I lowered my weapon and approached the bed. I turned the letter over in my hands, making sure it wasn’t lined with anything dangerous. I sniffed it, taking in the odors the paper had on it before I cracked the wax seal on the letter.
“That’s new,” Derek said.
“What’s new?” I asked.
“The wax seal. I’ve never seen that before.”
I slid the letter out of the confines of the envelope, and we both read it over. I could feel Derek teetering next to me, and I dropped the letter to the bed. I steadied him with my hands, sitting him down as I tried to wrap my mind around everything.
This man’s threat was serious. Even I was convinced of that now.
“Give me that letter,” Derek said.
“I don’t think that’s wise,” I said.
“Give me the fucking letter, Sam.”
I sighed and grabbed the piece of paper, handing it to him as his hands trembled.
“Mr. Steele,
If you haven’t taken me seriously up until this point, then maybe you will now. I know where you sleep, and I know how to get to you. Quit the company and donate your money, or the next love letter I write will be personally delivered in the form of a bullet.
Yours Truly,
Eye”
“Eye?” I asked.
“As in ‘eye in the sky,’ I believe, ” Derek said.
“I’m staying with you tonight.”
“Figured you would after all this.”
I sat down beside a man who had aged ten years before my eyes. The confident man who had received that award tonight morphed into a tired corporate executive with bags underneath his eyes. His straight back faltered, and his strong shoulders drooped. He raked his hands through his hair, mussing up his neatly-placed locks as his suit shirt began to wrinkle.
“Is there anywhere you can go? A place you can stay for a while? Even if it’s just a few days?” I asked.
“And do what? Leave my company behind?” Derek asked.
“Yes. It’s a great distraction. We can pretend to send you somewhere warm, and then divert you. No one except me will know where you are.”
“Griggs will have to know.”
“Mr. Steele, this person got into your home. Into your room. They have personal access to everything. No one is off the hook for this yet,” I said.
“Griggs isn’t doing this. He wouldn’t.”
“You don’t know th—”
“It’s. Not. Griggs.”
His eyes were angry, and I couldn’t blame him. But I couldn’t allow his anger to deter me from my work. This was getting serious, more serious than I could’ve imagined it would. This man was in real danger, and it was my job to protect him and fish this asshole out.
At all costs.
“This is getting out of control. Even if you don’t think Griggs is responsible, it’s still a good idea to get you out of here. I need more information, and all of this is already too close. Your security is ineffective, at best. And that is with me assuming they aren’t in on it.”