Fearless: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 2) Page 4

  I check the time and frown. “By the time we get to the city, it’ll be the lunch hour rush. We’ll never get into Gino’s.”

  Lia chuckles as she pulls out her phone and makes a call. “Yeah, this is Lia McIntyre. I need a private table for three in 45 minutes. You got that? Thanks.”

  I grin from ear to ear as Lia ends the call. “Really? You can do that?”

  “It’s one of the perks of working for Shane. Hell, I don’t mind dropping names and pulling a few strings.”

  Not five minutes after we left the estate grounds, my phone rings. I check the caller ID. “Crap.”

  Lia glances at me. “Who is it? Shane?”

  I stare at his name and photo on my caller ID. “Yes.”

  “Don’t answer it.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Do. Not. Answer. It. You’re letting him sweat, remember?”

  I stare at Shane’s image on my screen, my heart rate increasing with each peal of the ringtone. I’m torn. Part of me feels compelled to answer his call, but the other part of me is chicken and doesn’t want the confrontation. The decision is taken out of my hands, however, when the call goes to voice mail.

  A moment later my phone chimes and I sigh. “He left a voice message.”

  “Relax. He knows you’re with me.”

  “He’s probably pissed.”

  “Of course he is. That’s the whole point. Thelma and Louise, remember?”

  Lia’s ringtone goes off next, but she doesn’t even bother to look to see who it is. “Let him sweat.”

  But when my phone rings again, almost immediately after Lia’s, I relent and accept the call. “Hello?”

  “Where the hell are you going?” Shane doesn’t even bother to temper his tone.

  I swallow, determined not to be cowed. It’s a free country. If I want to go out to lunch with my friends, I will. “Lia and I are going out for lunch. And then, maybe we’ll stop by the bookstore.”

  “Tell Lia to turn that vehicle around right now and come back here.”

  “Shane – ”

  “Just do it.”

  “Shane, no.” I take a deep breath and steel myself. I’m not turning back. “I need to get away for a while. I need... a break.”

  There’s a long pause, and then he says, “A break from what? From me?”

  I close my eyes at the pain I hear in his voice and take a steadying breath. “No, not from you. Well, maybe a little. Okay, yes. From you.”

  I hear a muffled curse, as if he’d covered the mouth piece with his hand. Then he’s back. “Please, Beth, just come home. We’ll talk. I know I’ve been an ass. Cooper just spent the past five minutes making sure I knew it. Please, come back.”

  “Shane, I really do need a break. I need to see Gabrielle. I need to be somewhere else for a while. Don’t worry. I’m with Lia. We’re going to have a girls’ day out. It’s long overdue.”

  There’s a long silence over the phone. My heart’s pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it over the phone.

  “Beth.” He sounds oddly defeated, which makes me ache for him even more.

  “Shane, don’t. It’s just a girls’ day out, that’s all. It’s not a big deal. Please don’t turn it into one.”

  He sighs. “Do you have your inhaler?”

  “Of course.”

  “How long do you think you’ll be gone? Will you be home for dinner?”

  Now it’s my turn to pause. I don’t know how to answer him. At the moment, I just want to get away. I don’t want to think about when I’m coming back. “I’m not sure. There are things I want to do downtown. We’re going to eat and then stop by Clancy’s. And after that... I’m just not sure.”

  Lia shoots me a look. “Tell him we’ll be back when we’re back.”

  There’s another long silence and then, sounding resigned, Shane says, “All right. Please, come back soon.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  After I tuck my phone back into my purse, Lia says, “Well, that didn’t go so badly.”

  It didn’t. So why, then, does my chest ache so badly?

  Chapter 5

  As we pull into the front drive of Shane’s apartment building on Lake Shore Drive, I gaze up in awe at the towering glass and steel structure. Located in the heart of The Gold Coast, this building is one of the most prestigious properties in the city, and it never fails to amaze me that Shane owns the building. The entire building. That kind of wealth is hard for me to wrap my mind around. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised – after all, he bought me a bookstore for no good reason... just because he knew how much I love that place.

