by K. Marie
“Sure, Autumn, I’ll teach you,” he told her.
At least one of us would know what in the hell he was saying.
I’m pissed that Garland’s deliberately keeping me in the dark about the need for our early departure. Why did I have to wait until we arrived home to know what’s going on? Sometimes, Garland’s protective alpha routine could be annoying, like right-frigging-now, for example.
I paid attention to his and Autumn’s chatter as we walked, and my annoyance waivered just a fraction. He’s good with her, Garland was always patient, and conversed with Autumn as though she were a big-girl. He turned-out to be great with kids.
When we got to the parking lot, both black Range Rovers sat parked next to each other, with Joe already behind the wheel of one. When last I saw him; he stood some distance away from us near the entrance where we’d come in. I glanced at Garland—and he didn’t miss the question in my eyes, but of course, chose to ignore it.
God, grant me patience.
He headed to the Rover with Joe behind the wheel, opening the door and placing Autumn inside, before gesturing for Marie and me to follow suit. I climbed in next to Autumn, while Marie went around to the other side. Garland got into the front with Joe, and Viktor climbed into the other vehicle and followed us out of the parking lot.
Marie eyed me questioningly, well aware that I was in a funk, but thankfully, followed my lead and didn’t ask questions. Marie might lack tact in most situations, but she did know when to keep her mouth shut. This was obviously one of those times.
Autumn chattered excitedly about Daisy and her riding lessons, expressing her impatience to return next week. But, she mostly chatted with Marie; as I was too distracted with worry and irritation to pay attention, or to comment. I paid attention to Garland and Joe instead. The two of them didn’t talk; Garland mostly texted on his phone, and while it could have just been my imagination, Joe seemed to pay constant attention to his side and rear-view mirrors. I caught his eye in the rear-view mirror, and his gaze lingered only briefly before returning to the road in front of him.
Something was definitely up.
It was utterly annoying that Garland insisted on treating me like I’m too fragile or weak to deal with the possible unpleasant aspects of our life together. I know it’s his job as a husband to protect, but I’m a grown woman, whose been looking out for myself and a child for quite some time now. I sulked in silence, thoroughly agitated with my husband, but unwilling to make a scene.
The drive back seemed to take far longer than the drive out, but I find out why when we exit the expressway. Joe pulled up in front of a palatial looking hotel that’s about twenty minutes from where we lived.
I watched as Garland opened his door to get out. “I’ll be right back,” he said, before shutting the door behind him.
Taken aback, I sat following his movement with my eyes, until he disappeared inside of the hotel. Then, my brain kicked back into gear.
That’s it! I hesitated only a second, before opening my door and getting out; in pursuit of my husband.
It was time to make a scene.
“Camry!” Joe called as I shut the door behind me.
Ignoring him, I walked quickly towards the entrance of the hotel. Once inside, I scanned the lobby—spotting Garland standing at the front desk. I headed in that direction. When I heard footsteps behind me, I looked back to see that Joe had followed me inside; and felt a quick stab of guilt for causing him trouble. My anger was at Garland, not him. But I sped-up my steps anyway, not wanting to be waylaid in my pursuit.
When I walked up to stand next to my husband, I experienced a small amount of satisfaction at the quick flash of surprise in his eyes. “Dammit Garland, what’s going on?!” I demanded in a low, adamant voice.
He shot a look over his shoulder—spotting Joe hovering close by, before turning his attention back to me. “You should have stayed in the car, Camry,” he said with a disapproving look.
“Why? Tell me what’s going on, stop treating me like a child! Why are we at a hotel?” I demanded impatiently.
“For security reasons, we’ll be staying here for tonight. But this is not the place for that discussion; I’ll tell you more once we’re settled,” he said sternly.
Pissed, I stood glaring at him as he turned his attention back to the man who’d been helping him. Chancing a look over my shoulder, I see Joe standing several feet away near a huge stoned pillar. No doubt, pissed at me for getting him in trouble with the boss. I hoped that I could make it up to him later.
Having concluded his business, Garland turned back to me. “Let’s go,” he said tersely, placing a hand at my lower back as he ushered me towards Joe.
“Have Viktor bring Marie and Autumn inside, he’ll need this key to get to the top floor on the elevator,” Garland instructed Joe, handing over a key-card.
“Sorry,” I mouthed to Joe; feeling remorseful, before Garland grabbed my hand to lead me over to a set of elevators.
Once we entered the elevator, he inserted the key-card into a slot and pushed a button; the doors swiftly closing as we began our ascent. My husband turned to look at me then, not saying a word, but I knew that he was pissed. And for the first time, I didn’t care.
We engaged in a stare-off, before he finally spoke. “I only do what’s necessary to protect you, Camry, please promise me you won’t do that ever again. I have to be able to trust you with making smart decisions where your own safety’s concerned,” he said grimly.
“Maybe if I knew what it is I’m supposed to be protected from, I wouldn’t have to make dumb decisions. Being forewarned is being forearmed. If I’m in danger, I have a right to know,” I retorted stubbornly. This was one argument he wouldn’t win.
