“We’re leaving,” Colin announced.

I remained silent as he prowled around my apartment like a caged animal. He always did this when he was in my home. Every time we walked in the door, he searched the bedrooms, closets, and bathrooms as if someone might possibly be lying in wait. It was ridiculous. Hell, the last year of my life had been one big overreaction.

“Erin? Did you hear me? Get packed. We’re leaving tonight,” he grouched.

With each passing day since the charity event, he’d become more and more unbearable to be around. He barked orders, he gave commands, and he kept his distance. I knew I’d screwed up the night of the party. I never should’ve kissed him. And I really never should’ve used William to try and make Colin jealous. I should’ve made him listen to me that night and explained who Willy was and what we were doing. But I didn’t, and the whole thing blew up in my face. Over the last few months, he’d put distance between us—both physical and figurative. He was never close to me unless we were in public and he was guarding me. No more sitting next to me on the couch at night. No more of the innocent touches I’d lived for. Nothing. He was distant and a complete ass.

I’d messed up.

“I heard you, Colin.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“An explanation.”

He was sadly mistaken if he thought I was going to pack a bag for places unknown and blindly follow. I had done that for the last seven years with my secret service detail. I was done being the dutiful first daughter. Done being told what to do instead of being asked. That’s what had started all this nonsense to begin with. Now that I wasn’t simply following orders, instead of living my life the way I wanted to, suddenly there was something wrong with me and I needed a full-time babysitter. It was beyond ridiculous. I knew my dad loved me and wanted me safe, but he’d gone way overboard ever since my friend, Olivia, had been kidnapped.

I was intimately aware of the limitations that were put on me because I was the first daughter. Being the only child of the President of the United States wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Colin thought I was a spoiled princess; he had no idea that was the furthest thing from the truth. Since my dad had been elected, I’d had no privacy. I was okay with most of it but never having a minute to just be me, had gotten old. It made me sound like a selfish bitch to everyone, including Colin. They all sat back and judged me. None of them had any idea what it was like to have someone always watching your every move. I’d been chastised by the media. Bloggers called me fat and ugly one week, and anorexic the next. Trolls on the internet made daily comments about everything from what I ate to what charities I supported. Everyone had an opinion—but no one knew me.

“An explanation? You’ve been briefed. Pack. We’re leaving soon.”

“Yes, Colin,” I sighed in frustration. “I’ve been briefed. Which means I’ve been given the redacted version of what’s going on. I want the truth. Why do I need to go into hiding? Where am I going? With whom? For how long? You know, actual information.”

“I told you, there have been threats made. I don’t know for how long, and you’ll see when we get there.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t work for me. I think this is another overreaction. I’m not leaving unless you tell me what the threat is and who made it. I’m an adult. I get to make decisions for myself.”

“If you’re an adult, start acting like one, instead of a petulant child who’s not getting her way, and go pack.”

If he thought I was acting childish then, he hadn’t seen anything yet.

“You can leave, Colin. I’m in for the night and Gerard should be in the hall by now.”

I assumed the night guard was at his post by now; providing my father wasn’t sneaking off the White House grounds like he frequently did. Gerard was one of my dad’s personal protection agents. He was technically secret service, but my dad kept Gerard particularly close. He was also now my nightly babysitter, even though Colin had an apartment next door to mine.

“You can’t dismiss me.”

“I can and I did. I’m done with this bullshit. You’re not going to tell me anything, and I’m not packing my bag until you do. So we’re done, which means you can leave. Gerard will lock me in for the night and watch over me like I’m a toddler, and tomorrow I’ll schedule a meeting with my father and tell him I’ve let you go.”

“Is that what you think we’re doing? Watching over you like a toddler?”

“Yeah, Colin. That is exactly what you’re doing. I hadn’t realized Zane Lewis offered adult daycare in his security site plans. You’re nothing more than an over-priced babysitter. I don’t need someone watching over me twenty-four seven.”

“The hell you don’t. And the fact that you’re as naïve as you are about the threats surrounding you proves my point.”

“I’m not naïve, Colin.” I closed the distance between us and pointed my finger in his direction. “I’m in the dark because you won’t tell me anything. It’s utter bullshit. I’ve said it a hundred times, you’re all overreacting and—”

“Someone was in your apartment, Erin. They tripped the silent alarm. By the time Gerard got here the person was gone. But they’d rummaged through your stuff.”

“What? When? Why wasn’t I told?”

“When you were at the Hope for All benefit.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Colin’s unwillingness to answer pissed me off. “What else aren’t you telling me?”

“A lot. Pack your bags.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ll go stay at the White House with my parents.”

“The fuck you will. They’ve been there, too. I intercepted photos of you sleeping on the couch in the residence. Someone was trying to get the images to your father.”

“What?” I hadn’t meant to screech, but this was absurd.

A look of annoyance hardened Colin’s features, and he yanked me forward. My body collided with his hard chest and he lowered his head to my ear and whispered, “We are not having this conversation in an unsecured location. Your place could be rigged with either video or audio surveillance. I need you to trust me. Go pack your bags now.”

He set me away from him and stared down at me, daring me to disobey. Part of me wanted to just to see what he’d do. But logic won out, and I turned to go to my room to pack. I tossed the bare essentials into the suitcase the presumptuous prick had already set out for me. Now that Colin had told me my apartment could be bugged, I was in a hurry to leave. The thought that someone could be watching or listening freaked me the hell out.

If this was all just a clever ruse to get me to leave with him, there’d be hell to pay.