Brandon’s POV
I peered out from behind the curtains. The black sedan that had been parked across the street for nearly two weeks was gone- finally. I double–checked the surrounding buildings, scanning for any lingering surveillance. Nothing obvious, but that didn’t mean we were in the clear.
Behind me, I could hear Sean’s dramatic sigh as he sprawled across summer’s sofa. He’d been camping out in the apartment across the hall for the past two weeks, acting as our first line of defense against the Sinclair family’s watchful eyes.
“Hey,” Sean called out, twirling a toothpick between his fingers. Those guys have finally packed up and left. When can I get my life back and stop playing bodyguard?”
I let the curtain fall back into place and turned to face him, my expression giving nothing away. “Sorry, but I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere just yet.”
Sean groaned, shoving the toothpick into the corner of his mouth. “Seriously? What now?” He slumped deeper into the cushions, the picture of exaggerated suffering.
Summer emerged from the kitchen carrying two steaming mugs of coffee, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. She handed one to me and another to Sean, her brow creased with concern.
“Actually,” she said, settling beside me on the loveseat, “I was thinking the same thing. Those surveillance guys are gone, Sean. You’ve been stuck here for almost two weeks–there’s really no need for you to keep living across the hall anymore.”
“No,” I said firmly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “He stays!
Sean threw his hands up in exasperation. “Why? Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid? They’re gone, Brandon. Let me go back to my actual life instead of watching you two play house every night.”
“For the past two weeks, you’ve done nothing but eat our food and complain about being our third wheel,” I reminded him. “And yet here you still are. Some might call that masochistic.”
Sean choked on his coffee. “Low blow, man.”
I ignored his theatrics and leaned forward, my voice dropping. “James just sent word–Jeffrey Sinclair’s name was flagged at JFK International. He arrived in New York last night.”
Sean’s eyes widened. “Wait, your uncle is in town? Isn’t that why your surveillance buddies suddenly vanished?”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “You think it’s a coincidence that after weeks of constant surveillance, they suddenly disappeared right when Jeffrey arrived?”
“But shouldn’t that make things better?” Sean pressed. “If your uncle ordered them to back off-
“You don’t know Jeffrey,” I cut him off. “This is temporary. He’s just shifting tactics, waiting for me to let my guard down. Give it a few days–new surveillance will be in place, probably more discreet this time.”
Summer placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Brandon, don’t you think you might be overthinking this? Maybe your uncle is just here to visit Elle.”
Before I could respond, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and let out a dry laugh. “Speak of the devil.” I tilted the display so Summer could see the caller ID: Jeffrey Sinclair.
1/3
Chapter 287.
I held up a finger to signal for quiet before answering.
“Hello,” I said, my voice neutral.
“Brandon, it’s me–your oncle!” Jeffrey’s voice was overly warm, a practiced affability that never reached his eyes when we were face to face.
“I know,” I replied coolly, adjusting my position so I could hold Summer’s hand. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call, Uncle?
“Do you have some time tomorrow? Let’s meet up! It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other, nephew.”
I caught Sean’s eye and gestured for him to stay silent. “You’re in New York?”
“Yes, I am,” Jeffrey confirmed, his tone still carefully amiable. “Elle’s been away from Washington for months, refusing to come home. A father’s heart aches, so I had to come see her myself.”
“How convenient,” I replied, not bothering to mask my sarcasm. “Elle and my mother have been guests at the Stark residence for quite some time now. Since you’re here, perhaps you could extend your stay for a few days, then take them both back to Washington
with you.”
There was a telling pause on the other end of the line.
I pressed my advantage. “I’ll adjust my schedule to meet with you tomorrow. It has been three years since that… incident, hasn’t it? Three years since we’ve properly spoken.”
“That would be wonderful,” Jeffrey recovered smoothly. “Let’s say tomorrow morning? I’m staying at—”
“As a guest in my city,” I interrupted, “I’ll choose the location. I’ll have my assistant contact you with the details. It’s getting late now, so if there’s nothing else…”
I ended the call before he could respond, allowing myself a small, cynical smile as I set the phone down.
Sean whistled low. “Damn, Brandon. The temperature just dropped ten degrees in here.”
“What?” I asked innocently.
“That was cold, even for you,” Sean elaborated, standing up and stretching. “The guy is still your uncle, technically your elder. Aren’t you worried about pissing him off with that attitude?”
I shrugged. “You think he’s spent all this effort trying to force me into marrying Elle just to throw a tantrum now? He too calculated for that.” I waved a dismissive hand. “Anyway, you’ve had your entertainment for the night. You can head back across the
hall now.”
Sean snorted. Wow, talk about using people and throwing them away. Real nice, Brandon.”
“I didn’t hear you complaining about the free meals,” I pointed out.
He shook his head but made his way to the door. “You’re something else, you know that? Call me if you need anything–though I’m sure you will whether I want you to or not.”
After Sean left, Summer turned to me, her expression troubled. “Are you sure this is the right approach? Challenging your uncle so directly?”
