Page 16 of A Seductive Beauty
"Boss, are you sure?" Lex looks at me for confirmation. They’re about to learn I’ve had surveillance on Fiona myself.
"She doesn't believe that Fiona's safe. Is there a way for you to show her without them leaving the compound? They are not safe out there right now, and I don't believe that Mikayla wants to lead anyone to her cousin." Hopefully, Mikayla will never know about my infatuation with Fiona.
Lex turns to Mikayla. "Why don't you just check the security system for yourself?" he asks.
"What does that mean?" I ask. Does she have cameras on her cousin?
Mikayla shakes her mobile at Lex. "I would if I could, but the service isn't working."
"You mean this system." Lex chuckles as he turns his laptop toward her. A security panel fills the screen. From the look of shock on Mikayla’s face, I’d say Lex just hacked the security system to the house Fiona lives in. "As you can see, the system was disarmed almost an hour ago. Oh, and here on this camera, it appears she headed to the water closet. Maybe she's been showering. I bet if you tried now, she'd answer." I try not to chuckle as Mikayla turns away and calls Fiona again. I move toward her, but she steps out the back door and shuts it behind her.
I turn back to Lex and the camera feeds in Fiona’s home. I don’t like that she is being watched so closely and doesn’t have privacy except in her room and the loo, but I know Mikayla is trying to protect her. I’m no better having my men follow her around. But again, it’s the only way to ensure her safety.
Chapter Five
Fiona
I cried myself to sleep after I got off the phone with Kayla. I’m so glad Moira was working late or she would have demanded to know what was the matter with me. When my alarm goes off, I roll over and turn it off quickly so it doesn’t wake up Moira. Quietly, I climb from my bed and head to the bathroom where I hung my clothes for today on the hook. Moira has been pulling night shifts at the hotel she works at. She’s trying to pool extra money for university just in case her family doesn’t agree with the degree she wants to go for.
As I’m getting dressed, I think of the conversation I had with Kayla last night. She wants me to take the week off of work and go with her to Surrey. I know she’s worried about my safety because of whatever is going on with her, but I have responsibilities, and I’m trying to save up money to pay her back for sending me to school like she did. She’ll complain when I give her the money, but I’m still going to do it because it’s the right thing to do. I’ll tell her today when she stops by that I will go to Jean George and Percy’s wedding but not for the whole week like she wants.
Based on my mood today, I’m dressed in a pair of skintight black pants and a black mock turtleneck. I grab my black ankle booties and carry them downstairs so I don’t wake up any of the other girls. My shift at the bakery starts at five in the morning. I like to arrive early so I have time to grab a cup of tea as I plan my day. When I step off the final step and turn into the living room, I see movement from the sofa and cry out before I realize it’s Kayla.
"What are you doing here?"
"You didn't sound good on the phone. I needed to check on you," she says calmly. She’s dressed in a men’s shirt and a pair of leggings.
"Where were you?"
"A friend had us staying at his place." I can tell she’s hiding something from me again, but I’m too tired to confront her on it now.
I walk over to her and sit down next to her on the sofa. I lace our hands together.
"It was awful," I say, wanting to tell her about yesterday since I didn’t explain it last night on the phone.
"What?" She tips her head to lay hers against mine.
"The way Patrick reacted to me being there and how I was dressed."
"There was nothing wrong with what you were wearing."
“He called me Fifi in front of the bartender and she laughed at me. I tried to get away from him because I could tell he was knackered, but he wouldn’t let me go. He poured his drink down the front of my blouse.”
“I’m going to have to have a talk with him.”
“No, don’t. I already told him I don’t want to see him, and Seamus hit him pretty hard. I think he got the message.”
She nods and just stays there holding my hand, giving me the strength I don’t feel right now.
"What happened to you? Andy couldn't find you," she says, and I’m not sure how to answer her.
"Um." I pull my hand from hers and move across the room. I hate to lie to her, but I don’t want to tell her what happened. I don’t know how to explain what happened myself. One minute I was being kissed and adored and the next I was pushed away. "Aidan," I say, and bite my lip in pause to correct myself. "Mr. Tiernan had his man bring me home. He said it wasn't safe." I give her a half-truth.
A pounding sounds on the door, stopping her from questioning me further. I walk over and swing it open without looking at the security camera.
"Don't you look to see who it is?" Wesley barks at me before he’s looking around for Kayla. He advances on her and demands to know why she snuck away from him this morning. She told me she was at a friend’s, but I know she’s keeping the truth from me. This must be one of those situations where she thinks I’m safer not knowing. She and I have never had this many secrets between us and it’s bothering me. I wish we could back up and go back to before when we told each other everything.
"Where were you?" I ask again as they embrace. They are so in love with each other they completely forgot I was in the room.
