Page 54 of Things We Left Behind
Naomi, on the other hand, looked fully deflated.
“But seriously. Aren’t you the least bit curious why he’d extend the invitation?” Lina pressed.
“Nope,” I lied.
“Well, I’ve always wanted to see where he works. Does he really have a throne made out of the bones of his enemies?” Naomi asked.
“Iwasjust going to give you the files to give to him next time you were in the office,” I told Lina.
“Yeah, but aren’t you just the least bit curious to see behind the frowny, rich guy curtain? I have to admit it’s pretty impressive,” she prodded. “You could deliver the files straight to his very expensive desk so you can tell your mom that you tried to give them to him personally. Maybe we could even use his in-office espresso machine.”
Naomi clapped her hands. “Ooh! Espresso! Please, please, please, Sloane.”
It wasn’t smart, but part of me really wanted to see where Lucian Rollins ran his evil empire.
Besides, the longer I stayed down here, the higher the chances a hot, local guy on the app would slide into my DMs. There was a possibility that I could help Lina find a dress, tour Lucian’s evil empire,andget laid all in the same day.
“I guess we could stop by and see your new office,” I mused. “Since we’re here and all.”
Naomi and Lina shared a triumphant matchmaker-y look.
“Stop making that face or I’ll change my mind.”
9
Canoodling with the Devil
Sloane
The offices of Rollins Consulting took up the entire fourteenth floor of a pricey-looking building with a pricey-looking view. Everything from the marble floor of the reception area to the dark, wood-paneled walls whispered wealth and power.
There was fancy art on the walls and real plants in gold pots.
“I need to see your IDs,” said the woman behind the front desk.
She was somewhere in her midfifties to early sixties and had the ramrod posture of a career military woman. She was looking at Naomi and me like she thought we might try to steal a painting off the wall or stuff our purses full of espresso pods. The nameplate indicated that her name was Petula.
I found her both terrifying and fascinating.
“They’re friends of mine and Lucian’s,” Lina insisted.
Well,thatwas a blatant lie.
Petula didn’t appear to be impressed. “Just because they’re friends now doesn’t mean they won’t be enemies later,” she said. “I will accept a driver’s license, military ID, or passport.”
Naomi raced to comply, digging through her purse like it was a scavenger hunt.
I pulled my driver’s license out of my wallet and was just handing it over when ex-U.S. Marshal Nolan Graham entered the lobby space through a pair of smoked-glass doors.
“Blondie!”
“Nolan!”
He looked good. Healthy and happy. And that made me happy.
I opened my arms for a hug. He wrapped me up and plucked me off the floor, leaving my feet dangling. We had dated. Barely. Not even long enough for more than a very nice kiss or two before his heroic injury changed the trajectory of his career and personal life.
Lucian, for reasons that remained shrouded in mystery, offered Nolan a job with his firm. A position that made it possible to win back his ex-wife, Callie.