  Shane and Cooper share the penthouse floor, which is so huge I haven’t even seen half of it yet. I think there are something like six bedroom suites in the penthouse, and only two are used on a regular basis. I think I’ve located four of them so far.

  Shane’s siblings come and go from the penthouse – it’s like Grand Central Station, but I wouldn’t trade that for the world. As we pull up to the building, with its lush, two-story atrium lobby filled with live trees, I realize how much I’ve missed this place. I’d spent a couple of memorable nights here with Shane before the assault, and this place feels special to me now. In some ways, being here makes me feel closer to him even though we’re miles apart.

  Lia pulls into the secure underground parking garage and parks in her reserved spot near the bank of elevators. The plan is to leave the Jeep here and use cabs to move around in the city, since parking in downtown Chicago isn’t easy. Using cabs is much more efficient.

  We head up to Gabrielle’s apartment, which is on the 48th floor. Shane has reserved the top five floors of the building for employees of his security company. Jake, Lia, and Liam all have apartments in this building.

  When Shane moved me out of my townhouse for safety reasons – because of Howard Kline – he offered Gabrielle free use of an apartment in this building. I’m excited to see Gabrielle’s apartment for myself. She gave me a video tour of it with her phone a couple of weeks ago, but that’s not the same as seeing it for myself.

  She answers the door as soon as we knock.

  “Beth!” Gabrielle wraps her arms around me and squeezes tightly. “God, I’ve missed you!”

  Gabrielle is more than just a friend – she’s like the sister I always wished I’d had. When we lived in the townhouse, even though we worked very different schedules, we still found time for girls’ nights in – curling up on the sofa to eat carry-out and ice cream and watch rom-coms and action movies.

  And when I screamed bloody murder in the middle of the night, she always came running, without question, without recrimination. Half the time, she ended up spending the rest of the night sleeping with me in my bed, keeping me company and scaring away the boogie man. I owe her so much. I can never repay her for what she’s done for me.

  I’m so happy to see her, my eyes well up with tears. She’s dressed in her white sous chef uniform, so she must be getting ready to head to Renaldo’s, the upscale Italian restaurant where she works. Shane is friends with Peter Capelli, the owner of Renaldo’s.

  Just seeing Gabrielle’s familiar face makes my throat tighten. She looks as gorgeous and vibrant as ever, with her long, curly red hair and freckled face. She’s come out to Kenilworth to see me a few times in the past couple of months, but it’s just not the same as being roommates.

  Gabrielle looks at me and frowns. “What’s wrong?”

  I shake my head as I pull back. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just happy to see you.”

  She releases me, looking skeptical at my reply, and eyes my cast. “How’s your arm?”

  “Fine. The cast comes off tomorrow.”

  Gabrielle looks past me at Lia, and I realize they hardly know each other. They met briefly at the hospital, when Gabrielle and my mom came to visit me. They’ve seen each other a couple of times since then at Shane’s estate, but for the most part, they’re strangers.

/>   “You guys know each other,” I say, watching them size each other up. They’re such opposites. Lia’s petite and curvy, and Gabrielle’s five-ten and willowy. They’re as polar opposite as ice and fire sometimes.

  “Hey, Gabe,” Lia says as we follow Gabrielle into her apartment. Lia glances around the open floor plan, which I assume is very similar to her own apartment. “How do you like the place?”

  Gabrielle grins. “Honestly, it’s amazing! Come take a look at this view.”

  Gabrielle gives us a quick tour of her apartment, starting with the open living room with a gas fireplace and stone hearth, dining room, and gourmet kitchen – which is perfect given Gabrielle’s promising career as a chef. The apartment is spacious and airy, and the exterior wall is all windows, with an incredible view of the lake. The floors are hardwood, and the color scheme is muted with soft, natural tones. She shows us the two bedrooms, each with its own private bath, and a small study with bookcases, a desk, and a laptop.

  This apartment goes for a fortune on the open market, and neither she nor I could ever afford something like this on our own, even if we pooled our resources.

