I start to head to our classrooms. Landon has different plans and steers me toward the main office. “There’s someone I want you to meet first.”
We step inside. Instead of Jeanine standing behind the desk, a woman about my age with dark hair—complete with cool blue chunks—pulled up in a loose bun, is there in her place. Her knit dress is classier than you’d typically expect to see in an elementary school.
She’s talking to a good-looking man whom I’ve never seen before.
At the sound of the door clicking shut behind Landon and me, the pair peers over in our direction. The woman smiles at me…then her gaze drops to Landon’s hand, which is still encasing mine.
Her smile broadens.
Landon leads me over to the pair. No one else is in the office. Principal Woodnut’s door is shut, which means she’s on the phone.
“Chloe,” he says. “I’d like you to meet Isabelle and Adam. They’ll be working undercover with me in the school.”
“I’m taking over Jeanine’s job,” Isabelle explains, in case I hadn’t figured it out for myself based on where she’s standing.
Adam nods his greeting. “I’m the unofficial assistant janitor.”
“Unofficial?”
“That means I’m assisting the janitor, but I’m not getting paid for it, so I’m not on the school board’s payroll.” I’m sure the union will love that if they ever find out.
“We don’t want to take any chances when it comes to the students here,”Isabelle says, looking none too concerned about riling up any unions. “But we also don’t want to draw any attention to the situation by having uniformed cops in the school.”
A winter chill takes up residence in my gut and wraps me in its icy blanket. “Are you sure the students will be safe?”
“We’re taking extensive precautions,” Landon says. “In addition to Isabelle and Adam, we have two other men watching the building from outside.”
Isabelle’s lips move into what I’m assuming is supposed to be a reassuring smile. “No one will do anything to harm you or anyone else at the school. We’ll make sure of it.”
I hope she’s right, because I didn’t escape my former life only for it to be the cause of my death. That would further add to the suckage of spending Christmases without my mother and Nikolai for the past six years.
Doing my best to lock away my panic in a metal box, I smile at them. If Landon trusts his colleagues can keep me safe, then I need to give them the same level of faith, too.
“Well, it’s nice meeting you.” I make a show of checking the time on the wall clock. “I should go and set up for the morning.”
I release Landon’s hand and immediately miss its warm strength. His hand goes to the small of my back, and his thumb lightly caresses the skin under my blouse. Even though we’re not talking skin-on-skin contact, a hum of electricity migrates through me from the spot.
It’s been forever since my body responded to a man that way.
And look how that turned out.
Oh, well.
Fortunately, I’m aware that what Landon and I have is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. He’ll be gone once I’m safe again. There are no expectations of happily ever afters.
Too bad I can’t tell my best friend that.
Kiera flashesme a look that screams, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” It’s the fifth time she’s done that in the past ten minutes while the four of us—including Landon—eat lunch in the staff room.
“Maybe I’m using him for sex,” I blurt, half joking.
Three pairs of eyes—two wide as paper plates, one crinkled with suppressed laughter—stare back at me.
Oops. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.
Especially when he and I won’t actually be having sex.
Never mind that this sex dry-spell is growing old.
