Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable.” She wanted to scream at her sister about the phone calls and Mr. Chronic Cough from the courthouse a while back, but instead she glanced at her watch and saw the time.
She only had nine minutes of her dinner break left. She hadn’t even eaten anything. She was hungry, too. Now she’d have to order room service to her office or settle for vending machine food fare served at her desk this evening for sustenance. First the thing with Warrick and now her long lost sister making an appearance to tell her she might be in danger. Great. Just great.
It was too much. All of it.
That was when she stood up and left the tavern. Ari was on her heels, and Warrick along with her new bodyguard also exited the bar, hot on her trail to the outside parking lot. She was grateful Warrick hadn’t detained her in that moment. Her anger level had been set to wildly volatile. Not conducive for rational conversation.
When she’d arrived at work a little while ago, she got a call from the front desk about Sven. Even though she felt like she was being bossed around, she also secretly valued the idea of a bodyguard on hand and having her back.
She met with Sven, forced herself to be civil, and showed him her office. They traded phone numbers to keep in contact, and he decided to spend his evening in the lobby. She was very grateful. He would check on her periodically and text to ensure she was safe until she left for the evening.
Warrick wanted to protect her, and Isabelle was thankful. He’d been considerate enough to hire her a bodyguard. One she couldn’t have paid for on her own. She also appreciated that Sven seemed to understand her misgivings about having someone staring at her while she worked and stayed out of sight.
In an hour, she’d do her regular walkthrough of the hotel, like she did every night before her shift ended, but this time Sven would accompany her. That was fine.
She was still a bit chapped by Ari’s vague warning. She’d rather have learned what she’d always wanted to know about why Gran had discarded her at birth. Another looming conversation to dread.
Her phone rang, jarring her from her disagreeable thoughts and memories and the coming discussion—argument—she planned to have with her sister. If Ari even stayed around long enough to talk to her again.
Isabelle picked up her phone, tensing and expecting the caller to be the possible bad guy her sister had mentioned earlier.
“It’s Warrick. How are you, and how is Sven doing?”
She relaxed in her chair as a flutter of desire filled her, only to be quashed by the memory of the coming discussion—argument—she’d have with him about the phone call she’d over heard this morning. So annoying to be facing so many disputes with so many different people in her immediate future.
“I’m fine. Sven is also fine, as far as I know.”
“Where is he?”
“Stationed out in the lobby, currently. You didn’t expect him to sit on my desk, did you?”
There was a pause and she heard Warrick exhale audibly. “No. The lobby’s fine. I assume you’re in regular contact with him.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for not making a difficult situation worse by ignoring any possible danger.”
“I’m not stupid. I appreciate someone having my back. In fact, I’m going to do my regular hotel sweep here in a few minutes, but Sven will be going with me, okay?”
“Good. I wanted to call and give you what you need so you can come to my house after your shift ends.”
“All right.” Her tone sounded wary to her own ears. If Warrick noticed, he didn’t say anything.
Warrick gave her all the codes to get the tunnel access, use of the golf carts for the five-mile journey underground, and also the pass codes to get into his private compound house.
“Will you come?” he asked. Maybe he had noticed her wary tone after all.
“Yes. I’ll see you after my shift is over.” She wanted to hear his explanation about the morning call, unsure what it would take to sway her to understand and continue with them.
“Will you stay the night?”
“We’ll see.” Isabelle wasn’t making any promises. Exactly like he hadn’t made any up to now.
“Colton will be here, too.”
“Oh? Okay.” Does that change anything? Not really. She didn’t say anything else before they both hung up.
Well, the knowledge of them both being there did put naughty thoughts in her head for the rest of the evening.
Chapter Fourteen
Warrick took a nap before Isabelle was scheduled to arrive. If he had his way, he wouldn’t sleep a wink for the rest of the night until he went to work in the morning, so he rested up a bit in advance to prepare.