My mood lightens. Dominic’s the one for me, but Tolyan, who’s been with me for so long, is my anchor. The two of them getting along matters a lot.
The security guard at the entrance, a man who’s been with us for almost twenty years, tips his hat, then flinches when he sees Tolyan.
When Tolyan and I are in the elevator, we face the mirror-like doors. I ask, “What did you do to him?”
“What?” he says innocently. “Nothing he can’t handle.”
“You know he almost had a heart attack last year. And he has a family. If he goes after Andy or something…”
“I never asked him to run after Andy. I told him to shoot the bastard on sight.”
“Oh, very good for the heart.”
“He won’t shirk. And he’s a great shot. Why do you think I hired him in the first place?”
My jaw slackens, and I swivel my whole body to face him. “You hired him?”
“Of course. Shirley had me decide who would be good for security. She knew her limitations.”
The revelation stuns me. My grandmother valued control, and she ran the foundation with an iron fist. I try to imagine her letting others decide something like this, and I just can’t.
The second our elevator doors open, and Tolyan and I step into the office, Rhonda jumps from her seat. “Elizabeth! You look great!”
“Thanks.” I grin. “It’s the tan.”
“Not the tan. You’re glowing.”
“From the tan. It’s a tan glow.”
Patrice gives me a sidelong glance. “Uh-huh. A long, romantic getaway will make any woman glow, even if she’s paler than a ghost. You don’t have to hide from us, boss.”
I laugh. “Sorry I’ve been gone for long.”
“Ha! Don’t be,” Rhonda says. “Do you have any idea how many unpaid vacation days you have?”
“Nope.” Paid time off has always been for staff, and the salary the foundation would pay me is better spent on our people or causes.
“I have a few updates for you to review on the latest projects and some letters that came,” Patrice says.
Rhonda glances at Tolyan. “Is he going to be here all day?” Her stage whisper’s loud enough for him to hear, but he ignores her, parking himself on a couch and pulling a magazine on guns out from an inner pocket in his jacket.
“Yes,” I say. “Make him feel comfortable, ladies.”
I turn to my office as the elevator chimes. There are muffled clicks of stilettos against the carpeted floor in a familiar rhythm.
My stomach starts to knot. It’s my mother.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Elizabeth
Mom’s form-fitting dress would be appropriate if she were thirty years younger and prowling for a hot date at a club. Still, most wouldn’t place her in her late fifties. Her raven hair shines under the light, and her mouth is set flat with two small downturns at the corners, which gives her the air of moneyed disdain she’s perfected over the years. She exercises and diets all the time to maintain her shape, and her body’s nicer than a lot of women half her age.
Sapphires sparkle from her ears and throat. She breezes past Tolyan, Rhonda and Patrice as though they don’t exist.
“Elizabeth Catherine Lucrezia Pryce-Reed. We need to talk.”
I inhale sharply. This is no simple visit. Nor is it going to end quickly. “Come in.” I gesture toward my office.