Page 38 of Hiding Rose
Niko shook his head. "She won't be walking alone. She’ll have a walkie talkie. I want you to radio for security every time you have to walk in the hallways, unless you’re with Gideon or Sawyer. I don’t want you walking alone in the halls with Kate or Winifred and the kids. That includes when you leave your apartment and go back to it. And I don't want to hear any arguments about bothering other people to escort you. Understood?"
I nodded once. "Understood. I don't have a death wish. I nearly died once. Don't want to do it again," I said.
Sawyer tightened his hold on me and kissed the top of my head. Everyone pretended they didn't see it, but they did. "I'll be with her as much as my job allows," he finally said. "It won’t be a hardship."
Kate grinned and Gideon covered a snort with a cough.
Niko looked at his watch. "I'm going to get the walkie talkie now. I won't get the camera in here until tonight, but I will have a security guard posted at the door. My first order of business is getting the flyers made and distributed."
Kate pointed at herself. "Get me the info and the images. I'll have them made and distributed in under an hour."
I laughed softly. "She's not kidding either."
She winked at me and then they left, telling Niko to meet them in Gideon's office in ten minutes.
Niko pointed at my leg. "How is the brace working? Do you have any rubbing, pinching, or chafing?"
I waited a beat too long to answer and he put his hand on his hip. "Let me guess, there's a problem and you didn't want to bother me because you could handle it."
Sawyer chuckled behind me and I sent him a glare. "I was waiting to see if it would get better, but it hasn't."
Niko swung a chair around for me to sit in and he pulled the shoe off, leaving the brace on. "I can see where it is," he said running his finger along the cotton balls I stuffed in there this morning. He shook his head. "Why do you think you have to suffer? This is a three-minute fix, Rosie. I know you're used to pain but this is supposed to improve it not make it worse."
I nodded. "I know, but it makes such a difference I don't want to be without it."
He took it off my leg and held it up. "You won't be. This will take me less time to fix than it will for them to find a walkie talkie. I'll be back with both in fifteen minutes." He glanced up at Sawyer. "Don't leave her alone."
He shook his head. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Niko left and Sawyer knelt in front of me, his hand automatically going to my cheek. "I've missed you. I don't want you to think I was avoiding you. The kitchen has been crazy."
I smiled, his caress something I already missed when he wasn't here. "You don't have to explain, Sawyer. You have a life."
He shook his head and hung it a little. "Not much of one unless you count endless hours in the kitchen alone. I realized how lonely I am after spending time with you."
I leaned over and put my arms around his neck. "I feel the same way and it scares me."
He wrapped his arms around my back and squeezed me. "Spending time with me scares you?" he asked confused.
"No, realizing how lonely I am when I don't get to see you. I think I have an adult-sized crush on you and I don't know what to do about it."
His arms tightened on me the way you would a lifeline. "You, Miss Burke, have me crushing hard, too."
I sighed. "My name isn't even Rosie Burke, which is what makes this even harder."
He leaned back. "Your name isn't Rosie?"
I nodded. "Sorry, yes, but I'm using a fake last name. My real name is Rose Diane Scott, but everyone calls me Rosie."
He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Rose Diane Scott. I promise not to tell anyone."
I shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter now. He knows my real name and he knows I'm here."
He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "Maybe, but no sense giving the rest of the employees anything to gossip about. I would imagine if anyone Googled your real name there would be news stories."
"Oh, too many to count," I agreed.
He rose up on his knees and ran his thumb over my lips. "It's our little secret then."
