Free Billionaire Decoded by Nella Tyler Page B

side streets before taking a ramp
onto the freeway, exiting about fifteen minutes later in her neighborhood. They
didn’t speak, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Occasionally, he glanced
at Heather. She seemed quiet, contemplative. He hoped he hadn't come on too
strong. By the time they pulled up to her apartment building, he had decided he
wouldn't kiss her again. That might be overdoing it. To his surprise, she
glanced at him with what he could only describe as curiosity. Did she want him
to kiss her again? He couldn't tell.
    "I had a nice time,” she said.
“Thank you for taking me there."
    Her voice seemed a little stiff,
cordial almost. "I had a nice time, too, Heather. You’re good company. I'd
love to take you out for a Valentine’s dinner. What do you say? No one as
pretty as you should be alone on Valentine's Day."
    She appeared to be thinking about
it. "Can I give you an answer tomorrow?"
    He was rather surprised by that, but
he grinned and shrugged. "Of course." He got out of the car and then
came around the back and opened the door on her side. He didn't move from the
car, but stood there with her for a moment, feeling awkward, which rather
surprised him. He felt like he was out on his first date with his first girl.
"Well, thanks again for joining me, and I guess I'll see you at the office
tomorrow."
    Again, she seemed to hesitate, gave
him an odd look, and then nodded. "Goodnight, Brecken," she said and
turned and walked toward the main doors of her apartment building.
    He got back into the car, waited
just long enough to make sure that she got inside her building okay, and then
told his driver to take him home. His blood boiled. That message had not been
from Alyson. Alyson wasn't his only problem. That message could ruin his life.
It could put him in jail, for good.
    His past kept coming up to haunt him.
That message had originated from a very bad man. A very bad man who didn't get intimidated,
but one who rather preferred to do the intimidating. He came from Bolivia. Just
thinking about him made Brecken uncomfortable, and he was used to dealing with
a lot of different people.
    Still, there was something about the
Bolivian that literally chilled his blood.

Chapter 5
    The traffic on Monday morning was
horrid. Well, at least more horrid than usual. There was some kind of accident
between a delivery truck, a taxi, and an SUV. Traffic was backed up at least
four stoplights before Heather would have asked the driver to drop her off on
the east side of her building. She decided she might as well just get out and
walk. She said as much to the driver and asked how much she owed him. After he
told her, she dug in her wallet, gave him a fare and a tip and then got out.
    She quickly stepped onto the
sidewalk and began to walk, thinking that it was a lovely morning that she
didn’t mind. The air was brisk and sharp, but she knew that spring was just
around the corner. She was ready. At any rate, she decided that she would enjoy
the walk. She might be a couple of minutes late to work, but not much, if at
all. She glanced around; admiring the way the early morning sun glinted off the
sides of the buildings, her eyes passing over a number of pedestrians already
on the street.
    Some looked like they were on their
way to work or school, carrying briefcases, satchels, and backpacks, while
others looked to be just enjoying time with friends or family, sipping coffee,
checking text messages on their phones, and generally enjoying what the morning
had to bring.
    Heather's gaze passed over a tall
man holding a camera aimed in her direction. Wait. Could that possibly be the
same man she had seen a couple of days earlier when she had been taking care of
errands? She glanced behind her to see what was going on but she saw nothing
unusual, just pedestrians like her, minding their own business. Could he
actually be taking pictures of her? She saw a Starbucks on the corner and
decided that she would pop in, get a cup of