Page 106 of Fortune's Control
“Not at all. Not even a little. I have different plans.” Sophie opened her car door so the overhead light came on as she wiggled her brows. “Like Sam said, you’ll be the first to know. That’s a promise.”
Shane’s truck rolled to a stop behind us.
“We were fantastic,” I said to him after he stepped down. Poor service interrupted our phone call, so we switched to messaging afterward.
“She was fantastic. Seriously, I should have taken a video. Lilah showed numbers and graphs until my head exploded.” Sophie mimed it for additional effect. “I swear the suits were throwing her dollar signs by the end.” Jack stepped out of the passenger side of Shane’s truck, and her amusement faded. “I’m going to shower.”
Sophie escaped to the garage apartment before anyone spoke.
“I guess in the sudden excitement, she forgot she’s staying in the house,” Shane said. Neither of us bothered calling her back, while Jack stood there with visible discomfort.
“How was today’s catch?” I asked.
“Enough for dinner,” he replied. “Listen, about your mother.”
I groaned. “She can wait until tomorrow.” I wouldn’t allow her to ruin my mood, not after today.
“No, I don’t think so,” Shane started, but Sophie slammed the apartment door open and came running down, interrupting any further conversation. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone trashed it. Like trashed it,trashed it.”
My stomach twisted. “He found us. That’s impossible. There’s no way he could know. My mother called to find me because she didn’t know where I was. There’s no one else.” The detectives visited, but they were unaware of the garage apartment. Weren’t they? I spoke with Detective Davis several times and provided him with my contact information. “Emma.” Panic gripped me. “Emma knew. Oh, no. Nononono.”
“Hey, look at me.” Shane gripped my chin, tilting until our eyes met. “You stay here while I check the house. Try to contact her.”
“I’ll check the apartment,” Jack said.
“You will not,” Sophie shot back. She put her hands on her hips to block his access. “I don’t need you. I haven’t needed you in over ten years, Jack Dossman.”
He went still. “That may be the absolute dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Jack picked her up, switching their positions, and left her there.
He climbed the stairs as Sophie followed with a long series of threats.
Shane witnessed it all with apparent disinterest. “Stay here.”
I didn’t argue, choosing to send Emma a quick text. She didn’t respond, so I called her instead. “It’s Emma. I’m considering a rash decision that will bring my secret dreams to life. Should I do it? Press six for no or nine for yes. If you have nothing to contribute, leave a message.”
My best friend was a strange one. “It’s me. Call me back. A psycho may be stalking you, and I’m freaking out.”
I hung up, sent another text, and called her again. Emma picked up before it rang. “You’re pregnant, and I’m the father. Wow, Lilah. This isn’t easy to process. I’ll need a moment.”
The apartment was trashed, and a psycho might be stalkingher. Oh, and my mother was in town. I laughed until my stomach hurt. “Not yet, or anytime soon. Anything strange? Have any police visited you?”
She grew serious. “No police in a black hoodie. What happened?”
“Someone broke into the garage apartment and trashed it.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t want to hear this, but you should stay somewhere else. He can come with.”
The house lights turned on, one by one, while two loud voices drifted from the apartment. “I’m not leaving here. Maybe it isn’t my technical home, but I refuse to run away again. We have cameras, and Shane or someone else is with me. I’m not doing it.”
“You can say that, but I don’t like it. Also, you know what else? Add another bodyguard to your ensemble because I’m coming down again.”
My eyes grew wide with excitement. “When?”
