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Elle
I awoke to the delicious aroma of coffee, the lilting but annoying sound of Trace calling my name, and an entire timpani drum corps playing inside my head. I rolled over in bed with a groan and wiggled my fingers to Trace without opening my eyes. I needed some coffee inside me before my vision would work.
A warm mug settled into my hand, and I raised my head as I lifted the steaming liquid to my mouth.
Trace sat down on the side of my bed and I sat up a bit more to scootch over and make room for him. That brought out another groan of pain.
Trace laughed, soft and low in deference to my aching head. “It’s a good thing I’m not out to hurt you like your boy suspects, or else I could have just poisoned you.”
Jonah. I’d forgotten about him for a moment. I internally sighed with the pretty picture of him in my head, all dark and sexy and charming with that fine ass of his, and the vision eased my headache a bit.
I cocked one eye open to glare at Trace, though. “He’s not my boy.” I groaned and clutched at my head and then lowered my voice to barely above a whisper. “He’s VA’s boy.” And I needed to remember that.
“I beg to differ,” Trace said quietly. “I think if you gave him a chance, he could be yours.”
This had me opening both eyes. Trace was always the first one to urge caution when I made new friends or acquaintances, but now, he was pushing me to give Jonah a chance? Trying to think straight just made my head hurt more. “Why did you let me drink so much tequila?”
Trace laughed that soft, sweet, chuckle of his that made me feel warm inside. “Baby doll, that was all on you. I was actually ditching as many shots as I could without you noticing.”
My eyes widened. “Seriously?”
The corner of his mouth cocked up. “Yeah, we didn’t need to be visiting the ER last night for alcohol poisoning. Can you imagine the headlines?”
He was right. I didn’t usually let myself go like I had last night, and this morning’s headache was a good reminder of why. That and I hated to be out of control. Thankfully, Trace had taken over for me, and I knew he’d probably protected me from myself.
“Shit. I’m sorry, T, but thank you for looking out for me.” I wrapped my hands around his waist where he sat next to me on the bed and rested my head on his shoulder, but then I caught sight of the clock on the nightstand. “Oh, hell, I’m going to be late for class.”
I shot out of bed and then stilled and closed my eyes as the world tilted. I clutched at my temple. “But first, aspirin.”
I staggered down the stairs and stumbled into the kitchen where I fumbled a bottle of aspirin, shaking several out into my hand and gulping them down with some water. As I waited for my head and my stomach to stop swimming, Jonah’s sleep-tousled head popped up from the couch.
I screamed in surprise, and he leapt over the back of the couch, searching for danger.
“What is it?” he asked.
I couldn’t help it. I laughed at him. His dark hair stuck out in every direction. I never would have guessed the smooth, suave guy I met yesterday could look so damn rough in the morning. I guess he really was human after all.
“Nothing. Sorry. I just didn’t realize you were asleep on the sofa, so you startled me when you sat up. Why are you asleep there instead of the spare room?” I didn’t remember coming home last night, and I didn’t like the guy, but surely I hadn’t been that mean. I wouldn’t have condemned him to a too-short couch when there was a perfectly good king-sized bed in the spare room.
“I actually didn’t sleep at all. I only laid down after I heard Trace get up. My job is to protect you. That means watching for intruders.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “You can’t do that. Your body needs rest.” My gaze dropped to said body, clad now in a thin T-shirt and basketball shorts that seemed to cling to all his muscles. He certainly didn’t look like he was suffering any ill-effects.
“Going forward today,” Jonah said in a very low voice, “I need you to remember this moment right now and keep using exactly that expression.”
I glanced up at him in question.
He shrugged.
That refocused me back on his curvy, muscular biceps. Damn, tequila must make me horny. But then what he was saying registered, and that flung me out of my horny euphoria.
I screeched in outrage. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m supposed to be here as your boyfriend. The looks you’re giving me this morning are much better than the scorn that you kept flinging yesterday, especially if we want to convince anyone that we like one another. And I realize that me being close is uncomfortable, but I need you to make an effort not to flinch at every little touch. I’ll try to give you warning when I can before I touch you.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. I was too hung-over to realize how blatantly I’d been checking him out, but now I was completely mortified. Could the Earth just swallow me up now, please?
He stepped closer to me, watching me carefully as he slowly lifted his hand and brushed the backs of his fingertips lightly over my cheek.