Garland’s scowl didn’t waver, but the green of those gorgeous eyes darkened with an emotion that I could practically feel. “Do you have any idea how much I love you, Camry?” he asked in a tense voice. “I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you, to our unborn child. But, I can’t protect you if you won’t let me.”
My heart stuttered at the raw emotion I saw in his eyes, heard in his words, and I felt instantly horrible. “I love you too, Garland, and the last thing I want is to worry you. But, you can’t keep me completely in the dark about these things, I have to know who or what I should be afraid of,” I told him, stepping closer to wrap my arms around his waist.
He brought his arms around me, brushing a kiss to the top of my head, before releasing a tired sigh. “You’re right, Camry…I’ll work on my communication,” he said grudgingly, surprisingly.
I reared my head back to look up at him. “Seriously, you’re actually letting me win this one?” I asked suspiciously.
I wished all of our disagreements were so easily resolved. The man was learning.
“You always win, sweetheart, whether you know it or not,” he told me.
I didn’t have time to question that falsehood before the chime of the elevator announced our arrival.
When the doors parted, we entered into a foyer, with pale gray walls and white tiled floors. Opposite the elevator was a mirrored wall, with a tall glass table situated in front of it, and with a large pewter vase containing all white flowers atop it. Only one white painted door sat off to the right; indicating the suite occupied the entire floor.
After Garland opened the door, we walked into a bright, spacious hallway with adjacent halls on either side of it. I followed him to the large open space directly ahead, into the main room, where the sweeping view of the ocean was visible through the wall of windows. A long balcony sat on the other side of the glass, and I could see that we were very high up; at least twenty floors.
Turning away from the picturesque view, I turned my attention to the vast space of the room. It looked rather sterile, with all of the walls painted a stark white, and the furnishings a mix of gray, white, and black. There were a couple of seating groups, a formal dining area with a table that sat six, a breakfast bar, and a huge
flat-screen television that was mounted to the wall. I glanced over to see Garland once again on his phone, so I busied myself with inspecting the rest of the suite. By the time I made my way back to the main room, I turned at the sound of the door being opened behind me.
Viktor entered first, followed by Autumn and a baffled looking Marie.
“Mommy!” Autumn called, when she spotted me. “Are we staying at the hotel?” she asked hopefully, the only one of us showing any enthusiasm over it.
I directed a look at Marie, before reluctantly confirming. “Yes, we’re staying here for tonight, isn’t that exciting?” I asked, giving her a bright but forced smile. I still hadn’t gotten a full explanation from Garland regarding the necessity.
Autumn let out a squeal and ran past me towards where Garland and Viktor stood quietly talking.
“I’m so sorry, Marie. I’m not yet sure what’s going on—some kind of security issue, but as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know,” I told her.
Not one to spook easily, she gave me a sardonic but unconcerned look. “Considering the whole Secret Service routine, I figured there was a security issue. Should I fear for my life?” she asked dryly.
Good question.
“And you thought I was exaggerating about Garland’s security paranoia,” I responded with a roll of my eyes.
“I guess having armed guards and security scares comes with the title of, Mrs. Vidov,” she responded with a nonchalant shrug; making it all sound so simple and normal. “But, the ‘Russian Connection’ in there must be paranoid together,” Marie remarked, nodding in the men’s general direction.
I just shook my head and smiled; catching her facetious reference to the popular American book and movie “The French Connection”. But she was right, of course. Not that I believed Garland to be acting on flimsy suspicions, but he could very well be overreacting.
Garland ceased conversation with Viktor when Marie and I entered the room; walking over to us. “I apologize for the inconvenience, Marie. But for security reasons, we must stay here for tonight. I can get you whatever you may need to make your stay more comfortable,” Garland told her.
Marie voiced her understanding.
“Camry, come with me a moment,” he said next.
I followed him towards the master suite. “I hope you aren’t angry with Joe, I completely duped him. He had no idea he should have engaged the child safety locks in back,” I said in contrition, worried that the man hadn’t made an appearance.
After entering the bedroom, Garland closed the door behind us, and turned to me. “I fired him,” he said.
My heart sank as I looked at him in horror. “Please tell me you’re not serious,” I croaked. I was going to completely lose my shit if the man had lost his job because of me.
“No, I’m not serious this time. But that is exactly what will happen if this ever occurs again. Maybe you’ll think about that the next time you decide to dupe your security detail,” Garland snapped.
I knew he meant it too.
“If they can’t protect you, they’re useless to me. But you’ve got to allow security to do their jobs, Camry, it’s what they’re paid to do. What you did could have been detrimental to both you and Joe; I’m angrier at you, not him,” he reprimanded, making me feel about two-feet-tall.
Shit.
“Viktor believes we might have been followed to the stables today,” Garland said, quickly shifting gears. “There was a suspicious looking car parked out on the road just outside the entrance. When Viktor went to check it out, whoever was in the car fled. Joe pursued, but unfortunately lost sight of them.”
I stared at him dumbly, a million different thoughts clustering my brain all at once. “Who? Why?” I asked in confusion.
“I’m not yet sure, but I intend to find out,” Garland answered grimly.
