“Can you hang on a minute?” she asked him. After the officer agreed, she went to the security panel attached to the wall near her door. “Huh. That’s strange.”
“What?” Trey went to her side. Peanut’s miniature growl made the dog’s ribs vibrate against his palm.
“You saw me disarm my system when we got here…” She checked the small clock perched on the narrow table beside the door. “Forty-five minutes ago.”
Trey nodded.
“All three lights are flashing, red, yellow and green. That’s not supposed to happen, at least I’ve never seen it before.”
“You’ll have to call the security company for details, ma’am,” the officer said. “I just answer the calls when they come in.”
“Sure, I understand. Thank you for responding.”
“Glad to see everything’s okay.” He touched the brim of his hat, turned and headed to his car.
She rubbed her temples. “I hate to call Logan yet again.”
He couldn’t stand seeing her beautiful face lined with stress and anxiety. And while he wanted Logan and his team here ASAP, based on Devon’s reaction the last time the hacker made his viral attack, he also didn’t want her to go through that again.
“At least try the call center,” he suggested.
After holding for ten minutes, during which time Trey returned upstairs and dressed in everything except his shirt and shoes, she finally reached a customer service rep. She put her cell phone on speaker so Trey could hear the woman’s reply. “Looks like the alarm was triggered from a remote location.”
Her cheeks turned pale, her eyes churning with panic. “What?”
“That’s impossible,” Trey said. Agitation crawled across his skin. “We disarmed it from inside the house.”
“I’m not sure what to tell you.” The woman sounded apologetic. “I can request an inquiry, but it could take up to forty-eight hours to perform a thorough investigation.”
He clenched his jaw. “This can’t wait.”
“I’ll do my best to expedite your request.”
“Do that,” he barked.
The sound of typing echoed from her phone. “The order will take a few minutes to process. I can send you a text message on your cell phone to let you know when the request goes through.”
“Please.” Devon’s tone contained the same defeat as her eyes. Wanting to ease some of her tension, he rubbed small circles against her back.
“We’ll be in touch with you shortly.”
Devon ended the call and scrubbed her hands over her arms. “It’s him. It has to be, that’s the only explanation. But how did he gain access to my security system, and why would he trigger it remotely?”
Because he still has eyes on you somewhere, and he knows I’m here. “No way to tell for sure until they do their investigation.” He kissed her forehead. “Get dressed and throw some things in a suitcase. I’m taking you out of here.”
“But this is my home.” Her voice sounded faint and watery as she leaned her cheek against his chest. He ran a hand over her hair. “I’m supposed to be safe here.”
“You’ll be safe. I promise you.” He set Peanut on the floor. “C’mon, I’ll help you pack.”
As she rummaged through drawers in her bedroom and bathroom, she moved slowly as if the smallest motion caused her pain. “I’m not staying with you.” Her words fell heavy on the silence. “I can’t. I’m just…not there yet.”
“That’s fine, sweetheart. But I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of.”
When her gaze lifted to his, her look of vulnerable uncertainty pierced his chest. He cared about her and hated what the hacker was doing to her, how she was shaking though trying to hide it. “Thank you,” she whispered.
She relinquished his shirt back to him and he threw it on without bothering with every single button. He took her suitcase then waited patiently while she secured Peanut in a travel cage and reset her alarm.
She sighed. “I hope this actually works.”
“I’m sure it will.” He had no idea, but she seemed to need his reassurance.
Placing her suitcase in his trunk next to his blueprints, he held the door open for her as she climbed in and set Peanut’s cage on her lap. Moonlight surrounded her in an ethereal glow. She was so damn beautiful.
He wanted to take her to a place he knew she’d be safe, which included someone on his payroll. He drove toward downtown and rested his hand over hers, her fingers cold and small in his grasp. A few minutes later, she clenched his fingers as though holding on to him for dear life. She was scared, and he hated that some faceless menace had tormented her into this place of fear and distrust.
Trey wanted to choke the life out of the guy with his bare hands. He wasn’t the violent type, preferring to solve disputes with reason and rational discussion. But the notorious Soren aggression kicked into high gear and he wanted to pummel something.
Instead, he gripped the steering wheel and let her squeeze his hand until his fingers went numb.
Eventually, he had to take away her anchor so he could downshift when they hit city limits. Within minutes he veered into the parking lot of Hotel Monico. Before he exited the car, he reached into his glove compartment, retrieving a gun within a leather holster, tucking it into the back of his pants. He didn’t look at Devon’s reaction or wait for her to protest against the added precaution.
They entered the lobby, where colorful art deco furnishings met classic contemporary design. Before they reached the counter, he walked up to the security guard on duty, a man who worked for Soren Security Bodyguards. “Hey, Will.” He held out his hand. “Trey Soren, from Soren Security.”
Will’s eyes widened and he nodded respectfully as he shook Trey’s hand. “Mr. Soren. I didn’t recognize you out of the office.”
“No problem. I want you to meet Devon Leigh, our company’s IT director.”
He swept Devon with an appreciative glance. “It’s a pleasure.”
She offered him a faint smile.
“I need you to make sure she’s safe and well taken care of during her stay here.” Trey rested his hand on Devon’s lower back, a subtle cue that the request was personal. “If anyone asks for her at the front desk, I want you to confirm their identity and credentials. Have the staff call up to her room and verify she knows them.”