Page 20 of Better Watch Out
A favor that was growing more difficult by the second.
They stepped inside the elevator. If he could convince her to take the next flight out of New York, then maybe the guilt from nearly allowing her to get mugged at the bookstore would lessen.
Doubtful. Andrew thought he caught sight of the man in the leather jacket as he was about to head down to the subway but he wasn’t sure. He hesitated for a few seconds before circling back to the bookstore in time to hear Frannie’s scream.
He stretched his jaw, trying to ease the ache from grinding his molars. He’d let her down. He’d let Ryan down. If this had been a paying job with the agency, he’d certainly be fired. It was bad enough thinking about how he was going to explain this to Ryan. The man saved his life and he couldn’t even keep his sister safe for a few hours, much less get her on a plane.
He roughed a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. “Most people would be scared out of their minds if they were attacked like you were. Aren’t you scared about what just happened?”
Frannie tucked a piece of long hair behind her ear. “Oh, I was terrified.” The elevator doors opened. “But I’m okay and the guy didn’t get anything. Thankfully, you were there.”
Andrew couldn’t wrap his head around her cavalier attitude. “If I wasn’t there, what do you think would’ve happened?”
“He would’ve stolen my purse, which would’ve been embarrassing once he realized the only thing of real value inside was the rest of my cookie and my bucket list.” She twisted her lips to the side in an infuriatingly cute way that would charm the socks off any guy. “Now that I think of it, I’d be pretty upset about losing both of those things.”
“And your wallet? Credit cards? ID?”
Frannie patted the front of her jacket. “Inner pocket. You know”—she crinkled her nose up at him—“just in case.”
Frustration pulled at him. Partly because she didn’t seem to be getting it and the other part … the woman was attractive. There. He’d said it—safely to himself.
At her door, Andrew took in a slow breath. “Frannie, I think you should listen to your brother and fly to D.C. tonight.” He avoided looking at his watch. He’d been messaging back and forth with Joey about the delay in his arrival to the hotel and while his colleague assured him all was well, Andrew hated how unprofessional the whole situation was becoming. And even though he wasn’t hired to protect Frannie, he’d failed to do what he was trained to do.
He flinched at the way the painful memories flashed to mind.
“I already told you I’m not leaving New York.” Frannie swiped her key against the lock and opened her hotel room door. “What happened today was unfortunate but honestly, I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not surprised?” Andrew’s voice came out an octave higher than usual and Frannie gave him a curious look. “You were expecting to be attacked?”
“Well, no, but if you’d seen the crime stats Ryan sent me, the odds were definitely not in my favor.”
“All the more reason to take that flight to D.C.”
“Look.” Frannie turned, standing in the doorway. “I’m really, really thankful you were there when I needed you, but it’s over. I’m a little shaken by it, honestly, but I wasn’t hurt and I’m not some naïve woman who can’t take care of herself.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
His response seemed to take her by surprise. Her blue eyes searched his face as if she was trying to judge if his words were true. “Right, so, I’m not going to let some man ruin my trip.”
There was a slight dip to her lips when she said the wordmanand Andrew wondered if she was referring to the thug in the leather jacket or the one who broke her heart. An unexplainable heat radiated in his chest.
“Besides”—Frannie smiled up at him, the wrinkle of her nose making the freckles scattered there scrunch together—“I have to finish my bucket list and thanks to you I can check off my stroll through the West Side.”
“And NYC mugging,” he grumbled.
Her smile reached her eyes and dang, if Andrew didn’t like the way it lit her face. “Right.”
Andrew shifted before running a hand down the side of his face. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to leave?”
“I know you’re concerned.” She tilted her head to the side. “And my brother is, but I really am fine. And honestly, what are the odds of it happening again, right?”
Andrew was nevergood at math, but the odds of Frannie getting mugged again were pretty slim. And yet, the fact that the man in the leather jacket had followed them—followed her—didn’t seem to fit some mathematical equation either. Most criminals liked easy targets. Quick marks. So why had this guy followed her?
He set that question aside as he walked down the hallway toward the Malones’ suite at the Waldorf. His job and his focus needed to be on his assignment.
He knocked on the suite’s door and was surprised when Doug Bowie opened it.
Andrew’s pulse spiked. What was he doing there?
