Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,96
his arm and offers me the box. “If anything happens to me, give it to your father.”
I scowl at him, not reaching for the box. “What’s gonna happen to you?”
“Nothing. It’s a precaution.”
I still don’t reach for the box.
“Zach. Take the damn box.”
“I’m gonna need more than that, Adri.”
“Please?”
I glare at him. He sighs, then sits next to me on the edge of the bed. “I don’t trust anyone else, Zach. There’s a lot of information on that hard drive. Information that some people want to keep buried. It’s my insurance policy.”
“Why can’t you give it to Dad now?”
“Because he’ll be tempted to use it.”
He drops the box in my hand, and I study it with apprehension. “You can’t tell me more?”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”
I wrap my fingers around it. “I’ll need something in return.”
“What?”
I turn to face him fully, holding his gaze. “I need you to promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I’m always careful,” he says with a cheeky smile.
“Adri.” The warning in my voice makes the smile disappear.
He rolls his eyes. “I promise, Zach, I will be extra careful.”
I bring him in for a hug, squeezing him tight. He doesn’t react at first, but then he wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my neck. “I promise,” he whispers.
Chapter thirty-five
The door to my room is slightly ajar when I go to search for Alec after I see Adri out. Pushing it open, I find him laying on my bed, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling. I lean against the frame.
“Did Felix tell you anything?”
“He did.”
“I’m sure it’s vastly different from what Adri told me.”
Alec pushes himself upright, back against the headboard. “Probably.”
I walk inside, closing the door behind me. “Will you help me pack?”
There isn’t that much to pack, but I need him to stay here with me.
“Only if you help me after.”
I frown, not sure what he means. And then it hits me: he can’t stay here now that he’s not my bodyguard anymore.
“Where will you go?”
He shrugs. “I’ll get a hotel room for now while I’m looking for a place to rent.”
I bite my lip, the words on the tip of my tongue. I want to say them so badly, but what if he isn’t ready?
Fuck that. I’m done censoring myself.
“Why don’t you come stay with me?” I say, the words tripping over each other. He studies me, unblinking, no hint of what he’s thinking in his expression. “While you’re looking for a place, I mean.”
Fucking coward.
My heart beats so wildly in my chest I think I might pass out. Alec keeps looking at me, his face blank.
I can’t take it. I keep babbling. “We already spent four weeks together in your cabin. What’s a few more days? It could be fun.” I snap my mouth shut, my cheeks burning.
Why isn’t he fucking saying anything?
He reaches for me, pulling me on top of him. I yelp, steadying myself with my palms on the mattress.
“You mean that?”
His eyes twinkle, and his cheeks flush, and I realize, once again, how much I love this man.
“I do.”
Alec and I spend the night in my studio, but in the morning he drops me off at the penthouse on his way to the airport. His partner—Mark—who I’m very curious to meet, is flying in to iron out the details with my father in person, and Alec’s picking him up from the airport.
Evie’s waiting for me in the kitchen, sitting in a chair, her leg propped on another chair in front of her. She was discharged earlier today, and the doctors are optimistic that she’ll make a full recovery and won’t need any more surgeries. She has a few months of physical therapy ahead of her, but she’s looking forward to it. It means that she’ll soon be able to finally move on and take control of her life.
“There’s fresh coffee in the pot,” she says, giving me a sly smile. “You can pour yourself a cup while you tell me everything.”
I grin at her, pouring myself a cup of coffee. We talk for hours, and by the time I’ve told her everything, it’s dark outside. The penthouse is quiet; nobody’s come in to interrupt us.
“Have you spoken with Dad? Will Felix stay as your bodyguard?” I ask.
“Not yet. But I’ll miss him if he goes. We’ve become quite good friends.”