Page 17 of Mile High Baby

Dax sat at the table and nodded. “You said he was jumped. Where was that at?”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll talk to Henry, and I’m going to get in touch with the investigation. I think—”

“What about you?” Dax said to me. “Do you know where your father was jumped?”

The fact that Dax had to ask me showed that Alex was acting like I wasn’t there. Or I didn’t have anything to share. Which, in terms of Dax’s question, I didn’t. “I don’t know. He’d be most vulnerable on the street leaving the house or office.”

Dax nodded. “He doesn’t have anyone with him normally?”

“Knightly is usually with him.”

Alex scoffed. “He’s a million years old. Henry should retire him.”

I scowled. “Knightly isn’t a horse, Mr. Sterling,” I said, feeling worse and worse about my decision to enter the bathroom with him on the flight home. “If my father is going to get rid of dead weight around him, I have other suggestions.”

“Sentiment has no place with safety,” Alex snapped back.

Dax’s eyes narrowed as he looked between me and Henry. “Is Knightly a chauffeur?”

“Yes. More like my father’s right-hand man.” I glared at Alex. “My father contacted you for help in providing safety. Surely, you can do that without getting rid of my father’s most loyal friend.”

Alex flinched. I wasn’t sure it was from calling Knightly my father’s friend or loyal. Both suggested I didn’t think Alex was either.

“We work to keep your lives as normal as possible,” Dax said, looking at Alex like he’d grown a third eye. “We’ll do an assessment of the home, his office, as well as all movements he makes outside of both. What about your place?”

“She’s staying with her father,” Alex said.

I shook my head in disgust at his gall. “I have my own place.”

“We’ll—”

“She’s staying with her father.” Alex’s hard stare was on me. “It’s what your father wants.”

“How would you know? You didn’t question him about what happened the other day. You didn’t ask him his expectations of your services. You couldn’t get out of his house fast enough.”

Alex’s jaw tightened. “If you were my—”

“I’m nothing to you, Mr. Sterling.” I turned back to Dax and gave him my address.

He jotted it down, but not before looking over at Alex as if for permission. Then he rose. “I’ll take this to Elliott and begin putting together a team and a plan.”

Alex nodded. “Thanks. I’d like to be a part of it.” He looked at me. “Can I trust you to wait here while we put together this plan?”

I turned away, looking at my phone.

Dax and Alex left the room. I imagined Dax noticed the animosity between me and Alex. Would he ask about it? Would Alex tell him the truth? Probably not. He was disgusted at himself, and I might have taken pity on him if he wasn’t being such a jerk.

I stood and went to the window, looking out over the city, wondering how I’d gotten myself into this mess.

My phone pinged with a text. Thinking it was a response from my father, I checked it.

Daddy’slittle girl

The text was followedby a picture of me on the street outside the bakery. A chill ran down my spine. Were Pitney’s people following me already? Were they following me from London or just when I arrived home?

The door opened and Alex entered. I pushed my fear away.

His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”