close, so don’t go there. And this isn’t about her. I signed a contract with Ballantine and someone’s stalking her. Even if I hadn’t signed a contract, I can’t leave her unprotected right now.”
There was a long pause. “Stalking?”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t want to get into the details.”
“Shit, man. I didn’t realize. I don’t know what to say.”
He didn’t expect his brother to say anything. If he could just convince Izzy to get out of Coconut Bay, she’d be out of harm’s way. And maybe he’d get a decent night’s sleep again. “There’s nothing to say. Tell me more about what Devlin said.”
“I’ll email you the details. I’ve been going over some new resumes but I want you to check out their credentials too before I add them to our database.”
“No problem.” He sighed after they disconnected. Leaving his brother with so much responsibility wasn’t fair. Adam knew that, and if the roles were reversed, he’d probably be annoyed too. The men they picked had to be reliable. Not only did they need the right background and training, they needed good credit and they needed to be able to leave within twenty-four hours sometimes. Since they were using contract employees their database had to be up to date at all times.
He hung back as Izzy stacked her copies together and stuck everything into her purse. His hand itched to dial Edward Ballantine, but what if the old man told her everything?
Adam immediately dismissed the thought. He might be ten kinds of stupid to stay, knowing things were going to end badly, but in the end, what choice did he really have? He couldn’t risk leaving Izzy unprotected.
Chapter Six
Izzy couldn’t explain the sense of liberation at what she’d done. It was small, but to think she might actually be stopping someone from hurting other women gave her a sense of pride. Something she hadn’t expected.
She certainly didn’t want to bartend the rest of her life, but she knew she couldn’t work for her father until some major things changed between them. After the way he’d interfered with her old job, she could only imagine what a nightmare it would be if she actually worked for his company.
Pushing those thoughts away, she slid the copies of the drawings into her purse. She joined Adam who was waiting near the exit with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. “Ready to go?” she asked as she closed the gap between them.
His distracted smile made her wonder what had changed. Ever since she’d convinced him to come with her to Andrea’s, he’d been acting different. Distant. And she couldn’t figure out why.
The balmy spring air hit them as they walked across the parking lot. “Do you regret what’s happened between us?” The words were out so fast she hadn’t realized she was even going to ask him. She hated when she did that. Think before you speak. It was her mantra, but one she could never quite seem to remember.
His eyebrows knitted as he glanced at her, but the answer was immediate and firm. “No.”
The tension in her chest loosened a little. Adam wasn’t a liar. If it wasn’t that, then something else was going on with him. Maybe it had something to do with the phone call he’d taken. Either way, it didn’t matter. As long as he didn’t change his mind about being with her until he left, she didn’t care.
The sudden thought of him leaving sucked the air from her lungs. She knew he’d be gone soon, but the reality of having to give him up now that she’d had him was like a punch to the stomach.
She paused for a moment as he held open her car door. “Your mom certainly raised you right,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat.
For a brief second, his dark eyes flashed with…something indefinable. Pain? It was there so quick, then it was gone. She wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it. The door shut too quickly.
When he got into the driver’s seat, she thought about letting it drop, but
There was a long pause. “Stalking?”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t want to get into the details.”
“Shit, man. I didn’t realize. I don’t know what to say.”
He didn’t expect his brother to say anything. If he could just convince Izzy to get out of Coconut Bay, she’d be out of harm’s way. And maybe he’d get a decent night’s sleep again. “There’s nothing to say. Tell me more about what Devlin said.”
“I’ll email you the details. I’ve been going over some new resumes but I want you to check out their credentials too before I add them to our database.”
“No problem.” He sighed after they disconnected. Leaving his brother with so much responsibility wasn’t fair. Adam knew that, and if the roles were reversed, he’d probably be annoyed too. The men they picked had to be reliable. Not only did they need the right background and training, they needed good credit and they needed to be able to leave within twenty-four hours sometimes. Since they were using contract employees their database had to be up to date at all times.
He hung back as Izzy stacked her copies together and stuck everything into her purse. His hand itched to dial Edward Ballantine, but what if the old man told her everything?
Adam immediately dismissed the thought. He might be ten kinds of stupid to stay, knowing things were going to end badly, but in the end, what choice did he really have? He couldn’t risk leaving Izzy unprotected.
Chapter Six
Izzy couldn’t explain the sense of liberation at what she’d done. It was small, but to think she might actually be stopping someone from hurting other women gave her a sense of pride. Something she hadn’t expected.
She certainly didn’t want to bartend the rest of her life, but she knew she couldn’t work for her father until some major things changed between them. After the way he’d interfered with her old job, she could only imagine what a nightmare it would be if she actually worked for his company.
Pushing those thoughts away, she slid the copies of the drawings into her purse. She joined Adam who was waiting near the exit with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. “Ready to go?” she asked as she closed the gap between them.
His distracted smile made her wonder what had changed. Ever since she’d convinced him to come with her to Andrea’s, he’d been acting different. Distant. And she couldn’t figure out why.
The balmy spring air hit them as they walked across the parking lot. “Do you regret what’s happened between us?” The words were out so fast she hadn’t realized she was even going to ask him. She hated when she did that. Think before you speak. It was her mantra, but one she could never quite seem to remember.
His eyebrows knitted as he glanced at her, but the answer was immediate and firm. “No.”
The tension in her chest loosened a little. Adam wasn’t a liar. If it wasn’t that, then something else was going on with him. Maybe it had something to do with the phone call he’d taken. Either way, it didn’t matter. As long as he didn’t change his mind about being with her until he left, she didn’t care.
The sudden thought of him leaving sucked the air from her lungs. She knew he’d be gone soon, but the reality of having to give him up now that she’d had him was like a punch to the stomach.
She paused for a moment as he held open her car door. “Your mom certainly raised you right,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat.
For a brief second, his dark eyes flashed with…something indefinable. Pain? It was there so quick, then it was gone. She wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it. The door shut too quickly.
When he got into the driver’s seat, she thought about letting it drop, but
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