One to Keep (One to Hold 2)

“Good,” he nodded.

“So what’s up with the Star situation?” I sat in the same square leather chair I’d occupied my first day here when he’d read my resume for ten minutes, royally pissing me off.

He looked up from his laptop then made a few quick clicks before leaning back. “You’re not looking so great today.”

“You look pretty shitty yourself, but enough about us. Why’s Nikki back?”

He looked down at his desk a moment before speaking. “The other girl took a different job. And I asked if Nikki could come back.”

That pulled me forward—I was almost relieved. “The other girl? You mean Star?”

Derek’s brow pierced, and his blue eyes cut to mine. “Remember when you suspected a setup?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s possible your instincts were right.”

“What the hell?” He paused, thinking, while I waited impatiently for the rest. “What happened?”

He exhaled, picking up a pen. “I finally caught up with my aunt, and she was confused by everything I told her. She said the temp had called in and said she wouldn’t be able to start with us until Monday. Sick kid or something. Then she said she took another job.”

“But—”

“Right. But Star showed up on Thursday.”

“And she never mentioned having a kid.”

“Or a husband.”

My lips pressed together, and I leaned back in the chair again. “Good point. So what makes you think it’s a setup?”

“The other girl’s name was Monica.”

“The fuck!” I was out of the chair then and pacing. “So what now?”

Derek shrugged. “Nothing. We don’t have anything to go on. Stuart and I never felt the need to install security cameras in the office, so we have no images.” He paused, slanting an eye at me. “And God knows I don’t need to see whatever you’re doing behind closed doors.”

I let it pass. “But the building has cameras. The elevators?”

He shook his head. “Already checked. She kept her head down the whole way in and out.”

“So she fucking wouldn’t get caught.” I couldn’t believe I’d been set up. But why?

“Which means we don’t have an image to run through the databases.”

“I could probably describe her well enough to a sketch artist.”

Derek stood and joined me by the windows looking out at the courtyard below. “At this point, I say leave it. Nobody’s asked for anything or made any demands. If anything comes of it, then we’ll do something.”

The anger burning my insides was compounded by the frustration I was already feeling. “That’s not good enough. I want to know who and why.”

“I understand that.” For a moment we didn’t speak. “Is there anybody you know of who might be after you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I mean, sure there are people I’ve sent up, but nothing that would warrant something like this. I don’t even know what she was after. She never asked for anything.”

“And you stuck your dick in it.” He exhaled and went back to his chair, taking a seat and reopening his laptop. “Nope. I say we leave well enough alone.”

My lips tightened. There was no fucking way I was letting this go. I’d gotten too close, and I’d be damned if I didn’t find out what this was about. If he was out, I would do it on my own.