Page 46 of Taming Achilles

“Let me worry about that, Mr. Campbell.”

“Pippa, if …” His hand went to his hair and he tugged it at the roots. “If what I … if …” He took a deep breath. “I won’t … we won’t …” He let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling. “I know I’ve taken things too far. We can stop. We will stop. Don’t do anything rash …”

“I don’t care for any excuses, Mr. Campbell,” I said coldly. As cold as my ice baths. As cold as the Swiss ice caps that never melted. “The price is too high for the services rendered. I will not be requiring your services any longer.”

I pressed the call button for a nurse, just as the door opened and Detectives Delgado and Tanner walked in. No, not Detective Delgado. What had Geordie called her when they were warmly speaking on the phone like they were planning a date? Athanya? She didn’t even have the courtesy of having an ugly name. Bitch.

“How are you feeling, Miss Fox?” Delgado said as I visualised all the ways I could separate her golden skin from her body.

“What did you find?” Geordie stood from the bed, and the loss of his warmth made me feel cold. Did he step away so that he could keep flirting with Athanya? I was the mistress. The dirty little secret. The whore. Was he moving on from Simona to the bitchy detective? She was probably his type. A serious professional, wearing discount suits with ugly shoes.

“Nothing. Not even a shell,” Tanner said, visibly frustrated. Then he turned to me, his eyes warmed. “How are you Miss Fox?”

“Oh, Rhys,” I crooned, reaching a hand out to him. Two could play at this game. “Call me Pippa, please.”

I heard a faint growl come from Geordie. Take that, you Scottish twat.

“Pippa,” Tanner said in that light American drawl. It wasn’t an unpleasant sound.

“We’ve cordoned the area, but I think it might be good for you to look at the site. See if you notice something we don’t.” Delgado was ignoring me, as always, talking only to Geordie.

I was obviously too ditzy to understand what they were doing. I was just a model, after all.

“A’right, but I may send one of my snipers in my place.” Geordie was nodding. “He may see something that I don’t.”

“Someone also broke into your apartment last night.” Tanner walked to my bedside, his hand extended to me. I looked at him as if he was a sight for sore eyes. “And left you a message.”

“What?” Fear coursed through my body. Was it like the message on the card? Was it a threat to me? To Geordie? Was it Rhodes or Victor? There were so many questions. “What did they say?”

“They wrote on your bed in what looks like pig’s blood, but we’re sending it out for testing.” Delgado was all business again. “It said Don’t let him come between us.” She gave me a side eye then turned her eyes to Geordie. “Any idea what that could mean?”

I looked to Geordie, who kept his mouth shut. Athanya, in her brown, boxy blazer that was less than flattering on her, was looking to him for answers.

“No. I don’t know who that could mean.” I interrupted their eye contact, reminding the Detective that I was, in fact, still in the room.

“There was no video again, and no traces of a break in except the blood.” Tanner’s voice was slow. Drawly. Like some contemporary cowboy in some thriller. I really wished that I found it attractive. “I’m just glad you weren’t in there, Pippa.”

I tried to smile at him, but I’m sure it fell a little flat. I was so tired.

“I think that’s it.” Athanya turned to Geordie again. “Can I talk to you outside?”

She cast a quick glance my way, then looked back at Geordie. The fucking bitch.

“If it’s about me, then I expect to be apprised of the situation.” I narrowed my eyes on that witch, reminding her that this was my problem, not Geordie’s. He wasn’t my parent. I was an adult, calling on them for help. I was his fucking employer! “After all, it regards my security.”

She smiled condescendingly back at me. “It’s not pertinent. I’ll speak to your security man since …”

“He’s not my security anymore,” I said, but Geordie quickly stepped forward to contradict me.

“She’s concussed and not thinking straight.” He put his hand on Athanya’s lower back and led her out the door so they could “chat”. Whatever that meant. If it wasn’t pertinent, then what was it? Were they arranging their own little date night?

I hope she gives him a disease, I bitterly thought as they walked out of the room.

“Would you mind if I borrowed your phone?” I turned to Rhys and tried to blush. “I don’t know where mine is.”

I needed to call in the big guns and bring in external help. But I couldn’t let Geordie find out just yet. Not with that Scottish temper. So I had to get around the little bug he put in my civilian phone.

Rhys fished out his phone with no hesitation and put in his code before handing it to me.

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