Page 5 of Saved By the Marines (Soldiers Of Misfortune)

His full lips flattened out as he searched my expression. He must have read the need to escape in my gaze because he relented and gave me a nod. “Check in with me if you go anywhere else.”

“Thank you,” I murmured and hurried out of the room. My hand was on the staircase banister when hushed voices floated across the room. I frowned, looking around. Knowing I should just go to my room like I’d said I would, I found myself walking down the hall.

I wouldn’t consider it creeping, exactly, though I was walking a bit softer. The voices got a bit louder as I approached a door further back into the embassy. Dad wasn’t the only one here right now, though I hadn’t met many of the other businessmen and politicians who were here. I hadn’t been interested enough to introduce myself.

Pausing by the door, I saw two men, heads bowed close together as they spoke about the documents in front of them on the computer screen.

“No one can find out about this, Peter.”

The second man—I was guessing that was Peter—gave an aggravated sigh. “Stop worrying George. No one-” His head snapped up, as though he felt prying eyes on him.

I stumbled back from the door, but knew he’d seen me. It didn’t take his dark glare to get my ass moving. I shouldn’t have come back here. Turning, I hurried back out toward the staircase.

The breath was knocked from me as I slammed into someone in my rush to get away from that angry look. Peter, whoever he was, had looked like he wanted to strangle me for simply overhearing him.

“Are you okay? I didn’t see you there.” Hands wrapped around my shoulders and I looked up at the older man who was helping to steady me.

“Yes, I’m so sorry,” I told him, giving him a weak smile. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Hard to do that when you’re looking behind you as you run forward.” His curious gaze tracked over my shoulder to see what I’d been running from.

I peeked over my shoulder and saw a movement as Peter went back inside the room he and his friend had been in. “I got lost.”

“Well, allow me to help you find your way.” He held out his arm with a charming smile. “I’m James Shetland.”

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Shetland. I’m Bailey Michaels.”

We were walking slowly and I noticed the small hitch in his step. Glancing up at him, I saw the smile flicker on his face. “Senator Michaels’ Bailey?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve known your dad for many years.” He stopped next to the stairs and dropped his arm. “It’s nice to meet you, Bailey.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” I was too happy to be free to go to my room, so I didn’t ask him why I’d never met him before if he’d known my dad for so long. Maybe I had and I just didn’t remember. It didn’t really matter. I went upstairs and closed and locked my bedroom door behind me.

We’d been given the nicest suites in the embassy. They were huge and I loved the double balcony doors that opened up to my own terrace. Some people might be grateful for the chance to travel and be surrounded by opulence, but I was just tired of it. Dad had been dragging me around since I could walk and there was a short time—when I was about seven or eight—that I had fun with this. It was like being a princess. That feeling quickly faded for me as I realized all that came with living this lifestyle. It wasn’t for me.

I wondered what I’d just witnessed downstairs, but decided not to think about it too hard. If I was lucky I wouldn’t run into that guy again. Something about him just made me immediately uncomfortable. Putting him out of my head, I sighed and picked up my phone from the nightstand.

Sitting down on my bed, I pulled out my cell and pressed Ted’s number. The phone rang continuously in my ear and I laid back against the bed wondering why he wasn’t answering. I’d been trying to get a hold of him for a week.

Deep in my gut, I knew he was upset that I hadn’t come home. Amy had helped me realize that my father and Ted were made from the same cloth. Each of them tried to control everything I did and when I didn’t listen, they pouted and manipulated until I gave in.

I’d tried breaking up with Ted more than once, but every time somehow I ended up apologizing and the relationship continued. It baffled me how they managed to do that. Was I that much of a push over?

Standing, I went over and looked out the window when I heard a vehicle pull up. I watched as Wolfe and Jas got out of the black SUV lent to us by the embassy. Something told me these men weren’t pushovers.

One day I hoped to be like them. Strong, confident, the kind of person who wouldn’t take shit from anyone.

You can be like that now.

I bit my lip and shook my head. It wasn’t that I never stood up for myself. I’d managed to go to the college I chose. When the time came, I would be opening my own bakery. It didn’t matter what my father said. I stood up when things really mattered to me. The rest of the time, I just sort of gave in because it was easier in the long run. I needed to stop doing that. My life, my future, my choices, they needed to matter to me. They did matter to me.

Starting today I am going to start standing up for myself.

The promise rang in my ears and my chest tightened as I thought about all that keeping it would entail. It didn’t matter. I was done with being my father’s doormat. I was done with letting everyone else dictate the direction of my life. I was justdone.

CHAPTER3

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