The Providence Trilogy Bundle: Providence; Requiem; Eden

by McGuire, Jamie

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Answer the question, Sasha,” I replied, exasperated.

  “I was working,” she snapped. She pulled a file off the desk and held it against her chest as she approached me. “Trust me; your office was happy for the change.”

  I started to cross my arms but forced them to stay at my sides. “What exactly do you hope to accomplish here by insulting the CEO of the company? How far do you expect to get here, Sasha?” I hated how arrogant that sounded, but I was genuinely curious.

  “Grant is the CEO as far as we are all concerned.”

  “Where is he? I was supposed to be meeting him here.”

  “He left in a hurry. He didn’t say where, but it’s not him that I’m concerned isn’t putting in enough hours around here.”

  “What you should be concerned about is the company you’ll be applying to after you graduate. Who do you think will sign your recommendation letter? Who do you think will have the final say on your reference report?”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  My eyebrows popped up. “You’ve made an enemy of me from day one. You can’t expect me to feel sorry for—”

  “Grant has plenty of positive things to say about my time here.”

  “Grant likes your short skirts and that you have coffee waiting for him every morning. Even if he did somehow notice the insignificant tasks you do complete, he would also see how many mistakes you make. You are not the asset to this company you believe you are, and you’re a bi—” I stopped, catching myself.

  “I’m a what?” she goaded.

  “A bit rough around the edges.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I know you’re the princess of Titan. That doesn’t mean you get everything.”

  “What on earth are you talking about?” I said, wrinkling my nose.

  Sasha stuck her hands on her hips. “Oh, enough already with the oblivious routine. You may have some people fooled, but I’m not one of them,” she said, poking her chest with the last few words.

  Frustrated, I closed my eyes, shook my head and sighed. “If you don’t wish to resolve this, fine, but stay out of my office unless you have my verbal permission.” I opened the door, gesturing for her to leave.

  Sasha’s arms crossed tighter, and she lifted her chin in defiance. “Truth hurts?”

  “I honestly don’t have time for this.”

  “You just threatened my career. Make time,” she said, pushing the door shut.

  “What career?”

  “Better than a fake one.”

  “Are you serious? You’re bitter because I’m taking my father’s place in the company? As if you wouldn’t had you the opportunity! What father doesn’t want his child to take over the family business?”

  “You’re never even here!”

  “What is it that you want, Sasha? My job?”

  “No! It’s absolutely ridiculous that you have this huge office right beside Grant that you’re never in! What a waste of company resources! Grant keeps this company running while you’re off doing God knows what with your husband-slash-stalker. It’s disgusting,” she said, her face screwing so tight, the skin around the creases in her face turned white.

  “Disgusting?”

  “Yes! When you do decide to show up, you’re so busy flirting with Grant that you still don’t get anything done. What will happen to this company if Grant decides to leave? It’s doomed!”

  Sasha’s words turned a light on inside my head, and I stood there in shock. “You’re in love with him,” I whispered.

  “Oh, please,” Sasha said. “You must be losing sleep again.”

  “You’re in love with Grant.”

  Sasha’s mouth fell open. “Am not!”

  I pointed at her. “You’re in love with him, and you’ve been pissed at me this entire time because he flirts with me!”

  “You think I’m jealous of you? That’s just the most ridiculous . . .” She trailed off, laughing to herself. Her face turned red, and she took a step forward. “I don’t see what anyone sees in you. You’re not talented . . . at anything. You’re not that smart, definitely not that attractive, you have no fashion sense, and you have the personality of a rock.”

  “Tell me how you really feel,” I said, incensed. “I don’t care what Grant sees. I’m married to the most perfect, amazing, handsome man in the universe.” Although it was the truth, I inwardly cringed at how sophomoric it sounded.

  “You don’t care? Then why did you stick me in the bowels of the file room? I know you wanted me out of the way!”

