Dahlia waited in Cy’s office, sitting empty-handed while he went off to install new features on her cell phone. He wasted no time in telling her exactly how things were going to be. He made it clear in no uncertain terms to get over the past. Did he say it because her facial expression gave away her thoughts?

She twiddled her thumbs, feeling silly and vulnerable. He caught her off guard. The last person she expected to see when walking into a security firm was her ex-boyfriend from way back in high school. Judging by his gruff attitude, he didn’t appear to be delighted to see her at all.

She couldn’t blame him. The last time she saw him things didn’t go so well. Downright ugly, was a better description.

She heard the door handle click. Cy re-entered the room. Dahlia straightened and drew a breath as she got the impression that all the air in the room was being forced through a vacuum.

He strode to her chair and handed her the cell phone. “The app is installed. Take a few minutes to scroll through the features.” He took his seat behind his desk and watched as she studied her phone’s home screen.

Dahlia touched the iron chain link icon representing the security’s logo. It opened up to a main screen of options that included a compass icon and a red Alert button. “What does the Alert button do?”

“If you’re in trouble and I’m not nearby, press it and I’ll get a signal on my phone to track you.”

“Sounds state of the art.”

“It is. The government recently cleared the feature for security companies to use.”

She toggled through the new security app on her cell phone. It was loaded down with so many bells and whistles she wouldn’t be surprised if a five-alarm system went off if she pressed the wrong button. “I don’t know what half of this even means.”

“It takes a little time to go through the features, but they’re user-friendly.” Cy got up from his chair and came to stand over her. He pointed to the compass icon. “This is your GPS tracker. The security firm can activate it if necessary.”

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with people being able to track and follow me using my phone.”

“These are the features my firm uses to keep our clients safe. The people I hired to design them are top notch. They used to work military intel with me.”

Dahlia heard the defensive tone in his voice. “I didn’t mean anything against you or your tech people.” She scrolled through the app’s list of contacts. “Do I have any new numbers that I need to save?”

“There’s a hidden folder with secure numbers we use here at the firm. There’s a personal number assigned to you. It will show up as a blocked number when we call you.”

“I’ll get the hang of the app.” She rose from the chair. “I have work to catch up on today and I need to get there before everyone else does.”

“How’d you get here?”

“I took the rail and then hopped on the bus.”

“I’ll take you to work in my car.” Cy got up and pulled the door open to a coat closet. He grabbed a leather jacket from the hanger. The leather fit like a glove as he pulled it over his shoulders. “I’m parked out front. I’m in a gray BMW.”

A BMW. Fancy. Dahlia gathered her purse and jacket to follow Cy through the hall of the security firm and back to the lobby. Another client was patiently waiting for the combat boots-wearing receptionist to call his name.

Cy opened the door outside. The morning sun had crept a little higher in the sky since Dahlia entered the building. It brought a bit more warmth to the cold January air. She zipped her coat up to her neck and stuck her hands in her pockets. She noticed the gray BMW in a reserved spot. Cy went to it.

“You know, I always took you for a motorcycle kind of guy. Do you still have that Harley you used to work on?”

He jerked his head and gave her a look that came off as either surprised or perturbed, she really couldn’t tell. “In this line of work, I need something less conspicuous then a Harley.”

Dahlia never imagined anyone saying that a Bimmer was inconspicuous, but she didn’t say anything more. She waited for him to unlock the doors of the pricey vehicle. “My office space is about five and a half miles from here if we take the highway.”

She got in the car. He turned the engine over and pulled out of the parking lot. She tried to make casual conversation on their way to the highway. “So how long has your security firm been in business?”

“About two years after I left the Special Forces.”

“Oh, so you made it in?” She remembered how he used to talk about and admire the Army’s elite soldiers.

“After a gunshot wound to the leg in Afghanistan, I wasn’t able to serve anymore.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Serving in the military had been one of his biggest dreams in life. To have it cut short, she knew it had to hurt him.

He stared out the windshield. “I didn’t think my career would end after only eight years in the military. At least it gave me a skill set I could use in the civilian world.”

The car’s thermometer read thirty-nine degrees outside. Dahlia watched the morning traffic from the tinted windows while reclining in the heated leather seat. The cars and buildings all looked the same, but inside she felt like they were different. She struggled to put down the uneasy feelings from what she witnessed a couple days ago.

“Where did you say your office was again?” Cy cut into her thoughts.

“Take the next exit. Go up the road for half a mile and it’ll be on the right.”

He followed her directions, putting his signal on to turn. “You said you were a hair and makeup artist?”

“I am. Why?”

He lifted one broad shoulder in a shrug. “I figured you would work in a salon.”

“I got my start there. Then I started doing online makeup tutorials when I was in cosmetology school. When I got a deal to launch my own line, I needed to lease office space.”

He didn’t respond to her statement. “Is that the building on the right?”

Dahlia saw the four-story office space and affirmed him. “That’s the one. If you park in one of the spaces up front, I can see if the security guard will validate you for free parking.”

She felt a little silly once the words came out. Unlike her new business, Cy and his security firm were fully established. He didn’t need to worry about things like free parking and saving money.

“I’ll just pay at the meter. It’s no big deal.”

Dahlia unbuckled her seatbelt. “Well, thanks for the ride to work. I have to prepare for my launch coming out at the end of this month.”

She put her hand on a door handle to get out of the car.

