Page 25 of You Found Me

He closed the laptop and stood, facing her like a soldier. “I don’t spin.”

“I can believe that,” she muttered. “I doubt you’ve ever done anything that fun.”

“I’ve done plenty of fun things. They just don’t make national news.”

“You know, that was pretty judgy from someone who says they’re not judging.”

“I never said I wasn’t judging. Just that it wasn’t relevant.” He gestured toward the door. “Again, thank you for your time.”

She didn’t move. “I want parole. I want to go visit Lizzie. Just for a couple of days. She lives in upstate New York. Nobody would ever find me in upstate New York. Nobody evergoesto upstate New York.”

“Anyone could find you if you went to your sister’s inn. Including, as I recall, the paparazzi.”

“Low blow.” She had a way of lifting her chin when she felt challenged that would have been enticing if she weren’t.…well, Della Bellamy. “I’m not doing this forever, Warden. I can’t. I won’t. I have a life, and it’s not in this house.”

He resisted the urge to scrub his face with his hands. “We’re working as fast as we can to get you back to that life. Believe me, Ms. Bellamy. That’s our only priority.”

“Sure it is.” Her gaze flicked to the closed laptop. “If that’s all you have, then you don’t have anything. Prove to me that there’s something to worry about or go find someone else to torture.”

She stalked out the door without waiting for a response.

He had a feeling the only kind of proof she’d believe was the kind that involved something worse than flowers in a dressing room.

Chapter Five

After three weeks of quarantine, Della’s warden still hadn’t produced any evidence that her stalker was anything more than a figment of overactive imaginations and paranoia.

She’d had enough.

Enough waiting. Enough judgment. Enough being alone.

Problem was, she couldn’t bust out of this prison. She’d promised everyone, crossed her heart and everything, that she would stay where her warden put her unless he gave her permission to leave.

No amount of begging, pleading, or bribing was getting through to him. He was a damn wall made of brick-shaped denial.

She had to get creative with captivity, and she had to do it today. Because Donovan Ward, Chief Pain in the Ass, had taken the day off.

Not that she cared if he left. She cared that he could, and she couldn’t. Talk about a double standard. But that was okay because a Sunday without him playing a human roadblock to fun opened up a chance to see friendly faces. She was going to snatch that opportunity with both hands.

She might not be allowed out, but nobody had said anything about having peoplein. Ward had given her the idea by having Annie and Spencer stop by so often. If they could come over, why couldn’t a few close personal friends?

A quick text to Marshall was all it took to put plans in motion for company to be delivered. That happy thought drove her out of bed.

She took a quick shower, pulled on her favorite red bikini, then hunted through the remains of Piper’s wardrobe for the oversized white gauze shirt with pretty pearl buttons to put on over her suit.

She was surprised her sister had left it behind when she moved in with Blake.

Maybe Piper didn’t need to cover up now that she had man-candy around the house. That errant thought triggered a flurry of images featuring her sister and Blake running naked through the house like they were starring in their own private rom-com. She giggled at the idea of her sister feeling free enough to do something like that. She was much more likely to do something like that than Piper.

An unwanted image of her and Ward the Warden doing the same thing flashed through her mind. She flushed and shoved it right back out. She didn’t need true love to have a bit of fun, but she did need the man to actually like her, and Ward thought she was a labradoodle masquerading as a person.

The tinkling buzz of an incoming call caught her attention.

She didn’t really want to answer it. It could be one of her sisters—or Ward.

Or it could be Marshall, verifying details for today’s plans.

“Fine. I’m coming. I’m coming,” she told the air and picked up the phone.