Control (Harper Security Ops #18)

Ten

TEN

Alana

I was quickly learning that Ty Weaver was not just a bodyguard; he was also a gentleman.

We had just stepped off the elevator after taking it to the fifth floor of the downtown Steel Ridge corporate office building. After we walked along the corridor and came to a glass door, Ty opened it and allowed me to step inside ahead of him.

I shifted to the side once I stepped through, and the two of us walked up to the front reception desk.

My eyes shifted to the nameplate on the desk before focusing on the young woman sitting there. “Hi. Are you Georgia?”

Her chin dipped slightly, her eyes assessing. “Yes. Hi. How can I help you?”

Offering a friendly smile in return, I shared, “My name is Alana, and this is Ty. I was hoping to speak with Mr. Jackson Taylor.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I’d need one. I was kind of hoping he’d be free.”

Georgia looked a bit unsettled. “Well, he doesn’t have any appointments he’s in right now, but I can’t promise he’ll be available to meet with you. I can ask, though.”

“Would you, please?”

She licked her lips, her shoulders rounding, and her chest caving in on itself as her eyes darted back and forth between Ty and me. “Sure. What can I tell him this is about?”

If there was one conclusion that could be drawn in the few moments we’d been here, it was that Georgia was easily the opposite of Avalon when it came to front desk receptionists. Where Avalon was bubbly and outgoing, Georgia was soft-spoken and timid. It seemed such a strange position for her to be working, mostly because she seemed so uncomfortable interacting with others.

Recognizing her hesitancy could have also been the result of Ty and I showing up here unannounced, I explained, “I’m an independent journalist, and I’m here hoping to speak with him about the most recent gala Mr. Taylor hosted four months ago to raise money for the children’s hospital. I’m specifically interested in speaking with him about Annie Sanders.”

Georgia’s body tensed, and her face blanched. “Annie?”

Unsurprisingly, Georgia’s reaction was one I was growing accustomed to seeing. Everyone knew Annie, and at the mere mention of her, it was difficult not to feel sadness. “Yes, I’m working on putting together a piece that can hopefully bring a bit of happiness back to Steel Ridge, and I’ve been meeting with individuals in the community who worked directly with Annie on making such an impact.”

“Yes, Mr. Taylor worked closely with her on planning for the gala. She was such a sweet woman.”

“We agree. And that’s what I’m hoping to be able to share with the public.”

Georgia held my stare briefly before she picked up the phone from its cradle and said, “Let me see if he’s available. Feel free to have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

Ty and I stepped away from the desk and moved to the sitting area. We exchanged odd looks before the both of us focused our attention on the space. I was merely noting how it was decorated, but I had the feeling Ty was doing some kind of special operations type of analysis. I’d noticed him doing it when we met with Carl at the Steel Ridge Rec, and I wondered if it was just second nature to him to scope out any place that he was with such a watchful eye.

“Mr. Taylor will be out in just a minute,” Georgia shared, rising slightly from her seat to look over the desk and in our direction.

“Perfect. Thank you so much.”

This was such a relief. Jackson Taylor was the owner of The Taylor Group, the parent company of many subsidiaries, both small and large. He was the host of the last gala Annie had played a major role in securing donors for several months ago. I was looking forward to his insight, believing he might have worked closely with Annie and would have had some interactions with her that went beyond the scope of their professional relationship.

The glass doors separating the front reception area with the back offices opened, pulling my attention in that direction. Ty and I stood, and Georgia offered meek introductions. “Mr. Taylor, this is Alana and Ty.”

He came a few steps in our direction, with us making our way toward him. After a brief exchange of handshakes, Mr. Taylor’s eyes moved to my foot. “What happened there?”

“Oh, I just had surgery a couple of weeks ago following a car accident.”

“Ouch. Is everything okay?”

I nodded. “So far the doctor’s happy with my recovery, and I can still get around, so I guess it’s going as well as can be expected.”

“That’s good. You can come on back,” he said as he swept his hand out to the side and indicated we could proceed through the door he’d just come through. As we stepped through, I heard, “Please hold my calls, Georgia.”