I closed my eyes at the force of the electrical pulse that thrummed through me at his light caress.
“And now a blush,” he said, his voice lower and more intimate.
He kept distracting me. I yearned to lean into him and to do some touching of my own.
But then he said, “You are just full of surprises, Illumination.”
I yanked back from him. His use of my real name was exactly the wakeup call I needed. What the hell was I doing, letting him touch me? And liking it. Jonah was the enemy. I needed to remember that.
He frowned at me, puzzled like he didn’t know what he’d done.
“Well, if we’re going to do this, then maybe you need to remember my name is Elle.” Then I stomped my way back upstairs to get ready for class.
His mocking laughter echoed behind me, making me grind my teeth to dust.
***
JONAH
As Elle stomped up the stairs, I leaned over the kitchen counter, my head falling to my chest, and took several deep breaths, trying to regain control of my body. My erection pulsed with need and want. That had been too close.
When Elle had looked up at me with those deep-brown eyes filled with want and desire, it had taken everything I had not to reach for her and shove my dick as far inside her pliant body that I could. I had to remind her that she hated me for both our sakes.
Hell. This assignment was going to kill me. While I needed her to cooperate with me, I couldn’t have her so agreeable that I forgot my reason for being here. If my judgment got impaired by lust, Elle could die. Unacceptable.
To hide my desire, I’d provoked her again. But I wasn’t sure it had been worth it. For a moment, she’d been open to me...receptive. A flash of pain had flitted across her expression when I reminded her exactly who I was. I didn’t want to be the guy who ever caused her pain.
“Man, I really wish I wasn’t leaving,” Trace said, and my gaze flew up to him.
Some bodyguard I was. I hadn’t even heard him come in. Fuck. I had to get my head screwed back on straight—the one on my shoulders, not the one that Trace was blatantly checking out.
He shook his head. “You got it bad, man. But you now have her good and mad, so I hope that works with your plan.”
I wanted to laugh. What plan? God, I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. I’d never been this thrown off by an assignment before. I needed Dillon to get here before I managed to get Elle killed.
I nodded. “Yep. Perfect. Everything’s just...perfect. If you can keep an eye on things, I’m gonna go grab a shower in the bathroom down here before we head to the campus.”
“No problem, man.”
***
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER when I came out of the spare bedroom, Elle looked up from eating her dry toast at the kitchen island. While still pale, she wasn’t quite as green as she’d been before, so I guessed the aspirin and shower had taken care of most of her hangover.
She wore baggy dark jeans, a large slouchy black T-shirt, and black chucks. The only color on her anywhere came from a worn looking baseball cap holding her long, mahogany hair in a ponytail. I squinted to see what it said. Morning Wood Timber Company Inspector.
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Is that an invitation?”
“In your dreams, security boy.” She eyed my backpack suspiciously. “Why are you carrying that?”
I glanced behind me at my nondescript black backpack and then turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. “What? Don’t most college students still carry backpacks?”
She squinted her eyes at me. “Yes, but you aren’t in college. I am.”
I pulled out my wallet and flashed my New Mexico Tech University ID card. “As of three days ago, so am I.” I widened my eyes dramatically, while really enjoying the way her eyes flashed with anger. “Surprisingly enough, I just happen to be a senior in the Political Sciences and Public Relations degree program, too. A transfer student. Isn’t that a great coincidence, honeybunch?”
“Oh, god,” she groaned. “I’m going to kill VA for saddling me with you.”
I mock pouted. “But I like you, Elle.”
Her eyes widened when I used her nickname and she seemed to soften just the tiniest bit as she blew out a big sigh. “Okay, well, if we’re going to do this, then we need to go. Neither one of us needs to be late today. We’re scheduled for a quiz.” She sent me a look of pure challenge.
“Bring it. I’m ready.” I gave her my biggest shit-eating grin.
Honestly, it didn’t matter if I was ready or not. I could fake my way through the tests and it wouldn’t matter in the long run. The Hawk Works computer guys had made a fake account for the registrar’s lists. I had special permission directly from the President’s office to be armed and that was the only person on campus who knew my real identity.
I had all the paperwork verifying me as a transfer, transcripts, and the correct books if anyone cared to check. They could also fix my grades for me if I needed them to. It helped to have the computer hackers on my side. But this was a huge college campus with thirty thousand undergrad students. I doubted anyone would question a thing.
