m currently enjoying the lack of sea air from our home office. Otherwise I’d be more than happy to play errand boy. But only for you.”
I let out another frustrated growl, reminding myself of a caged animal as I shoved my hand into my hair, pacing the floor in front of the camera. I probably looked insane, pacing the hallway, pulling at my hair and talking to someone who wasn’t even there. “Then get your boss in here!”
“I’m not his boss,” came a voice from the end of the hall, causing me to jump and a small chuckle to emanate from the camera before it cut off quickly as if Kasey had closed the communication.
Mullins walked toward me, stopping feet away, but still causing me to tilt my head up to match his harsh eyes with a look of my own fury. He looked perfectly composed, looming close, not a single hair out of place or even a crease in his pants from sitting in the car for the past three hours. The light casting down the hall from the windows had the sun setting behind him, giving him the look of a terrifying avenging angel. Hurriedly pushing that intrusive thought away, I focused my attention back on his words. “So what? He’s in charge? Unsurprising since he’s a voice in the sky playing God.”
Decker gave his head a slight tilt as if to acknowledge that Kasey was in charge, but then shook his head. “As much as Jack Kasey might pretend to be God, he’s mortal like the rest of us.” I instantly wondered if he’d somehow known about my thoughts on him being an avenging angel, but let it go when he continued. “Kasey, Fitz, Cabot and I are all equal owners of the company.”
“But Deck’s the face of it,” chirped the camera. Kasey seemed to have only muted himself instead of disconnecting. “He’s got the presence and resting bitch face for the job.” I couldn’t help the surprise snort of laughter that leapt from me at his accurate opinion on Mullins’ glower.
Decker remained impassive, only taking a longer drag of air than normal. “Were you just practicing hand gestures or did you need something?” His tone was completely devoid of emotion.
“Got a few more hand gestures I’d like to throw your way, but that’s for another day. Right now, I want the cameras removed from the rooms. It’s entirely over the top; the hallway cameras and motion sensors on the windows are more than enough. I don’t need the invasion of privacy like that to ensure my safety.”
Decker was silent for long moments, looking me over before a quick shake of his head. “No. The cameras stay. If your issue is privacy, you have your ensuite bathroom or walk in closet to provide you your places to take care of anything personal.”
Oh hell no. I was not going to be dictated to and talked down to by a fucking employee of my father’s.
“One, go fuck your high-handed self, and two, just because the shower has a massaging head doesn’t mean I may not want something more comfortable, and in my damn bed!”
I heard Kasey let out a breathy “Jesus Christ” before Decker’s eyes turned almost murderous. Before, he’d been motionless, and he still was except for the twitch in his jaw letting me know he was biting back his anger, though I had no idea why he was so angry. The air around us shifted to an oppressive tension. I felt the space between us almost vibrating with it as he seemed to grow more foreboding.
He may have surprised me with his tirade in the elevator, but this time I was ready, squaring off with him in the middle of the hallway, narrowing my eyes as I tried to drill a hole in his head with my own steely gaze. Did he scare me with his intensity crackling behind a deathly calm facade? Hell yes. Was I ever one to let people know they got to me? Hell no. I wasn’t about to let anyone dictate my life or attempt to intimidate me out of my own comfort.
“I have to say, I don’t particularly care what you do on camera as long as I’m aware there is no way someone can sneak in unseen. No security system is foolproof. I'd rather you lock down your urges if you’re concerned with the cameras, but I will not run the risk of someone using your bedroom as an entry point and going unseen because we decided to remove a layer of protection.” If only Evan Turner was here to witness this speech. It certainly rivaled the longest the driver had heard before. Why was I even thinking about that when I had a totalitarian security guard in front of me? Priorities.
I tilted my head to the side, pretending to study the male perfection glowering in front of me, then let a grin spread across my face as my plan came into focus. I knew the grin was not kind or warm, but calculating and displaying every bit of the chaos I wanted to unleash on the man before me as his glare morphed into careful confusion. “Hey Jack?”
“Uh, yeah?” came the voice from the camera.
