Page 7

SEVEN

SAVANNAH

I END ZEKE’S call and stand in the middle of my destroyed condo.

It’s fine that he’s leaving. I can totally exist without him in Alaska. It’s not like he was following me around twenty-four hours a day making sure no one got close to me. The feeling of safety I’ve had these past few days wasn’t because of him, it was because I was finally taking steps to protect myself.

Mostly.

“This is fine.” I ignore the dumpster fire that is my main level and go back upstairs to the less out of control area. This place hasn’t felt like a home to me yet, but it will soon, damn it.

I was planning to go to headquarters today to help Elise for a few hours, but then I started going through all the packages I’ve accumulated over the past couple of days—all the result of my ordering extravaganza the other night. It’s barely seven in the morning, and I’m already up to my butt crack in stuff.

Cute stuff, but I’m still a little overwhelmed.

So maybe going in to help Elise is a good idea after all. It will give me time to wrap my head around all I have to do here. And maybe I’ll accidentally cross paths with Zeke before he leaves.

I check the time on my phone and go straight to my closet. I have about fifteen minutes before Elise leaves for headquarters. It will be tight, but I think I can make it work.

I strip out of my pajamas and pull on a long-sleeved floral dress with a cute ruched middle. After wrestling on a pair of thick tights, I quickly brush my hair and pull the top back, securing it with a ribbon that matches the blues of the dress.

I grab a cardigan in case I get chilly, slip into a pair of ankle boots, then I’m running down the stairs to collect my purse and coat.

Elise is just pulling out of the garage on the lowest level of her condo when I bounce out the front door, scrambling to zip the boots into place with one hand while I wave the other around, hoping to get her attention.

When she sees me, her brows lift, climbing higher as I hurry to the passenger side of her car. Not wanting to spend any more time out in the cold—and where my sister might see me getting a ride from someone who’s not her—I open the door and give Elise a smile. “Want company?”

Her eyes drift to Sadie’s condo then come back to where I stand, panting and flushed. “Sure.”

My sigh of relief fogs around my face. “Thanks.” I fall into the seat and buckle into place. “I really appreciate it.”

“You say that now.” Elise finishes backing out, breaking a little harder than I’m used to before shifting into drive. Her foot hits the gas and we take off, leaving my stomach sitting in front of our building.

At least I know we’ll be able to get away if anyone tries to follow us.

I grip my purse as we pass through the gate that prevents anyone without the code from coming into our little community, bracing for the acceleration I think is coming. And holy heck does it come. Elise drives the same way she works. Like a freaking tornado.

A tornado that might do more to get me back behind the wheel than any amount of car security will. I’ve been so afraid to drive myself around—worried it would put me in a vulnerable position—but sitting here beside Elise genuinely has me fearing for my life.

I wonder if Zeke would consider taking me out to practice driving in the snow as one of our morning meet-ups…

“Is Sadie not coming in this morning?” Elise takes a turn so fast I think two of the tires might have lost contact with the blacktop.

I’m so terrified to look away from the road—as if watching my doom would give me any power to stop it from coming—that my mouth works all on its own. “Sadie doesn’t go in until later in the day. She and Jamison get up early and work out in their basement together like weirdos.”

“Oh.” Elise glances my way, taking her eyes off the windshield for way too long. “I assumed she was who you’d been riding in with.”

Freaking crap on a cracker. “Umm. I just get a ride in with whoever.”

I guess that’s Zeke’s new name. Whoever.

“That is one of the perks of living like we do.” Elise finally puts her attention back where it’s supposed to be, just in time to fly through a light that’s so yellow it’s red. “There’s always someone going somewhere.”

“True.” Unfortunately, some people are going farther away than others. “Is Abe in town?”

“Abe is always in town.” She grins as we take another turn and my stomach comes flying back from where we left it, only to sail right past me in the other direction. “I guess if there’s one good thing about the breach at headquarters, it’s that Rogue stays in Fairbanks pretty much all the time now.”

“That is good.” I guess. Jamison and Abe and the rest of the guys on Rogue are all coupled up and many of them have kids, so I can see how it would be nice for them to be at home as often as possible.

But that means Shadow and Stealth are the ones going out all the time, and for some reason that annoys me.

“You want to stop and get some breakfast on the way in?” She wiggles her brows at me. “Get a couple of those blended coffee drinks with a million calories?”

Actually... “That does sound pretty good.” I’m just starting to dig in my purse, looking for my wallet, when Elise takes a hard left into the drive-thru of one of the cute coffee shops I’ve wanted to visit, but never quite worked up the nerve. My whole upper half leans to the right, pressing against the inside of the door as she swings into the line and pulls up to order.

“You want a ham and cheese croissant too?” Elise asks, then answers for me, “Yeah. You want a croissant too.”

She turns to the microphone and requests two sandwiches and two blended, iced mochas, then plows up to the window. I finally manage to get my credit card free and hurry to pass it over.

Elise frowns down at the offered piece of plastic. “What’s that for?” She holds her phone out to the guy at the window and he scans it before passing us our food.

“I was going to pay since you’re driving me into the office.” I don’t know how to rectify this situation any other way. “It’s the least I can do.”

“The least you can do is shut up and eat your breakfast.” Elise drops one of the croissants into my lap then passes over a giant, whipped cream topped, behemoth of a coffee. “You’ve been saving my ass helping me out, and I know Pierce doesn’t have you on the payroll yet, so I’m paying you in sugar and caffeine.”

I take a sip of the chilly beverage. It’s sweet and chocolaty and creamy and amazing. “Seems like a fair deal.”

Elise gives me a grin as she rolls her window up, pulls away, and takes a bite of her sandwich. All at the same time. Using her knee to steer. “Good, because I need lots of help.”

