Page 70 of Breaking Matt

"Yes. They were both employed to keep me safe."

"Oh, my gosh! This sounds like something right out of a movie."

I nodded. "Yeah, something like that." Real life was much worse.

"Did they find out who was responsible?"

"Not yet," I admitted in a heavy voice.

"What are you going to do?"

I shrugged as I paced. "I'm moving back home until the threat is gone."

"It's probably for the best. Your parents have the best security money can buy," she told me. "I'm going to miss you, but you'll be safer there."

I hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if I should tell her she'd been attacked because of me. But I decided against it. If she had forgotten about it, was there any point in bringing it up? What if it just made things worse for her?

A few minutes later I finished talking to her and placed my phone down on the table.

I heard Mark on the phone in the other room. It sounded like he was talking to my father. Maybe being home would make me feel safer. If it made it easier for Mark to keep me safe, then it was the best choice. Besides, I didn't have the energy to deal with Ryan's renewed interest.

You can't hide forever.True, but I couldn't go back to my day-to-day life and hope I survived the next time they tried to take me out. Besides, putting myself in danger put Mark's life at risk as well as Courtney's, so the best thing was to retreat back to my parents and hope everything would be solved soon.

I had to hope that Mark and whoever he had working on it would be able to find a way to prove that Nick Cole was the person responsible for the attempts on my life.

"Yeah," Mark said, and his eyes met mine. I stood in the doorway of my bedroom watching him talk on the phone.

"Tomorrow... Yes, sir." Then he ended the call.

"So tomorrow I go home?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I just need to plan the route and organize another couple of guys to follow us."

I felt alarmed. "Is that really necessary?" I asked quickly, but I already knew the answer.

"I'd rather take too many precautions than not enough." His voice sounded calm and calculated, but his words made me feel even more nervous than before.

I nodded slowly, realizing this was real. My life was in danger. There was no more ignoring it or wishing it away.

"It'll be fine," he assured me as he gave me a sideways glance. "It's just a precaution."

"I know," I managed to mumble.

I felt the fear that had started with the attack on Courtney and had grown with Matthew getting shot take hold of me like a vise inside my chest, making it harder to breathe.

Mark walked over to me and put a hand on my arm.

"Breathe," he instructed. I followed his command and inhaled sharply, feeling my panic rise.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he assured me. "I'm planning on creating a diversion just to make sure no one follows us."

Diversion? It all felt so unreal. Like Courtney had said, something right out of a movie. Except in real life people died. I got ahold of myself and shut down the panic that had been threatening to overwhelm me.

"I'm sorry," I said, putting a hand to my temple.

"Most people in the same situation would be freaking out or on the verge of a nervous breakdown," he assured me, holding my gaze.

That made me feel a little better. "Thanks." I gave him a weak smile.