  I wanted to tell her that Grant was the one who cast her away, but that was crueler than I was capable. “You can have Grant. I never wanted him,” I said. Even the thought of Grant, of me and Grant . . . Ew.

  “He’s not yours to give away!” Sasha howled. “You want to know what I can’t stand about you? That! That right there! That snooty, presumptuous, overconfident tone you have when you have zero redeeming qualities! Your father thought you hung the moon, Grant thinks you can do no wrong, your best friend/assistant treats you like a queen, and your husband should have never given you the time of day. Now, you’re pregnant and gloriously happy. I’m not jealous, Nina; I’m revolted! You don’t deserve anything you have!”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “What?” Sasha said softly, clearly caught off guard.

  “I don’t have any redeeming qualities to speak of. I don’t know why Grant has that ridiculous crush on me—if that’s even what it is—and I am the first person to admit that I don’t deserve Jared. He probably just fell in love with me because it’s his job to be around me twenty-four-seven and he didn’t have time to date. He disagrees, but I’ve always thought . . . .”

  “Well”—she cleared her throat—“you’re not . . . you’re not that bad. I mean you’re not funny at all, but sometimes you make Grant laugh. And I’ve seen you be sort-of kind to Beth. Once. No, you don’t have any redeeming qualities, but since when does anyone need to be extraordinary to be loved? Most people are average—not me, of course—but it’s perfectly fine that you are.”

  I took a deep breath. “I can see why you’re upset with me. I haven’t handled our situation in the best way. I should have talked to you. I didn’t realize . . . I mean, looking back, I knew about Grant. But I thought it was the position you wanted, not necessarily him. Now that I know, I get it. I don’t think he’s all that attractive, but I see why others do.”

  “He’s very cute,” Sasha sulked. “He really does care about this company and the employees, and he’s so smart—and sweet. When he’s not trying to figure out how to keep Titan on top, he’s talking about you. It’s infuriating. You are never kind to him.”

  I frowned. “I’m not. I will try to work on that.”

  “No! Don’t do that!” she said, shaking her head. “I just meant that . . . Don’t go out of your way on my account.”

  “I’m sorry. I would like us to get along better,” I said. Now that I knew the source of her disdain, it was easier to understand the motives behind her hateful remarks. “You still can’t put your feet on my desk.”

  “You’re right. Totally out of line. I apologize.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say next. We had never been civil to each other, and now that we had come to an understanding, all that was left was an awkward silence.

  “I was, er, I was just about to get some coffee,” Sasha said. I’m going to be here all night reorganizing the file room. It’s atrocious. So . . . do you want some?”

  “Coffee?”

  “Yes,” Sasha said, trying a smile.

  “Here,” I said, pulling a twenty-dollar bill from my pocket. “I can’t drink coffee, especially not the sludge in the break room. Grab me an apple cider and yourself a coffee at that place on Spruce. It’s my favorite.”

  Sasha snatched the bill from my fingers. “I’ll get it. I need a break, anyway. I just need a flashlight.”

  “Why?”

  �
��I had to park four blocks down in that parking garage because of the construction, and the lighting is nonexistent.”

  “Why don’t you take my . . .?” I had to stop myself and think. Jared was surely back by now, but he couldn’t take her in the Escalade for many reasons. My car was parked at the curb just outside. The only people I had allowed to drive it were Jared and Bex, and that was only because they had supernatural powers of precision and lightning reflexes. It was too late, now. I’d opened my mouth, and a retraction would shake our already fragile cease-fire. I would have to let Sasha drive the car my father had given me.

  “Why don’t you take the Beemer?” I said, nearly choking on my words.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” I said, holding out the keys. “Just be careful, please.”

  Sasha smiled. “What do you want?”

  “I’ll have a large hot apple cider with caramel. Oh, and a slice of their Lemon Velvet cake.”

  “I know it’s summer, but I can get you an iced coffee if you’d prefer.” I shook my head, and Sasha’s expression changed quickly from confusion to understanding. “Oh, right. The baby. Okay, I’ll be back in twenty.”

