Page 7 of Playing For Keeps
“Well, let me call her.” She hurries to her purse and retrieves her phone. She presses something on the screen and waits with her cell up to her ear. “Hey, Dori. It’s me. Call me when you get this. I’m helping Jami with your penthouse and have a question for you.”
My unease deepens. Dori obviously didn’t answer, so I bring out my phone and type a text.
Me: Hey, temptress. You said you’d call, and it’s been a while. Is everything okay?
I give my attention back to Mel. “I’m giving her five minutes to respond. If she doesn’t…”
“Dori hasn’t mentioned anything to me about this plan of Hunter’s and Aiden’s. I wonder why.” Mel’s eyes narrow.
My stomach aches. “Dori doesn’t know Aiden’s involved.”
“What? Why?” Mel’s head drops back, and she glares at the ceiling. After a second, she brings her fiery gaze my way. “Jamison, you know better than to keep things from Dori.”
“I already know what you’re going to say.”
“She’s going to kill you when she finds out. You won’t have to worry about her being mad about buying this place because she’ll have you by your man parts for not telling her something as important as that.”
“Hunter begged me not to tell her. He said he didn’t want Dori to get involved and make the situation worse. And before you lecture me, Mel, you know she would’ve.”
She growls as she shakes her head. “Fine. You have me there, but still.”
“Dori knows Hunter’s mom is after her, so it’s a minor detail. If holding some information from Dori keeps her safe, I’m willing to have her ticked off at me for a few hours.”
“Stop lying to yourself, big guy. She’s going to be more than that. No matter how angry Aiden is with her, she would want to know.”
My shoulders round. “There’s more.”
Mel flicks me on the temple. “Dumbass, when are you going to learn?”
“I have, but Hunter said it was part of the plan.” I push off the stool and stalk to the sofa, trying to ignore the sharp bite of dread zinging through me every other second. “Dori was reinstated, but Hunter told me I couldn’t tell her because it would hinder their plan.”
Mel stomps over to me and pushes her finger into the center of my chest. “Jamison Stone, you are in so much trouble. You moved Dori here without telling her she has her job back. You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”
I grip the back of the couch. “Hunter said if she knew, it would ruin everything. I figured he would tell her once his mom was caught.”
“But what if he really has no intention of telling her?”
“I have no doubt he’ll tell her before she leaves in an effort to get her to stay. With me out here, he’ll have ample opportunity to convince her. I’ve been waiting for days for her to bring it up, but she still doesn’t know. That or she isn’t telling me about it.”
Mel seems to consider that for a moment. “That is possible, but I’m leaning more toward the fact she doesn’t have that information.”
I lower my head, knowing Melanie’s right. Dori would’ve talked with me about her job if she knew. The shame of that acknowledgment mixes with my concern over not hearing back from her today.
“Fuck this. I’m done waiting. I can just call her bodyguard, Tom. He’s with her today.” I dial his cell, but it goes straight to voicemail. “What the fuck?”
“What?”
“The call went to voicemail.” My heart pounds harder. “I don’t want to panic, but this doesn’t feel right.”
“It certainly doesn’t.” Mel peeks at her phone, scrolls, then hits the screen. “I’m calling Aiden.”
“Thank you.” I try to calm my escalating breaths.
She brings the phone to her ear. “Hey, Aiden, it’s Melanie. Call me when you get this.”
The pit in my stomach turns into a rock. I close my eyes and try to center myself. Something is wrong. I can feel it in my soul.
I open my eyes and call Hunter. The phone rings twice, then goes to voicemail.