On the drive to the campus, I began to outline the rules for Elle, since she’d passed out last night, and we hadn’t gotten to cover them. “Number one, I need you within my reach at all times. I can’t protect you if we’re somehow separated.” I reached across the car, making sure she saw the movement of my hand before I rested my hand on top of her thigh.
She flinched, just as I expected.
“Number two, we’re supposed to be dating. You cannot show reactions like that if we plan for this cover to work.”
I could feel her frown from across the SUV. “I don’t understand the whole lie aspect of this. Are you trying to become a spy? It’s not like people don’t know who I am after the circus of the last month. Why not just say you’re my bodyguard?”
“Because this guy is still out there somewhere, gunning for you.”
She shivered, and I didn’t show a reaction. She tried so hard to cover her fear, even though it was written in every inch of her tight shoulders and clenched fists.
“If he realizes I’m a bodyguard, he’s liable to do something that could endanger those around us to get me out of the way. If I come across as a dumb, college student, we’re hoping he’ll underestimate me.”
“You’re hoping to catch him using me as bait.” The blood leached from her face.
“It’s not as blatant as that, but if he’s behind bars, you can rest easy. That won’t happen unless he feels like he can get to you again.”
“No. Absolutely not.” Her voice shook as she began scratching at the door to get away from me.
I was thankful I’d turned on the child locks last night after the restaurant because the last thing I needed was Elle diving out of a moving car and bouncing off the pavement.
“I am not here as your bait.” Her voice rose in panic. “I never want to see him again.”
I checked the lanes around me before I pulled into a parking lot before I got into a wreck, because Elle had spun out into a panic.
When I got the car stopped, I wondered what might be the best way to approach this with her. I didn’t think me touching her would do it, so instead, I used shock factor. “What did it feel like when he first abducted you?”
She froze and looked at me like I’d just shit in her car. “What?” she whispered. Her voice was so quiet, I couldn’t even hear the word over the hum of the engine, but I’d read her lips.
“In those first few moments when you realized someone had kidnapped you, what did it feel like?”
Terror washed across her face. I hated myself for having to do this.
“It was the most terrifying moment of my life.” Her entire body shook.
I couldn’t keep my hands to myself any longer. I reached across the car, undid her seatbelt, and pulled her into my lap. “I’m here now to make sure that never happens again.” I stroked up and down her back and waited for her shaking to slow. “I’m not bragging when I say I can protect you. I can and will lay down my life to make sure no one gets close to you. After class today, I can take you to a gym and give you a demonstration of just how lethal I can be with my body, but I’m also legally armed.”
She stiffened, and I took her hand, guiding it under my jacket so she’d feel the gun strapped to my side. “That’s my Glock. I also have knives strapped on my forearms and calves. If the worst does happen to me and I’m taken out, you need to know where these weapons are so you can use them. We haven’t practiced that, but that’s just because we haven’t had time. I’ll train you on how to use all of them. You’re not defenseless anymore. I’m your first line of defense, but I’m going to make sure you have backups after backups. Tonight, my best friend and fellow bodyguard, Dillon, is coming to back me up. No one will get to you. I will keep you safe with everything I have in me. Okay?”
I leaned back so I could look her in the eyes, which were a little more wet and red than they had been before.
I brushed my thumb high on her cheek, caressing the soft skin there. “I know you’re scared. Anyone would be after what you’ve been through. But the key to not being scared is knowing that you’re safe. The best way to do that is to catch this fucker. But until we do that, I will do everything I can to make sure you feel as safe and protected as possible. Use me. Trust me. You and me...we’re a team now. We can outmaneuver and outsmart this asshole if we work together.”
Her shoulders squared and she seemed to pull herself back together. “Okay. I like this plan.”
I helped her crawl back across to her side of the car. “And with that being said, you probably should know our story.”
Her eyes were perfectly clear when she looked at me in dismay. “Our story? What are we? Some cheesy Lifetime movie?”
“In fact, yes. We met two years ago at a concert in Texas.”
“I don’t go to concerts,” she growled. “My mother is ViviAnna. If I wanted to hear someone sing, all I have to do is go to one of her parties. Besides, I’m not exactly the concert type.”
She had a point there. “Okay, I can see that. Where do you think we should say we met?”