  I smiled. “I’ll be here.”

  My keys jingled in Sasha’s hand as she disappeared behind the elevator. I leaned against the wall, wondering if I had just made the biggest mistake of my life. How could I trust Sasha with my most precious possession? She hated me.

  I bit on my thumbnail and paced back and forth a few times. I thought about the different items in my car. Would she go through it? Was anything incriminating inside that might hint at the truth about Jared? My cell phone rang in my pocket. I quickly fished it out.

  “I’m fine,” I said.

  “Then why is your blood pressure going through the roof?” Jared said. His voice alone slowed my heart rate. “I can stop her if you don’t want her to take your car.”

  I walked through my office to the large window, looking down to the street below. “Yes, because that won’t look suspicious at all.” The lights of Fleet Rink were bright enough to illuminate the entire block, and I watched as Sasha followed the sidewalk, her red hair bouncing against her silk olive blouse. The headlamps of the Beemer blinked, and a short blip sounded when the alarm was deactivated.

  “Her car seems in good shape,” Jared said, trying to comfort me. He was in the Escalade across the street, pressing the cell phone against his ear as he smiled up at me.

  I took a deep breath. “I don’t know why I’m worried. It’s only a mile awa—” My words were cut off by a loud boom. In the same moment, the space where my car once sat turned into a billowing fireball. The glass vibrated, but it didn’t break. The windows of the Escalade didn’t fare so well. I could see Jared’s shocked expression as he sat in the driver’s seat. Flaming debris shot into the sky and fell into the street.

  “Oh my God! Help her, Jared! Help her!” I screamed.

  “Stay inside!” Jared yelled over the noise. He jumped from the Escalade and ran to the roaring flames. He covered his face with his arm, testing different sides of the car. I could see from three stories up that he couldn’t breach the flames. Even if he had, Sasha was gone.

  Jared watched the fire in horror, grabbing each side of his blond hair with his fists. He shook his head and then grabbed his knees, leaning over. After a few moments, he ran back to his Escalade and took off at full speed. The wheels squealed against the pavement.

  I ran to my desk and grabbed at the phone with trembling hands. I tried to dial 911, but my fingers shook so much that I kept hitting the wrong keys. After the third try, Jared was beside me.

  I collapsed into him, tears finally welling up in my eyes. “What happened?” I cried. “Where did you go?”

  “I wanted them to think I panicked and drove off. It was a bomb, Nina. They wired your car with a bomb.”

  I paused, my eyes widening. “I killed her. I gave her the keys to my car and sent her to her death! Oh my God, Jared, she’s dead! She’s only twenty-two years old! She just got off the phone with her mother not half an hour ago!” My voice grew shriller with every fact.

  Jared hugged me to him, unable to find words of comfort. “I should have sensed it. I should have smelled it—something.”

  “Nothing?” I said, looking up at him with wet eyes.

  He shook his head. “Not a damn thing. The baby and how it affects your body saturates my senses. They must have wired it after you arrived at work. I don’t understand. I wasn’t half a block away. I should have seen it.”

  “We have to call the police,” I whimpered.

  “Let someone else do it. If whoever placed the bomb somehow mistook her for you, it may buy us some time. That’s why I made such a show in the street. They’re probably watching.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know. Must have been a shell. There’s no way to tell how many are around.”

  I nodded, and Jared pulled my hand, leading me to the stairwell. He held his finger to his mouth and then opened the door. We descended four flights of stairs into the basement level and then sneaked out an access door to the alley.

  My shoes tapped against the wet pavement and sloshed through puddles. The moonlight glistened on the wet pavement we walked upon. Jared led us through labyrinthine alleyways cluttered with green trash bins and litter until we finally reached the Escalade.

  “This wasn’t your fault,” he whispered.

  “Then whose fault is it?” I sobbed, hitting the door with my fist. “I want to know! I want them to be held accountable for taking an innocent person’s life! She was mean and spiteful, but she had her whole life ahead of her! It’s not fair!”

