Page 19 of Protected By Him

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” I whispered. Then, I retreated to the kitchen to clean up before going to bed myself.

Chapter Nine

Laura

Iwasawakenedbythe aroma of bacon. As I stretched, I realized with a start that I wasn’t in my apartment. After a moment, the memories of the night before came rushing back. Looking around, I saw that I was in Leo’s guestroom. I remembered curling up on the couch and must have fallen asleep. Clearly, Leo had carried me up to bed and covered me with a blanket. My skin grew warm as I thought of Leo.

He really was my hero after coming to my rescue last night. As children, Leo had watched over me, though there had been a lot more teasing involved back then. But even as kids, Leo had always been able to sense when I’d needed to be teased out of a bad mood and when I’d needed comfort. Last night, I’d needed comforting, and he’d provided that. Ella had also been the perfect distraction from my panicked thoughts. It was impossible to feel anything but light and happy in her presence.

Drawn by the delicious scents of breakfast, I made my way to the kitchen to find Leo cooking and Ella sitting on a barstool watching something on her iPad. Leo was dressed in gray sweatpants and a white t shirt that molded itself against his impressive chest. The shirt clung to his body, highlighting abs I desperately wanted to see bare.

Leo turned around and gazed at me thoughtfully. “Good morning, sunshine,” he said as he motioned me to have a seat next to Ella, who gave me a distracted greeting but didn’t look up from her show. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” I exclaimed. “I didn't mean to fall asleep.”

“It's okay,” he said with his back still turned to me. “I know how tired you must have been last night.” He paused to flip the bacon in the pan and pop bread into the toaster. “So, about our conversation we didn't get to have, do you believe the man last night was sent by Harvey?”

I looked over at Ella, concerned about having this conversation in front of her. But I saw her engulfed byBlimpieand realized she probably wasn’t even aware of our presence. She would not know what we were discussing.

I took a deep breath. “I'm afraid that's what it was. I can't think of anyone else who would have done it. But on the other hand, I don't know how Harvey would have the connections to plan such an ambush.”

“I hate to say this, Laura, but you're a journalist, and your job requires that you step on people's toes sometimes. Don't you think it could have been someone connected to one of your stories?" I could tell he wasn’t dismissing my idea but using his attorney skills and considering every possible scenario.

I looked away, embarrassed. "I haven't been given the opportunity to really go after anything exciting that would create enemies. All of my assignments so far have been community fluff pieces or assisting on the bigger stories. Nothing dramatic or groundbreaking. I can't think of anyone who would want me out of the way except Harvey."

Leo nodded. "So, what exactly were the details of the conversation you overheard?"

I knew I could recite it word for word from how hard I had been thinking about it. “The stranger told Harvey that he thought they had a deal. Harvey said they do, and that these things take time. He sounded frantic but like he was trying to keep his composure. The man told him he had two more weeks to come up with the money, or Harvey would be delt with."

"And what else did you find out that caused him to fire you?" Leo asked.

"Fudged expense reports. He is running charges on the company card and turning in expense reports for reimbursement of purchases that he charged to the company card."

"How in the world is he getting away with that?" Leo asked in astonishment.

I shrugged. "I guess he thinks since the accounting staff is mostly young, overwhelmed accountants that they won't look at details, or they’d be too scared to question him—which was exactly what happened until I got involved. One of the newer guys saw a couple of things that made him question Harvey’s reports. The same person’s girlfriend also overheard Harvey’s wife on the phone asking for money. So, I questioned him, and that led me to finding months of expense reports where it appears he is stealing money."

"If they had planned to ransack your apartment, they could have been looking for those reports," Leo stated, as if he was thinking out loud. He continued, "Depending on how large of an embezzlement operation Harvey has going on, it is quite possible they will not stop until all loose ends are tied up."

He hesitated. "And that includes you, Laura." He turned to face me, bracing his fist on the island. I could see the bulge of his arm muscles when he pressed into the marble island top. A hint of worry was in his expression and his voice.

I straightened up on the barstool. "Exactly. Which means I need to get to the bottom of it first." I couldn't help but to be scared and excited at the same time. My life was potentially in danger, but if I was able to write the full story with proof, it could make my journalism career.

"I know someone who might be able to help. Find out where he is going, who he is meeting. Maybe this will help shed light on who he owes money to," Leo said, and I nodded and looked expectantly at Leo who pulled out his phone and began to type quickly on it.

After a few moments he tossed his phone onto the counter and turned around to grab plates from the cabinet. "Okay, let's eat. Then, little miss needs to go to school."

Moments later, I heard a knock on the door immediately followed by it opening and Ramona shouting, "Good morning!"

Ella jumped down from her chair. "Grandma!" she cried as she ran into her arms. Ramona made her way to the kitchen, setting Ella down as she entered. She had a slight look of disappointment on her face.

"Hey, Mom." Leo looked up and noticed the sad look as well. "What's wrong?" he quickly asked. “I thought you and Dad were getting ready for your cruise?”

“Oh,” she hesitated, then sighed. “Janice had to postpone our trip for a couple of months. This was supposed to be our couples’ trip to celebrate her and your father’s retirements, but her husband, Bill, broke his ankle while playing tennis yesterday.” Her shoulders slumped as she brushed her fingers through Ella's hair.

"I'm sorry, I know you were looking forward to that trip. Can’t you and Dad go on your own?” Leo said.

“No,” Ramona responded. “We booked a refundable cabin, but in order for Janice and Bill to get their refund, we have to cancel the whole reservation. There aren’t any single cabins available.”

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