She considered that for a moment and then lit up. “Two summers ago, I volunteered at the UNICEF office in Austin. We met there since you worked there part-time as a janitor.”
She probably thought it would bother me to admit to working as a janitor, but it was good, honest work for a college-aged guy. “I like it.” I nodded. “Long story short, I’ve stayed in Austin to pursue my degree, and we’ve done the long-distance thing quietly for a couple of years. But after your kidnapping, I had a wakeup call and realized the distance between us was crazy. I decided to transfer here so I could be with you.”
“You’re such a romantic soul,” she taunted. It was nice to hear her sarcasm coming back to her.
“I am at that,” I agreed.
“Okay, anything else I need to know?” she asked, and it almost seemed like she was willing to do whatever we needed to now to keep her safe.
I sure as hell hoped that was the case. It’d make my job much easier.
“Just a couple more rules.” I decided to just stay parked here while we hashed this all out. Getting in a wreck because we were arguing would defeat any and all traction I’d gained in the last few minutes.
“If I tell you to run, you’ll do it immediately. No questions asked.” I handed her a business card. “Put this number into your cell phone. That’s your emergency number for Hawk Works, the security company I work for. If something happens, you send an SOS to that number, and they will get to you as soon as physically possible. ” I handed a set of earrings to her. “Also, put these on. They have GPS trackers in them. You should also know that last night while you slept, I put trackers in your backpack and purse.”
“Do you want to microchip me?” She laughed.
“That’s actually really tempting, but I don’t think we have to go to that extreme yet. Although we may want to seriously consider adding some trackers into the lining of your undergarments.”
She looked a little wide-eyed, but she continued to nod, so I guessed she was still on the same page right now. But I was probably about to push her out of the freaking book with the next demand.
“Finally, if you have to do something like go to a women’s restroom, I will go with you.”
“Okay, that all sounds do-able.”
“Okay?” Shock reverberated through me. “That easy? Especially that last one?”
She laughed. “Would you feel better if I argued with you about it?”
I stared at her in shock. Could it really be that easy? Things were never that easy with her. “Damn. Just how bad is your hangover today?”
“Not that bad anymore.” She shrugged and glanced uncomfortably out the window of the SUV. “They tried to keep the details hushed, so it must not have been in my file, but he kidnapped me from a women’s restroom. I have no problem never going in one of those alone ever again.” A light shudder rolled over her.
Damn. No, I hadn’t known that fact. It should have been in the file, because it gave a good clue into the way this guy worked.
“Okay, well, if you don’t have any other questions...” I hesitated, and she just shook her head. “Then, let’s go to college.”
The rest of the drive was quiet. Once we got closer to the campus, I asked, “Where do you normally park? I scouted it all last night, and I’m guessing that the West G parking lot would be the best place for your classes.”
She laughed at me with a shake of her head. “Oh, no. If we wanted to get into West G, we had to be here at least two hours ago. No, I hope you wore your hiking shoes because we are going to be walking. I normally put in about seven to nine miles walking on my Mondays, because my classes are so spread out. And as late as we are, the only place you’re going to find a parking spot right now is in East Q, or if you’re really, lucky maybe N. But if it were me driving, I’d just shoot for Q because we need to hoof it before we’re locked out of International Ag Trade.”
“Well, we sure wouldn’t want to miss one minute of what sounds to be a riveting class, so Q it is.”
We were lucky to get one of the last two spots in Q, and we slid inside the door of class just three minutes before class began. The class was in a large lecture hall but only had about twenty to thirty students in it, most of them sitting in the first few rows of the class.
“Come on,” Elle said, drawing me by the hand. “I sit over here, although it looks like Minerva isn’t here yet.”
“Minerva?”
Elle nodded and sat down.
I sat next to her.
“Yeah, she’s cool, although it sounds like her uncle’s a bit weird. He’s always giving her free makeup that she passes along.” Elle shrugged.
From what I’d seen here and in the past, Elle never wore makeup. She was a natural beauty even if she hid it under that waterfall of dark hair and baggy clothes. Her striking looks were still hard to miss if someone were paying any attention at all.
“We swap notes when one of us skips.” Elle glanced up at the door, looking for her friend. “Hopefully, she’s been here the last few weeks, so I can borrow her notes and catch up.”