  I’m surprised to see Gabrielle dressed in her restaurant uniform this early. She usually doesn’t leave for work until late afternoon, as she works the very desirable evening dinner shift. “Are you going to work?”

  “I have time to go to lunch with you guys, but then I have to get to the restaurant. One of the other sous-chefs is out sick today, and I’m filling in for him.”

  We arrive at my favorite Chicago pizza restaurant, Gino’s, by taxi, and there’s already a line out the door and down the sidewalk. In full bodyguard mode, Lia ushers both me and Gabrielle inside the restaurant, herding us like a mother hen with two chicks. She steers us through the waiting crowd right up to the host’s podium.

  “Lia McIntyre,” she says to the young woman on duty.

  The host signals a man standing just a few feet away, and he comes right over, three menus tucked into the crook of his arm.

  “Right this way, ladies,” he says, smiling graciously at us.

  We follow him up the steps to the main dining room, which is abuzz with the chatter of contented diners and the clatter of silverware. He leads us across the dining room to a closed door on the other side, marked Private.

  “Right in here, ladies,” he says, opening the door for us and flipping the light switch. “Will this do?”

  It’s a small, unoccupied room with just a half-dozen tables. We follow him inside, and immediately the sound level drops to a manageable drone. We’ll actually be able to hear ourselves talk in here.

  “It’s perfect,” Lia says. “Thanks.”

  “My name’s Jeff, and I’m the manager. Anthony will be your server. He’ll be here shortly to take your food orders.”

  After taking our drink orders, Jeff the Manager leaves us alone, closing the door on his way out and shutting out the noise.

  Gabrielle looks pointedly at me. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

  I look into a pair of very familiar, and very determined, green eyes flecked with bits of gold and framed by thick cinnamon-colored lashes. Her peaches-and-cream complexion is dusted with tiny cinnamon-colored freckles. I smile and busy myself arranging my place setting. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Beth, I know you. And I know when something’s wrong. You hardly said two words on the ride over here. Now spill it.”

  I shrug. “I’ve just been a little emotional lately.”

  Gabrielle gasps. “Oh, my God, are you pregnant?”

  “No!” I’m tempted to throw my napkin at her. “Jeez, Gabrielle!”

  “It’s Shane,” Lia says, cutting to the chase. “He’s being a dick.”

  I chuckle every time Lia calls him that.

  Gabrielle frowns. “Shane? What did he do this time?”

  Gabrielle’s never been too sure about Shane, but for my sake, she’s been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The thing is, she knew all along that Shane’s company was providing me with protection from Kline, long before I found out. When Tyler, who was now a homicide detective, discovered that Howard Kline was being paroled early from prison, he hired McIntyre Security to protect me. Shane and Tyler had known each other professionally for years, although they didn’t always see eye to eye. Tyler had confided in Gabrielle, telling her that he’d hired McIntyre Security and pulled her into the loop. When I suddenly started dating this supposedly random stranger I’d met late one Friday evening at the bookstore – Shane – she was hostile to him from the beginning because she knew he wasn’t random or a stranger. And she knew full well he was essentially deceiving me by not disclosing the fact that his company had been hired to protect me from Howard Kline.

  “It’s more like what he hasn’t done,” Lia says, passing out the menus. “God, I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

  * * *

  Our server – Anthony, a tall, painfully thin young man with short black hair and a black goatee – returns in record time with our drinks, and he leaves with our food order. We each order house salads and decide to share a deluxe, deep-dish pizza.

  Once we’re alone again, Gabrielle turns to me. “Now tell me, what’s Shane done? Or rather, not done?”

  I take a sip of my Coke, savoring the icy sweet burn. “He’s... um...”

  Lia sets down her bottle of dark ale. “He won’t have sex with her.”

  Gabrielle looks confused. “You’re kidding me? Why? Is he crazy?”

  “Hell, yes, he’s crazy,” Lia says. “I mean, look at her.” She flourishes a hand at me. “Who wouldn’t want to have sex with Beth? Hell, I’d do her.”

