Page 62 of Beyond Question

Maybe he doesn’t even know about Bronte yet. Maybe I can get rid of him before he ever learns the truth—

“Paige,” Rylan whispers. “You’re scaring me.”

My face crumples but I don’t say anything.

As the office slowly clears out, Cabot and Rylan watching the others go one by one, the urgency builds within me until I’m practically vibrating with it.

When my social media manager slips out, the last one to leave, I look pointedly at Cabot and Rylan. “Please.”

“Something’s wrong.” Cabot stands, then approaches me slowly. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that. You’re shaking like a leaf.”

I laugh, though it’s a bitter sound. “I’m fine.”

“Look, Paige,” he says, his voice calm and controlled. “We may not be more than acquaintances, but my very pregnant fiancée works for you and considers you a dear friend. Your safety ishersafety. Myunborn child’ssafety. And right now, you look absolutely terrified. And you’re scaring Rylan.” His eyes flick back and forth between mine. “Are you in danger?”

I shake my head, but Cabot’s eyes only narrow.

“No,” I say. “I don’t...” I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know.” I breathe deeply and look him in the eyes, squaring my shoulders. “I need to go to the bank. Can you give me a ride?”

Taking the train at this time of day, or trying to hail a cab in this part of town, would waste precious minutes I don’t have.

“Of course.” He gives me a curt nod, then turns to Rylan, speaking softly as he says, “My love, get your things.”

She does as she’s told and I’m taken aback by the way he watches her every move, a mixture of concern and devotion in his eyes, but then he’s focused on me again, and that love is gone, replaced with determination. I’m a problem he plans to solve.

Oh, if only.

The great Cabot Reed can’t save me from this.

“You’ll explain in the car.” He motions toward the door and I follow Rylan out, not saying a word. I won’t explain anything to this man—or anyone else for that matter. The less people who know about Archer Grindley, the better.

As we climb into the back of Cabot’s limousine, the weight of two sets of eyes settles onto me, and I know I won’t be able to get away with not telling them anything. So I take a deep breath, and prepare to tell them as little as possible.

But just as I open my mouth, my phone beeps with another text alert that breaks the silence and startles me so badly the phone falls from my hand.

Cabot leans forward, retrieving the phone as I sit there staring at it on the floor between my feet, then he looks up at me, that furrow in his brow back with a vengeance.

His next words steal the breath from my lungs.

“This says, ‘I’m coming for you, Josephine.’”

Chapter Twenty

Paige

The rest of the drive is so silent the frantic rhythm of my pulse in my ears sounds like the beat of a drum, loud and inescapable.

Like my past.

The tension in the limo is thick. The distrust in Cabot’s gaze even more palpable. He’s tucked Rylan close to his body and hasn’t taken his eyes off me since he read that last text message.

I have no idea what he’s thinking, but I can guess.

When the car stops, it kisses the curb and I jump, nearly slipping off the seat.

Cabot makes a sound of disapproval in his throat.

“I didn’t tell you which bank,” I whisper, my voice so weak and soft it doesn’t even sound like mine.