“Won’t your professor give you the class notes?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I think so if I asked, but it’s just easier to get them from a friend. I don’t want to flag myself on anyone’s radar if I don’t have to.” She looked behind me. “Oh, good. There’s Minerva now.”
I turned with a smile on my face, ready to greet one of my “girlfriend’s” friends, but the girl who I assumed was Minerva glared daggers at me as she approached. She looked like Fat Amy from the Pitch Perfect movies, but with dark hair and a livid scowl on her face directed at me.
“You’re in my spot,” she said to me before even greeting Elle.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I glanced over at Elle. “I didn’t realize this professor assigned seating.”
Elle bit her lip but watched Minerva with wide eyes. “Um, he doesn’t. Minerva, it’s okay. This is my boyfriend, Jonah. He just transferred in from Texas.”
“No.” She shook her head. “If he has to sit with you, he has to sit on the other side. This is my side.”
I stood and raised both hand in supplication. “Hey, it’s all good. I didn’t mean any offense. I’ll just move to the other side.”
Minerva just harrumphed and tapped her foot impatiently while I picked up my bag and scooted past Elle’s knees. Wow, this girl was wound tight.
Finally, all three of us were seated. Minerva turned to Elle and acted like nothing had just happened. She gathered Elle up in a cushy hug and cooed. “You poor thing. I’ve been following the whole drama on TENews. Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he? I can’t believe you got away, but you looked so pretty when you were found. I was so relieved. That was so scary.” She said all this without ever taking a single breath.
Elle just laughed it all off, sounding a little uncomfortable with the attention. “I’m fine, and now, I have Jonah with me, so I’m even better.”
She grabbed hold of my hand, and I was surprised at how sweaty and shaky it was. I wasn’t sure if it was the subject matter or the attention that had her so upset, but either way, I didn’t like it. I gripped her hand tighter.
I told her, “And I’m not letting this girl out of my sight again.”
At this, Minerva finally looked at me again, but her face twisted into an expression of extreme distaste. She actually curled her lip at me. “What did you say your name was?”
“Minerva,” Elle interjected. “This is Jonah Sutton. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Since when?” Minerva hissed out. “You’ve never mentioned him before.”
“No.” Elle shook her head. “You know how I am about all the fame and stuff. I try to keep my private life private. I haven’t told anyone about him, because I didn’t want him hounded by the press. TENews loves all the drama. Can you imagine how they’d stalk him if they knew about him?”
Minerva looked me up and down as if judging me. “I guess some people might find him okay. But Elle...” She lowered her voice as if to make it so I couldn’t hear her. “You really could do better.”
As Elle snorted in laughter, the professor began the class.
Damn, that was harsh. It was a good thing I didn’t need my ego stroked today, because it sure as hell wasn’t going to be coming from either one of these girls.
The rest of the day was spent running to and from classes with riveting subject matter like Applied Optimization Methods and Comparative Politics. Unfortunately with these all being third and fourth level college courses, most the subject matter went way above my head. Before today, I thought I could pretty much hold my own in the world of International studies. I’d served in the military and had deployed to a lot of places most people only saw on the news, but I was quickly coming to see that was nothing compared to the politics and economics behind it all.
After three classes, we finally hit the SUB—Student Union Building—for some much needed lunch and an hour-long break.
I sat at a small table in the corner where I could keep an eye on anyone approaching us. Elle joined me with her California roll sushi and eyed my double-decker bacon cheeseburger with disbelief. “How do you stay in such good shape when you eat crap like that?”
I grinned at her. “You think I have a good body?” So, sue me...maybe the remarks during our first class had made a little ding in my ego.
She rolled her eyes. “You know you do. What are you? Five percent body fat?”
More like three, but I just nodded, pleased with the turn of this discussion. My dick perked up at the hint that Elle might be attracted to me. “Well, I do work out a lot. It takes a lot of practice and repetition to keep up the physical aspects of the job.” I shrugged. “So, yeah, for the most part, I can splurge every once in a while, and it’s fine.”
“That’s cool.” She dug into her sushi and watched the various students going through the SUB.
Look at us, being all civil and relaxed together. I might just survive this assignment after all. I just had to get a better handle on the low-level thrum of arousal I experienced every time I was within three feet of her, which was pretty much all the time.
“So, why international studies?” I asked.
