by Dale Mayer
Tyson didn’t like anything about this. They had to find this guy. And fast. “You need to be with somebody at all times,” Tyson said. “It can’t be somebody from work just because you feel like nobody at work would do this. One of them could be your stalker. We need a full list of who works for you and what their role is.”
He waited for her to glare at him. He understood the money issue involved in her mind. But, if Levi said anything about the expense, Tyson would sign up and do it for free himself. He didn’t need to think how Tracy would feel about it. He knew she would be on his case, urging him to protect Kai. Just because she had to leave this life early didn’t mean Kai should leave the planet early too because of negligence. He glanced at Levi and said, “I know you were sending me out on a job. If you have somebody else who can go, I’ll stay with Kai for free.”
Levi’s eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly as his brain kicked in. Kai’s gasp and immediate refusal was shut down by Ice’s hard stare. Good.
Tyson didn’t drop his gaze from Levi. Tyson wanted to keep his job, but he had to keep Kai safe. He didn’t know how much Levi knew about their history, but then Levi gave him a nod.
“Agreed. We’ll discuss the money factor later.”
Kai protested. “Hell no, Tyson. You have a job to do. Go and do it.”
He turned and drawled, “I intend to. You’re now my job.”
She snorted and sat back. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Too bad. You got into a situation, and now we’ll help you get out.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said adamantly.
“And how do you think Tracy would feel if I let her best friend get hurt when I could’ve stepped in and done something about it?”
She opened her mouth to blast him, but the words didn’t come out. In a low voice she said, “That’s not playing fair.”
“I’ll play any way I have to if it keeps you safe.” He almost smiled at the glare on her face. She looked like a child who had just been schooled unfairly. She didn’t like the situation she was in, and there was no way to know how cooperative or uncooperative she would be. But he wouldn’t let her stay unprotected, particularly as Levi had given his stamp of approval. He turned to Levi and said, “Thank you.”
Levi shrugged. “Somebody has to stick to her like glue. Obviously you two have a history, so maybe this is a good time to work it out. We need you, Kai, to come back and forth with your new toys. I don’t really want any bad blood between the two of you either.”
“Won’t happen,” Tyson said quietly. “Kai and Tracy were best friends. Our shared history is just the person we lost in common.”
“I gathered that.” Levi picked up the massive burger on his plate and started eating.
Tyson realized how good it looked, wondering at his sudden appetite, and picked up his burger and dug into it. He noticed Kai played with her salad. She might be uncomfortable with him as her bodyguard, but she’d get over it.
Or not.
Her choice.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
Chapter 6
After lunch Kai said, “At least let me pick up lunch. Then I have to go back to the office.”
“Why?” Tyson asked. “No one is there.”
She laughed. “No. But I have work to do and could get something done because I won’t be bogged down by a million interruptions.”
He gave her a long, slow thoughtful look and then nodded. “First we’ll get you a burner phone while we’re here at the mall. Second, we’ll drop off your vehicle at your apartment.”
“That’ll break routine. Normally I’d go to work. So we should drive back to work and then at the end of my workday, drive home again.”
Levi stepped into the conversation. “Try to stick to as normal a routine as possible. We don’t want to tip off the stalker that we’re on to him.”
“I wish we were on to him. I have no problem hitting enemies. But I need to see them in order to hit them.” She paid for lunch as the others milled around behind her. Outside Tyson stepped in front of her. She tried to go around him and then realized he had blocked her deliberately. Behind his back she muttered, “He’s not a sniper.”
“How do you know?” he asked calmly.
She froze. After a moment she let out her breath. “You’re right. I don’t know. I’m trying to just ignore this, make light of it and hope it goes away.”
“And it might. Maybe that’s better. But I hate to think he’ll go underground and do this to somebody else.”
“Or come back in a year or two when you’re alone,” Ice added.
Under her breath she muttered, “Shit.” She turned to Levi and Ice and gave both hugs. “We’ll see you in a couple days.” She tried to dart around the immovable block in front of her, only to find herself once again stopped.
He held out his arm and said, “It wouldn’t hurt him to find out you have a love interest.”
“Love interest? Is that even a current phrase?”
“Tracy always said I was a bit of a dinosaur.”
Kai winced. “She wouldn’t have meant it in a bad way.”
He turned. “No, she didn’t. But it doesn’t change the fact that I am who and what I am.”
At her vehicle, he walked to the driver side and opened the door for her. She remembered his manners were always first and foremost. He looked after the ladies, particularly the one he was with. She waited until he walked around to the passenger side and got in beside her. She remembered all the conversations where Tracy had gushed over this man. At the time Kai hadn’t appreciated the gushing. She’d wanted him herself. But it had been obvious he’d had eyes for Tracy only. And now with Tracy gone, Kai could consider a relationship with Tyson, but she didn’t think Tyson was ready. And he might never be ready to have one with her. Would he always see Tracy when he looked at Kai?
