1
ANNA
Have you ever been somewhere before and you just knew something bad was about to happen?
This party was quite lively.Peopleeating, drinking, some dancing, and everyone genuinely enjoying themselves.ButIjust couldn’t shake the distinct feeling that something wasn’t right.
Maybe it was my years as a news anchor and reporter that caused me to always be watchful of everyone and everything.Whoknows, but my gut was screaming at me that something was about to happen.
This night’s festivities were to celebrate ourTVnews station getting a new owner and general manager.Minglingwith the new boss and getting to know everyone.Everyanchor, reporter, director, producer, and even camera operator was here savoring a night to just relax and enjoy the camaraderie with coworkers.
Normally on aSaturdaynight, many of us would be at the station producing the newscast, but it was the fall—height of college football season, and tonight was a night when the games were back-to-back.Thatmeant there would be no six p.m. newscast.Therewould still be a late show—likely around eleven or eleven thirty tonight, but otherwise, everyone either had the night off or at least a few hours to unwind.
I liked these people,Ireally did, but that didn’t meanIwanted to spend my work hours as well as my off hours with all of them.Plus, we all tended to work weird hours and long days, which meant sleep was often hard to come by, and rest was whatIwould rather be doing right now.Anice long bath with a book in my hand, maybe some snuggles with my dog,Percy, and then going to bed.
I’d already been here almost an hour, which was the minimum timeItold myselfIwould stay beforeIbailed.Thoughagain,Ikept having this burning feeling that something was off.So, part of me felt compelled to stay.
“Oh wow, look at that hot hunk of a man who just walked into the room,” my colleague and best friendTaliawhispered in my ear.
I looked up and blinked—a few times—becauseIknew that man.
He was the oneIhad tried, for years, to get out of my head, butIhad not been successful.Thecloser he got, the moreIrealized it was indeedArcher—my ex-husband.
“Oh snap.He’swalking over here,”Taliawhispered excitedly.
“That’s my ex-husband,”Imuttered back to her, thoughIkept my eyes on him.
He was quite a sight.Archerwas half-Greek, half-Britishby blood, but his looks tended to favor theGreekside.Oliveskin, dark, silky hair, and beautiful chocolate eyes.Thoughhis hair was much shorter now—this close crop was a far cry from the silky curls he had when we were married.Hehad also either forgotten to shave or was going for the pronounced five o’clock shadow look.
Talia gasped quietly. “Thecop?Theone you were only married to for like ninety-six hours?”
“I’ve only been married once,Talia, so yes, that’s him,”Ireplied while looking straight at him as he neared me.
I kept my face as neutral as possible and tried not to show any emotion.Thisman had broken me, but he would not get to see that weak, emotional side of me today.Notafter all these years.
He also never broke eye contact with me from the momentIlooked up at him.Hewas on a mission, andIknew he was here for me and only me.Thoughwhy,Ihad no idea, since he hadn’t reached out since our divorce.
When he finally made it to within a few feet of me, he looked straight at me and acted like he wasn’t about to rock my world.
“Mandatory protective detail for the next seventy-two hours,” he said in a lower voice so onlyIand the people closest to me could hear. “Weneed to go,Ace.”
It also felt weird to hear him call me that name again after all these years.Ace.
“I’m sorry, what?”Iasked, quite a bit confused.
His eye twitched, signaling he was slightly frustrated at me questioning him, but he spoke patiently as though none of this bothered him.
“There is a threat against you.Soyou are now under mandatory protective detail for the next seventy-two hours until we can get this taken care of,” he said and reached for my coat.
In that moment,Iwas not myself.Nowords came to mind.Itwas just blank.Thiswasnotme.Iwas a seasoned anchor who was used to dealing with breaking news and crazy interviews where you needed to think fast and adjust to the situation quickly.Iusually excelled at those moments.Rightnow, not so much.
This man altered how my brain functioned, andIhated it.
“Ace, we don’t have time for this.Weneed to go,” he emphasized.
Oh no,Iwasn’t playing that game.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on,”Iargued.
