Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“What would that mean, though?” She couldn’t see the connection. “The person threatening him couldn’t have known that he plans to return to work, right? And why would that matter to them? In fact, wouldn’t it make their job to get at him easier if he did go back to work?”
“You’re right. It all makes no sense.”
But he was still frowning in thought.
“What do you think is going on?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head and started eating his sandwich. When he finished a mouthful, he gave her a firm look. “Eat your sandwich.”
“I’m not really hungry anymore.”
“There is nothing that you can do to help your father,” he told her. “He is a grown man. A cop. And he has a lot of people looking after him. So I do not want you to worry.”
“It’s not really that easy.”
“It is. Stop worrying.”
She rolled her eyes at him. Before he could reply, David poked his head through the doorway.
“Maya, your mother is here,” he said.
For a moment, her heart skipped a beat and her body actually let her believe his words.
Such hope filled her that it was crushing when her brain caught up to what he’d said.
“My mother is dead.” She’d have been horrified if she’d said that to anyone else. She wouldn’t want to make anyone feel bad for getting that wrong.
But it was hard to care about David when he was such a selfish, nasty individual.
“What? She said she was your mother,” he said. “Why would she say that if she wasn’t your mother?”
It struck her who was out there.
Oh, great.
“Did she happen to say stepmother?”
David ran his hand through the air dismissively. “It’s the same thing. What’s important is that I’m not your personal assistant. So you need to tell her that she can’t just come in here to see you whenever she likes. I don’t pay you to chat.”
“I’m on my lunch break,” she told him.
Not that she wanted to talk to Kathryn. That was the last thing she wanted to do. And she knew she couldn’t talk to her in here. This was where she ate. She didn’t want to ruin her appetite. Kathryn was an expert at that.
“Just don’t talk while you’re being paid,” he informed her before storming off.
She wrapped up her sandwich with a sigh and stood. Matthieu stood with her.
“You don’t have to come with me. Kathryn isn’t a threat to me.”
He shot her a stern look. “Where you go, I go.”
Right. Well, if he wanted to subject himself to Kathryn, that was his funeral.
She walked out into the foyer to find Kathryn staring around with disdain on her face. Of course this place didn’t meet her standards.
Nothing met her standards.
Except her horrid sons. Which meant her standards were warped.
“Kathryn, what can I do for you?” she asked tiredly.
“Really, dear,” she said, turning to her with a fake smile. “Is that how you greet me after you haven’t seen me in so long?”
“It’s been less than three weeks,” she informed her. And frankly, infinity wouldn’t be long enough.
“And I’ve been under a tremendous amount of stress. Would it have hurt you to think of someone else for a change?”
Great.
She couldn’t help herself. Could she last even one minute without being nasty?
The short answer was no.
“Actually, you’re not the only person who has been under stress, Kathryn,” Matthieu said. “And I find it interesting that neither you nor your husband have bothered to check in with Maya.”
Whoa.
Had he really just said that? She couldn’t believe he was sticking up for her. And to Kathryn. No one spoke to her like this.
“I thought your job was to guard,” Kathryn said nastily. “Not speak.”
Oh hell no. Maya wasn’t going to let this bitch talk to Matthieu like that. Sure, she might put up with Kathryn being mean to her. But she didn’t get to speak to people that Maya cared about that way.
Usually Kathryn was more guarded around other people, not wanting to do anything to tarnish her reputation. Which meant she looked down on Matthieu. That she saw him as . . . nothing.
And he was definitely not that.
“Do not speak to Matthieu that way. You have no right. He is putting himself at risk to guard me because someone is threatening Dad.”
“Yes, your dad. Not you,” Kathryn spat out. “It’s ridiculous to have a bodyguard on you.”
“Where is the person who is meant to be watching you?” Matthieu asked, moving closer to Maya.
She could feel his warmth at his back.
“Outside. Minding their own business and not speaking,” Kathryn said. “They know how to do their job well. Obviously, you don’t. I will be informing my husband of this when I get home and I’m sure that he will fire you.”
“You’re threatening to have him fired now?” Maya asked.
“You hardly need a guard,” Kathryn sneered. “And this is costing your father a fortune. He is throwing away money. We just received a bill from the security firm he works for.” She gestured toward Matthieu. “And it is ridiculous.”