The Safe Bet (Hidden Truths #1)(8)

“I can definitely access art, but I think I can even do you one better on the sports tickets. Michael and I are friends with a few of the Giants. Perhaps we can offer tickets and dinner with the players.”

“Wow. That might fetch an even higher price than Michael.” Kate laughed and followed Julia toward the red Ferrari that pulled up to the curb.

Julia tipped the valet before getting behind the wheel. “Looks like we’ll need to work all weekend.” She shifted gears and joined the traffic. “But there’s no reason why we shouldn’t go out and celebrate. How about drinks tomorrow night? You like to dance? There’s a place I go to all the time.”

Kate wondered if it was the club where she had met Michael last night. “That sounds good. I have somewhere I need to go tomorrow after work, but I’d love to go out and dance later.” At least this time she wouldn’t be alone.

“Great.”

“Thank you for this opportunity. I believe in what you guys are doing with this foundation.” Kate took in a deep breath and glanced out the window. “I’m always so nervous about my brother’s safety. Every time he reports for another tour of duty, I feel sick.”

“I can totally relate.”

“My stepmom stopped functioning when my little brother joined the Army.”

“Is that why she turned the company over to you?”

Kate nodded. “Basically.” An image of her father fluttered to her mind, and she remembered she still needed to call him back. But what would she say? She didn’t feel like arguing with him about a potential move to Charlotte.

“Well, I’ll see you in the morning.” Julia pulled up in front of Kate’s hotel.

“Have a good night.” Kate got out of the car and headed to her room, eager to change into her jogging clothes. On a glorious day like today, the serene streets of Charlotte would be a pleasant change from the Upper East Side in Manhattan. And perhaps her run would help free her from the stress that had seeped into her body over the last week.

Her feet hit the pavement ten minutes later, and she found herself running faster than normal. Adrenaline burned through her as her fists pumped at her sides.

An hour later, Kate came to the conclusion that she was losing her mind, though.

Her skin prickled with concern as she rounded the next corner of the street. She slowed down to a walking pace before stopping outright.

Was someone watching her?

Of course, the idea was crazy.

But she had a strange, gut-wrenching feeling that she wasn’t safe.

She looked around the street, but everyone seemed normal.

Her heartbeat elevated a notch as her phone vibrated against her arm. She unstrapped it and looked down at the text.

No words—just an image.

An image of her standing on the street looking around. Looking scared.

Her pulse climaxed as her jaw edged open.

What the hell? She gulped back the fear that trickled through her body. She spun around in circles, knowing that now she looked crazy.

But there was nothing for her to see. No one across the street looked like they had just snapped a photo of her.

It had to be a joke, right? Or was someone trying to scare her into leaving Charlotte? Maybe one of the dismissed event planners had discovered she was hired and was jealous? Her number wasn’t hard to access. It was her business cell phone, the same one she used as her personal line.

She forced herself to believe her theory was credible and that she wasn’t in danger. And she decided she wouldn’t feed into whatever sick pleasure her mystery texter might get out of watching her look scared.

She tucked her phone back into the music case and strapped it to her arm. She refused to let some idiot rile her any further, and so she took off with an easy paced jog.

And she kept running—running until the fear melted away.





CHAPTER FOUR




KATE TRIED TO ACT NORMAL around Julia as they worked, to mask the nervous energy that weighed her down. She was pretty sure that Julia hadn’t noticed a thing. Should’ve been an actress.

“This is going to be doable.” Julia looked up from her tablet. She shook her head, seeming a little amazed. “So, what do we have, officially?”

Kate opened her notepad. “Ten pieces of art. Box tickets to the Giants. Dinner with two Giant’s players. And your sailboat . . . but I still don’t think you should give that away.” Kate looked up at Julia.

Julia shrugged. “I can always buy a new one.”

Rich people. God bless them.

“So, do you have a boyfriend?”

Well, so much for keeping it professional. “I, uh, don’t have time to date. Every time I try the whole relationship thing, it doesn’t seem to last.” Kate perched her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. She thought of the string of disasters that had plagued her after she’d signed up for an online matchmaker site a year ago. She hadn’t had sex or been on a date in fourteen long months. At what point does one reclaim their V-card?

But Kate kept telling herself that this was what she wanted—her new plan was to focus on her business and avoid men for a while.

“Was there anyone who ever really got to you?” Julia asked. She was clearly more open than her brother. Well, from what Kate knew about him, anyway. He was notoriously tightlipped. And didn’t that seem to add appeal for some women? The ones who were in it for the chase, to make the unattainable man theirs. Kate didn’t have the time or energy for that kind of mess.