he said, a small smile playing around his lips. He stretched, and Emma tried not to stare.
A small laugh escaped her mouth, and she clapped a hand over it to stop the completely inappropriate giggles.
“I’m glad you can find humor in my failings,” Aidan replied dryly.
“Laugh or cry,” Emma giggled, slightly hysterical. “The sum total of outlandish incidents in my life, prior to yesterday, numbered exactly zero. But since I met you, it’s been one catastrophe after another. I must admit, your job offer came at a fortuitous time.”
Aidan shifted uncomfortably. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. He pressed his clasped hands to his mouth for a moment, then said hesitantly, “This was left at the front desk for you.” He reached behind the couch and picked up a bulky envelope from the end table.
Emma frowned. “Who could that be from?”
He didn’t look at her, but instead dumped the contents of the envelope onto the coffee table between them.
She drew a sharp breath. She leaned forward and gingerly picked up the charm bracelet that lay in the middle of the mess.
Aidan placed his elbows on his knees, then clasped his hands and rested his chin against them.
“Ben took me to a jeweler about a month before we broke up. He asked me to pick out some pieces that I liked, for my wedding present,” she explained shakily. “This is the bracelet I chose.”
She glanced at the charms scattered on the table and the bile rose to her throat. “Oh, God.”
Aidan sifted through the charms. A revolver, a knife, an axe, a sword, and a bottle of poison glinted in the firelight. Emma dropped the bracelet as though it had burned her. Horrified, she met Aidan’s steely eyes. “He means to kill me.”
“Not on my watch.”
“You can’t be with me every moment,” she whispered, fear choking her.
“I damn well will be. But we’re still going to need some backup to protect you.”
“Backup?” Emma whispered. “As in, a security guard?”
He ignored her question and instead grabbed his phone. “Cian. Alert the hotel that absolutely no one comes up here. I want guards in the elevators.” He hung up, and a smile suddenly broke across his face as he noticed her shirt. “Ride a cowboy?”
She flushed. “Um…”
“I’m all about the message,” he drawled, “but I hear knights are better.”
“I’m not having this conversation,” she declared, wishing she’d thought to put it on inside out.
“Emma, you are one surprise after another, you know that?”
“Yeah. I get all the best surprises,” she muttered, her eyes shooting to the jewelry littering the table. She stood and began to pace.
He swept the pieces into the envelope and crumpled it in his hand. “What do you want to do about this?”
“He’ll find me no matter where I go,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. “In a city of millions, he tracked me here. He has eyes everywhere.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I wish I could say no, but my gut tells me otherwise.”
Aidan crushed the envelope a little more, and Emma could hear the charms break. “Then we have two options. One is to involve the police again.”
“That wasn’t the most effective route.” Emma hated the tremor in her voice.
“Nay. The other option is to test your theory out.” He looked up at her through his lashes, his eyes a clear green. “We see how far he’s willing to go.”
“To what end?” she asked.
“He’ll never stop unless we make him.”
“This isn’t a we issue. This is my battle. I’ll have to confront him. Or get him the money.”
Aidan raised an eyebrow. “And you think, knowing whatever it is that you may or may not know, that he’ll just let you off the hook when you pass him some money?”
She chewed her lip. “Maybe?”
“Well, before you try that out, perhaps we can try mine first. Come to Boston with me, Emma.”
“Boston?”
“Aye. It’s close enough that we can make it there
A small laugh escaped her mouth, and she clapped a hand over it to stop the completely inappropriate giggles.
“I’m glad you can find humor in my failings,” Aidan replied dryly.
“Laugh or cry,” Emma giggled, slightly hysterical. “The sum total of outlandish incidents in my life, prior to yesterday, numbered exactly zero. But since I met you, it’s been one catastrophe after another. I must admit, your job offer came at a fortuitous time.”
Aidan shifted uncomfortably. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. He pressed his clasped hands to his mouth for a moment, then said hesitantly, “This was left at the front desk for you.” He reached behind the couch and picked up a bulky envelope from the end table.
Emma frowned. “Who could that be from?”
He didn’t look at her, but instead dumped the contents of the envelope onto the coffee table between them.
She drew a sharp breath. She leaned forward and gingerly picked up the charm bracelet that lay in the middle of the mess.
Aidan placed his elbows on his knees, then clasped his hands and rested his chin against them.
“Ben took me to a jeweler about a month before we broke up. He asked me to pick out some pieces that I liked, for my wedding present,” she explained shakily. “This is the bracelet I chose.”
She glanced at the charms scattered on the table and the bile rose to her throat. “Oh, God.”
Aidan sifted through the charms. A revolver, a knife, an axe, a sword, and a bottle of poison glinted in the firelight. Emma dropped the bracelet as though it had burned her. Horrified, she met Aidan’s steely eyes. “He means to kill me.”
“Not on my watch.”
“You can’t be with me every moment,” she whispered, fear choking her.
“I damn well will be. But we’re still going to need some backup to protect you.”
“Backup?” Emma whispered. “As in, a security guard?”
He ignored her question and instead grabbed his phone. “Cian. Alert the hotel that absolutely no one comes up here. I want guards in the elevators.” He hung up, and a smile suddenly broke across his face as he noticed her shirt. “Ride a cowboy?”
She flushed. “Um…”
“I’m all about the message,” he drawled, “but I hear knights are better.”
“I’m not having this conversation,” she declared, wishing she’d thought to put it on inside out.
“Emma, you are one surprise after another, you know that?”
“Yeah. I get all the best surprises,” she muttered, her eyes shooting to the jewelry littering the table. She stood and began to pace.
He swept the pieces into the envelope and crumpled it in his hand. “What do you want to do about this?”
“He’ll find me no matter where I go,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. “In a city of millions, he tracked me here. He has eyes everywhere.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I wish I could say no, but my gut tells me otherwise.”
Aidan crushed the envelope a little more, and Emma could hear the charms break. “Then we have two options. One is to involve the police again.”
“That wasn’t the most effective route.” Emma hated the tremor in her voice.
“Nay. The other option is to test your theory out.” He looked up at her through his lashes, his eyes a clear green. “We see how far he’s willing to go.”
“To what end?” she asked.
“He’ll never stop unless we make him.”
“This isn’t a we issue. This is my battle. I’ll have to confront him. Or get him the money.”
Aidan raised an eyebrow. “And you think, knowing whatever it is that you may or may not know, that he’ll just let you off the hook when you pass him some money?”
She chewed her lip. “Maybe?”
“Well, before you try that out, perhaps we can try mine first. Come to Boston with me, Emma.”
“Boston?”
“Aye. It’s close enough that we can make it there
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