Hard to Handle (13 page)

CHAPTER 13

Terry returned in time to eat dinner with Kaylee on Saturday evening. They had beef stew, and Sam opted to eat his in the den. She watched television, and Terry packed for his trip to Paris. Then they went to bed, sleeping in his room. By the time Kaylee woke up at eight o'clock on Sunday morning, he'd already left for the airport. She returned to her room and quickly dressed for a run in knee-length leggings and a tank top over a sports bra. Her weather app said it was currently sixty-eight degrees with a warm day ahead.

Sam was already in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, when she walked in to get some water. He was dressed in loose shorts, a technical T-shirt, and running shoes.

“You're all set,” she said, a little surprised.

“I'm an earlier riser. Been up since five-thirty,” he explained with a shrug.

“Really? I hope the sofa bed was comfortable enough,” Kaylee stated, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge.

“It was fine, no complaints. I've been known to sleep standing up.”

They looked at each other for a few seconds.

“Did you see Terry before he left?” she finally asked.

“I did. Don't worry—he still has all his giant teeth.”

Kaylee almost sprayed water across the room.

“That's not very nice,” she reproached, turning away.

“No, it wasn't,” Sam acknowledged, cool as a cucumber. “Neither is taking off while your girlfriend is in certain danger.”

Kaylee sighed, trying not to take the bait.

“That's why you're here, Sam. Right?”

“Am I a surrogate for all his duties, or just your safety and security?” he asked softly. “My skill set is pretty vast.”

Kaylee just looked back at him, her lips tight with disapproval. Finally, he sighed, clearly disappointed that she wouldn't participate in the banter.

“I'm ready whenever you are,” he finally stated, putting the empty coffee cup in the sink. “How long do you want to go?”

“I'm not sure. It's my first run in about a week so maybe just three or four miles? See how I feel?”

“How are you feeling after yesterday?” he continued, walking up to her. “Any soreness? Bruising?”

He was about to touch her side, but Kaylee stepped back out of his reach. Things tended to go sideways whenever they touched each other.

“I think it's okay. I'll probably take a long soak in the tub this morning when we get back.”

“Good plan.”

Kaylee pulled on her shoes by the front door just as the white terrier came bounding toward her.

“Let's give Niko a quick walk, then we'll head out.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were outside the front entrance of her apartment, and Niko was back upstairs resting on his dog bed.

“Do you have a favorite route?” Sam asked as he looked around and double-checked his gear. No one would suspect that his nifty little cross-body knapsack had a gun, knife and a few other security essentials. He checked his watch, and looked around again, ever vigilant.

“Not really,” she admitted. “I usually just start on the street and head over to the promenade at Battery Park.”

“Right then, you can lead the way. But you need to stay by my side at all times, within reaching distance. I will stay on pace with you. Any instructions I give need to be followed exactly. If anything looks dodgy, we turn back.”

“Yes, sir,” Kaylee replied, hiding a smile. She noticed that when he got a little worked up, his accent deepened and he used words like “dodgy.”

“Let's get off then,” he urged.

Kaylee relaxed her shoulders and started running, choosing a pace that felt comfortable and sustainable. She focused on her feet, strides, arm swings, and deep breathing. It was a strong pace, and Sam didn't seem to have any trouble keeping up with her. He stayed on her right side, always right by her elbow and close enough to touch without crowding. About twenty minutes in, her breathing was louder, and her posture and alignment required more focus. But Sam didn't seem at all affected. Kaylee could hear the regular bounce of his goody bag against his back, but nothing else. Not his breathing or even feet striking the pavement.
How can such a big guy be so stealthy?
she wondered.

“How are you doing?” he asked at the thirty-minute mark, with no hint of being winded.

“Good,” she gasped, taking a quick look over at him. Was he even sweating?

“We just hit three miles. One more?”

“Yeah, okay.”

About ten minutes later, he signaled with a touch on her arm. They slowed to a walk, and Kaylee took in big gulps of air to bring her heart rate down. She used the edge of her top to wipe down her face. Within a few minutes, everything was feeling much better.

“Whew! That was pretty good, right?” she asked him, feeling a little giddy from the high.

“It was very good, I'm impressed.” Kaylee laughed “How long have you been at it?” he asked.

“A few years now, off and on,” she replied, breathing deep and loving the feel of it. “I had a friend in Baltimore who invited me to join her running club, and I couldn't believe how out of shape I was. Then the more I did it, the more addictive it became. I even started training for the Baltimore marathon.”

“You didn't do it?” he asked as they headed back toward the apartment.

“No, I moved back to McLean, and I didn't have the time anymore,” she admitted, trying to keep her tone light. “But I started up again last year when I started working for Terry. I ran the NYC marathon last year.”

“Really? That's bloody impressive,” Sam stated, sounding genuine.

“Yeah, well, it was my first and my last,” Kaylee told him. “It was pure torture! Why would anyone put themselves through that on a regular basis? I almost threw away my running shows the next day.”

Sam laughed. “So no more marathons?”

“Maybe a 10K. Or a half marathon. But that's it.” He continued chuckling, his focus still very much on examining their surroundings. They walked the rest of the way in easy silence.

“So, what do you think? Can we do this every morning?” she asked when they were home.

“Probably, with a few concessions,” he told her. “We'll need to change the time slightly each day and take different routes.”

“That's fine.”

“And I need to confirm your transport to and from the office. Then, we can decide on a running schedule.”

“Yes, sir.”

He scowled, but there was a hint of a smile. “Cheeky lass. Now, head off for your soak in the tub. I want to have a look at you after. At your side, I mean,” he quickly added.

Kaylee looked down.

“Then we can head to your office whenever you're ready,” Sam finished.

