Page 33 of Under His Command
“Are you all right?” he asks me when he gets into the driver’s seat.
I nod. “Yes, I think so. I’m sorry, who are you?”
“Zain Khan. I work for the commander. Myself along with my team will be escorting you wherever you need to be,” he says, driving us away from the paparazzi. “When you’re at home, we’ll be stationed around your apartment. But don’t worry, we’ll keep our distance. You won’t even know we’re there.”
“Oh.”
When Rowan told me he’d place some of his men around my apartment, I didn’t expect it to happen in a matter of a few hours. A small warning would’ve been nice. Though when I take my phone out of my purse, I see that the message I received is from him. When did he even input his contact into my phone?
“Go with Zain, he’ll take you wherever you need to be,” the message says.
“What’s with all the paparazzi????” I text back. “It’s crazy. It was just a picture!”
“Your fault. If you weren’t so goddamn beautiful...” He trails off, and I roll my eyes despite my smile.
“A warning would’ve been nice. I thought Zain was about to kidnap me.”
“Did you think I was going to let you face that crowd on your own? I’ve got you, angel. You can relax.”
“I wish I could. But I’m finding it rather difficult to sit down at the moment.”
“Fuck, angel. Don’t make me turn this plane around.”
“You’re on a plane?? Where are you going?”
For some reason, he doesn’t text back anymore. I try not to get in my head about it. If he’s on a plane, he probably had to turn it off. Hopefully.
Zain takes me to the office and I spend most of the day looking through depositions and trying to find anything useful for Miss Pratt to use in our case. At lunch time, I go buy us coffee and sandwiches, and I get the constant urge to look behind me for anyone that might follow.
Zain told me he and the others would be watching me from the shadows. But even so, for some reason I can’t shake the feeling that my new bodyguards aren’t the only ones interested in following my tracks.
TWELVE
Afew days pass, and I try to bury myself in work so I don’t dread the minutes Rowan isn’t here. He’s still gone—to London, as I found out by keeping the news channel on. I’m fidgeting with his key right now, debating whether I should just go to his house. Because he’s right. Even if he’s not there, being surrounded by his environment would still be better than not feeling him around.
My eyes keep sliding over to my phone, expecting a text or a call. I can’t help but feel like a teenage girl in love, butterflies in my belly and all. When it vibrates on my desk, I’m quick to grab it in my hands, though disappointment courses through me when I see it’s my mom. We’ve already talked multiple times after she saw my picture on the news.
A rush of heat starts at the top of my head and spreads down my spine. Yes, that picture. Where Rowan’s hand was all over my pussy, and no one knew. No one but him and me.
“He’s in London right now!” my mom texts.
“Stop stalking him,” I text back.
“Why aren’t you with him? He should’ve taken you with him.”
I roll my eyes, my fingers dashing through the touchscreen keyboard.
“Just because we’re together, it doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon my life. Got work to do.”
“Your dad used to leave me behind all the time. I just hope he isn’t like that…”
I clench my jaw, already annoyed at her remark. This happens every single time I mention any man in my life—not that there have been many. She’s projecting her insecurities on me and sometimes… I end up projecting them. I don’t want that to happen with Rowan, so I cut her off before she gets more ideas to put in my head.
“He isn’t. Gotta go. Love you xx”
I put my phone back, though two more messages come through. And I get it—I know she feels lonely after her husband left and her other kid died. But with everything that happened, leaving that town behind was the best thing I could’ve done for myself. And my mom, as much as I love her, keeps finding ways to drag me right back into the past.
I’ve asked her to move to Washington with me, but she’s still very much attached to that place. Like she’s still waiting for my father to come back, even after all these years. I told myself I’m never going to be like that. I’ll never wait on a man who doesn’t want me, and I’ll never beg for what he does not want to offer me freely. Maybe that’s why I haven’t texted Rowan yet, even though every fiber of my being is telling me to do so. Why isn’t he calling? Why did I have to hear about him being in London from the news?
