Page 1 of Protected By Him

Chapter One

Laura

Igazedlonginglyatthe Starbucks as I drove past. I could really go for a double shot of expresso, but I was anxious to get to the office and finish my article before the deadline hit.

The evening before, I’d given up proofreading a news story for a night out with my colleagues. It was something we’d all needed after the long week we’d had investigating and reporting on a recent crime spree in the area. The lingering bad taste in my mouth this morning and the full headache I’d woken with told me that maybe I’d had a little too much to drink.

But there was work to do and a deadline to meet. When getting out of bed had seemed like a herculean task, I promised myself that I was never going to drink again; however, I was quite certain it was a promise I would break after the next string of all-nighters in the newsroom.

Fifteen minutes later, I was parking my car in the space I had claimed as mine and got out quickly, locking it behind me. I swiped the door with my key card and walked into the deserted entry hall. It was barely seven a.m., and there was no one in sight, not even the janitor.

I booted my computer, growling in frustration when my keyboard refused to work. I was going to have to go to the computer room to pick up a spare.

I walked briskly down the dimly lit hallway towards the computer room, my steps faltering when I heard voices from an office down the hall and around a corner. I could have sworn I was alone. One voice sounded familiar, and I could tell right away that it was Mr. Harvey, the CEO of Prime Media, who was speaking to someone else, though I could not tell who.

There was an edge to their conversation, but I couldn’t make out the words. I resumed my walk slowly, moving closer to the door of his office. But the next words that left the stranger’s mouth stopped me in my tracks.

“I thought we had an understanding, Harvey,” the stranger growled.

“We did! We do,” Mr. Harvey said, sounding both angry and afraid. “I just need more time. These things take time.”

"You have two weeks," the unknown voice replied, low and menacing. “You’ve already been given plenty of time to pay back the money. This is the last chance you’ll get. You will be dealt with next time."

My heart thudded hard and fast as I tried to process what I’d just overheard. My journalistic instinct kicked in quickly, and I reached for my phone to record what I was witnessing. With a suppressed growl, I realized it was in my purse, on my desk where I'd left it.

But it would seem the conversation was over because Mr. Harvey said, "They’ll get his money. Now get out of my office before anyone sees you.”

There was a shuffling of chairs across the rug, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.

I hurried towards the janitor's closet, glad I had worn flats and not the heels I usually favored.

I remained in the closet long after the two men had moved past me. As I waited, I thought about their conversation. What had Mr. Harvey been talking about? Who was the man with him? It had sounded like Mr. Harvey owed someone money, but who and why? James Harvey led one of the most lucrative multimedia corporations in the city. Certainly, he had plenty of money on his own.

As I stood hidden in the dark confines of the closet, an uneasy gut feeling told me something was wrong.

My journalistic instincts were telling me to start digging, and it wasn’t in my nature to ignore those impulses. I would get to the bottom of what I’d overheard, but for once, I prayed that I’d find nothing more than a misunderstanding.

When I had managed to calm my thudding heart, I stepped out of my hiding place and found the office already beginning to boom with activity.

The early staffers had begun to arrive, and as I walked past a couple of them, I ignored the curious looks they sent my way. My head was still pounding from my hangover headache, and my thoughts were reeling.

Right now, I couldn't think straight, and I needed a breath of fresh air. I began half-running and half-walking down the hallway towards the door, keeping an eye out for Mr. Harvey as I went.

I continued to put one foot in front of the other until my hands were reaching forward and pushing the lobby door open. As soon as the cold morning air hit my face, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

But the universe seemed intent on making a mess out of me because, as soon as I turned to move down the block toward the café on the corner, I slammed into a tall, hard body.

I rubbed my head, staving off the tears that threatened to fall from the throbbing at my temples and my own mounting frustration with the day.

"Laura?” a familiar, concerned voice asked, and I felt large hands grasp my elbows to steady me.

At the sound of that voice, my heart rate spiked for an entirely different reason. I looked up and met the worried, midnight blue gaze of my brother’s best friend.

“Leo? What are you doing here?” I asked in surprise, wincing at the squeak in my voice.

“I’m due in court this morning,” he said. “Are you alright?”

I supposed that made sense. Prime Media’s downtown office was located only a few blocks away from the courthouse. As a corporate attorney, Leo didn’t spend much time there, but I knew he handled trial cases on occasion. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves and stall for time as I considered how best to answer him.

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