She nodded, cleared her throat, and walked away.

Twenty minutes later, Kaylee was reclined in her large bathtub filled with scented bubbles and Epsom salt. Pop tunes from the collection on her cell phone were playing through the built-in speaker system. She tried relaxing but couldn't. Things were not going according to plan, and she had to find a solution, fast.

On the surface, Kaylee should be happy with the progress. The Paterson bid had caught the attention of the right people. They'd applied some of the pressure tactics she'd anticipated. Engaging Sam had always been a strong possibility, and Kaylee had been fairly certain he would take the job on her terms. But he was supposed to believe that she was a lying, cheating slut. Someone who would have an open affair with her married boss. Someone thoughtless and selfish, undeserving of anything more than the basic security required by the job. That was the only way this would work.

Sam wasn't supposed to care about her motives. He shouldn't be making her laugh with his sarcasm and charm. And he definitely should not still want her. But he did, and now Kaylee had to rethink everything.

Maybe Terry was right. Maybe this whole thing had gone far enough. She certainly had enough information on Ross Construction to shut them down and write a great article on city corruption in New Jersey. They were the only other company to bid on the latest project, and it was very obvious they were the ones making the threats. But exposing Ross wasn't enough. It was just a small player. Operations like that one would continue to come and go, and if she made her play now, she would never get another chance to go after the really big fish.

No, she needed to see this through. It was the only way to see that the people responsible for destroying her family got what they deserved. But Sam Mackenzie's role needed to be re-examined.

What if she just told him the truth? Would he help her, or just shut it down? Was it worth the risk?

Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She reached over to the stool where it was lying and answered the call on speaker phone.

“Hello.”

“Hey, sis,” replied her younger brother, George Jr.

“Hey, Junior, what's up?”

“You around this week?” he asked.

“Yeah, why?” Kaylee confirmed. “Will you be in town?”

Junior was a lawyer for a firm in D.C., but he occasionally had client work in New York.

“Yeah, for a few days. We're negotiating with a firm there. I'm flying in on Wednesday morning.”

“That's great!” Hanging out with Junior was always a fun diversion. “Did you want to meet for dinner Wednesday?”

“Sure, that should be good. But I'll confirm in a couple of days.”

“Okay. How's Dad doing?”

“He's good. The same,” Junior replied. “I stopped by yesterday, but only for a few minutes. Mom's still in Martha's Vineyard.”

“I know. I spoke to her last week. He's getting worse, Junior,” she said softly.

“Yeah. He was drinking at ten o'clock in the morning. And it wasn't his first. We were supposed to go to the driving range at the club, but he didn't even remember confirming the plans.”

Kaylee closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tears.

“Mom says he doesn't even go to any of their events anymore. He just sits in the house and broods,” she added.

“Not since you moved to New York,” her brother added.

“That's not fair.”

“No, but it's true, Mikayla. Even Mom says so.”

“I'm almost thirty years old, okay? I can't live with my parents my whole life, doing what they want me to do. It's not healthy or normal.”

“I know,” he mumbled. “Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I'm criticizing. It's just frustrating, that's all.”

“It's okay. Don't worry about it,” conceded Kaylee, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. “Anyway, let me know if you want to meet up on Wednesday. We'll get caught up.”

“Sure, talk to you later.”

“ Bye.”

They hung up, and Kaylee gave into the frustration, anger, and sadness. She sobbed quietly as tears poured down her face. None of this was fair for anyone in her family, but most of all for her dad. Four years ago, the happy, successful, and productive man she'd known her whole life had started to slowly fade away, and now the only thing left was an empty shell. He was controlling and bitter, and he drank too much, driving everyone away.

Only Kaylee knew exactly why, and only she could fix it.

Eventually, she got out of the tub and got dressed in slim jeans and a flowy black top, trying hard to put on a neutral face that hid the myriad of weighty issues swirling in her mind. She and Sam took a taxi to and from Antonoli Properties in Midtown, stopping to eat a quick lunch next door. They walked around the building so Sam could build his security plan; then Kaylee worked in her office for a bit while Sam did the same inspection inside the company offices. If he noticed her melancholy mood, he didn't let on.

They ate dinner at the apartment, reheating lasagna Silvia had made, then spent the evening doing their own thing. Kaylee was grateful for the space. She tried to watch television, but found her mind drifting off. Every once in a while, her eyes would fill up, and she would absently brush the moisture away.

“Kaylee, what's wrong?”

She jumped, startled to find Sam bent down in front of her.

“What?” she asked, blinking and trying not to sniffle. “Nothing—”

He cocked a brow at the obvious lie.

“It's nothing,” she insisted, shifting to sit up straighter on the sofa. “Just silly girl stuff.”

Sam looked at her steadily, clearly not put off.

“Did you need something?” Kaylee finally asked to distract him. She picked up the remote control and started to flip through the channels.

“I still haven't looked at your side,” he stated.

“Don't worry about it. I'm fine.” She tried to dismiss him by focusing her attention on the television.

He didn't budge, and his expression suggested he wasn't going to. “Humor me, then you can go back to your girly weeping about nothing in peace.”

Kaylee finally sighed and put down the remote. She leaned to the right and lifted the left side of her blouse to reveal the side of her stomach. There was a dark blue circle just below her ribs, but it looked worse than it really was. Just tender to the touch, but easy to ignore.

“Bloody hell, Kaylee! Why didn't you tell me?” Sam cursed in surprise.

“It's nothing, Sam,” she insisted, trying to cover it back up. “Just a little bruise. I hardly feel it.”

“Stay still!”

He held the fabric up and ran his fingers gently over the injury. Kaylee tried not to wince, but couldn't help it.