Jackson Taylor led us to his private office, and the moment we sat down, I expressed my gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Taylor, for your willingness to meet with us like this. I realize I should have called for an appointment, but I appreciate you not holding that against us.”

I had wanted to avoid appointments at all costs. In that scenario, people often wanted to know specifics and had time to prepare speeches. I’d learned the best way to have authentic conversations and real responses to my questions was to just go right in and hope for the best.

He waved his hand dismissively in the air. “If it had been anyone else, I might have turned you down. But Georgia mentioned this was about Annie and the gala, and that woman bent over backwards for everyone in this community. The least I could do was find out what this is about. And please feel free to call me Jackson.”

Nodding, I explained, “Yes. I’m not sure if Georgia mentioned it, but I’m an independent journalist, and I’m merely looking to put together a piece about Annie’s life. As I’m sure you’re aware, she had a tremendous impact on the people in this town, and I’d like to showcase not only that work but the woman underneath.”

Jackson sent a look of admiration our way. “I’m happy to help in any way I can. What exactly did you want from me?”

“The gala you held four months ago was the last big fundraising event Annie was part of,” I began. “Obviously, it seemed Annie was never content to do just one thing and be done, continuing to do regular charitable works on a smaller scale in the months that followed. While I’m happy to hear some details about the specific work she did with you when it came to preparing for the event, what I’m most interested in hearing is what it was like to work with her. I’d like a little bit of insight as to who Annie is when she’s not doing good deeds for others.”

A smile spread across Jackson’s face as he countered, “Is there such a thing? I’ve worked with Annie several times over the last four or five years, and I’m not sure I’ve ever known her to not be doing something to help others. She really was the absolute best of us, and it’s just tragic what happened to her, because I don’t think there’s ever going to be anyone like her again.”

I sent a look of understanding his way. “That certainly seems to be the consensus amongst everyone we’ve spoken to. There’s such a strong sense of pride whenever anyone talks about her and the work that she did, and it mixes with this overwhelming sense of loss that we’ve suffered collectively.”

Nodding his agreement, Jackson replied, “That’s because people like her don’t exist.”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far. I mean, Annie was passionate about what she did, but she had people like you and some of the others we’ve spoken to recently who are just as generous.”

Jackson let out a laugh and sat back. “I can’t tell you how flattering it is that you could even presume to lump me in the same category as Annie.”

“You wouldn’t?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t start my businesses for the good deeds I could do. First and foremost, I’m a businessman, and my goal will always be about what’s good for increasing revenue across the brand. I can’t speak on behalf of others she’s worked with; I’m sure there are plenty of people who aspire to be like her. I won’t pretend to be somebody I’m not, though. When it comes to the work I did with Annie, I did it because it would ultimately help my business.”

Jackson’s words took me by surprise. “Are you saying you didn’t care about the children’s hospital?”

Pressing his forearms into the desk as he leaned forward, he admitted, “Look, I’m not heartless. I’m glad there was a good cause to contribute to, and I hate to think that there’s even a need for it. But when it all boils down, the decisions I make are due to the direct impact it will have on my company. Working with Annie meant there’d be tax write-offs and great exposure. For her, the benefit to the children’s hospital was the number one priority. For me, it was secondary.”

It took a moment for those words to sink in, but they were precisely the kind of thing I’d expect in an impromptu meeting. “I appreciate your honesty, Jackson. Most people wouldn’t be willing to admit that.”

Laughter spilled out of him. “Well, maybe they’re better people than I am. I can certainly appreciate a good cause and be part of it, but like I said before, I’m a businessman, first and foremost. I didn’t get to where I am, to be in a position to contribute to causes that were important to Annie, by not putting the interests of my business at the forefront of my decision-making.”

It wasn’t the wholesome interview I’d gotten when I met with Carl or the melancholy-laced one I’d had at the library, but that didn’t make this one any less beneficial. If nothing else, it helped to show that Annie could impact the lives of so many different people in such different ways. Even if it hadn’t been my initial intention, there wasn’t a chance I wouldn’t put together a piece on this remarkable woman.

