be jammed into this.
“I’ll be right behind.” Kate gave her hand a squeeze. “And I’ll have your bag.”
Anna nodded, still not entirely certain of all of this. It took some hustling, but Kyle got her up the walk and onto the porch just as a police car arrived. Kate and Kyle followed Anna inside when Derrick admitted them, but the others stayed out.
“Derrick.” Anna extended her hand. “I’m Anna Novak, we’ve spoken on the phone.”
Uneasy, the kid still took her hand and shook it briefly. “Sorry about the zoo, Miss Novak.”
“It’s hardly your fault.” She followed Derrick to the kitchen. Though the house was definitely older and showing signs of wear, it was clean and neatly kept.
“It’s Mrs. Brown’s fault.” Derrick scowled. “She saw a news report about you this morning and when you called to confirm, she called them.”
“Oh. Well...I’m still sorry that they’re out there, but I didn’t come to talk about the press. I came to talk about your future. Do you think we can sit down and chat for a bit?”
He shifted, eyeing Kate and then Kyle, before bringing his attention back to her. “Ma’am, if you don’t mind my saying—people like you and I—we don’t generally mix.”
Pulling out a chair from the tiny oaken breakfast set, Anna sat down and looked at the one opposite her. Derrick hesitated but took a perch. Crossing one leg over the other, she took a deep breath. Every word from this moment forward had to count. “When I was your age, I had two choices. Go to the local community college my parents could afford if I worked part-time or apply to several scholarship funds and go to the four-year school I’d been accepted at...”
Chapter Seven
It was late afternoon by the time he arrived at the tower. Anna was still out—or so Peterson reported to him on the elevator ride up. Unfortunately, a dozen reporters at the North Hollywood house had greeted Anna. Pride filled him, despite the interference of the press she’d held up beautifully. Her security team performed as expected and reported in regularly.
They had no new leads on who leaked her name to the press. Peterson did have a theory, though, and it was one Armand did not care for. His head of security speculated that Armand’s lingering presence in California had led to local reporters researching previous connections that might be present. Chances were, they’d looked into his past years at college and Anna’s proximity had given them a clue.
Their meeting served only as the final trigger. Showering off the sweat, he’d changed and walked back into the living room in time to see the front door open. Anna walked in, still wearing his suit coat from earlier. For the barest moment, he had a glimpse of the weariness in her eyes.
“I’ll let His Highness know when everything is ready,” Kyle told her and then his gaze flicked past her to meet Armand’s. He inclined his head. “Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Johnson.” The man headed for the elevator and Armand shut the door and locked it. Anna set her bags down stiffly.
“Have you eaten?”
She shook her head. “We didn’t exactly have the time.”
Eyeing her, he reached out and took her hand and tugged her toward the kitchen. She was quiet—too quiet—and he let her hand go and opened the refrigerator. “What’s wrong now?”
“Nothing.” Her flattened tone gave her away.
He cut a glance toward her from the corner of his eye. “Uh-huh. I know that nothing. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” She padded around to the breadbox and pulled out a loaf. His coat dwarfed her, but rather than tug it off, she’d slid her arms into the sleeves and hugged it to her like a robe.
“Hmm, it doesn’t sound like nothing.” She chose bread, so he opened the drawers till he found lunchmeats and cheeses. “In fact it sounds a lot like something.”
“No. It sounds like nothing. Because that’s all it is, nothing.” She opened and shut the
“I’ll be right behind.” Kate gave her hand a squeeze. “And I’ll have your bag.”
Anna nodded, still not entirely certain of all of this. It took some hustling, but Kyle got her up the walk and onto the porch just as a police car arrived. Kate and Kyle followed Anna inside when Derrick admitted them, but the others stayed out.
“Derrick.” Anna extended her hand. “I’m Anna Novak, we’ve spoken on the phone.”
Uneasy, the kid still took her hand and shook it briefly. “Sorry about the zoo, Miss Novak.”
“It’s hardly your fault.” She followed Derrick to the kitchen. Though the house was definitely older and showing signs of wear, it was clean and neatly kept.
“It’s Mrs. Brown’s fault.” Derrick scowled. “She saw a news report about you this morning and when you called to confirm, she called them.”
“Oh. Well...I’m still sorry that they’re out there, but I didn’t come to talk about the press. I came to talk about your future. Do you think we can sit down and chat for a bit?”
He shifted, eyeing Kate and then Kyle, before bringing his attention back to her. “Ma’am, if you don’t mind my saying—people like you and I—we don’t generally mix.”
Pulling out a chair from the tiny oaken breakfast set, Anna sat down and looked at the one opposite her. Derrick hesitated but took a perch. Crossing one leg over the other, she took a deep breath. Every word from this moment forward had to count. “When I was your age, I had two choices. Go to the local community college my parents could afford if I worked part-time or apply to several scholarship funds and go to the four-year school I’d been accepted at...”
Chapter Seven
It was late afternoon by the time he arrived at the tower. Anna was still out—or so Peterson reported to him on the elevator ride up. Unfortunately, a dozen reporters at the North Hollywood house had greeted Anna. Pride filled him, despite the interference of the press she’d held up beautifully. Her security team performed as expected and reported in regularly.
They had no new leads on who leaked her name to the press. Peterson did have a theory, though, and it was one Armand did not care for. His head of security speculated that Armand’s lingering presence in California had led to local reporters researching previous connections that might be present. Chances were, they’d looked into his past years at college and Anna’s proximity had given them a clue.
Their meeting served only as the final trigger. Showering off the sweat, he’d changed and walked back into the living room in time to see the front door open. Anna walked in, still wearing his suit coat from earlier. For the barest moment, he had a glimpse of the weariness in her eyes.
“I’ll let His Highness know when everything is ready,” Kyle told her and then his gaze flicked past her to meet Armand’s. He inclined his head. “Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Johnson.” The man headed for the elevator and Armand shut the door and locked it. Anna set her bags down stiffly.
“Have you eaten?”
She shook her head. “We didn’t exactly have the time.”
Eyeing her, he reached out and took her hand and tugged her toward the kitchen. She was quiet—too quiet—and he let her hand go and opened the refrigerator. “What’s wrong now?”
“Nothing.” Her flattened tone gave her away.
He cut a glance toward her from the corner of his eye. “Uh-huh. I know that nothing. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” She padded around to the breadbox and pulled out a loaf. His coat dwarfed her, but rather than tug it off, she’d slid her arms into the sleeves and hugged it to her like a robe.
“Hmm, it doesn’t sound like nothing.” She chose bread, so he opened the drawers till he found lunchmeats and cheeses. “In fact it sounds a lot like something.”
“No. It sounds like nothing. Because that’s all it is, nothing.” She opened and shut the
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