Page 76 of His Toy

A few minutes later, Grant exited the bathroom.

Shit.

My arms and legs pulsed with irritation. I crinkled the snack bag in my hand, then hastily stuffed it in my backpack and got off of the bus. Screw it. If Grant was here, I would confront him. I wanted answers.

Grant got inside of the gunmetal car. Of fucking course.

I knocked on the window. “Hi,” I said dryly. “What are you doing here?”

He opened the door. “Completing my instructions.”

“Which are?”

“To make sure you and Hazel find safety.”

Grant and Zaid were so different. Zaid’s longish, dark hair made him seem like the opposite of a stereotypical bodyguard. He wore suits most of the time, so while his muscles were clearly thick and hard, they were never shown off. My guess was that he wanted to portray the businessman persona, the controller of his security empire. Grant, on the other hand, looked exactly like you would expect in a bodyguard. He was overly muscular, kept his hair short, and wore tight shirts that boasted his big arms capable of crushing a person to death. Hazel liked that kind of look, but not me.

Even knowing Grant could kill me with a snap of the neck, I knew he wouldn’t. If he was completing Zaid’s task, then he would follow his boss’s command. Because he was loyal to Zaid.

Zaid had once mentioned that Grant was like family to him. More family than his actual father.

Why was Grant so loyal? Had Zaid protected him at some point, before he had joined Veil Security Services?

“Let me guess,” I said to Grant, “You’re going to tell Zaid exactly where my sister and I are so he can watch us like hawks. Make sure we never leave. That we do exactly as he commands.”

“He’s given me strict ordersnotto disclose your location.”

The bus was filling up again, the driver sitting in the front seat. I wasn’t sure if I believed Grant, but why would he lie? Was there any point?

“Are you going to follow me the whole way to the clinic?” I asked.

“I’m following my orders, Ms. Maben.”

I sighed. “Call me Heather.”

“Heather.”

I could deal with this. His car would be better than an artic bus.

“Let’s travel together,” I said. “I’ll get my backpack. We can get there faster and this whole thing will be over with quicker.”

Grant nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”

***

An hour short of the clinic, we exited the highway and stopped at a jewelry store. At the counter, an old man glanced up at us. As the two of them started speaking, I zoned off, gazing at the jewelry. It was pretty, but all I could see was how it would be completely ruined on a hike. You’d need a special case to protect it on a trail.

But my collar had been strong. You’d never lose a diamond from it.

Why had my mind gone there?

“Miss,” the old man said. “He said you were a model. Would you mind a picture? Over here.” He gestured at a backdrop. “For my newest piece.” I wasn’t a model by any means, but I was in no mood to argue. I stood in front of the backdrop. “Shoulders back. Chin straight. Good for the necklace.”

“Don’t you want me to wear it?” I asked.

“It’s not finished,” he grunted. “I’ll photoshop it in.”

The old man and Grant clearly knew each other, bantering about something ridiculous back and forth. Grant told me to wait in the car. When he returned half an hour later with two large envelopes, I raised an eyebrow.