“Wait.” He touched her on the wrist. A tiny tingle of electricity buzzed along her skin. “Did you go into work yesterday?”

“No. After what I saw at Mary’s house, all I wanted to do was go home and crawl under the covers.” Thinking about it again left a heavy feeling in her chest.

“The reason I’m asking is because someone may have also sent a threat to your office.”

The heavy feeling was replaced with a sharp ping of alarm. “I didn’t even think to ask security to check my office this morning.”

“I’m coming inside with you.” Cy got out of the BMW.

Dahlia did the same. She fluffed out her curls she forgot to put in braids the night before. They were frizzy instead of polished. She caught her reflection in the glass door as she entered the building. She looked exactly like the anxious, rumpled mess she felt on the inside.

“Hi, Ben, are you doing well this morning?” she greeted the old security guard as she passed his station.

“I’m fine, but we all heard what happened yesterday. I’m sorry for you.” He gave her a look of sympathy. Then he glanced at Cy. “Can I help you, sir?”

“He’s with me, Ben.”

“I still need to see his ID.”

Cy pulled his wallet out of his jeans pocket and presented his driver’s license to the security guard.

Ben took his time reading it before he gave the thumbs-up. “You’re good to go.”

Dahlia continued on until she reached the elevator. She pressed the button to call it down. The doors opened. She got in first and pressed the button for the third floor.

Cy stepped in and stared at the numbers on the wall panel. He didn’t talk to her while the pulley cables made a slight creaking noise as they lifted the elevator. It came to a stop on the third floor. “From now on, I get out of elevators first,” he said while stepping out. “It’s a safety precaution.” His gaze swept the hall.

Things looked fine to Dahlia. She stepped out of the elevator before the doors could close on her. “My office is straight ahead.”

She took out her keys and walked to the door to unlock it. Without going inside, she moved her hand along the wall and felt for the switch to turn on the lights. Was she being a little paranoid?

The lights came on to highlight a room full of brown boxes stacked on a couple tables. Two computer monitors were on sleep mode. She figured her two interns Nelle and Brandon left them that way before they went home last night.

“Everything looks normal to me.” She went inside and set her purse on one of the desks.

Cy closed the door behind him after he entered. “Does your office normally look like this?”

“Like I said, my new makeup line launches this month. These are the samplers and preorders. They go out to blog and beauty magazine reviewers.” She peeled back the lid of one of the cardboard boxes and took out a bubble wrapped packet of eyeshadow kits. “I need to sort through all of these boxes today.”

“What’s your schedule?”

“I don’t have a set schedule. I can be up at five in the morning or come home after ten at night. It all depends on my appointments and what I have to do for my business.”

“No more.”

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t be out all night with a stalker on the loose looking for you. You’re going to have to have a more structured schedule.”

Dahlia made a point to clarify. “Some of my clients are celebrities. They have to be on set early or they go out to parties late at night. I get what you’re saying, but I can’t keep banker’s hours and expect to work as a hair and makeup artist.”

“You’re going to have to figure something out.”

A quiet knock came from the other side of the door. Cy faced it and waited for it to open. The door parted slowly and a young woman with brown hair stuck her head in. “Hi, Dahlia. Hope I’m not interrupting,” she said, voice uncertain as she looked at Cy.

“Not at all. Nelle, this is Cy. Cy, this is Nelle, my intern.”

“Hey.” Nelle stared at him as if he were a pink elephant in the room. A pink elephant in a crisply-ironed shirt and great-fitting pants.

“Brandon’s my other intern,” Dahlia explained to Cy. “He should be here soon.”

Nelle began opening boxes at the far end of the left table. “You know Brandon. He’s got to stop at Jumpy Java and get his coffee by the gallon.”

“Normally, coffee sounds good, but today I’m already a little jumpy.”

“I’ll be outside the door.” Cy left the two of them in the room.

Nelle paused from unpacking. “I want to ask you two questions. First, I want to hear how you’re doing.”

Dahlia knew she was going to get questions like this all day. At least it meant there were people who cared about her. “I’m hanging in there. Two days ago, I was at the police station for hours answering questions about what I saw. Yesterday, I had to take a break.”

Nelle shook her head. “We all heard about Mary in the news and couldn’t believe it. I was so relieved when you answered my text to let me know you were okay.”

“You were nice to check on me. Alright, so what’s your next question?” She already knew it was going to be about Cy.

“Who’s the tall, brooding pack of biceps outside?”

Geez. “He has a name, Nelle. It’s Cy.”

“But who is he, and what’s he doing here?”

Should she tell her intern that she hired a personal bodyguard or did she need to keep quiet about Cy’s true identity? “He’s here to help me.”

“With what, inventory?”

“He’s here to help me with...” She didn’t want to mention the death threat she received yesterday. It would frighten Nelle. “He specializes in safety precautions.”

“I get it. He’s doing your quality control.”

Dahlia hated lying, not only because she thought it was wrong, but because she was horribly bad at it. “Yes. He’s my assistant and he’s helping me with quality control.”

“When Brandon comes in, I’ll let him know that makeup inventory has to go through Cy before we ship it.”

Nelle resumed her work unpacking the box. Dahlia opened a box beside her and started withdrawing its contents. She wished she had come up with a better reason for Cy’s sudden appearance. She looked at his shadow through the window of the door. He stood straight and tall. She hoped he wouldn’t scare Brandon away.