NEXT TO ME (A Love Happens Novel Book 1) Read Free Page A

need a team of experts stationed at entrances and exits to identify potential dangers and defend the perimeter? Uh, keep the riffraff out, so to speak? And if so, do you have a timeline in mind?”
    Ali took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the world. “Grady, I think what I’m actually looking for is one really good person. To watch and wait for one really bad person. Twenty-four, seven. For an indefinite amount of time.” The realization that she may never be rid of Danny weighed heavily in her tone. A bodyguard wasn’t going to keep him away. It would only anger him more. “And I’m not even sure if that’ll make him stop.”
    She swore she heard the loud thump of chair legs hitting the floor.
    “Ma’am, may I have your name, address and phone number, please?” His tone had gone from jovial to cautious, concerned. Grady was a sharp cookie. So was she, calling from a burner phone she’d picked up at a convenience store on the corner, the number untraceable.
    “Grady. I think you know I’m not going to give you that information unless you can guarantee your company can help me.” Which he could not, Ali knew.
    He paused for a second, but his voice remained confident. “We can help you. I just have to talk to the boss man. We usually only do short term watches, but in this case I’m positive we can work something out.”
    Short term watches. Shit. “Okay, then. Thanks, Grady.”
    Sensing she was ending the call, he quickly added, “Sam will figure this out for you, we just need to know what we’re up against. You can come in right away. He has meetings scheduled until late this afternoon, but he’ll cancel. Tell me your name and where you are. Please.”
    “Thank you, Grady. For your kindness.” Ali ended the call, cutting off his next sentence, and covered her face with her hands. Nobody was around to notice the moisture wetting her palms or the slight tremble in her shoulders and that was okay with her.
    Being invisible in a city of millions was exactly what she wanted.
    ***
    “Ali? Do you like the house? It’s magnificent, isn’t it? Now, I know the walls need a fresh coat of paint and the trim could use some oil, but I think it really suits you.”
    Donna’s voice was genuine. Or maybe it was just the commission talking.
    Either way, the beach house did feel right, even though it wasn’t what she originally wanted. There was a sense of calmness, of peace about it. Wear and tear showed in the scuffed wood floors and cracked plantation shutters, along with the weathered exterior paint worn thin from the salty air, but it was a house that despite years of neglect, had a lot of life still in it.
    Ali could relate.
    “I do like it, but I’m concerned about the neighborhood. Right on the beach seems a little too exposed. Too accessible.” Donna knew that security was a deal breaker for Ali and she’d been showing her only guard gated communities because of that. As far as she knew, it was simply because Ali was a single woman wanting to be pro-active.
    “Well, there is a gate at the entrance to the street, of course, but unfortunately it isn’t manned like some of the other communities we’ve looked at. The crime rate in this area is very low, though, as you can imagine in such an exclusive enclave of homes. And I’ve had my eye on this one for awhile, hoping to find the perfect buyer. I mentioned my little brother lives right next door, didn’t I?” Pushing open an entire wall of glass doors to let the scented ocean breeze in, she gestured to the house sitting not twenty feet away. Tightly spaced, the homes had open property only at the back, facing miles of white sand beach and blue water. “I love him, but he can be a menacing guy when he wants. Former Army Ranger, full of testosterone, actually likes going to the gym.” She rolled her eyes. “You know those Alpha types. There’s no need for a neighborhood watch with him around.” She hitched a finger over her shoulder, in the