“What is it?” Archer’s deep voice startled her.
She hadn’t heard him following her. Hadn’t heard him enter her office, either. She wouldn’t have thought a man of his stature would be capable of moving so silently.
“My computer.” She went to her desk. “It’s gone.”
“Anything else?”
Cassie shot him an angry stare. “That’s not enough?” She stormed past.
“Where are you going?”
“Someone’s obviously been in here, Archer. And since I have yet to see a police officer pull up, I’m going to call this in and report it.”
“Don’t do that.”
As if following his command blindly, her feet planted in the spot where they were. “Why not?” she snapped angrily.
Seriously. If this guy couldn’t do a better job than this, as far as she was concerned, he could take his protection detail and shove it up his?—
“Because I’m pretty sure the cops are the ones who took your computer.”
“The cops? What are you?—”
And just like that, a fast, hard smack of reality struck her square in the face.
Cassie spared another few seconds to look around the room again. This time, she studied the scene with a professional eye, rather than personal. She thought back to the kitchen. Her bedroom. The bathrooms…
“The search warrant,” she mumbled more to herself than him. With a hand to her forehead, she closed her eyes and hung her head. “Of course.”
Crime scene investigators were notorious for leaving a mess in their wake. A mess the accused was then left to deal with, on top of everything else. She’d double-check, of course. But now that he mentioned it, she hadn’t noticed anything valuable missing from any of the other rooms. And the way the stuff had been moved around…
Humiliation settled in deep. She should have thought about the search warrant before now.
I’m such an idiot.
“You’re not an idiot.”
Cassie looked up to find him staring back at her with an empathetic expression. She hadn’t meant to say the self-deprecating words aloud, but she obviously had.
And Archer had heard them loud and freaking clear.
“I am, actually.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “The morning I was arrested, Ellie told me the police had seized some of my personal belongings. Including my laptop. Hell, I read over her copy of the search warrant, myself. I swear I’m not usually this out of sorts. I guess I’m just…” A deep sigh left her entire being feeling deflated. “I owe you an apology, Archer. I never should have spoken to you like that. And if you?—”
She cut herself off by pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. But almost immediately, Cassie forced its release and lifted her chin. With the straightest spine she could muster, she offered him an out she prayed he didn’t take.
“If you want to sever our professional relationship now,” she continued, “I’d completely understand. And of course, I will compensate you for your time spent with me today.”
Though the last thing she wanted was for him to leave, what she’d told him was the truth. If Archer high-tailed it right out her front door this very second, she’d hold no ill will toward the man.
It would suck, and Cassie knew she’d be on her own to try to fight this unthinkable battle. But if he did choose to wipe his hands of her, she’d only have herself to blame.
“I’m not leaving, and there’s nothing to apologize for.”
Cassie’s heart gave a hard thump as her lashes lifted so she could meet his gaze. “You’re…why not?”
Who cares about the why? The important thing is he’s staying!
“You were reacting to an unexpected situation that compounded an already stressful day.” The gracious man kindly dismissed her recent outburst. As he spoke, Archer’s tone was calm, almost soothing in nature. “You’ve been through a lot in the last few days. Anyone in your situation would be on edge.”