Her face literally glowed as a wide smile broke free. “It’s what I want to do. I don’t appreciate a lot about the way VA decided to raise me, but what I am thankful for is that she’s heavily involved with EDAC—Everyone Deserves A Chance. Are you familiar with it?”
I shook my head. “I’ve heard of it in general terms, but I’m not really aware of what the charity does.”
“EDAC goes into third-world nations around the globe and helps educate and establish the locals within their governments so that they can become self-sustaining. In some regions, that means teaching them agriculture. In others, that means establishing manufacturing with fair and ethical treatment of the local population. It’s different in every location, depending on the region of the world they’re in and what will work for the community to bring about the best practices so that the locals can then support themselves. It’s a wonderful group, and I plan to work with them after I graduate.”
Wow, this girl. She astounded me day after day. Her mother was richer than rich, but instead of becoming one of a million other flighty social media butterflies, Elle looked to do this incredible thing with her life. And even committing to do this, she wasn’t taking the easy route. “I would think with your mother’s contributions, you already could have a position with them.”
“You’re right. I could, but it’s important that I have something to offer with my knowledge, too. I don’t want to be just another worker bee. I want to be someone who makes a difference—to communities, to nations—so that every person in this world has the chance to live up to their potential. That’s all anyone wants. A chance.”
Wow. As she spoke, her enthusiasm and excitement shone through every word, every inflection. Her passion made me want to jump up and volunteer my next vacation to work within the organization.
I grabbed her hand, needing to touch her like needing to feel sunshine on a frigid, cold day.
She jolted a bit at my touch.
“EDAC will be very lucky to have you,” I said.
She gave me a soft smile.
Anyone would be lucky to have her. When I came into this job, I expected to find a privileged diva, but as I peeled back the layers of Elle, I found that she was so, so much more.
I cleared my throat. “So, where to now?” I gathered up the trash on top of the table, clearing it.
“Mrs. Latham’s bread crumbs.”
I rushed after her. “Is that code for something?”
She wove her way through the throngs of students and laughed as she headed toward the sub shop. She plucked a plastic bag off the counter and lifted it. “Thanks, Ricky.” One of the guys working nodded at her in acknowledgement.
Turning to me, she lifted the bag. “No code. Real bread crumbs. Come on. You’ll see.”
We crossed the quad and walked about half a mile—she totally hadn’t been exaggerating when she warned me about how much we’d be walking today—to a little corner patio filled with benches, stone paths, and large artistic sculptures. There were also pigeons—a lot of them.
Sitting on one of the benches in the far corner was a bent, curly-haired, old lady. As Elle approached, she lifted her head and her wrinkled face broke out in a large smile.
“Elle, you’re back.” She reached her age-spotted hand to pull Elle down on the bench beside her. “Where have you been, child? Have you been sick? I’ve been worried about you.”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Latham. I would have gotten hold of you if I could have, but you know I went home to see my mom.”
Mrs. Latham nodded.
Elle gave her a tight smile. “There were a few—” She hesitated for a moment, glanced at me, and then said, “A few problems. Nothing major, but they delayed me for a bit longer than I’d planned.”
Mrs. Latham frowned. “I hope things are okay with your mother.”
“Oh, yeah,” Elle said on a laugh. “Don’t worry. Nothing is slowing my mother down.”
“That’s good, dear.” Mrs. Latham patted Elle’s hand just like grandmother types always seem to do. Then she nodded her head back at me. “Now, why don’t you introduce me to your young man who’s lurking behind me, so that I don’t get a crick in my neck.”
I stepped forward so I stood more in her direct line of sight. “Sorry, ma’am.”
“Mrs. Latham, this is my boyfriend, Jonah. He just transferred here from Texas.”
“Oh, my,” Mrs. Latham said with a raised eyebrow as her vivid, mischievous blue eyes examined me up and down...several times. “Now, he’s a looker. Aren’t you the lucky girl?”
“I’ll take your word for it, Mrs. L.” Elle laughed again. I’d never heard her sound as carefree as she seemed to be with this little old lady. Layers...Elle definitely had them.
She handed over her bag of bread. “I’ll leave this here with you. I hope none of the pigeons starved while I was gone.”
Mrs. Latham clicked her tongue. “It was a close thing for Edward, but the rest didn’t seem to care much. They just watched me knit with a more-focused zeal.” She lifted the knitting that sat abandoned in her lap. She opened the bag and began to toss bits to the pigeons that suddenly surrounded her excitedly. “Now, you kids better head off to class. You don’t want to be late. You know Professor Richards won’t stand for that.”
