Page 61 of Hurry Up And Wait

“My own work.”

I rolled my eyes. “And what’s that?”

He stopped eating, standing up straighter. “I don’t think you want to know.”

“Why?” I chuckled. “Is it something embarrassing? Are you really a computer nerd?”

“Quite the opposite.”

“What’s the opposite of a computer nerd?”

There was something about the way his eyes watched me, the way he stiffened across the counter. It was as if he was willing me to figure it out on my own.

“You saw me in the alley.”

My breath hitched in my chest. “Are we discussing that now?”

“You wanted to know. Figure it out.”

I swallowed hard at the threat in his voice. I had an idea that he wasn’t exactly a morally upstanding bodyguard like the other guys. No, he had a dangerous air about him. When I met him in the alley, he took out Shawn so swiftly. At the time, I figured he was just a good samaritan, stepping in and relieving me from a bad situation. But as I studied his eyes now, there was a darkness to them.

Maybe he had stepped in to help me, but he enjoyed doing it. I remembered the sound of his fists hitting Shawn, the gleam in his eyes when he turned to me after discarding my husband. He did it all so easily. His moves were practiced and precise…like he’d done it before.

Many times before.

“There it is,” he murmured.

He never did tell me exactly what he did, and he didn’t have to. He was dangerous, and that’s all he really wanted me to know.

Don’t mess with him.

He’ll ruin you if you cross him.

He’ll strike swiftly and you’ll never see him coming.

It was really a gut feeling. I didn’t know anything about IKE, but I got the distinct impression he didn’t let anyone know who he really was.

“Why?”

“Why what?” he asked casually, going back to eating. Nothing bothered this man. He’d basically just told me he was a really bad man and I should be wary around him. Yet, he sat here as if it was no big deal. Then again, it wasn’t to him. It was me who had to be careful aroundhim.

“Why did you intervene in the alley?”

“Did you not want me to?” he asked, cocking his head in question.

“No, I’m very grateful to you for putting the fear of God in him.”

“Apparently not enough,” he muttered.

“If you’re so…deadly, why would you get involved?”

“Maybe I don’t like bullies.”

“And then you followed me here.”

He scoffed at that. “And why would I do that?”

I had no idea, but it couldn’t be a coincidence that he was here.