Page 47 of Tinsel Time Treasure
“He’s welcome to stay here as long as he needs,” Max stated.
“Besides,” I added. “I don’t want to interrupt your honeymoon period. A guest in the house means you can’t be as loud as you want with your man.”
Kaleb blushed a brighter red than I’d ever seen from him before, and I knew he was thoroughly enjoying his private time with his new mate.
“I’ll keep him safe,” Max declared from behind me, and it was my turn to blush.
“I see,” Kaleb teased, bumping my shoulder with his fist.
“Ok,” I said, clearing my throat. “While I doubt that the asshole is actively watching the hotel lobby, I can’t be sure. So Max,” I said, turning to the alpha. “Drop me near the side door please. The keycard they gave me will get me in and I can use the elevators on that side to go up a couple floors, then down again to the lobby. I’ll make a show of checking out, then go have lunch with Kaleb in the restaurant. Then we’ll come back to my place and pack a longer-term bag while discussing my temporarily moving into his now-empty apartment.”
“I’ve set a routine on my smart devices to turn lights on and off,” Kaleb stated. “So it’ll look like he’s there, even when he’s not.”
“We’ll also discuss my going back to work,” I added. “That way he thinks there’s another good opportunity to break in.”
“What about getting in and out while leaving your car there?” Kaleb asked.
I sighed. It was the trickiest part of the plan. Everything would fall apart if Frederick realized I wasn’t actually staying there.
“I figure I’ll have to arrive super-early, and stay for several hours in the evening before leaving.”
“I don’t like it,” Kaleb replied.
“Me neither,” I admitted. “But he knows where I work, and since there seems to be a tracker on my car, I’m hoping that he’ll trust I’m still there as long as my car is. As long as he doesn’t see me coming and going without it…”
Max walked over and draped an arm over my shoulder. “I’ll be there to pick up and drop off at those weird hours. It really will be the coming and going from work, and the few hours alone in the apartment each day that will be the riskiest.”
Kaleb glanced between the two of us, then nodded. “Ok. Let’s catch ourselves a stalking asshole.”
Chapter 18 - Max
Ipaced back and forth in my living room, waiting for the daily text from Justin informing me that he was ready to be picked up.
It had been three days already, and I really didn’t know how much more I could take. Even though we could text while waiting, that protective part of me wasn’t satisfied until he was within sight again.
I glanced at the clock, noting that it was already nearly ten at night—two hours past the previous days’ pickups.
What was the delay?
I practically sprinted to my phone when it buzzed on the end table, accepting the call immediately.
“Justin?”
“Sorry,” he replied softly. “I think it’s safe now.”
“What happened?”
“Tell you in the car?”
“Ok.”
“Be there in a few.”
“Text when you get here.”
“Ok.” With that I jogged towards the door, snagging my keys on the way.
I pulled into the parking lot outside Kaleb’s apartment about ten minutes later, and Justin appeared almost as soon as he acknowledged my text.
