“I don’t want this hell I’m living to stain the firm,” I say, the minute he’s out of hearing range. “I need you to distance him from me right now.”
“NFL,” he says. “We’re negotiating the purchase of an NFL team. You’re negotiating the purchase of an NFL team. That’s un-fucking-believable. I
t’s damn near a wet dream. You did this, Eric. You made it happen. I can only do so much in these circumstances, but that said, I’ll do everything I can.”
“I’m not coming to the office. That’ll bring the press to the doorstep of the company.”
“We’re going to get press. We get lots of bad press. Many times and many ways, outside of this situation. Don’t assume our weakness. We have always managed to come out on top just fine.”
“This is different.”
“The difference is that you’re acting like a little bitch, running scared.”
My jaw sets hard. “Don’t push me, Davis.”
“Don’t make me. I say own the fuck out of this. Don’t walk away. Don’t stay away. That makes you, and us, look like there’s something to hide. And we don’t even know if this is an issue yet. There’s no charge. There’s no problem.”
“There’s a fucking assassin on the loose. That’s a problem. They went after my woman. They went after my father. What happens when they go after Grayson? I don’t need him to be on the radar of the wrong people.”
He blanches. “An assassin?”
“Yes, Davis. I don’t have time to give you the details right now, but I need Grayson and Mia out of this.”
“Do I want to know the details?”
“No. Don’t ask.”
A muscle in his jaw tics. He wants to push for more but seems to think better of it, at least for now. “I’ll find a way to get them out of the city without them connecting the dots to you, but that means I need to use the NFL deal to make it happen. You have to step back.”
“Meaning what?”
“If Grayson thinks there’s a targeted meeting for that project, and that he’s handling it for you, he’ll go.”
He’s right. The NFL deal is the only way to get Grayson out of here. “I can make that happen. I’ll make a few calls. You press him to take over. Tell him you think I’m too distracted. Be an asshole. You’re good at it.”
He smirks. “Yes, friend. I’ll be an asshole, just for you.”
Mia joins us then. “Where’s Grayson?”
“Where’s Harper?” I counter.
“She’s grabbing you coffee and—”
“She’s alone?”
“Yes, but—”
“Safety in numbers, Mia,” I say, and I’m already walking. Fuck. I have a bad feeling right now. Why did I let her and Mia go anywhere without protection? Why did I discount an ICU floor as a danger zone? My heart thunders in my ears, numbers pounding at my mind, calculating the odds that Harper is in danger, but the numbers aren’t what sets me off. It’s a gut instinct that tells me she’s in trouble.
I start to jog toward the cafeteria.
***
Harper
In the seconds after the bearded man steps in front of me, time seems to stand still. What is seconds, maybe a minute, tick by like an hour. Adrenaline pumps through me and I want to run. I want to scream.
Is he here to kill me?