Stepbrother three, jewel crotan [reading comprehension books .TXT] 📗

Gordon was making me jumpy. There was no reason to think the man in the coffee shop was looking at me, or following me. He was probably just one of those creepy men you always heard about that hung out in the city.

Except… I glanced at him quickly out of the corner of my eye. He had a mustache, and even though he was wearing a Yankees baseball hat, I could see a tiny shock of black hair peeking out from underneath.

Black hair and a mustache.

Wasn’t that what Graham the doorman had said about the man who’d shown up at Cole’s building, demanding to be let into Cole’s apartment? Could it really be a coincidence that a man fitting that same description was here, now, giving me a weird feeling? I wondered if he’d followed me here, if he’d been watching Cole’s apartment building, waiting for me.

You’re being crazy, Avery.

Still.

I finished my muffin and left the coffee shop.

Once I was out on the street, I started to feel better. There were tons of people out here – surely if that man really was following me, he wouldn’t try anything with so many people around.

But as much as I told myself I was being crazy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned and looked behind me, just to make myself feel better.

But the man from the coffee shop was following me. He was weaving in and out of the crowd, trying to keep up with me. I quickened my pace, but he quickened his. I crossed to the other side of the street, and so did he.

I wasn’t sure what to do. My heart pounded in my chest, my fight or flight response in full effect. Everything inside of myself was telling me to run. But if I ran, I was afraid he’d realize I knew he was following me. And that might spur him to do something, witnesses or not.

I zigzagged around the street, trying to lose him, panicked. When I finally got into Cole’s building, I was out of breath, my chest rising and falling in short gasps.

As the security guard checked my name off on a list and printed up a temporary badge, I turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lobby.

But the man was gone. I didn’t see him anywhere.

I blew out a sigh of relief.

When I stepped off the elevator and onto Cole’s floor, my breathing had returned to normal, but my legs felt wobbly and my stomach was doing somersaults.

“Hello,” I said to the receptionist. “I’m Avery Buchanan, Cole’s new assistant.”

The receptionist was much more friendly to me this time, giving me a big smile. “Mr. Buchanan is waiting for you in his office. You can go right in.”

“Thank you.” I smoothed my dress and walked through the double doors of Buchanan Enterprises, making my way back to Cole’s office.

When I got there, he was talking on the phone to someone, and he motioned me in with one hand.

I swallowed and walked inside, shutting the door behind me. I couldn’t help but remember what we’d done the last time I was here, they way he’d made me strip for him.

“Yeah,” Cole was saying into the phone. “Let me know as soon as you can.” He hung up the phone and turned to me. “You’re late.” He pointed at the clock on the wall, which showed that it was 8:03.

“Three minutes.” Was he really going to give me a hard time for being three minutes late?

“I don’t want excuses, Avery. You were supposed to be here at eight, and I expect you to be here at eight.”

He was right. I shouldn’t have been late. And I wouldn’t have been, except for that man who was following me.

Cole picked up a file folder and started paging through it, then indicated the other side of his desk where a clipboard and a cell phone were sitting. “There’s your cell phone,” he said. “And your forms for HR. You can fill them out in the conference room, and then Kalia will show you what to do with them.”            

“Kalia?” I asked warily.

“Yes. You’ll be spending the day with her. She’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

“Thank you.” I picked up the clipboard and the shiny new iPhone that was resting on top of it, running my fingers over the screen. I’d never had a phone this nice before.

“Is there anything else?” Cole asked. He was all business, picking the phone back up and dialing a number, dismissing me.

Hurt burned through me, hurt that he was acting like I was just someone who worked for him, even after the things he’d done and said to me last night.

I began to shake my head no. But then I stopped.

“Someone was following me this morning,” I said.

Cole stopped, his finger on the keypad of his phone. He slowly replaced the receiver. “What are you talking about?”

“A man with black hair. And a mustache. He was in the café I was at this morning, and I’m pretty sure he followed me here.”

Cole crossed the room and looked at me seriously. “Did he say anything to you?”

I shook my head.

“Did he try to approach you?”

“No. He was just following me.”

Cole took in a long deep breath through his nose then turned around. He walked slowly over to his desk before pulling his arm back and pushing a bunch of papers off his desk and onto the floor angrily. “Fuck,” he swore. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Cole,” I said, rushing over to him, surprised at his reaction. “Who was it? Was it the same man who came to your apartment last night?”

He ignored me, instead walking over to his phone and picking it up. “You’re not to leave this building without telling me, Avery,” he said. “Do you understand? You’re to stay here today. All day. Until I’m ready to leave with you.”

“What?” I shook my head. “I’m not a prisoner, Cole.”

“For today, as far as you’re concerned, you are.”

“No.” I shook my head. “No, Cole. Tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Yeah,” he said into the phone. “This is Buchanan. Put me through to John.” He placed his hand over the receiver and looked at me. “I’m serious, Avery,” he said. “Do not leave this office.”

He turned around, dismissing me.

I walked out into the hallway, my mind reeling. What the hell was going on? I had the feeling that whatever it was had nothing to do with Gordon. But who else would be following Cole? And why wouldn’t he tell me who it was?

I began walking slowly toward the conference room, mostly because I didn’t know what else to do.

My new cell phone started vibrating in my hand, and I looked down. The screen was showing a number I didn’t recognize.

“Hello?” I said, holding my breath and hoping it was Cole, hoping he was calling to apologize and call me back to his office.

“Hey, Avery,” a familiar voice said on the other end of the line. I knew who it was right away.

“Jeffrey, how did you get this number?” I demanded.

“Company directory,” he said.

“I’m already in the company directory?”

“Yeah,” he said. “So I was wondering if you’d given any more thought to having lunch with me today.”

I opened my mouth to tell him no way. But then I realized Jeffrey had something I needed. Information.

Cole’s not a good guy, Avery.

Isn’t that what he’d said?

Jeffrey might know something about the man who was following Cole. At the very least, he could give me some idea about Cole’s life, about the people he was involved with, how he spent his time and where he hung out.

Of course, Cole had told me to stay away from Jeffrey. And he’d also told me not to leave the building without his permission. But I wasn’t his slave. Even if he was my boss, he didn’t have the right to keep me here. What could happen out in New York? If that man wanted to hurt me, he could have done it this morning.

“Sure,” I said to Jeffrey. “What time were you thinking?”

Cole was hiding something from me.

And I was going to find out what it was.

Imprint

Publication Date: 01-22-2016

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
After getting kicked out of the house by her mentally ill mother, Avery has no choice but to ask her stepbrother for help. Cole agrees to let her stay with him, under one condition – that she follow his rules, whatever they are, no questions asked. Cole is used to getting what he wants – and what he wants is Avery, no matter how wrong it is....