Tracy’s last words haunted Kai once again. How could she take care of this man when he wouldn’t even acknowledge a relationship other than being her bodyguard? The tables were turned; she couldn’t take care of him, but he was bound and determined to take care of her. And that was bad news for him. That SEAL sense of honor, that duty to serve and protect was really strong in them. Most of the military had it to some extent, but all SEALs she’d met really had it.
On Tyson’s orders, she drove first to pick up a simple cell phone, then drove them back to the office, her mind filled with all the things she needed to do. When she pulled into the parking lot, she raised an eyebrow at the vehicles. “Apparently the office isn’t empty.”
“Are you expecting the staff to come back?”
“Not after talking to Tommy.”
She got out, locked the vehicle and led him to the side door. Using her keys, she unlocked the building’s outside door and held it open for him. But he stood in the parking lot, studying the layout of the vehicles. It was almost as if she could see the computer in his brain cataloguing what was there, who was there. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was memorizing the license plates. When he finally turned toward her, he studied the entrance door and the security system.
She motioned inside and said, “Are you ready?”
He stepped in and waited until she came up behind him, went around him to lead the way forward. She went up a simple landing of several steps, turned to make sure he was following her, only to find he was testing the door behind her. She knew she should be thankful, but she’d never once questioned whether the door locked behind her or not. As the door closed, the security system engaged the red light above. He studied it for a long moment, then turned and followed her up the stairs.
She wondered what it took to have a mind like that. Tracy always said he was almost pedantic in his thinking. Very solid, very analytical, very thorough. Kai just hadn’t had a chance to see it up close and personal, like right now.
Inside the building on the second floor, she pointed out their offices and said, “We’re at the far end.”
He never said a wo
rd, just followed behind her. She tested the door to the office, but it was locked. That was also bizarre. She used her keys and unlocked it. Opening up, she stepped inside and froze. Nobody was here. With her hands on her hips, she stood inside the entrance and studied the layout.
Behind her, Tyson asked, “Problems?”
“The vehicles are in the parking lot, but the office is empty.”
“Meeting?”
“Must be because the door was locked.”
She walked through the hall to their meeting room to find it open. Her four employees were there with her partner, Warren. Just as she approached, she heard him say, “We have to take into account that somebody might have hacked not only her phone and her email but her access here. We need to lock her out of everything.”
Anger flashed through her. She stepped into the room. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Everybody turned to look at her. And guilt crossed many of their faces.
She leaned against the doorjamb, crossed her arms and studied their faces. “Interesting expressions. What are you up to, Warren?”
“Nothing. But we have to keep our business safe.”
“By locking out one of the owners?” Her voice was deadly soft.
Tommy winced. “We wouldn’t have locked you out completely.” Then his gaze widened as he looked past her shoulder. He glanced over at one of the other men, Larry, a good friend of Tommy’s but not quite as brilliant, and then back at her. Nathan and Jerome were also friends but not as close to Tommy as Larry was.
“I didn’t know we had a visitor,” Warren said brightly, then glanced from Kai to the man behind her.
She knew Tyson would be there. Large, capable, his face almost cold, he was responsible for the shift in the men’s energy. Nothing like a group of geeks who wanted to be men suddenly realizing when a real one was in the room.
All the geeks calmed down, but Warren became blustery. He came over with a hand out and said, “Hi, I’m Warren. This is my company.”
Tyson ignored the man.
Warren withdrew his hand and backed up a few steps.
“No,” Kai said, “this is our company. And if I ever hear talk of locking me out of access to my own company again, then we’re talking lawsuits,” she said in a hard tone. “As of right now you’re on notice.” She pulled out her phone, speed-dialed her lawyer and explained Warren’s actions.
“I’ll take care of it.”
She pocketed her phone and stared at her slimy partner.
Warren sat down in his chair with a thud.
Instantly, the rest the group’s attention snapped. Tommy said, “Hey, hey. No need to panic. We don’t want that kind of trouble just because he was worried.”
“You attended a private meeting, excluding me, and you discussed locking me out of my own company …” she said, making each word extremely clear. “Where in all of that do you see a good working relationship?”
The four employees looked at each other. Larry said, “Hey, we’re sorry. That’s not our intention.” But something was off in his tone. Not quite a sneer but a long way from easing her irritation.
She snorted. “Maybe not but, from where I stand, I don’t see anything that gives me confidence in your words or your actions.”
Warren’s nose was in the air when he said, “Don’t get your panties in a twist. That’s the problem with bringing a woman on board.”
She’d have said something, but she’d heard this line way too many times. She did feel Tyson stiffen behind her. And she knew he didn’t understand. He had never talked down to a woman in his life. Tracy wouldn’t have allowed it. Ice certainly would not allow it. And Kai doubted anybody else in his world would’ve.
She looked at Warren with disgust. “Keep your macho male insecurities in check. You and I are about to have a very open, face-to-face talk over what you just tried to arrange.”
He gave her a snake-oil-salesman smile. “I have your best interests at heart. But the company is not going down because you’ve been lax.”
Tyson said, “How has she been lax?”
