The main-floor receptionist had obviously put a call through to Craig’s office by the time the elevator door opened on the top floor. But Roman wasn’t about to be stopped by a man wearing a black security guard’s uniform who said, “I’m going to have to escort you back downstairs, Mr. Huson.”
One quick glance told Roman that the guy wasn’t private security. He was strictly a nine-to-fiver who had the easy and likely extremely boring job of making sure that none of the employees stole anything.
Roman walked past the guy and headed for a stern middle-aged woman who he guessed was Craig’s personal assistant. “Mr. Boylan is not expecting me, but I work for Suzanne Sullivan, and I need to discuss her safety with him.”
“Has something happened to Miss Sullivan?” She sounded genuinely concerned. “Is she all right?”
“She is, and as her personal security detail, I plan to make sure she stays that way.” Deciding he’d given Craig’s assistant enough time to alert her boss to his presence, he headed toward the closed double doors a short distance from her desk.
“Craig.” There were three men in the office, but Roman instantly deduced who his target was. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the skinny guy or the short guy. It was the one most women would have referred to as tall, dark and handsome. “I’m here for our meeting.”
Boylan barely hesitated before saying to the other men with a faint Irish accent, “If you’ll excuse me, I’d appreciate it if we could continue our meeting later this afternoon.”
Soon they were alone, the double doors closed behind them. “I understand you work for Suzanne Sullivan.” He actually had the nerve to look as if he didn’t know why Roman was there. “Is there a reason she didn’t come to me personally to discuss whatever the problem might be?”
Roman took a deliberately menacing step closer. “I’m here to give you a warning, one I hope you’re smart enough to heed.” There was a time when he’d regularly used his size and strength to bully people. To hurt them. But though he’d worked like hell to be a different and better person who fought only when necessary—at times like this, he was more than happy to physically intimidate. And he wouldn’t hesitate to beat the hell out of this guy, if it came to that.
“A warning?” Craig’s frown deepened even as he had the presence of mind to look a little scared.
“Keep your distance from Suzanne. Don’t call her. Don’t even think about her. And keep your dirty hands off her company.”
Craig stared at him in shock. “I can see that you’re angry. I just don’t know why.” He shook his head. “I haven’t done anything to Suzanne.”
Roman got in the guy’s face so quick he didn’t have any choice but to stare up at him as Roman growled, “We both know what you did to her. You don’t deserve to touch a hair on her head. She might have made the mistake of sleeping with you, but I won’t let you keep making her pay for cutting you loose.”
The guy’s face went ruddy under his perfectly clipped beard. “You’re here because we had sex a couple of times? I thought you said you’re her new security detail—not her new boyfriend.”
Roman’s blood was pumping so fast with jealousy—and he was so invested in shutting down any and all threats to Suzanne—that he had the guy up against the wall in a heartbeat. “You’re going to promise me right now that you’ll leave her alone.”
“I have,” Craig choked out. “I am.”
“Damn right you are. She’s wasted enough time and energy on your attacks.”
“Attacks?” The other man coughed the word out. “What attacks?”
When Roman was growing up, he’d been taught by his father to throw punches first and not stop until his opponent was completely out of commission. Over the past two decades, he’d always made sure to stop and think clearly before using his fists, especially while on the job. But he was so invested in Suzanne that he hadn’t been thinking clearly at all. Hadn’t wanted to see that throughout his entire interrogation, Craig had looked more bewildered and confused than like he was trying to hide something.
Abruptly lowering his hands, Roman moved back. “You really don’t know anything about what’s been happening to her, do you?”
Putting a hand over his throat, Craig shook his head. “I really don’t. But I can see it must be pretty serious stuff if you thought you needed to attack me in my own office. What’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you that. But I will apologize for my behavior. I see now that I made the wrong assumption based on your previous relationship with Suzanne.”