Page 24 of Coerced
“You look like you want to ask me a question,” I explained. It was at that moment when Sasha hopped up into my lap, nuzzling close and looking for more love. I happily obliged.
Aria’s eyes fell upon her cat briefly, something that looked like a mix of surprise and something else moving through her.
She shook off whatever was going through her mind and said, “I’m sorry. It’s just that… I think it’s nice that you cared enough to not only give me some suggestions this morning but also that you went out of your way at work to try to come up with some additional leads when you didn’t have to.”
“Well, isn’t that what we should all strive to be? I like that you think I’m a nice guy; I think our character means everything.”
Aria shrank back in her seat, something uneasy washing over her. She must have realized she was reacting to what I’d said, because as quickly as I saw it, the uneasiness was gone.
As Sasha purred in my lap, Aria confirmed, “It is. And it’s clear you were right when you mentioned animals knowing who the good people are, because I’m still floored that my cat is purring like that in your lap.”
I grinned, continuing to give Sasha what she evidently wanted. “I mean, it’s just a hunch, but I’m sure animals can be wrong sometimes, too. I mean, take Brutus, for example. He thinks everyone is the enemy, and I’m relatively certain he’s wrong about that being the case when it comes to you.”
One half of Aria’s mouth quirked up. “That’s nice of you to say. Thank you. So, if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is it that you do for work?”
“Believe it or not, I also work at a local business. It’s called Harper Security Ops.”
Her brows knit together. “I’ve never heard of it. What is it you do there?”
“If you’re referring to the business itself, Harper Security Ops offers a variety of highly skilled services to individuals here in Steel Ridge and some of the surrounding areas. We do things like private investigation, self-defense training, and personal security or bodyguard services.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. So, are you a private investigator, then?”
I shook my head. “No. Although I do work closely with a lot of the guys who are. I actually work in our kidnap and ransom unit.”
For several long moments, Aria simply stared at me. I could only assume she was attempting to decipher if I was being serious or what exact duties my job included. Sure enough, I got my answer a few seconds later. “You work in the kidnap and ransom unit?” she asked. “Does that mean you rescue people who’ve been kidnapped for ransom?”
“Sometimes, that’s what they’ve been kidnapped for, but you’d be surprised how many times people are kidnapped where money doesn’t play a factor at all,” I shared.
Aria sat up a little taller, squaring her shoulders. “So, you’re sent out of town often?”
Now it was my turn to be confused. “No. Not usually. I mean, yeah, sometimes it happens. But a lot of the work I do is right here in Steel Ridge.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you telling me I should have picked one of the other two spots?”
“What?”
“When I decided to leave my hometown, I visited three different towns, and Steel Ridge was one of them. I settled on this place. Did I make a bad choice? Is there a lot of crime here?”
There was nothing quite like the sting of regret.
I hadn’t intended to scare Aria or make her think she’d moved to an unsafe area.
“I don’t think Steel Ridge has any more crime than most other towns. You shouldn’t be worried that youpicked a bad place. I love it here. And on the bright side, there’s one thing Steel Ridge has that other towns don’t.”
“What’s that?”
“Harper Security Ops.”
“I get the feeling that’s supposed to make me feel more at ease,” she murmured.
“It is, but I can understand why it doesn’t yet. For now, just take my word that you’ll be safe here. Plus, I’m your neighbor. I promise I’ll look out for you.”
Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Well, I really don’t want to be a burden, but that does make me feel better.”
Laughter spilled out of me. There wasn’t a chance that looking out for Aria would be a burden. “I’m glad.”
Aria’s eyes dropped to my lap again. “I don’t think she’s ever going to let you leave.”