Expert Witness: A Romantic Suspense Novel (6 page)

“That won’t be necessary. Mike speaks highly of you, and that’s enough for me,” Jordan interjected.
 

“Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” He stopped to take a swallow of tea before going on. This was the part of his orientation consultation he always reviewed thoroughly with each client. “Before we continue, you need to know that for me to be able to do my job, there are some sacrifices you have to be willing to make. The most obvious is privacy. I’m quite good at what I do, and whenever at all possible, you’ll have space to yourself and time alone. However, there’s been a direct threat to your life. This kind of situation calls for a high level of protection, which means a lot more caution. Unfortunately, being this cautious can be quite intrusive at times.”

She nodded and crossed one long leg over the other, shifting her hips slightly during the process.
 

He continued, willing himself not to get distracted by the motion. “There will be times when you won’t understand some of the procedures I follow. Yet it’s still critical that you follow any instructions I give you. If you have questions during these times, you can ask them later. I’m not telling you this to discourage you from seeking protection. In fact, there are probably quite a few specialists out there who follow a less structured method of operation. But I don’t take my responsibility lightly, and if I’m to do my job and protect your life, then I need your full cooperation.” Upon finishing his usual spiel, he waited for her to accept or reject his terms. These were nonnegotiable.
 

Her eyes met his. She made no move to respond. The silence didn’t seem to bother her.

He didn’t say anything either, giving her time to think. It was her decision and one that she’d have to live with. There was no need to rush it.
 

§

Jordan tried to contemplate what Chase was saying and not focus on the fact that he was nothing like what she’d expected. She took in his chiseled features, olive complexion, and wavy brown hair. He wore a nondescript pair of khaki pants and button-down shirt. Though nondescript couldn’t describe the clothes on this man. They fit snug in all the right places, displaying a broad chest that tapered down to a fit waist. It was apparent he was in excellent physical shape. Thankfully, he wasn’t the hulking bodybuilder type she’d pictured. She told herself she was pleasantly surprised only because it meant he wouldn’t stand out like a sore thumb when he accompanied her on business functions. She wasn’t about to admit that she found his appearance appealing on a personal level as well.
 

Chase sat back in his chair, stretching out his legs in front of him. The shift made her office suddenly feel much smaller. His movement reminded her he was waiting for her response.
 

She thought about the drawbacks he’d mentioned. The points he’d brought up were the same ones she’d been deliberating herself. The thought of losing her self-reliance, not to mention her privacy, wasn’t appealing. But what choice did she have? Going over the situation a thousand times in her mind, it all came down to one thing. She wasn’t willing to try to escape from another attack by herself. She considered herself fortunate to have escaped the first attempt on her life. Her objective was to be better prepared should this guy make a second attempt. And, in this case, she was pretty sure she couldn’t get any better prepared than she’d be by hiring Chase Armstrong.
 

“I understand what you’re saying,” she began, “and I did consider those issues before we met. I’m willing to cooperate with whatever measures you feel are necessary to ensure my safety. However, I’ll admit that I have some reservations.” She paused, looking into the green eyes staring back at her. The color reminded her of woodsy overgrowth in a garden landscape.

“By all means, let’s address them. I want to make sure we’re both clear on one another’s expectations from the start,” Chase said in a pragmatic manner.
 

 
“Well, I plan to continue working until this matter is resolved. I’m not quite sure how you’ll fit into the picture. I see clients on a daily basis, which brings up the matter of confidentiality. I can’t allow my clients’ right to confidentiality to be compromised in any way.” Her voice was firm. “Also, I often testify in court, attend board meetings, and teach classes.” She chose her next words with care, trying to avoid being offensive. “I’m not sure what kind of impression it would make if everyone present knew I was being protected by a bodyguard.”

Chase nodded. “I understand your concerns. I won’t lie and tell you that I’ve dealt with them all before, because you’d be the first psychologist I’ve ever protected. But I can say that I’ve dealt with similar situations, and I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way to work this out that won’t compromise your safety or the integrity of your work. If there does come a point when I feel like something you’re attempting to do could jeopardize your safety, then I’d have to ask you to refrain. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks.”

His last comment would have made her smile if he hadn’t been so serious. She’d never considered herself any kind of a risk taker in the past. But the way things were now, going out of the house alone would be considered a risk. Based on this criteria, she’d be deemed an absolute thrill-seeker. The notion almost brought a smile to her face as the trait was so incongruous with her character.
 

“Thank you for expanding on that,” she responded. “I really don’t have any more questions about my specific situation. I do need to know what your standard fee for your services is?” She held her breath while waiting for his reply, hoping his charges were within her price range.
 

 
Chase quoted her a daily rate for his protection services. “In addition, you’ll be responsible for paying any out-of-pocket expenses related to your protection. I’ll cover the costs of my own meals.” He shrugged. “From the way I look at it, I’d be eating either way.”

Jordan nodded, and the breath she’d been holding morphed into a sigh of relief. That wasn’t nearly as expensive as she’d anticipated. As long as the police didn’t take too long to make an arrest, she wouldn’t have to dip into the marketing funds for the practice at all. “Then I guess that leaves us with one last question. When do you start?”
 

“Under the circumstances, as soon as possible,” he replied. “I need to make a quick trip home to gather the things I’ll need. How about I meet you here at five?”

“That sounds fine.” Her smile became stiff. Did he say
things
? Exactly what had she gotten herself into? She’d always assumed moving in with someone would mean she’d found the person she’d share her life with in a romantic sense. Never would she have thought it would be a bodyguard, and an extremely good-looking one at that.
 

