I don’t think I slept the whole night. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Saylor. Like I was afraid she’d just up and disappear on me because this whole day felt like a crazy fever dream or something.
I never knew it was possible to feel so strongly so quickly for someone, but here we were. That feeling I’d had of absolute panic when I didn’t know if she was alive still made me nauseous. I’d happily live the rest of my life if I never had to go through that again.
Goddamn, she was so fucking beautiful.
After having a gun to her head, she still looked like an angel. My angel.
My baby girl.
I was a lucky fucker, and I wasn’t going to forget it—ever.
“How long have you been staring at me, weirdo?” Saylor asked in a groggy voice.
My eyes darted from her tits to her sleepy sky-blue eyes, and I grinned back at her, totally unabashed. “Don’t really remember even falling asleep. So all night?”
“Creep,” she muttered before giggling softly.
“When it comes to you, baby girl, always.” I pressed a kiss against the tip of her nose. “How would you feel about embedding a little tracking device? Microscopic, really.”
She whipped the pillow out from behind her head and smacked me square in the face with it.
“Is that a maybe?” The pillow muffled my voice, but I thought I still got my serious point across.
“Ugh.” She groaned as she rolled out of the bed, clutching her lower abs. “I’ve got cramps. Shoot, I don’t think I have any supplies here. I was going to grab some yesterday, but then… Could you run out and get me some tampons? Or better yet, ask Paige if she packed any?”
“Sure I’ll just call—” I bit my tongue because no, I wouldn’t be calling my assistant now or anytime ever again. Shit. “I’ll figure it out.”
Maybe I should ask Leif’s assistant, Zanna, for help?
I headed for where I’d left my phone charging while Saylor darted into the bathroom.
“Oh!” she shouted through the closed bathroom door. “Grab my purse, please? I have a few in there to hold me for now.”
Clutching my phone in my hand, I turned and headed for the living room where I believe I saw her bag last. But before I could get there my phone buzzed in my hand.
Security Calling
Dread pooled in my stomach, but so much less than what I felt yesterday. Still, I pressed my free hand against my stomach when I answered.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, Mister Holt. Sorry to bother you,” the security company Danny had arranged last night for us answered. “But we have an Erin Baker here. She says she’s Mrs. Holt’s mother. Her ID matches and she appears legit. Do you want me toescort her in?” The ‘or send her away’ was clearly implied and underlined when Erin hollered.
“I’m her mother, for crying out loud! What is all this drama for? Let me see my daughter!”
I sighed heavily. She sounded like a peach.
But it wasn’t my call to make.
“Hold on, let me ask the missus.”
I grabbed her bag off the ottoman where we’d dropped it last night then headed back to our bedroom. After knocking lightly, I called through the door, “Hey baby, I got your bag, and apparently your mom is at the gate. Do you want to see her?”
I heard her groan through the door before she opened it and stood in the doorway, still adorably rumpled from sleep.
She took her purse with a half-smile and a murmur of “thanks,” then rubbed her eyes with her free hand. After a heavy sigh, she muttered, “Sure. Send her up.”
Her reply was the definition of underwhelming.