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“Well, I should probably get back to my fiancée.”Anderson sets his bottle on the bartop and pushes back to stand.
I drain the remainder of my beer and do the same, glancing toward Kylian and signaling we’re ready.
“How does it feel?”I ask as we walk toward the door.
“What do you mean?”
“Calling her your fiancée.”
He stops walking and squeezes my shoulder.“Bloody amazing.”His expression lights up.“The only thing that will feel better is calling her my wife.”
“Good for you, Anders.You deserve this.”I give him one last hug, then step back, buttoning my jacket and transitioning into his chief protection officer.
“That reminds me…”
I whip my eyes toward his.“What’s that?”
“Last weekend, Nora left a few things at the house in the Hamptons, including her passport.Do you mind taking a trip out there?”
“I can send one of the other guys so I can stay here with you.”
“I’d feel better if you went,” Anderson replies.“Plus, this would be good practice for Kylian, since it appears you’ve been prepping him to replace you?”He arches a single brow, and I nod slightly.
I haven’t given my notice to retire yet.That would entail telling my father, and I know he won’t be happy.But once I return home from this trip, I fully intend on breaking the news to him.Rip off the bandage, so to speak.While Rory’s reaction to my moving out was less than optimal, I felt better once it was out there.
I’m sure I’ll feel the same once I tell my father about my plan to retire.
Like Rory, he can scream and yell, but it won’t change my mind.
Nothing will.
“Great.Kylian will stay with me and you can go to the villa to grab her passport.”
“Right now?”
“I know it sucks, but Nora’s stressed enough about everything as it is.I assured her I’d send my best man.”
“Of course.I’ll go grab it for her.Anything else you need while I’m out there?”
“If there is, I’ll let you know,” he replies with a smile.
I congratulate him once more, then talk to Kylian for a few minutes, making sure he has everything under control.Once I’m satisfied he’ll be able to handle things, which I know he will, I hop into one of our SUVs and navigate away from the city.
As I expected, traffic is heavy, even though it’s only two in the afternoon.
Another reason I could never live here.
After a three-hour drive that would make me want to gouge out my eyeballs if I had to suffer through it every day, I pull up to the gate of Anderson’s beachfront villa.I punch in my code, and the gate opens, granting me access.I navigate the cobblestone path along perfectly manicured grounds, the pristine green grass the perfect complement to the bright oranges, yellows, and reds of the various flowers lining the path.
I put the car in park and climb out, stretching after the long drive.I tilt my head back, the sun warming my face as it moves toward the west.
But my moment of peace is cut short when my cell buzzes in my pocket.I pull it out, Anderson’s name flashing on the screen.
“What’s wrong?”I answer frantically.“Did something happen?”
“Calm down, Creed.Everything’s fine.Except Nora found her passport.It was in her purse all along.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, hating that I made the trip all the way out here for nothing.And now I’ll have to sit in that same traffic for another three hours.Probably longer.