“It’s clear you saw such a stark contrast between yourself and Annie when it came to your motivations. Do you think she saw it, too? And if so, did it impact your ability to work together?”

“I’m pretty sure she saw the difference between what drove each of us, but Annie wasn’t the kind of woman who’d ever allow that to deter her from what she set out to do. Her goal has always been to help those who need it, so even if she might not have agreed with everything that drove me to make my decisions, she never let that stop her.”

I glanced over at Ty, saw the way he was looking at me, and felt a wave of pride wash over me. Maybe there was a little bit of Annie in all of us, even if we used it all differently. Because despite the restrictions Dale had put on me in refusing to allow me to work on this story at the news station, I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

Passion was passion.

And I had a passion for the truth.

Ty and I spent another fifteen minutes or so with Jackson, most of which had shifted to him telling us a bit about working directly with her. The message I got was the same as I’d gotten in the other spots we’d visited, and as expected, I had no new information that would help with uncovering the truth about what happened to Annie.

Just before we walked out the door, I remembered I hadn’t given a card with my contact information on it to Jackson, so I stopped, turned, and moved to Georgia’s desk. “I’m sorry, I forgot to give this to Jackson. In case he has anything else he’d like to add, he’s more than welcome to give me a call.”

She took the card from me. “I’ll be sure to pass it along.”

“Thank you.”

I spun around and found Ty was waiting patiently for me with a smile on his face and the door held open. I didn’t hesitate to walk right toward him.

Ty

Alana and I hadn’t been walking for more than a few minutes along the downtown sidewalk when she suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Her uncertain gaze came in my direction with a slight shake of her head. “It’s just…well, I just realized this is where the accident happened.”

Although I knew that, it hadn’t been anywhere near the forefront of my mind. Because much like Alana’s thoughts had drifted back to something so traumatic, mine had done the same.

Obviously, I hadn’t experienced anything that had physically harmed me like she had, but the day she was remembering now was one that I’d done my best to put behind me.

But now I was here again, and everything was hitting me full force. The last time I’d been walking along this street, I’d just learned the truth about a woman I’d invested nearly a year of my life in.

The thoughts I’d been having, though, weren’t filled with longing, despair, or devastation about what had happened. Quite the opposite was the case. It hadn’t been that long since everything went down between us, and I didn’t think about Evangeline at all anymore.

My mind had been consumed by Alana. Not only did I sometimes feel this sense of breathlessness when I was with her, but I also noticed that everything around us ceased to exist. Of course, I was still alert for dangers that surrounded us, but I wasn’t distracted by the little things. I enjoyed her company, even if most of it was spent with her working. It made me crave time with her that wouldn’t be filled with interviews and questions and details about the story she was working on. In fact, it left me excited about a day like tomorrow. I couldn’t wait to take her to the doctor, to do something different. And my hope was that, soon enough, she’d get to the bottom of this, and I’d be able to spend time with her that was just for the two of us to enjoy.

I wrapped my arm around her back and allowed my hand to settle on her opposite shoulder. “How are you feeling about it? Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. It’s been a couple of weeks since it happened, and I’m feeling really good.”

“We should celebrate,” I told her.

“What?”

I jerked my head in the opposite direction and pointed. “How about you let me buy you some cookies to celebrate?”

“Ooh, Ty, that’s tempting. But you’re not supposed to be buying anything, remember?”

I rolled my eyes. I hated this stupid rule she felt compelled to impose about paying for meals since I told Avalon not to set up an account to start billing her for bodyguard services. “This is different. It’s just two people celebrating how far you’ve come since the last time you were here.”

“Okay, well, I do love cookies.”

Laughter spilled out of me. I took her by the hand and led her to the end of the block so we could cross the street. We entered the cookie shop and were assaulted by the scent of freshly baked treats.

After picking out a few flavors to try, Alana and I grabbed a table by the window and sat down to enjoy them together.

