and Porter if you want.”
Swiping at her eyes, she shoved her hands in her jeans pockets and followed him through the living room into their kitchen where one of the security guys he’d brought in was sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich. The stocky guy stood when he saw them, but Harrison motioned for him to sit back down.
“We’re leaving. I’m taking the detail outside with us. You and the rest of the team stay put. Anything happens, call me immediately,” he snapped.
The man nodded and didn’t glance Mara’s way. She’d noticed that none of the team had looked at her since they’d arrived. Hell, they’d barely glanced at Harrison. He wasn’t acting like his normal self. He’d been abrupt and harsh with all his guys, snapping at them for no reason. She hated that he was behaving this way because of her.
After calling one of the men standing guard outside their house and telling him that she and Harrison were leaving, he got into the SUV and she followed suit.
The mood in the interior of the vehicle was just as icy as it had been inside their house. Her stomach bunched in pain. And worry for Lizzy had Mara even tenser than she had been. “What happened to Lizzy? Is she hurt?” Oh God, what if Perdue had gotten to her?
“She wasn’t physically hurt. There was an incident, but she’s fine and safe with Porter.” His words were clipped.
She allowed a small measure of relief to slide through her veins, but before Mara could ask any more questions, he continued. “How long were you with them?” His question cut through the vehicle with quiet intensity.
She didn’t need him to specify. “Eight years.” And she’d loved her job—until her last assignment.
“Why’d you leave?”
That was a complicated question. “I…got burned out.”
He grunted, but didn’t say anything else as they drove to the high rise Lizzy now lived in with Porter.
Once Harrison’s brother buzzed them in, they entered the underground parking garage. Mara’s flat black slippers were silent against the concrete as they headed to the elevators. There were two men in black suits standing there. Her heart rate increased until she realized she recognized one of them. Of course Porter would have extra security after the scare with Lizzy. She wanted more details about what had happened, but Harrison had assured her that Lizzy wasn’t hurt. As long as that was the case, she could hold off on finding out what happened until she saw her friend. Hell, it had been clear Harrison wouldn’t answer her questions anyway. The man was like an ice statue right now.
Harrison nodded at the men then punched in a code to the elevators. It wasn’t as if Porter owned the whole building and she knew the guys downstairs couldn’t stop anyone from entering, but they would alert Porter to anyone using the elevators. And something told her there would be more men upstairs outside his place.
Sure enough, when they stepped into the tiled entryway outside his condo, there were two guards wearing black suits similar to the men downstairs. The door opened before they’d even reached it. Porter gave her an assessing look, his pale blue eyes not exactly angry, but wary. As the oldest brother, he was two years older than Harrison, but they looked so similar at that moment. The annoyance pulsing off both of them potent and consuming.
Her stomach dropped. Just great. Lizzy would probably hate her too. Mara didn’t make friends easily—that being an understatement—but she loved the other woman. They’d been friends for years, even before she and Porter had gotten together, and now the thought of losing her too… Mara sucked in a ragged breath, fighting more traitorous tears. God, she never cried, but it was as if she’d let the floodgates open and they refused to stay shut. Even if her friend hated her, she just had to know that she was all right and Perdue hadn’t somehow gotten to her.
Harrison cursed next to Mara, and taking
Swiping at her eyes, she shoved her hands in her jeans pockets and followed him through the living room into their kitchen where one of the security guys he’d brought in was sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich. The stocky guy stood when he saw them, but Harrison motioned for him to sit back down.
“We’re leaving. I’m taking the detail outside with us. You and the rest of the team stay put. Anything happens, call me immediately,” he snapped.
The man nodded and didn’t glance Mara’s way. She’d noticed that none of the team had looked at her since they’d arrived. Hell, they’d barely glanced at Harrison. He wasn’t acting like his normal self. He’d been abrupt and harsh with all his guys, snapping at them for no reason. She hated that he was behaving this way because of her.
After calling one of the men standing guard outside their house and telling him that she and Harrison were leaving, he got into the SUV and she followed suit.
The mood in the interior of the vehicle was just as icy as it had been inside their house. Her stomach bunched in pain. And worry for Lizzy had Mara even tenser than she had been. “What happened to Lizzy? Is she hurt?” Oh God, what if Perdue had gotten to her?
“She wasn’t physically hurt. There was an incident, but she’s fine and safe with Porter.” His words were clipped.
She allowed a small measure of relief to slide through her veins, but before Mara could ask any more questions, he continued. “How long were you with them?” His question cut through the vehicle with quiet intensity.
She didn’t need him to specify. “Eight years.” And she’d loved her job—until her last assignment.
“Why’d you leave?”
That was a complicated question. “I…got burned out.”
He grunted, but didn’t say anything else as they drove to the high rise Lizzy now lived in with Porter.
Once Harrison’s brother buzzed them in, they entered the underground parking garage. Mara’s flat black slippers were silent against the concrete as they headed to the elevators. There were two men in black suits standing there. Her heart rate increased until she realized she recognized one of them. Of course Porter would have extra security after the scare with Lizzy. She wanted more details about what had happened, but Harrison had assured her that Lizzy wasn’t hurt. As long as that was the case, she could hold off on finding out what happened until she saw her friend. Hell, it had been clear Harrison wouldn’t answer her questions anyway. The man was like an ice statue right now.
Harrison nodded at the men then punched in a code to the elevators. It wasn’t as if Porter owned the whole building and she knew the guys downstairs couldn’t stop anyone from entering, but they would alert Porter to anyone using the elevators. And something told her there would be more men upstairs outside his place.
Sure enough, when they stepped into the tiled entryway outside his condo, there were two guards wearing black suits similar to the men downstairs. The door opened before they’d even reached it. Porter gave her an assessing look, his pale blue eyes not exactly angry, but wary. As the oldest brother, he was two years older than Harrison, but they looked so similar at that moment. The annoyance pulsing off both of them potent and consuming.
Her stomach dropped. Just great. Lizzy would probably hate her too. Mara didn’t make friends easily—that being an understatement—but she loved the other woman. They’d been friends for years, even before she and Porter had gotten together, and now the thought of losing her too… Mara sucked in a ragged breath, fighting more traitorous tears. God, she never cried, but it was as if she’d let the floodgates open and they refused to stay shut. Even if her friend hated her, she just had to know that she was all right and Perdue hadn’t somehow gotten to her.
Harrison cursed next to Mara, and taking
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