If she hadn’t been watching Warren’s face, she would’ve missed it. But he winced and backed up slightly in his chair.
She snorted. “I haven’t been lax at all.”
Warren held up his hand. “Nothing personal, stranger, but I don’t know who you are. For all I know, you’re her lawyer too, and I’m not saying anything without my lawyer present.”
She could feel the four staff listening anxiously. If something was going on with the company, there was a good chance the staff jobs were about to go up in smoke. She could see the employees would listen to Warren, though maybe not understand the extent of what was going on. Like she hadn’t either. Up until now.
“I hadn’t realized you would try to get rid of me. That of course does change things.” She gave him a thin smile. “Especially in light of the stalker issue. I’ll be sure to hand your name to the cops first.”
Fortunately she had been watching his eyes when she said that. And the astonishment in his gaze was so natural she knew he couldn’t be the stalker.
Warren threw his hands into the air and said, “What? Hey, no, I’m not doing anything like that.”
“Just taking advantage of an uncertain situation?” Tyson asked.
Warren glared at him. “This has got nothing to do with you. I don’t know who the hell you are.”
Tyson introduced himself, his arms still crossed.
“And what role do you play here?” Warren asked with a sneer. “Just because she brought you into the office doesn’t mean you should be privy to any of our secrets. Typical female.”
Kai couldn’t believe what was coming out of Warren’s mouth. Nothing he’d said was what she expected him to say. She understood he was a weasel. But she’d never seen him directly attack in this way. She didn’t like what she was seeing or hearing. And that meant a lot as she adored this company and the direction it was going. That Warren had set up this meeting to get somebody to shut down her access and was talking to Tyson like this was completely unacceptable.
She gave him a steely glare. “You’re digging yourself into a deep hole.”
“Oh, excuse me. Just because you bought into the company doesn’t mean it’s yours.”
“It’s not yours. Remember, I hold fifty-one percent of the business.”
The men jumped to their feet. “What does she mean that she owns fifty-one percent? You said she only owns thirty percent.”
She stared at her employees. “Sounds like he’s passing on some bullshit. I bought in, plus inherited Mark’s shares.” Kai was distracted with Tyson’s immediate focus on her at that news. Then he pulled out his phone. He needed Ice to look into Mark’s death. And to look into Warren and everyone else involved in the company.
Kai shook her head, turning to set her staff straight. “It’s my backers who came in to invest. So, if and when I go, all that goes with me. Keep that in mind the next time you have private meetings.”
She turned on her heels and walked toward her office. “Tommy, have you touched any of my access passes and my sign-ins?”
“No,” he said, rushing over to her. In a low voice he asked, “What did you mean, all the backers go?”
“They’re here because of me. When I explain what’s just happened, who do you think they’ll follow?”
He ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Jesus, this is all I ever wanted to do.”
“Then you better watch your Ps and Qs, and stop taking sides, or you’ll be out of a job.”
He sat down in his chair heavily. “Man, this sucks.” Then he leaned over and said, “Kai, what is your guy doing?”
Startled, she turned to look and realized Tyson was no longer standing beside Warren. Instead, he was doing a complete walk around the office. “Checking it out.”
“Why?”
“Because there is a stalker in my midst,” she said impatiently. “I get this is all a big joke to
you guys, and others want to use it to their advantage, but some asshole is out there stalking me, and that’s really not something I feel like joking around about.”
“So he’s a security guy?”
She turned to look at Tommy, hearing the note in his voice. Of course, for anybody like Tommy who spent his life in the geek world, Tyson was all male. It was that powerful silence that said he could handle life no matter what was thrown at him. Tommy couldn’t handle a relationship, and, in any situation, he was lost. She could see how Tyson would become some kind of role model for him. And that was a bit of a joke too.
“Something like that,” she said drily. “And so much more.”
“Did you hire him?”
“No, he’s an old friend.”
Tommy gave her a big grin. “Friend.”
She rolled her eyes, trying to remember the eighteen-year-old’s lack of maturity and said, “Yes, a friend.”
*
“Old friends?” Tyson muttered under his breath. As descriptions went, it wasn’t bad. He had very mixed feelings when it came to Kai. He’d certainly been attracted to her way back when, but there had been something about Tracy that had pulled at his heart in a way he hadn’t been able to ignore.
Before Tracy’s death, Kai had always been in the background. Solid, dependable and such a damn good friend to Tracy. Kai had been part of the family and yet not. It was hard to believe he had been married to Tracy less than a year. A year of his life in which he’d married, lost a child and lost his wife. He called it the year of hell.
That it had all happened within a calendar year made it that much harder. He had met Tracy at a New Year’s Eve party. He’d fallen immediately. Only Tracy was gone now. And Kai was still here.
An incredibly attractive Kai …
He returned to study the office windows. It would be hard for anybody to get in or out of this office building, short of coming through the main doors. But he’d seen way too much military action to ignore the fact that people were bound and determined to do what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it. And, with the right skill set, the right person could do damn near anything he wanted.