Page 22 of Known By You
But also a vain little part of me thought…shoot.I kept in shape but I was no movie star.
Jack shut the door behind us, then extended his hand to me. “Good to see you.”
I accepted his hand and he hauled me forward into a half-embrace. One of thosewe shake hands but also hug and pat each other’s backsthings only men seemed to do.
Um, hello.My mind was screaming, “Are we best friends now!?”
“Likewise.” I hoped I didn’t sound as excited by his friendliness as I felt. I tended toward recognizing people and putting them at ease, but in the face of a client and A-list celebrity, I never wanted to seem like I was encroaching on his space or trying to get something from him. Everyone knew Jack.
But also, he’d just half-hugged me so I guessed now we were bffs. Wee!
“This is Elizabeth Malcom. She’s new to Saint.” I didn’t need to explain she was fully vetted—Jack would know that. He was close with Julian Grenier, Bruce, and Wilder, and by now, he knew Cookie and Jess very well after they’d bothworked with him personally at different times, not to mention most of the other Saint staff.
“Nice to meet you. Thanks for being here,” Jack said, taking Liz’s proffered hand. They shook once, then released.
I couldn’t resist the pull toward her face, though I internally braced against what I’d find there. Peripherally, I saw them both step back and… nothing. She betrayed nothing but an expression of calm and readiness.
Not that I would’ve expected her to be ruffled by a celebrity as someone who’d likely met all manner of foreign dignitaries and maybe even celebrities, but her seeming to have absolutely no change in demeanor was nothing short of fascinating.
Jack stepped closer and lowered his voice. “She’s almost ready. Please just…” he exhaled, his brow furrowed. “Be kind.”
“Of course,” Liz said, a rote response.
But also, of course we would. Jack had to know that since he knew the quality of people and values at Saint, but he was clearly worried, and his concern for the woman gave me a little tick of awareness.
This feeling, I knew. I’d always had it, but it’d been honed in battle and had developed in new ways as I’d transitioned to Saint and the danger wasn’t always as overt. This sensation told me we hadn’t gotten the entire story and any minute, we were about to.
“No issues. Can we grab bags?” I asked, every alarm in my head blaring as he didn’t say another word. I wasn’t about to show him his words concerned me, so we’d focus on baggage, but when a man like Jack looked this worried… there was cause for concern.
And when the petite blond woman walked in, her bellyrounded by what must’ve been a nearly full-term child, one look at her face told me why.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Elizabeth
Kenny stiffened next to me, and I instantly moved.
“I’m Elizabeth. Can I take your bag?” I asked the woman, looking her squarely in the eyes and not letting my gaze wander to the bruising under her left one and across her cheek.
“I’m Evie. And um, no. It’s okay. I’ve got it.” Her eyes dropped.
“Evie, let them help. They’re carrying my bag, too,” Jack said, catching my attention with his serious expression.
I nodded, understanding at least part of what he wanted. Evie needed help, and she wasn’t likely to take it unless she wasn’t getting special treatment.
Evie swallowed and released the handle to her roller bag without looking up.
Interesting.What was the dynamic here?
“If you’ll give us just a minute, we’ll meet you by the elevators,” Jack said, his voice soft.
“That okay with you, Evie?” Kenny asked.
She startled. “Yes.”
Kenny studied her a moment, then took Jack’s bag and waved me forward. I exited first, and he let the door close softly behind us.
I had hardly turned back toward him before he spoke.
