Page 22 of Mile High Baby

Triumph filled me as the smirk on his face faltered. "Now can we go, please?"

He gave me a curt nod then escorted me out of my apartment and back down to the street. On the way in the elevator, he was on his phone, presumably ordering another car. Within moments, one pulled up front, and he opened the door to let me in. My father didn't live too far, but with New York traffic, it was a good twenty minutes before Knightly let us in.

"Your father will be very pleased to hear that you've decided to stay here," Knightly said as he took my bag. "I will take this up to your room."

"I want to be up on the third floor."

Knightly stopped and looked at me. "That was your grandparents' place."

I nodded. "Yes, but they're not here anymore. Being on the third floor will be like having my own space. Plus, I can set up an office there for me to work." I slanted a gaze at Alex. Being on the third floor meant it would be easier to stay away from him as well, but I didn't say that. The quick flare of heat in his eyes told me he knew what I was thinking.

My father entered the foyer from his office. "Is it true you decided to stay here?"

Sometimes, I wondered if the house was wired for sound. But I imagine that Mrs. Tillis had overheard and had told my father I was planning to stay.

"Yes. But I want to stay on the third floor. I’ll have my own space and a place to work."

Without hesitation, my father nodded and looked at Knightly. "Can you and Mrs. Tillis set that up?"

Knightly nodded. "Right away, sir." Knightly made his way up the stairs, where I imagined he'd run into Mrs. Tillis already making her way to the third floor.

My father looked at me like he used to when I was a kid and about to get into trouble. "I'm not happy to hear that you left here all alone. Especially right after it was made clear how much danger you could be in."

"Not could be. Is." Alex’s voice was gruff.

My father looked at him, concern growing on his face. "What do you mean? What happened?" My father stepped up toward me, his eyes scanning me as if he was looking for a sign of injury.

I held my hand up. "I'm fine. I just got an ominous text message. But Mr. Sterling and his team have already examined my phone.” Maybe by acting formal and distant, Alex’s tendency to irritate me with his attitude and his sex appeal would lessen. “And I had Mr. Sterling take me to my apartment to pack. I plan to abide by whatever rules need to be set up to keep us safe."

The tension in my father's face lessened, but I wouldn't say there was relief. He looked at Alex. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you are going to help us with this. And I know without a doubt that I can trust my daughter to your protection."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, he’s quite a saint."

My father looked at me quizzically. I mustered a smile. "I'm going upstairs to get settled."

My father nodded. "I'll have Caroline make your favorite dinner." He looked at Alex. "You will join us, won’t you? You're staying here, aren't you?"

Alex had an expression that looked like he had indigestion. "I’ll stay here, but I'm not a guest, Henry. In order for me to do my job, I need to treat it like a job. I need to focus."

My father didn't like that answer. "You have to eat. Surely, you can have dinner with us."

I wanted to tell my father to let it go, but instead I made my way up the stairs to the third floor. We had an elevator, but if I was going to be stuck at my father's house for the time being, taking the stairs would give me exercise. My father had a small gym and even a lap pool, but I wasn't a gym or swim kind of girl. I would've much rather gone to the park and walked or ridden my bike. But that wasn't going to be an option, so the stairs would be it.

I entered the bedroom on the third floor as Mrs. Tillis was just finishing airing it out. "The room hasn’t been used since... well... you know, since your grandparents died, so it’s a little stuffy. But anything that you need to make this room feel more like yours, let me know."

"I will. Thank you, Mrs. Tillis."

She left, and I sank down onto the small bench at the end of the bed.

"You might be able to avoid me in the house, but don't get in your mind that you're going to sneak out of here and not have a problem."

Annoyed, I looked up to see Alex leaning against the door jamb with his arms folded across his chest. "You look like my dad.”

It was petty, and to be honest, a little pervy, but it worked. Alex had that sick look on his face again.

“Why are you following me around? You’re like a bad penny."

"That's right, I am. And I will be until the situation with Pitney is dealt with."