  “No, it’s not. It’s sloppy. They’ve never made a mistake like this.”

  “You think it was a mistake?” I sniffed.

  “One way or another.”

  My face fell again. “She was in love with Grant, and she never told him.”

  Jared frowned. “I’m sorry for Sasha. I’m sorry for her family when they learn of her death, but we have a bigger problem here. We’re leaving in one week, and you won’t be allowed to leave the country if you’re involved in an investigation. We have to explain why she was in your car, and why your car was there and you weren’t. That’s after they declare it wasn’t you in the car. That could be a while.”

  “Stop.”

  He thought for a moment. “We’ll have to go away. Write a note to Beth explaining that we went on a short getaway and that you left your car keys on the desk in case she needs it, and I’ll have Bex put it on the floor under your desk in your office so that it looks like it fell.”

  “Stop, Jared.”

  “We’ll go away for a few days. Figure out our next move.”

  I squeezed my eyes tight. “Just stop it!”

  “What?”

  “It won’t matter.”

  Jared grabbed each side of my face and looked into my eyes. “Don’t do that. You’re not going to give up.” One hand left my cheek and touched my belly. “We have a reason to fight more now than ever.”

  His cell phone buzzed in his jacket pocket. “Ryel. She’s fine, but it was her car. No, her car exploded. They wired explosives to it. I’m not sure, yet. She let Sasha take it for coffee. No,” Jared said, his voice low. “We’re going to leave town for a few days; buy us some time. Send Bex. I need him to run a note to Nina’s office. Bye.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance. Jared put his phone away and cupped his hands over my shoulders. “You with me?”

  I nodded. “I need paper and a pen.”

  Jared patted his jacket and pulled out a pen, and then he blurred out of sight. A few moments later he returned with a pink memo pad. I scribbled a few lines to Beth explaining my impromptu vacation and the location of my keys in case she needed to move my car, and then signed it. Five minutes later, a motorcycle pulled into the alley.

  Bex planted his feet on the ground and pushed the visor of his helmet up. “Whatcha g
ot?”

  “Put this in Nina’s office, under her desk as if it fell. We need to explain this away.”

  Bex pulled off his helmet and grabbed the paper. “You guys staying here or . . .?”

  “No. We’re leaving town for a few days. I’ll call you when we get there.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know, yet,” Jared said. “Stay out of sight, and go straight home to Mom.”

  Bex nodded once and then sprinted down the alley toward Titan. The sirens grew closer. Jared squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek. He opened the passenger door, brushed the broken glass from the seat, and then repeated the process on his side. We drove south, stopping just outside of town. Claire and Ryan were waiting in Ryan’s Tundra truck.

  “I figured you would need a vehicle with windows for your road trip,” Ryan smiled, tossing Jared the keys.

  “Thanks,” Jared said.

  Claire pointed to the bed of the truck. “We brought your luggage. Good thing you were going on a trip, anyway.” I nodded, feeling a little lost. Claire offered a sympathetic expression and a hug. “Sorry about Sasha. You’ll be soaking up the sun on vacation, and I’ll be here finding out who tried to kill you. Whether they’re human or not, they won’t bother you again.”

  I frowned, and then tears pushed over my eyes and fell down my cheeks. I squeezed her tightly.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, making a point to look into my eyes. “This will all be over soon.”

  12. Road Trip

  We were heading south on Interstate 95. With my head resting against the passenger side window, I kept the beat in my head with the white lines as they zoomed past and out of sight. My body felt empty and numb; I didn’t know if I was awake or asleep. Traumatic events should have been second nature to me. Maybe that was why I wasn’t a crying, shaking mess. I wasn’t coping—or maybe I was. Maybe I was simply feeling acceptance, but it was hard to know without feeling anything.

  Jared moved a piece of hair from my face. “Why don’t you try to sleep?”