After getting dressed, I let myself out. Down the hall stood a man, and I gritted my teeth. Of course, Griffin still had her under surveillance. Whatever trouble Kalen had gotten into had spilled over to her. I wanted to call Griffin and give him a piece of my mind.
Not out of jealousy. I was angry for her privacy. How much had the man heard and what would go into a report? Who would read it? If anything leaked, there would be hell to pay. I didn’t give a shit about myself, but I was starting to care about her.
In the elevator, I called the hospital to get a status update and warned them my dad shouldn’t have any visitors—even his best friend, Charles, or my mother, his wife. I didn’t trust either of them. And unless he specifically asked, they wouldn’t get access to him considering I was listed as having control under Dad’s medical power of attorney.
By the time I made it to the club, I was in all business mode. I listened to my staff’s updates about the night’s events as I made my way to my office. It was the usual stuff, including who was in the house.
Once I was alone, I got to work. I needed to scrub Eliza’s computer because I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t also compromised. I’d spent time at boarding school educating myself on several things. One made me a self-taught computer guru— some might call me hacker considering my skill level.
A complete dive and scrub would take hours. While I worked, I had to decide Eliza’s fate. Tomorrow was guest night at the club, and it was all hands on deck. Like Mardi Gras, everyone wore masks—at least over their eyes—and lots of beads would be on hand.
By the time I made it to my apartment, I was dead on my feet. I didn’t bother with taking off my clothes before sinking in a chair and falling asleep.
When the alarm went off, I could have shot it. Good thing my gun wasn’t anywhere in reach. Today I had to play the dutiful son, but I had to do something first.
After a shower and a shot of espresso, I chose to drive my SUV. Timing was everything for what I had to do next. Not only that, I had a short window to do it in. I also needed to make it to the hospital to visit my father before my first official meeting of the day.
When I reached my destination, I pulled out a tablet. Security footage should show if the apartment was empty. I was betting my blonde was an early riser and would be off to work like most New Yorkers by this time.
A string of curses left my lips when I realized I’d been locked out of my security, no doubt by Griffin. As I opened another window and typed code, I almost smiled. Griffin had no idea of my tech skills. That was a well-hidden secret. Hacking the system they’d added to mine took a little time—because his team was good—but in ten minutes, I was in. Apparently, my sexy blonde had balked at being watched inside the apartment. The interior camera had been turned off. I would return the security protocols back to the way they had been.
She was expecting the paintings that were currently in storage in the hidden attic. I’d paid a premium to buy this place because I’d wanted that feature. To get them to her, I needed access to my apartment.
I checked the cameras again and was slightly disappointed she wasn’t there. I was unlikely to see her over the next several days and I was surprised to find I was dissatisfied with that.
There wasn’t time, so I let that go. I felt like a thief stealing inside my apartment with my key. With no time to waste, I went directly for the concealed access door to the attic inside the pantry. I let it shut behind me as I made my way up a staircase to the vast area about the size of my apartment below.
I hit the lights, which were dim. I could open makeshift shutters to let in natural light when needed. Canvases lined the walls, and my latest project was on an easel. I’d painted from one night after leaving her sleeping after a fuck session. Looking at it felt like I’d walked into the memory the night I found the beautiful stranger in my bed, tangled in my sheets with hints of skin showing here and there. Her face was hidden, and I wondered if she would recognize herself.
As if to remind me how short of time I was, my phone buzzed. I checked the screen and saw it was a call from my father. I didn’t accept, as I was sure he was calling to make sure I planned to see him before going to the office.