Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

Coop draws me into his chest. “We should have made sure you put pants on.”

Seth stops beside us. “They don’t think there’s actually a fire. Blake is checking the computers, but it looks like a faulty wire. We should only be out here another hour while they search the building.”

“I think I saw someone go down the way we came.” I turn my face away from Coop’s chest to meet Seth’s eyes.

He jerks his gaze that way. “When?”

“A minute ago, when you crossed the street.” What if this was all a setup? What if someone wanted to get in, and we gave them the whole building? “What if this wasn’t an accident?”

Chapter 107

Strategy Meeting

Seth

Madison’s eyes are huge and her face pale as she stares down the corridor between the buildings. I can’t see anything now, but if she thinks she saw someone, we have bigger issues. Fuck.

“Give me a minute.” I jog across the street and find the police officer we were talking to. “Officer Jones?”

He stops and turns. “Is there something you need?”

“Our assistant thinks she saw someone slip down the corridor between the buildings.”

He glances over my shoulder and focuses on Madison in Coop’s arms. His jaw flexes as he considers. “What’s down that way?”

“The emergency exit stairs.” I exhale. “The door would be unlocked to let emergency personnel in and remains unlocked until the security system is reset.”

He nods and gestures to a few police officers standing nearby. “Wilson, Cox, go around back and check out the stairwell. We need to make sure no one comes or goes that way except for first responders. Take Nguyen and Mason with you. Two go in, make sure no one is on the stairs. The others watch the door.”

“Yes, sir.” They take off.

“It’s not unheard of to trip alarms to empty a building out.” Officer Jones pivots to face me. “Anything we need to know that they may target?”

I shake my head. “There are files on computers, but this seems like an extreme way to get to them.” I glance at Madison, checking to make sure she’s still there. “Our assistant has a stalker.”

“Stalker?” He turns and regards Madison again.

She’s huddled against Coop. The sweatshirt covers her sleep shorts, but her legs are bare. A cool breeze blows between the buildings. She shivers and burrows into Coop. She looks so small and vulnerable against him.

“Someone has been threatening her. Officer Bill Carr has been leading the investigation.”

A woman walks toward Madison with a blanket. They talk for a moment before Coop takes the blanket and helps Madison drape it around her. The alarm forced us all out the back door, which not many people know about. Access to that stairwell is limited.

Fuck, is this all an attempt to get to her again? Or just to make her panic?

“I’ll look into it. I need to get back.” Officer Jones returns to help coordinate.

It could be someone looking to get into our system. We locked down the building over the weekend to keep access limited. We’ll need to review the logs of who came in or tried to come in.

Blake joins me. His gaze follows Officer Jones. “What was that about?”

“Madison saw someone going around the side of the building.”

Blake glances in that direction and narrows his eyes. “Stalker or the corporate spy?”

“Wish I knew. If they’re inside, they’ll have to pass the police to get out.” I inhale and glance up at our building.

“Unless they hide.”