Page 53 of Open for Negotiation
“Miranda has no place in this situation with us, and I promise you, I will do everything in my power to keep it that way. She isn’t a factor where you and I are involved. All right?”
“I don’t like being that person, but I just can’t and won’t do that to myself. You understand, don’t you?”
“I’ve told you from the beginning. You’re in control of this. If something happens that makes you want to bow out, it will kill me, but… I won’t force you into anything that will harm you. Physically, mentally, or emotionally.”
She leans forward and presses her forehead to mine. “I really like you. You know that?”
“That’s good,” I tell her, shifting to kiss the tip of her nose, “because I really like you too.”
***
The sound of a cell phone blaring into a quiet bedroom is not the way to start your day. Especially when your night was spent bending your incredibly hot girlfriend, who is currently curled into my arm sleeping like a kitten, into every position imaginable.
Part of me, for just a split second, thinks the sound could be in my head. That’s even further confirmed when it stops, drenching me with silence once again. I groan and wrap my arms around Scarlett, kissing the top of her head before closing my eyes, in hopes sleep will find me again before my alarm sounds.
RING RING RING
No such luck.
“You should get that,” she whispers sleepily. “It could be an emergency.”
“All right, I’ll get it, but you stay here… I’ll be right back to hold you in just a second.”
“Mmm, I can’t wait.” She puckers her lips and accepts the small kiss I place there before I climb out of bed, naked, and find my phone in my pants pockets.
“Yeah?” I say when I answer.
“Max, it’s John,” my head of security says in total panic. “We’ve got a problem here.”
“What? What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know what happened, but the place is wrecked. Someone broke in and trashed the place.”
My state of mind shifts at the drop of a hat and I start getting dressed.
“Trashed how? You’re going to have to be more specific. I need to know everything.”
“The lobby is wrecked, there is glass everywhere and the computer is shattered. We went up into the main cubicle area and they took a bat or something to nearly every desk.”
“Fuck’s sake,” I growl in anger, glancing over at Scarlett who is now sitting up in bed, clutching the sheet around her chest.
“Your office is… sir, they totally ransacked it. Drawers have been opened and thrown around; your monitors are destroyed. Everything.”
I hold the phone between my ear and shoulder, clipping my watch onto my wrist.
“Call the authorities, have them come now. I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Don’t touch anything.”
“Ten-four, sir,” he says and kills the call.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
I pause by the bed and cup her face in my hand, tracing my thumb over her lip. “I’m sorry I have to run, but that was John. Someone broke into the office and trashed the place.”
She covers her mouth. “Oh my God. Do you need me to come with you? Come in early? Tell me what to do.”
Fuck, I’ll have the entire staff to contend with when I figure out what’s going on. Today could be a disaster.
“No, stay and sleep a bit longer. I’ll send an email out to the staff letting them know what to do when I’m able to see the damage and figure everything out.”
She nods and turns her face to kiss my palm. “Okay. I’ll be here. Please keep me updated on this. That’s… scary.”
“It is.” I bend at the waist and give her a gentle kiss to the lips before leaving.