She took one bite, and my eyes were fixated on her. I noted the way she took the time to savor that single bite and how her eyes widened with delight at the taste. Of course, I felt myself grow a bit feverish when she licked a stray crumb off her lip.

“This one is delicious. Here, you have to try it,” she said, holding her cookie out to me.

I didn’t hesitate to take a bite while she held the cookie. My eyes remained on hers, my heart beating a little faster. “Oh, that is good. The perfect cookie to celebrate with, I think.”

Alana took another bite, chewed, and swallowed before she said, “The cookie is great. I’m sure the rest of the flavors will be just as wonderful. But, in my opinion, the thing that makes this so great is the company. It’s way better than any cookie could ever be.”

My body tensed. I hadn’t expected her to be so forward. Maybe there wasn’t anything deeper behind it—perhaps she merely enjoyed having someone to spend some time with—but I couldn’t lie and pretend it didn’t make something stir inside my chest.

The feeling that came over me was so immense, I didn’t trust myself to speak. I’d gone from having a woman in my life push me away and lie to me, so she could spend time with another man to having this. To having a woman who wasn’t even my girlfriend seemingly enjoying spending time with me. It felt really good.

“It’s all thanks to you, you know?”

With raised eyebrows, I asked, “What’s all thanks to me?”

“That I’m in a place where I can celebrate,” Alana shared. “I can’t tell you how low I was feeling after I learned that I wasn’t going to be able to cover this story. Between that, the foot injury, totaling my car, and having someone wanting to cause me physical harm, I don’t think I was in a very good place. I think if I hadn’t met you, I’d be in a different place today. I don’t think I’d have the confidence to continue pushing for answers, to continue doing what I love. I’m so glad I met you, Ty, and I hope that even after this whole thing is over, you and I can remain friends.”

I wondered if Alana had the ability to read minds. Did she know I’d been thinking about what would happen between us after this was over? Did she feel any of the same fear about not having me in her life the way I felt about not having her in my life once she uncovered the truth about who killed Annie?

Unable to stop myself, I placed one hand over hers on the table and squeezed. “I don’t think I wound up on that sidewalk by accident that day. It would be a shame if you got to the bottom of this story, and I never got to see you again. I’d love nothing more than for us to keep in touch.”

She beamed at me. “That makes me happy.”

I smiled back at her and said, “I’m glad. But do you know what else might make you happy?”

“No. What?”

Holding one up between us with my other hand, I said, “Another cookie. How about a taste of an almond shortbread one this time?”

She licked her lips. “Sounds amazing.”

I held the cookie up to her mouth, my hand that was still covering hers squeezing ever-so-slightly as her lips parted and she bit down on it. A stray piece broke off and fell on her lap, both of us falling into a fit of laughter, and I had an inkling it was both of us feeling giddy with excitement and not the fact that she tried to catch the cookie as it fell.

A moment later, the good vibes I’d been feeling with her nearly flew out the window. Because I glanced outside and saw someone standing there, looking at us through the glass.

Evangeline.

I didn’t know what it looked like from where she stood, but if it was even half of what I felt being with Alana, I had to guess she got a taste of what it had been like for me to see her with a man in her apartment.

The only difference was, Evangeline and I weren’t together now.

And seeing her there did nothing for me.

In fact, as quickly as I saw her, I looked away, focused my attention on Alana, and smiled at her. “What do you think about that one?”

“Apparently, the crunchy ones might be too messy for me. But it was beyond delicious. I’m not sure if I like that one or the chocolate chip one better. You should take a bite.”

I popped the remaining half of the cookie into my mouth and said, “It’s good. I’m partial to the first one.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

Grinning at her, I said, “Because you fed it to me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, Ty. What am I going to do with you?”

Anything you want, I thought.

Instead of telling her that, I suggested, “You could let me have a taste of that cinnamon-sugar cookie.”

Alana cocked a brow, lifted it, and let me take a bite. As I chewed and glanced out the window again, Evangeline was gone. And when it didn’t matter to me either way, I knew I was officially over her.