“I get you wanting to play big bad G.I. Joe right now, but I’m a big girl who can take care of herself. Yes, they got through my home security, but I can get a new system in place maybe even have Aaron help me out. I’m going to call Ben and see if some of the guys can hang around. It’s not ideal but you guys want him captured, and I don’t want to leave my home.”
“Big bad G.I. Joe?” Liam didn’t know if he should laugh or be insulted by that comment. He was feeling anything but humor at the moment. Cora was either in denial or had no idea what she was up against. It was up to him to lay it on the line. “You don’t want to leave, fine. But if there is anyone that will be staying with you it will be me. I’m staying here with you until this is resolved.” Move in with Cora? Even temporarily. What the hell was he thinking? It had just popped out. Thinking about Cricket or Doc here with her instead of him filled him with a blinding rage. She was his to protect, even if he no longer had the right. She was more likely to kill him than Alejandro’s team was to get a drop on him but he would be the only one to protect her.
“Like hell, you’re staying here,” Cora screeched.
“Hear me out. Midas and Hannah left, so Midas could protect Hannah better. What better way to keep an eye on their house and protect you than to stay here?” It sounded like a good excuse for him to stay close to her.
“Why don’t you just stay at their house?” she tried reasoning.
Because he wanted to stay here with her. He couldn’t tell her that though. She would just refuse him. “Because, if you need something I’m already here.” And he still needed to tell her who she was working for. He had been putting him off long enough.
“No, absolutely not. There is no way you are staying here.”
“Cora, there is something I have to tell you about the man you are working for.”
Cora’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “I told you I don’t discuss my clients. If that’s all you want to talk about, you can leave.” She pointed at the front door.
“That’s not all I want to talk about, but you have to hear me out. You client Ale-” Cora suddenly pushed him with all of her might out of her door and slammed it in his face. She had taken him by surprise, so he hadn’t been able to stand his ground. He tried to open her door, but it was locked. He just blew his chance to talk to her. He would try again tomorrow. If that failed, he would send one of the other guys to tell her. He knew she wouldn’t slam a door in their face.
Chapter Eight
Cora made a cup of tea and congratulated herself on turning Liam down a third time in a matter of days. That had to be a record for him. Men didn’t like hearing ‘No’ and Liam didn’t hear it often. She could still feel the chemistry between them, but she wouldn’t give into it. He still wasn’t ready to share his secret with her. No matter their differences though, she couldn’t ignore Liam’s warning that she could possibly be in danger. A security system would only protect her so well. Maybe she should go to the pound and get a dog. That deterred people, right? Sadly, Cora didn’t want the responsibility of a dog. She hardly took care of herself most times. She needed a better plan.
Finished with her tea Cora was headed back to her office when she heard a noise at her back door. She turned and saw the doorknob on her back door moving side to side as if someone was testing if it was unlocked or not. Cora froze. Was she seeing things? She had lived in this house for ten years, and nothing like this had ever happened before. Now suddenly a brick through her window, a break-in, and now another possible break-in? Cora looked around her kitchen for a weapon. She grabbed one of the butcher knives and held it close to her chest. She watched the door to see if it moved again. She waited in suspense for any sound or movement but all was quiet. Maybe she was losing her mind. Cora started to relax when she heard the bushes in the backyard rustling, and it was moving towards the side of her house.
Cora pivoted on her heels and raced back to her office and looked out the window but couldn’t see anything. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her and just needed a good night’s sleep. It could be a stray cat moving through the bushes. All this talk about people watching her was messing with her head.
Just then Cora heard a scraping sound at her front door. What in the world? She slowly made her way to the front door keeping her knife in front of her. When she stood in front of the door, she saw the lock on her doorknob turn over. Someone had just picked her lock. The doorknob twisted but the door remained closed. Cora had a deadbolt, a doorknob lock and a bar that the top of the door. Her father had taught her the importance of door locks. Cora turned to the alarm system next to the door and tried punching the code that would alert the police, but the system was completely shut off. Fuck. They disable her security again.
“You better get out of here.” She yelled at