“I know, that’s the truth.” Elle mock shuddered and then bent down to kiss Mrs. Latham’s leathery cheek. “I missed you, Mrs. L. We’ll see you Wednesday.”
Mrs. Latham touched her cheek. “Thank you, dear.”
As we walked away, I threaded my hand through hers. She was getting more used to me using all these little touches. She didn’t even stiffen up this time.
I finally said, “Okay, you have to explain that. How did you and Mrs. Latham manage to become friends?”
“We share a love of that courtyard. I go there sometimes to write and clear my head. One of those times, we just happened to be there at the same time, and Mrs. Latham...” Elle shrugged. “Well, she’s kind of hard to resist when she wants to chat, and now, we’re friends.”
So many layers to this girl.
Not too many college kids would even notice an older person sitting alone like that. Not only had Elle noticed, but she had actively made an effort to do something nice for her.
“I think she’s lonely,” Elle said sadly. “Her husband died last year, and when we first met, she talked about him all the time. That’s why she comes to the campus. They met when they were both going to school. Being on campus reminds her of happier times with him. It’s just so sweet and romantic, even though it’s a bit bittersweet. I like her. When my life feels overwhelming, she grounds me.”
“That’s really nice,” I said.
Elle didn’t seem to have many friends. Her need for privacy probably made it hard to trust people, but like Trace had said...the ones that were in her inner circle were extremely lucky. I was suddenly finding myself wanting to be one of those trusted, chosen ones.
Then we were off on another hustle to wend our way to class, Sustaining Global Ecology, Natural Resources, and Economy this time. At this rate, I was going to need a nap...preferably not during class.
So, when we sat down in the next lecture hall, I decided to check in on my Hawk Works email to see if there was any work I needed to be doing. My laptop was outfitted with a security screen, so I didn’t have to worry about one of the students reading over my shoulder.
I was also able to run hacking software against all the computers running in the room, just in case one of Elle’s classmates had important information about what was going on with her. The investigators researching her kidnapping had very little to go on for the suspect’s profile except that he was obsessed and willing to go to extremes. Any one of the people she went to class with could be that person or someone working for him.
So, I’d run the program in every class so far today. The only thing I discovered, though, was that a startling number of students watched porn in class. Seriously, what was up with that?
I also found out that Dillon would be arriving in a couple more hours. I checked today’s schedule and sent him a text that he’d have to catch a ride to the Windsett Complex since Elle had classes until seven tonight.
Man, her Monday schedule sucked hairy donkey balls. I sent a note to Jennifer to let her know exactly who Dillon was, and that it was okay to let him into Elle’s place.
He’d have a couple of hours there before we got home, so I emailed him a checklist of security to-dos within the apartment. Number one was roll-down, metal shutters for the windows. Elle’s windows had bulletproof glass, but the extra layer of security would give both her and me a bit more peace of mind.
As we walked between the next classes, Elle opened her backpack and removed a package. She opened it and offered me one of the big, macadamia nut cookies.
I couldn’t mask my surprise, so of course she took offense. “What?” she practically yelled at me. “You’re lagging a bit. The sugar will help revive you, and these have nuts in them, so there’s protein, too.” She nudged the cookie at me again. “It will help. I promise.”
“Thanks.” I took the cookie and bit into it. I didn’t know what was more disconcerting...the fact that I was lagging or the fact that she could read me so well. Neither was necessarily good for my ability to do my job.
“So, why is your Monday schedule so brutal?” I asked.
“I want to get this degree done this year, and that should be do-able. That meant I needed to hit it hard this semester. Normally, I don’t take more than eighteen hours, but I’m taking twenty-one in person and another three online. My thought was that I could drop one if I needed to. I wasn’t counting on getting kidnapped and missing three weeks of the first month in class. Overall, my professors have been great and have allowed me some leeway, but I haven’t been in class enough to know if I should drop one and which one that should be if I do.”
She pointed to the doorway of our next class. “So, yeah, Mondays are a bear, but the flipside of that is that my Tuesdays and Thursdays are so easy. It makes today worth it knowing that tomorrow, I’m only on campus for two hours.”
I waggled my eyebrows at her. “I can’t wait.”