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Hale tagged the elevator, his neck getting even tighter. “Have you received threats?”
“No. But Paul says this is happening outside her office too.” He angled his head to the front doors. “Not as bad as that, but it’s there.”
The elevator arrived and they both got in it. “Anything new with my number one fan?”
Hudson shook his head. “Nope. Not a word for weeks. But it’s been five days since you two have been out about your relationship, and this isn’t dying down. We can pull the detail if it’s deemed no longer necessary. But, right now, we’re looking at the safe side.”
For years, Hale chafed against having personal security.
Right then, he didn’t even think about it.
He said, “Do it.”
Hudson nodded.
The doors opened and he said to Hudson, “See you in a bit.”
“Yup,” Hudson replied.
He walked out.
The doors closed, and for the first time, Elsa was home before him.
He knew she would be. She wanted to get home, change and freshen up before they went to Tom and Mika’s that night.
Right now, she was wearing a cream dress with an A-line skirt that went almost to her ankles. It was sleeveless, and there were ruffles that ran from the sides of her waist over her shoulders. She had a black belt at her waist and high, spike heeled, black boots on her feet.
She looked feminine and edgy. Like she gave a shit about meeting important people in his life, but she knew who she was and wasn’t out to impress, expecting she just would.
Instead of that tightness leaving his neck at the sight of her, it seemed to get tighter.
He didn’t have time to dwell on that.
She was on the phone, coming his way, and she looked ticked.
She wrapped her fingers around his neck, got up on her toes, and he tipped his head down so she could touch her mouth to his lips.
She then dropped down, gave him a one-minute finger, mouthed, “Sorry,” then turned and walked back into the apartment.
He followed her, dumping his bag on a chair.
She came to a stop looking out the window.
And she finally spoke.
“Okay, right. Like I told you when I answered, I don’t have a lot of time. Hale’s home now, and we have plans for the night. I have to go.”
From her tone he was guessing…her mom or Oskar.
He went to lean on the back of the couch, not close to her, not far, and he listened.
She listened too.
Then she said, “Yes, we had dinner with Dad last night, that doesn’t mean—” Pause and, “Mom, no. And I can’t talk about his now because—” Pause then, “I can’t because I live there.”
Oh shit.
“No,” she said slowly, with strained patience. “Hale lives in Manhattan. I live in Brooklyn. Yes, I stay with him when he’s in the city, but that doesn’t mean my apartment is free. It means I’m staying with him when he’s in the city, and I’ll be back in my apartment when he’s not.”
