Elliott swore silently. Twice.
The week of foreboding. He’d known. Or he’d brought this on himself by focusing on it so much. “It was a no-press-allowed event.” He knew, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, that he was only making himself look worse.
“Someone from a local shelter took some photos. Shared them with a local news station.”
He’d been working. But the only way he could prove that would be to break his client’s confidence.
Elliott swore again. Not as silently. “Marie saw.”
“Yep.”
He couldn’t believe it. Just couldn’t...what the...? He’d been working. And couldn’t live his life feeling he had to apologize for that fact. Or explain himself.
And needing to explain to Marie meant explaining to the other two
triplets.
“She’s the daughter of a long-standing respected client of mine. At his request I protect her anytime she’s in town.”
“I understand.”
Did he?
“But she doesn’t.”
“That’s between you and your wife.”
Right.
“So why the phone call?”
“I felt it was my duty.”
“You think I’m cheating on my wife?”
“Just checking.”
Elliott didn’t like it. But it was probably fair. “I wasn’t. And I won’t.”
“I know.”
He turned a corner and then made another quick turn. Onto the back lot. Pulled into his parking spot and stopped the car.
Was he understanding this correctly? Could Liam be calling for his benefit? “You want to give me a heads-up what I’m walking into?”
“I think I already did that.”
Right. Okay.
Pocketing his keys, Elliott nodded at the guard by the back door and, once inside, decided to take the stairs.
Two at a time.
* * *
HE WAS A MAN used to going home alone at the end of the day. Answering to no one when he was off the clock.
Elliott kissed Marie hello, as though he’d done nothing wrong.