Page 46 of Guarding Bristol

“I know.”He watched her for a second.“I think you should take a few days off until this is resolved.”

“No.”Absolutely not.She had busted her ass to get this job, to give herself this fresh start, and as the sole female bodyguard at the firm, she had to prove herself on the daily more than the guys did.It sucked that it was necessary, but that was just how it was in this industry.“I don’t want time off.”

Time off would just mean empty hours for her to fill by mentally climbing the walls of her little house.

“Is Bristol close to her father?”

“Yes.”Reasonably so.At least compared to Cassie’s own experience.

“He’ll need to be notified, then.”

“Not until I know more.”What was the point?It would only scare the shit out of him, and he’d barely recovered from the massive heart attack he’d suffered a little more than a year ago.There was no way she would tell him yet.

“I’m happy to inform him of the situation when the time comes if you want.”

“No.It needs to come from me.Thank you, though.”

“Of course.If you change your mind, just let me know.”He pushed his chair back from the desk.“I don’t have anything more to tell you at the moment, but let me reassure you that the firm is monitoring the situation.We’ll share any pertinent intel as we get it.”

If they felt it was relevant and necessary.

He didn’t say that part out loud, but he didn’t have to.She knew how it worked.“Thanks.I need to get going too, grab Beckett that bag for Bristol.”

She rose, thanked him again on her way out and strode quickly down the hall, her mind spinning.Unable to ignore the tension in the pit of her stomach that kept reminding her that Bristol was in way over her head.And that there wasn’t a damned thing Cassie could do to fix any of it.

She heard low voices down the hall and found Tristan talking to Beckett in the reception lounge.“Hey,” Tristan said, pushing his tall frame away from the wall he’d been leaning against.“Everything okay?”

He’d stayed to check on her.

She forced a nod, the craziest thought passing through her brain.That if the two of them had been in Bristol and TJ’s position, she wouldn’t mind being forced to share a roof with him.

Which was insane and completely inappropriate, and she forcefully shoved it from her filthy mind.“What are you still doing here?I thought you left with Gavin.”

“Wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

The little catch in her heart annoyed her.Hanging around to give her emotional support was taking the work partner thing a bit farther than she was comfortable with.He was her coworker and sometimes partner on the job.They weren’t even friends.Definitely would never be more than that.Even if it wasn’t wildly inappropriate, it still wasn’t happening, because she was a complete disaster when it came to romantic relationships.

“I’m fine, thanks.”She switched her attention to Beckett, who stood with his hands braced behind him on the counter.“You taking Bristol’s stuff over to TJ’s now?”

“Was planning to.”

“Good, I’ll go with you.”She spun around and headed back to the hall before he could argue, not giving him a choice.She was going to see Bristol for herself and make sure she was okay.“Meet you out back in five.”

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