“You’re living your best life in your twenties, just like you should be.” I take her hand and lace my fingers between hers. “You should have plenty of fun.”
“Do you like being a part of my fun?” She asks.
“Is it just fun?”
“I mean, we’re more than friends.” She adjusts to my side. “And I like you.”
“I like you too, doll.” I kiss her softly.
“Do .... Is it okay if I tell you something and ask you not to tell my father?”
“We’re naked in bed right now, of course I can keep things from your father.”
“I saw Konstantin yesterday and it was really nice. But um ... the point is, I talked to one of the Volkov plans and I agreed to one of their safe houses.”
“I thought you were against the safe house plan.” I hum. “Because you didn’t want to be caged.”
“Look at me right now. I’m locked in this penthouse apartment with someone always downstairs, and we have to actually turn off the power to get the cameras to go off. Also, you should turn that back on before the end of the work day.”
I chuckle and wait for her to get in the shower to turn it back on. All dressed and ready. I call in a report to have the breaker checked and text Mr. Giovani about power issues, showing him the text I sent to the building manager.
He thanks me for the diligence which makes me smirk. I order Indian food for Juliana and hack into the security feed. Of course, Mr. Giovani doesn’t have any idea how the security feed works so turned it over to me. I say something and realize there’s no sound.
“So you’re okay with a safe house.”
“The way I see it, Konstantin will monitor the feeds and security, but I’ll have unlimited access to you guys. Plus, I can start putting together my own business model while on PTO and we can take out the threat.”
“So ambitious.”
“You wouldn’t like me if I wasn’t.”
“Very true. You’re a hell of a woman.” I say, keeping my eyes off her. “The cameras are back up.”
“Thanks for telling me.” She comes out in sweats and a crop top. How does she make everything look perfect to tear off her.
“You look too damn delicious.” I groan.
“Real conversation.” She says. “So I’ll get everything just by agreeing to the safe house and Daddy will get off my back and he won’t expect a thing. It’s kind of perfect.”
“Don’t forget the hitman.”
“What?”
I see something move outside her window in the building across the way. “The windows are bullet proof?”
“No. I told daddy that the guy did it, but then I wouldn’t be able to open them and.”
I grab her and jerk her off the couch before the window shatters. Rolling Juliana under the marble coffee table. I pin her there for a solid thirty seconds as she trembles. I pant with her and shake my head.
“I’ll talk to your father, we’re moving you to the safe house now.”
“Now?”
“Crawl to your room, as close to the window as you can get and pack a bag while staying out of the window line.”
“But.”
“Juliana, I know you can handle hand to hand. I’ve seen it. Snipers are something else. Now go.”