“Because you don’t listen anyway. I was trying not to waste my breath.”
“What? You trying to ration out your oxygen?”
“No. You’re exhausting to work with, and I’m trying to limit my time around you.”
“Funny, since you’re supposed to be saving my life.”
“You done?” I asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. If a professional team had already gained access to your house, you’d be done. Which means I’m still researching the option that someone is only trying to scare you.”
“Interesting you should say that because that routes me back to why I’m not alerting anyone to the fact that this is all happening. I should be standing tall and brave right now, not hunkering down in fear,” he said. “Portraying to the media and my company that nothing is wrong so whoever is doing this gets the impression their shit isn’t working.”
“That could make them angry,” I said. “Make them more aggressive.”
“Hence why I hired you.”
I had to admit, I had a newfound respect for the man. He was taking a very ballsy approach. One I’d never known a client to take before. Clients I’d worked with before would’ve already turtled up on a private island somewhere, cashed in their shit, and handed their company over to save their own asses. They would’ve caved to whatever demands were asked of them just to get the threat to go away. He had a very serious issue looming over his shoulders, and his instinct was to stand above it all and keep it under wraps so he didn’t worry anyone and so he didn’t give off the scent of fear like someone wanted from him.
It was something I would do in this situation.
“Anything else, Miss Williams?”
“Get me that information so I can do my job,” I said.
“Already forwarding what I have.”
“See? That wasn’t that hard, was it?” I asked.
I heard a chuckle over the receiver as my phone lit up in my hand.
“Enjoy the information, Miss Williams.”
“Enjoy John, Mr. Steele.”
Chapter 11
Derek
THE AMOUNT OF WORK Sam kept dropping into my lap was annoying. She was acting as if I didn’t already have a company to run or something, but her effectiveness was impressive. She was quick to narrow things down, she was quick to shut down possible avenues, and she was even quicker to pinpoint suspects. But even though things were ramping up at the office and even though that letter was found on my bed, I still didn’t feel I needed her protection at night. If someone came into my room, I was prepared enough as it was. I had a gun in my bedside table and a knife underneath my pillow.
She was instilling worry when there was no reason to have any, and it was beginning to affect my disposition.
“Delivery for Mr. Steele.”
The mailman was standing at the door as John got up from the couch. I held my hand out, trying to get him to sit back down as I walked over to the door. But the man delivering this wasn’t our regular mailman from the mailroom. This was an expensive courier delivering a brown envelope to me that required my signature.
And my stomach plummeted to the floor.
I signed my name and tipped the man before I shut my office door. John strode over to my desk, with his long ass legs and his tan skin glistening in the sunlight. I hated having that man around. It was a solid reminder of the fun little relationship he had with Miss Williams. He was going to be enough of a distraction for her as it was, and I was paying her a large sum of money to keep her sights set on me.
It was irresponsible of her to bring a man like him in, a man that so obviously distracted her from her duties.
There were men filtering on and off the floor, installing video stuff as I stared down at the envelope in my hand. I knew what I was looking at. This had gone on long enough for me to know who had sent this to me. Drills were whirring, and hammers were knocking. Someone knocked on my door, asking for entrance to set up the “electrical framework” as I stared down at my hands.
“Do you want me to let them in?” John asked.