Page 6 of The Faking Game
One of my security guards waits inside. “Floor eight,” Madison tells me. “She’s in.”
Another guard stands in the hallway outside her apartment. His name is Jason, and he’s a new one on the team. His cheeks are flushed with color. Did he have to keep up with her running?
How fast is she, anyway?
I knock on her door. It takes a good while before I hear the lock turn and the door opens.
Nora is in her workout clothes. Her deep-brown hair is in a ponytail, her slim chin turned up as she looks at me. Her fair skin is flushed, too, and it makes her look?—
I shouldn’t notice.Practicallymy own sister.
“Nora,” I say.
“West.” She peers out past me, at the security guard. “Hey, are you sure you don’t want a glass of water?”
He shakes his head. “Thank you, miss. I’m fine.”
“Just knock if you change your mind.” Her smile fades when she turns to look at me, but she opens her door fully to let me in. “Would you like that glass of water, maybe?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Her apartment is spacious and modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the city. Tasteful artwork adorns the walls, and sleek furniture fills the open-concept living area. It’s nice, in that short-term rental kind of way. “I heard you went for a run.”
“So that’s why you’re here.” Nora leans against the back of a couch. She’s in a pair of black tights that hug the length of her toned legs. “Yes, I did. And I brought my security guards. I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
“You promised you wouldn’t run from them again.”
“I didn’t run from them,” she protests. Then she throws up a hand. “Well, technically, yes, I did, but they were running after me. I don’t think it’s my fault if they can’t keep up.”
I walk past her to the windows. There’s a clear view here from the apartment opposite, even with the street between them. “You have to adapt or adjust your routines. Do you draw your curtains in the evening?”
“Yes. Your guys have already been here and checked everything.” Her crossed arms push her tits up, and she’s in some tight, black shirt. The sight makes my teeth grind together.Shouldbe like a sister.
But she’s not. I’ve never been able to see her that way.
“I know they have.”
“Don’t you trust them?”
“I trust myself more.” I walk into the bedroom and give it a quick once-over.
The room is as tastefully decorated as the rest of the apartment, with a large bed dominating the space. Only one window here, and it’s above the courtyard. It’s a good thing she’s high up.
“This is a bit invasive, don’t you think?” Nora remarks behind me. “What are you even looking for?”
My eyes snag on a tank top draped over the back of a chair in the corner. A black bra hangs beside it.
“Your brother trusted me,” I say. “I’m being thorough.”
“Want to go through my dresser?” she asks acidly. “Open my drawers? Look at my calendar? I’ve already shared all of that with the security team. A team of mostly men, I should add, whom I don’t know. And now they’re outside my door twenty-four seven.”
Her chin is turned up, her green eyes meeting mine. The makeup from the other night is gone, and it makes her look softer. Younger. There are freckles dotting her nose and her lips are pressed together in a tight line.
She’s finding this tough. Genuinely tough.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Have they introduced themselves to you? My security team.”
“Yes,” she says. “After I asked.”
“Has anyone made you feel unsafe?”