“Is it possible it was just a random person who just so happened to pull over, and became alarmed when Viktor approached?” I asked, hoping for a more plausible explanation. The thought that someone had intentionally followed us was just too creepy to contemplate.
“It’s possible, yes. But right now, we have to operate under the assumption that it wasn’t random. Viktor got a good description of the car and the license plate number. Though of course, it could easily have been switched or stolen, but my security guys are looking into it. I have every confidence they’ll locate the driver; or at least the owner,” Garland told me.
I walked over to sit on the bed. “So, why are we here? Do you believe our home to be unsafe?” I asked. We obviously couldn’t go back there.
“I’m not making any assumptions at this point. Security is impeccable when it comes to getting into our neighborhood or anywhere near our home. So, whereas I believe our home to be safe, I need to make absolute certain it is before returning my family there. I want all of the security cameras viewed, and security confirmed, before we return,” he answered, coming to sit down next to me.
“Do you believe this person could have followed us from the house—that they know where we live?” I questioned, creep-factor rising.
“We won’t be able to say for certain until the video cameras are viewed,” Garland answered.
He’d previously told me our home address, property records, and phone numbers, were all safeguarded and damn near impossible for the lay person to obtain. They were all listed under his various entities. He shared that information because he wanted to express the importance of me not readily giving out my personal information to anyone. Only my most trusted inner-circle was granted that privilege. The man was beyond paranoid.
Sighing my weariness, I scooted closer to him and rested my head against his shoulder, feeling suddenly drained. “Jesus, Garland…this is crazy. I hope we aren’t holed up in this hotel for very long, we have absolutely nothing by way of essentials to stay the night,” I said, concerned with practicality.
“We stay here until I’m assured both we and our home are safe. As to essentials, the hotel has a few shops, and Viktor or Joe will get whatever else we may need,” he concluded.
Forty-Two
G A R L A N D
Only two things in life could ever make me feel fear, and they both sat at the dining table eating some god-awful looking pizza with pineapples on it. The thought of something happening to either of them was enough to still my heart, and what happened today was enough to send me into a rage. Something like this having happened was intolerable. But, I wouldn’t react until I’d gotten all of the facts.
As if on cue, my phone started to go off. “Drakos, what do you have?” I asked, stepping out onto the balcony to have my conversation in private.
A former CIA operative, Drakos’ expertise was in intelligence, he was in charge of anything to do with security at the company level; but his purview was widespread. Unlike all of the other security staff, he didn’t report to Viktor, but directly to me. If there was any information to be had on anyone or anything, he and his team would find it.
“The car was reported as stolen from Little Havana, the owner is a woman by the name of Gwendolyn Sykes. She reported that she arrived home last night around eleven-thirty, so the car must have gone missing somewhere between that time, and nine o’ clock this morning when she awoke to find it gone,” Drakos said.
“I checked her out, and there’s nothing to indicate she’s anything other than she appears. She’s got no criminal background or connections to speak of, but I’ve put a man on her for the next twenty-four hours just in case,” he added.
“Has the car been found?” I asked.
“The car was abandoned near a downtown car lot. The police have impounded it, but my men should be able to get in there to search it in a couple of hours. We’re still working on the security footage from the house, and I’ve got Sloan working on the city’s street cams. He should have something before the night is out,” Drakos concluded, as thorough as always.
“I need eyes and ears on the principles, both you and Viktor already
know who they are,” I told him, referring to my known enemies.
I doubt this had anything to do with them, but you never know. The types of men I’ve made enemies of don’t do anything on a small scale; if they’d come after me, there would have been a lot of firepower behind it.
“Roger that, boss. I’ll coordinate with Viktor and be in contact with any updates as soon as I receive them. Is there anything you need on your front?” Drakos asked.
“Viktor’s got everything here covered,” I confirmed.
Disconnecting from Drakos, I felt even more enraged than before. Not knowing the who or the why, made me impatient for action. I closed my eyes and took a breather, telling myself to get a fucking grip. I knew the risks when I decided to be self-indulgent, when I decided I had to have her. I always prided myself on my patience; my iron self-control, so, I called on those things now and waited patiently for my people to do their jobs.
I wasn’t prone to making impulsive decisions, and I always weighed the odds of any situation, to figure out how best to come out on top. Vasily always said I was much like a wolf; smart, patient, and cunning. In fact, at one point he described me as a sly, bloodthirsty predator. At that point in my life, I couldn’t disagree. But, I wasn’t feeling any of those things right now, and I knew why.
A man became vulnerable when he had something to lose.
Those who might prey on him had a greater chance of succeeding, because they had more ammunition to use against him. It was a very effective method, and one that I’ve employed whenever necessary. I vowed to never find myself in that predicament again—to never make myself vulnerable to no man, to never make those I cared about vulnerable. Yet, I found myself in exactly that predicament. All because of a beautiful, naïve, and doe-eyed woman, who’d brought me to my knees without even trying.
I snorted a humorless laugh at the thought. For much like the wolf, I patiently stalked my prey, enticed her into my den, mated with her, and was now bonded to her for life.
That wasn’t my initial intention.