My life flashes before my eyes as we pull out into traffic, barely squeezing between a pickup and a minivan. “I believe it.”

I wonder if she’ll let me help her learn how to not almost die every time she gets behind the wheel.

“You know,” Elise swallows down her mouthful and then takes a deep draw from her coffee, “I bet we could get you on the payroll if you wanted.” Her eyes roll my way. “I know you don’t need the money, but you really should get paid for the work you do.”

I don’t totally hate the idea, but I’m not sure how capable I am of committing to something consistent just yet. “Can I think about it?”

“That’s part of the reason I brought it up.” She changes lanes so fast I nearly crap my pants. “Pierce has a bad habit of just deciding people work for him, and I want you to be ready in case that happens. That way he doesn’t catch you by surprise and you end up agreeing to something you’re not sure of.”

That’s really nice of her, but I’m not sure of anything. My life. My plans. Myself. It’s all up in the air, and I’m scrambling to get to a place where I can do my best to catch it when it falls.

“And don’t be afraid to tell him to pound sand.” She gives me a wink. “I think he kinda likes when that happens.” Elise pulls up to the heavy gate blocking the drive to headquarters. “And if you don’t want to tell him, let me do it. I don’t have any problem telling him to get stuffed.”

A little of the tension winding my insides loosens. “Thanks.”

“I’m happy to tell anyone to suck it, for that matter. Just hit me up.” She rolls down the window and smiles at Abe as he strides up to the car. “Hey.”

“I was starting to worry.” Abe’s voice is deep and gravely, rumbling low as he leans into the car. His eyes widen when he sees me in the passenger seat. “You’ve got company.”

“Savannah needed a ride in.” She lifts her drink, pressing the straw to Abe’s lips. “And I convinced her to be my excuse to stop for coffee.”

Abe takes a sip, wincing as he swallows it down. “That’s not coffee. That’s a milkshake.”

Elise grins as she takes a sip of her own. “Maybe, but it’s glorious.”

Abe snorts out a laugh as he straightens and backs away, jerking his chin in the direction of the compound at the end of the lane. “Get your cute ass to work.” He steps into the small guard house and presses the button to slide the gate open so we can pass.

Elise blows him a kiss as she pulls away, driving way slower than she has up to this point. Maybe Abe has opinions about her driving too.

She takes us along the opposite side from where Zeke usually parks, following the wall of the rooming house around to the backside where the large overhead door leading to the parking garage lifts as soon as we pull up to it. After sliding into her designated spot, we unload, carrying our food and drinks in as we make our way to the main hall where all the offices are located.

My mood only dips a little when I see Zeke’s office is dark, which means he’s probably already gone.

I join Elise in her office and once we have our sandwiches down and our drinks almost gone, she pulls out a spare laptop and passes it off. “Do you think you could place the grocery order? I have a meeting with Pierce and I’d really like to get it in so it can be delivered today.”

“Sure.” She’s only shown me how to do it once, but it’s not a difficult task. “I’ll take this into the breakroom.”

“Don’t you dare.” She grabs my shoulders, angling me across the hall. “If anyone sees you working on that order, they’ll annoy the shit out of you wanting you to add extra crap they won’t really eat.”

My heart rate picks up as she directs me into a familiar office and flips on the light. “You can work in here. Zeke’s gone so he doesn’t need it.”

I swallow hard as I look at his desk. Being in here feels invasive. Like I’m somewhere I shouldn’t be.

Elise pulls out his chair and sets the laptop into place, flipping it open. “I’ll log you into the system, but make sure you don’t let it sit idle for more than five minutes or it’ll kick you out and you’ll have to wait for me to get you back in again.” She straightens. “The only way I can give you a passcode of your own is after you’re on the payroll and Pierce has Intel do all your background check stuff. He’s kind of a stickler about that.”

“I get it.” I settle into Zeke’s seat, feeling uneasy and settled at the same time. “I’ll make sure I don’t get logged off.”

“Awesome.” Elise lifts her brows. “Need anything else?”

I shake my head. “I’m good.”

“You’re fantastic is what you are.” Elise blows me a kiss the same way she did Abe. “Thanks, doll.”

I smile as she leaves, but it slips when I’m alone in Zeke’s office. I can almost feel his presence here. Like his very essence has permeated each surface. Even the air smells like him, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’m pulling it deep into my lungs. Reaching for the way I feel when he’s here.

But he’s not here. He’s on his way across the country.

And I’m invading his private space without his knowledge. It feels wrong, and he’s doing so much for me. I don’t want to be in here if he wouldn’t want it, so I pull out my phone.

He did say to call him if I needed anything, right? My finger hovers over the screen as I hesitate.

I don’t know that I want to explain who I’m talking to if someone walks past, so I swipe out of the call and open the texting app. Then I type out a message.

I’m at headquarters helping Elise and she has me placing the grocery order. Is it okay if I use your office while I do that?

I send it and set my cell down. It’s only then that it occurs to me that he probably won’t get it right away since he’s likely already in the plane and?—

My cell dings, alerting me to a message.

Zeke

Of course. You can use my office whenever you want.

The tension trying to knit my shoulder blades together eases, loosening more and more as I write a response.

Thank you. I didn’t mean to bother you.

I assume that’s the end of it, so I set my phone down, scoot Zeke’s chair up and scroll over the spreadsheet Elise uses to track inventory.

My cell dings again before I’ve added the first item to the virtual basket.

Zeke

You will never bother me. Text me anytime.

I know he’s still going to be thousands of miles from me, but hearing I really can reach out to him any time brings back some of that feeling I was already missing.

And it has my lips twisting into a small smile as I tap out another message.

Okay.