In Her Sights by Keri Ford, Charley Colins

“There’s a lady who works in my home. I
was close to her growing up. She’s a mom to me. She was originally from a bad
side of town. Had nothing and she walked up to my house one day, knocked on the
door, and asked for a job. I was an infant and was crying. Mom was stressed.
The lady offered advice. Mom said if she could get me to stop crying, she would
have a job as a full-time, live-in nanny with full benefits. And whatever the
lady did worked.” Her gaze was distracted, no doubt remembering something. “The
woman was my housemaid, Julia. The day before, her mother had sent her out to
start making money on her back because Julia hadn’t been able to get a job
anywhere else. Julia taught me about things I would have never learned,
considering the family I was born into. Not just how most people live, but she made
sure I knew how to take care of myself in case some dangerous man ever broke into
my home in the middle of the night.”
    Not like he could argue with that, but there was still
something off. He just couldn’t get his finger on it. He pushed his hands in
his pockets and rolled his keys around. Maybe it came with the territory of who
she was and how she’d grown up. Not afraid of anyone and ready to tackle the
world. Then having to scramble her life back together after it fell apart at
such a young age.
    He grew up on Suburban Avenue with a tree house in the backyard,
complete with tire swing and rope ladder while dad grilled hot dogs. He and
Kate had planned the same childhood for Audrey. Not that he wouldn’t have been
proud to have a daughter who could accomplish what Lexie had, but at what
price?
    He moved toward the doors as the elevator stopped. “If you
change your mind at all about the dagger, all you have to do is say something.”
    She stopped short and shook her head. “Wish I could help.”
    “We could just return it. Right now and not worry about
this.”
    “Let’s say I have it. And gave it to you, and you returned
it. What then? By that note on my car, these people after it are becoming
aggressive and may act before you have it returned. Let’s just assume these are
the same people who followed Arnold. If you return the dagger anonymously, who’s
to say the family will make it public they have it back? If it doesn’t go
public, then whoever these people are will think I still have it. If I
had it, I would like to keep it for leverage just in case.”
    Was all that supposed to be confirmation she had it without
saying she had it? “I got into your house and into your safe. Whoever these
people are could be capable of it, too. I’d feel a lot better if I had it to
protect.”
    She patted him on the shoulder. “It’s a good thing my uncle
hired you, then. You already know the layout and the weak spots. You’ll be
there this afternoon?”
    “Yes, ma’am.” From the overgrown shrubbery, trees that
need trimming, extra lighting, and a few weak spots in the perimeter wall.
    “Sounds good. Besides. As good as you were, you didn’t make
it upstairs to check under my mattress.”
    She smiled a teasing little grin and headed out the door.
She’d better be teasing about hiding it under her mattress.

 
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    Lexie put her hands over her face and wanted to melt into
her hammock and disappear. She’d come to her balcony off her bedroom for the
purpose of hiding from Clayton Addison while he checked her house. Julia had
found her and wouldn’t go away, no matter how much sense Lexie tried talking
into the woman. “No. I don’t need to do anything.”
    Julia wasn’t hearing it. “Lexie. He is your guest. I’ve
raised you better than this.”
    “He is not my guest. I didn’t visit with the plumber last
year when he installed the water fountain.”
    “That man was old, ugly, and rude.”
    She softly chuckled. “Alex said he liked you.”
    She scoffed.
    “Either way, as a plumber, he was still here doing a job,
and that’s exactly what Clayton Addison is