Page 199 of The Sidekick

The stony expression doesn’t ease as he watches me.

“Please trust me?” I chew my lower lip nervously. I’m not his ex, but the way I was talking just now would make anyone doubt that. “I won’t let you down.”

His head tilts, and his eyes narrow. “Fifteen minutes. If you take any longer than that, I’m coming outside to bring you back in.”

I nod earnestly and pull up a timer on my phone. On impulse, I race around the desk and kiss his cheek. I press my forehead to his temple to try and ease the anger brewing inside him.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll be right back.” I pull away to show him the timer and then hurry out the door. I don’t know how long this will take, and I don’t want to waste a second.

I’m hitting the button for the first contact before the door closes behind me. This side door is the best for emergency exits.

“Ms. Evans,” an older man says calmly. He sounds like he’s smiling. He won’t be in a few seconds.

“Mr. Matthias,” I try to be cordial as I pace and bite my lip.

“To what do I owe the honor? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“How much evidence do you need before you let Shade transfer for real?” I blurt out. Way to show him your cards there, Tera. You idiot.

“Excuse me?” There it is. The smile has dropped.

“Shade needs out of that environment. It’s toxic. What do I need to do to make that happen?”

Mr. Matthias is quiet for a moment. “Are you really living with him?”

“Yes,” I admit easily. “He’s a jerk, but we’re making this brother/sister relationship work. By communicating.” That might be a low blow, but I’m sticking to my guns.

“And what has he told you?” His tone turns dark and silky. Not in a sexy way like Trevor or Asher. In a way that makes a cold chill spill down my back like death is behind me and ready to take me away. He wants to know if Shade has told me secrets. I’m taking all of those to my grave. No one is getting them out of me.

“He told me that they were cheating on him. Now they’re harassing him because he won’t fall in line. He just wants a break. What’s so wrong with that?” I plead.

“Hm,” comes his noncommittal response, amping up my frustration.

“Those guys are idiots,” I snap, letting my temper loose. “They think me and Shade are in a relationship, even when we both tell them we’re not. They’re punishing him for stuff they’ve made up in their heads. I’m not letting them do that to him.”

“Are you protecting Shade?” He asks in surprise.

I know. He’s a grown man who is deadly. That doesn’t make him any less my big brother.

“Yes. And I’m calling in backup. You might want to warn them.” I cringe as I add the last part.

There’s the loud creak of a chair as Mr. Matthias straightens. “Are you saying you’re calling in the woman you brought to deal with Glasgow?”

“Yes, sir,” I say grimly.

South is the only person who would look a violent stalker in the face and not flinch. Of course, I called her about Glasgow. The man was stalking Andi, but he wasn’t the serial killer. He was a different kind of monster, and the bodyguards were focusing on him so much they were missing the bigger picture. So, South intervention was necessary.

“You told me you only call her for emergencies,” his tone grows dark again. I hate it.

“Yes, sir,” I agree. “Shade is family now, and I’m going to make sure he stays safe.”

“Just like you did with Andi?” His voice becomes curious.

“Yes, sir.”

“I see,” he mutters. I hear some paperwork shifting around in the background. When it stops, he speaks again. “I can give him a few months away from them.”

“If I gain enough evidence proving their harassment, can you make it a permanent move?” I ask hopefully and cross my fingers.

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