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Maxwell is shit at hiding his mischievous expression. He’s fucking with me.
Ava’s cheeks have reddened. The fucking nerve for her to blush at some other man’s compliment.
“Thank you, Maxwell,” she says, moving closer to where he and I are standing by the front door.
“Please, call me Max,” he says, offering his hand for her to take. He gives Ava the same toothy grin I recognize as one he’s used when flirting, and it always works for Maxwell.
“Max,” I say through clenched teeth. “A word.”
Ava waits by the entryway, checking her reflection in the mirror on the wall.
“What’s up, boss?” Max asks, playing dumb. He’s one of my best on the team and smarter than he lets on. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
“What the hell was that?” I say as low as possible, not wanting Ava to overhear.
Maxwell shrugs. “What? Are you upset because you think I was flirting with your girlfriend?”
“I’m not upset—” I stop and try again. “She’s not my—” Oh, it was useless.
Maxwell tries covering up his laugh with a cough. “I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Like what?” I ask, although I know what he means. I never fluster or feel jealous and territorial over a client under TSS protection.
This is no ordinary client. It’s Ava.
“Don’t worry. She’s in good hands,” Maxwell says, clapping me on the shoulder. The gesture isn’t reassuring, but I thought Ava would be at ease with him over reserved Westin. And due to Reid’s mental instability, I thought maybe a male protection agent would be a better deterrent.
Still, I didn’t like the idea of Ava alone with any man while I wasn’t around. What is happening to me?
“We need to get going, or I will be late for my meeting,” Ava says, turning back towards Maxwell and me.
I watch them head out the door, and Maxwell turns back to me. “Relax, Boss,” he says. His cheeky grin has returned before he shuts the door.
Logically, I know Maxwell has worked for TSS for the past few years, and he’s never once stepped out of line in a professional setting. As for personally, he’s built a reputation for being an unrepentant womanizer, and the idea of Ava and him in close proximity has me rethinking my choices.
However, I wanted to be here when the camera installation began, and I must delegate to someone to be Ava’s protection with that madman Reid still on the loose.
Still, I didn’t have to like the idea of her with someone else, even if only for a few hours.
Within an hour of Ava and Maxwell’s departure, Empire State Safety arrives for the installation of security cameras. One for Ava’s new doorbell, as well as a small one discreetly hidden along the top of her doorframe, giving me a vantage point of the stairway leading to the building’s main door.
Lastly, I have a sensor installed on the rear windows of the apartment. So far, nothing has indicated Ava’s place has been broken into, but I didn’t like the idea of this stalker getting bolder and leaving notes by her front door.
I detested that I couldn’t anticipate this psycho’s next move.
“Should be a few more minutes, and I’ll have every window set up,” the technician advises.
I nod at the technician and am interrupted by the loud chime of my phone.
I whip the phone out of my back pocket, worried it may be Maxwell calling to advise about something with Ava. Relief washes over me at the contact on the screen.
Uncle Jonathan is calling me. An unexpected but welcome call.
“Hey, Uncle,” I say. I hadn’t spoken to him in months, and our conversations were reminders of the only bright spots of my pathetic childhood, other than the times I spent with the Wells.
“Brandon, so happy I caught you. I wanted to let you know I’ll be in New York for a few weeks,” he exclaims, but the voice immediately catches me off guard.
Although my father and uncle were identical twins, their voices are night and day. My father’s gravelly, taciturn clipped tone sounded much different than his brother’s higher, friendlier pitch. Of course, things changed about a person as they aged, or maybe I misremember, and their voices have started sounding more similar now.