  I roll my eyes at Lia and blush. “He’s....” How do I explain this without sounding like an idiot? My boyfriend makes me come – repeatedly – but he won’t let me return the favor.

  “He’s punishing himself,” Lia says as she checks an incoming message on her phone. She snickers.

  “What?” I say.

  She chuckles as she sends back a quick message. “Shane’s pissed at me.”

  Gabrielle adds sugar and cream to her coffee and stirs. “Why is Shane punishing himself?”

  I sigh. “He blames himself for what Andrew did.” I pick up my phone. “Maybe I should text Shane and at least tell him where we are. He’s probably worried.”

  “Don’t bother,” Lia says, setting down her phone. “He knows exactly where you are. He always knows exactly where you are.”

  Gabrielle frowns. “How?”

  Lia shrugs. “He tracks her phone.”

  “He what!” Gabrielle cries.

  I look at Lia. “He does?”

  “Of course he does. Shane doesn’t take any chances where you’re concerned. There’s a GPS chip embedded in your phone – I mean one Shane put there. There’s also one in your purse and in all your shoes.”

  “That’s just creepy, Beth,” Gabrielle says, shaking her head. “You should toss your phone in the nearest trash can.”

  “She’d have to toss out her purse and shoes, too,” Lia says. “It’s hardly worth it.”

  I glance at my phone and have to fight a smile. I’m sure I should be outraged at the intrusion into my privacy, but I’m not. Quite the contrary. Maybe he’s not ignoring me as much as I think he is.

  Gabrielle scowls at me. “Quit smiling, Beth. It’s not funny. It’s downright creepy.”

  Halfway through lunch, Gabrielle glances at me. “Have you seen Tyler lately?”

  I nod, unable to speak because my mouth is full of food.

  “He stopped by the house for dinner earlier in the week,” Lia says. “And he calls her every day. He’s like a bad penny – he keeps showing up.”

  “He misses you,” Gabrielle says to me. “He wants you to move in with him. Maybe you should give it some thought.”

  I’d be lying if I told Gabrielle I haven’t considered it. “No. If you think Shane’s controlling, you should try living with my brother. He’s far worse
. Besides, I have no intention of leaving Shane.”

  “Stalker-boy, you mean,” Gabrielle says.

  * * *

  After we finish eating, Anthony and two bus boys come into our dining room. As the bus boys quickly whisk away our dirty plates, Anthony asks us if we’d like anything else.

  “Just the check,” Lia says. “We’re done here.”

  “That won’t be necessary, Ms. McIntyre,” Anthony says. “Mr. McIntyre called and settled it over the phone.”

  Gabrielle rolls her eyes at me and Lia after Anthony leaves the room. “I told you he’s a control freak,” she says.

  Lia chuckles. “At least Shane’s subtle about it.”

  After we hug good-bye, and I promise to come spend a night with her in her apartment very soon, Gabrielle catches a taxi to Renaldo’s. Lia and I walk over to N. Michigan Avenue and head toward Clancy’s Bookshop in hopes of walking off at least some of our carb-overload.

  “Are you ready to face The Dragon Lady?” Lia says, smirking at me.

  The Dragon Lady is Vanessa Markham, the general manager at Clancy’s. That woman has certainly earned her nickname. If I had a nemesis, she’d be it.

  “I don’t think I have a choice.”

  Chapter 6

  I feel better than I have in days the moment I step through Clancy’s front doors. The bookstore isn’t simply my happy place now, it’s mine period. As in, I own it. I glance around the huge, open store at the countless rows of books and merchandise filling two expansive floors, at the constant stream of customers, and I have trouble comprehending it all. It still hasn’t fully sunk in that Shane actually purchased Clancy’s for me two months ago. What in the world was he thinking? We’d only known each such a short while.

  I always smile when I think back to the night we met right here in the bookstore. I was seated in one of the comfy chairs, reading an anthology of spanking stories on a Friday evening as was my habit. I admit it wasn’t a very auspicious way to meet the man of my dreams.