What the hell, Nikolai? Is he supposed to fall into your arms seeking comfort? Really?
I told the sarcastic voice in my head to fuck off and forced myself to look out the window. The last thing I needed was for Jude to see my anger.
Especially since my anger was nothing more than plain and simple jealousy.
Jude muttered a couple of soft words like yeah and see you soon and then he hung up.
"Does the driver work for you?" Jude asked.
I knew what he was asking. He wanted to give the driver an order to take him someplace else besides his own home. I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him that he didn't need to be with some other guy. That I would do my best to comfort him even though I had no clue how to do that.
"Where do you want to go?" I asked simply.
"Upper East Side. Fifth and Seventy-fifth."
The already painful twist in my belly grew impossibly tight. I knew that address and it made me want to throw up. I called myself a fool for forgetting who Jude Archer really was. At the same time, I rapped my knuckles on the partition that separated us from the driver and said, "Change of plans, Tony. Take us to Mr. Hayes’s place."
Chapter 8
Jude
I hated how relieved I felt at the sight of the familiar SUV sitting in front of Cliff’s building the next morning. It should've been the opposite feeling, especially now that I'd given up on trying to forgo the personal protection that Cliff was so intent on me having. It had only taken one look at the man's frail features as he'd quietly asked me not to fight Nikolai's presence anymore the previous night that I'd realized I had to raise the white flag. Even though I didn't really believe there was any true threat, the fact was that Cliff did and I wouldn't add to his stress. If it meant having to put up with Nikolai for the next however many weeks it took to get all this straightened out, I’d do it. I owed Cliff that and so much more.
I'd been in desperate straits the night before when I’d called Cliff. My frustration and agitation had been growing to crazy levels and I’d feared falling down a rabbit hole that I wouldn’t have been able to come back from quickly enough. I’d thought convincing Cliff to give up on the idea of having someone shadow me twenty-four seven would eliminate that lack of control I was feeling, but in truth, I’d also known that just seeing Cliff would remind me of everything I was striving to achieve.
The old man hadn’t managed to stay awake for long after my arrival, but that hadn't mattered. I'd just needed some place that was both familiar and yet not my own to escape to. And more importantly, I’d needed to get out from under the ever-watchful eye of one Nikolai Falkov. I had this strange feeling that he could read me too well. That he could see things I worked very hard not to let anyone see.
Ever.
Having had a short breakfast with Cliff, I now felt recharged and ready to tackle the day's tasks. Cliff’s security people walked me to the SUV but when I was just a handful of feet from it, it wasn't Nikolai who got out of the back. It was some guy I didn't know.
I immediately came to a stop and blurted, "Where's Nikolai? I mean, Nik?"
The man wasn't quite as tall or well-built as Nik but he was about the same age and had that same military bearing that I was so used to seeing on Nikolai.
"Mr. Archer," the man said as he extended his hand. "My name is Mike Smithfield. I own Smithfield Security Solutions."
I shook the man's hand and opened my mouth to ask where Nikolai was again, but then snapped it shut. It was none of my business where he was, nor did I care. That's what I kept telling myself as I nodded at Mike and then allowed him to escort me the final few steps to the car. I should've been relieved to escape Nikolai for a day, but that wasn't what I was focused on.
"Is Nik okay?" I asked before I could stop myself. I did manage to at least pretend to be looking at my phone in the process, though.
"Oh, yeah," Mike said. "Just a personal issue he needed to