The frustration in her tone eats at me, and I try to explain. “It’s not because I don’t trust you. It’s because—”
I slam on the brakes when a truck runs a red light, and we both jerk against our seat belts. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. Not because I almost said something I shouldn’t have.
Once we’re on the other side of the intersection, I turn left to circle around again to check for tails.
“Because why?” she asks.
I glance up at the rearview and see the dark sedan two car lengths behind me turns too.
Fuck. I hit the gas and we shoot onto a side street, and I turn several more times in quick succession before we lose him.
Temperance stares out the back window. “We have a tail, don’t we?”
“Put it on. Please. I promise it’s for your protection and not mine.”
She huffs out a breath but does as I ask. “Someday I’m going to get to see this place, right?”
“Yes,” I say with absolute certainty. “You definitely will.”
“Fine. But then it’ll be my turn to take you somewhere, and you’re going to have to wear the beanie. For months, maybe.”
My chest tightens, and for the first time in years, I feel regret.
35
Temperance
Kane wouldn’t let me see the security footage, and when my phone rings the next morning, I’m still arguing with him about it as we climb in today’s ride.
My phone rings as I buckle my seat belt. I toss the beanie and dig through my purse.
Keira.
“Hello?”
“Hey, how are things going? I heard there was an incident last night.”
I am the shittiest COO in the history of the world because I didn’t tell my boss what happened, and she found out from someone else. Awesome.
I attempt to play it cool. “It was pretty minor. I handled it.” I cringe at the white lie because I was hustled out of the building. “I didn’t want to interrupt your vacation.”
“You know anything like that is never a bother. We’re heading home right now, and I’ll be in the office tomorrow. But ...” She clears her throat like she’s about to say something she really doesn’t want to say.
“But what?” I prompt.
“I don’t want you to go to the distillery, Temperance.”
My mouth dries up like the Sahara Desert, and I try to make sense of the words she’s saying. “What do you mean?”
“Lachlan would prefer you don’t go to Seven Sinners, so there aren’t any other incidents there. Consider this your free pass to work remotely for a while.” She tries to make her tone cheery, but all I feel is guilt twisting my stomach into a knot.
I wince before I speak, and Kane tenses. “I’m so sorry, Keira. I truly didn’t mean for any of this to happen. It won’t happen again.”
Another voice joins the call. “You’re right, it won’t happen again.” It’s Mount. “Put your phone on speaker. I want Saxon to hear this.”
“Yes, sir.” I fumble to tap the button on my screen to activate the speaker function. “Go ahead, sir. He can hear you.”
I train my gaze on Kane’s knees because I’m too embarrassed to look him in the eye during what I’m sure is to be an ass-ripping. Something I’d rather not have an audience for, but I’m not about to risk disobeying my boss’s terrifying husband.