"Now, Denielle!" The command was clear, and as it had been programmed into my DNA for years, I followed. I slid into the seat, but before my father slammed the door shut, I heard him answering Marcus's question.
"If you were half the man you pretend to be now, you would've saved her back then."
Her?
The door closed, and I was waiting for the sound of the gunshot. Instead, Marcus lowered his weapon and resembled a statue. He tracked my father as he rounded to the driver's side.
Dad halted with one foot on the floorboard and his forearms resting on the roof and door. I couldn't see his face. All I heard were the words that would throw my life into another tailspin.
"You never had the balls, Marcus. Don't pretend to be someone you are not."
Every muscle in my body tensed, and I couldn't look away from the man I had come to dislike over the last several hours for how he treated me. But for a fraction of a second, those feelings vanished. My father's words had hit their target. It was written across Marcus's every feature, and my throat ached. Then, his brown eyes found mine, and the ache turned into a choking lump. His gaze narrowed, and I shrank into the soft leather of my father's current toy. I was unable to break the stare down as the knowledge burned itself into my soul that whatever the reason Marcus knew and hated my father for…it was now extended to me.
Dad peeled away and sped toward the gates of the airfield.
"Dad! My luggage!" I swiveled in my seat and watched the distance between Marcus and the car increase. He hadn't moved, and I couldn't make out his face.
"You have enough clothes," was all he replied before we left the airfield.
That night, my life changed forever. Again.
CHAPTERFOUR
MARCUS
Everyone's beenasleep for hours. Who knew that a party for a one-year-old could be this exhausting? And I didn't even have to participate much.
I stop at the NCC before heading back to the sanctuary of my room. The NCC, short forNASA Command Center, is the heart of the estate's custom security system located on the second floor. Lilly named it that during her first stay on the property because of the numerous monitors on the walls and the desk that sits in the center of the room. The windows that would've faced the vineyard side of the property had been removed during the initial remodel. You could only enter if you passed all three safety measures: fingerprint, retina scan, and voice recognition. I'm sure my eyebrows were attached to my hairline when George first introduced me to the room. I was used to high-end security, but this… It made sense, though, given who developed it: Lilly's brother, Nate. So, it didn't surprise me that he also found a way to turn the NCC into a massive Faraday cage. Nothing could penetrate the inside, yet the technology it housed was unaffected.
I rattle off my passphrase, and the dead bolts in the steel door disengage. Stepping over the threshold, I halt. A tall blond figure is sitting at the desk, with George leaning against the side of it. Both heads turn my way, and I narrow my eyes.
It's three thirty in the morning.
"Boss. G." I nod at both. To this day, I have a hard time not addressing George withsir,but he insists that his military times are over.
"You're still maintaining your schedule?" George cocks his head. He is fully aware that I avoid everyone with a pulse. He even went so far as to apologize for forcing me to be here—a gesture I would've never expected from him yet appreciated beyond measure.
"Yes, I will make sure to adjust back to rotation once we are in LA." I don't have to say it, but at the same time, I do—for my own sake.
George nods his head in acknowledgment before turning to the man who employs us—next to Lilly, that is. He gave Lilly the majority of his shares beforeleavingfor six years,ensuring she'd always have the final say in any decision above the boards. Now that he's back, we will see how much he gets involved again. For the time being, he is acclimating to life here at the vineyard.
"I'll talk to you in the morning. Let me know if she needs anything." George shifts his focus to me after he gets a lazy thumbs-up. "While you're up, check the feed, then find me tomorrow to discuss your departure next week."
Mydeparture?
"You're staying?" I didn't think George would be required here anymore.
He oversees the physical security of the business, includingThe Garage,as we call it.The Garageis located under the original Altman Hotel, housing the maintenance and local motor pool the hotels supply their guests with when requested. Lilly has turned the family empire into one of a kind, putting the skill she and her brother share to use. People all over the world choose the Altman Hotels for their safety, security, and discretion.
"For the time being." His stoic face doesn't give shit away, and before I can reply, he pushes past me and is out the door.
I let the new information sink in before taking the spot against the desk George vacated. Nate briefly glances up at me before his eyes find one of the monitors once more. He's only two years older than me, and given the trauma we both went through in life—albeit different, but trauma nonetheless—there is mutual understanding and respect.
Working for George for years before I became Lilly'sShadow, I'd automatically been around our employer. We never spoke more than the occasional greeting and superficial pleasantries. Not because he considered us (his detail) employees, but he was merely private by nature. Later, I found out the extent ofwhy. For a hot second, I considered quitting, but then, who was I to judge? None of us were saints. I continued to accompany Lilly on her visits with him, and the meaningless small talk quickly turned to deeper conversations and shared interests. We both cared for Lilly's safety, and I liked the man.
I follow his line of sight, and it clicks. "Does Lilly know she's here?"
Without averting his eyes from the sleeping form in the bed, he replies, "Yes."