“Good.” He dropped his chin. “Since we’ve gone over the basics, it’s probably best that we start now.” His voice took on a no-nonsense tone, and she could tell he was accustomed to giving out commands. “For starters, don’t leave the building under any circumstances until I get back. Second, are you seeing any new clients today?”

 
Jordan bristled at his commanding air.
 

“Don’t feel pressured to give any names. I agreed to do my best to respect your condition to maintain client confidentiality, but I do need to know if you’ve planned to see anyone new today.”

This arrangement was going to be harder than she’d thought. She’d forgotten how much it irked her to be ordered around by anyone, and her lack of sleep last night certainly didn’t help her tolerance. She squelched her negative reaction and reminded herself that he was only doing his job.
And I’d better get used to it for now,
she conceded wearily.
“No, I won’t be seeing any new clients today. Actually, I have a heavy client load as it is. So, in light of the situation, I went ahead and told Nancy, our secretary, not to schedule any more for the time being.”

“That was a smart move.” He nodded toward her door. “I’d hate to have to search them for weapons before they’re allowed to enter your office for their session.”

Holy cow! There is no way he’s going to search my clients
.
She lifted her carriage to full height as she prepared to inform him of this. Then she saw the grin that played at the corners of his mouth. He was joking. She swallowed the retort that had been on the tip of her tongue. Playing along instead, she plastered a smile in its place.
 

“I’m glad you caught on,” he said, giving a crack of laughter. “For a minute, I thought I was about to lose my head before I could defend myself.”

Somehow, the idea that he couldn’t defend himself seemed at odds with everything she’d observed of him thus far. And she surely wasn’t ready to admit she’d thought he was serious. “I knew you were probably kidding. I just figured I’d let you squirm for a while.”
 

“Of course.” Chase replied, clearly still amused.

They both seemed to know it would’ve been her left wriggling on the hook fashioned from her own overreaction had he not graciously accepted her flimsy excuse. So, maybe not the best start, but at least he had a sense of humor. Or at least she hoped.
 

Either way, the days ahead lingered in front of her like the winding line at a county fair. She didn’t know how long it would take before she reached the end, but for now, she needed to be patient, moving forward a few steps at a time.

CHAPTER FOUR

At five o’clock, Chase entered back into the lobby to meet Jordan. He scanned the area, observing the three patients already seated. The number of clientele appeared steady through the workday. Walking up to the check-in window, which was ajar, he made a mental note to consider the opening as another possible means of entry.
 

“Hello,” he said to the silver-haired woman seated on the other side. “I’m here to see Dr. Clayton. Chase Armstrong.”
 

The woman gave him a quick once-over and then scanned the folders lined up on the desk. She frowned, not seeing a corresponding folder with his name.
 

Jordan walked up beside her. “It’s okay, Nancy. You can buzz him in.”
 

The door to his right buzzed, and he walked into the hall connected to the main office area. The security precautions already in place would be helpful. He headed through the open doorway to meet Jordan, who was still chatting with Nancy.
 

“Hi, Chase. I’d like you to meet Nancy. She’s our secretary, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say she also serves as my right arm here. Nancy, this is Chase Armstrong. He’ll be working here with me to provide extra security.”
 

Jordan didn’t add anything regarding the recent attack, but it was clear from Nancy’s understanding expression that she’d made the connection.
 

Nancy nodded. “It’s very nice to meet you.” She extended her hand.
 

“You as well.” Chase responded, taking her hand.

“Sorry. I didn’t recognize your name from the schedule earlier. I was wondering who the man was who was able to get Jordan to leave the office before sunset,” she added with a chuckle.
 

Jordan froze for a second, then hurried to clarify the statement. “I usually work until later in the evening. It’s the best time I have to catch up on dictation. But I wrapped it up early today so we could get started.”
 

“Makes sense,” he agreed.

It wasn’t hard to conclude that Mike had summed up Jordan’s current lack of a romantic life well. The part that didn’t make sense was why she remained uninvolved. If she weren’t his client and he had the settling-down kind of life, he’d try his damnedest to get her off the singles market. But, since neither was true, it was really none of his concern.
 

“I’ll leave you two to work out the details,” Nancy said, conveniently excusing herself from the conversation. “I’ll see you around Chase.”
 

“Sure thing,” he replied. Then he turned his attention back to Jordan. “It’s no problem for me if you need to work a little longer today. From here on out, I’ll be with you twenty-four-seven, so it doesn’t matter how late you are. I’ll be happy to wait.”
 

“Actually, I’m kind of beat. I haven’t really slept well the past few days. It’s probably just as well that I get out of here a little ahead of time for a change.”
 

Her revelation drew him back to the circles beneath her eyes. The purplish shadows made her fatigue evident. “Okay, then. Let’s go.”
 

They exited the office and he walked next to her, scanning the area for any potential threat. He looked both above and below eye level for risks. As they approached the remaining parked cars, he turned to face her.
 

“Which one is you?” he asked.

“Right over there. The gold one.” She pointed to the last car in the row ahead.
 

“Does your car have an alarm?”
 

“Yes. It has one the dealership installed when I purchased it,” she answered.

“How sensitive is it?”
 

“What?” Her brows knitted together. “I have no idea. I’ve only set it off by accident a couple of times. You don’t think someone might have tampered with it?” Her eyes widened as she waited for his response. In the remaining sunlight, they had even more flashes of violet.