Free Not Suspicious in Hollywood: Not in Hollywood Book 5 by Leonie Gant

the man was lethal in the
courtroom, I wasn’t sure if he would be quite as effective in the security
field.
    “I don’t want you to worry about it,
Monique. I am sure that Jorge and I can handle anything that happens.”
    “I worry about you, Trudie,” Monique said
softly.
    “I know. Everybody seems to worry about me
but I’m okay.” I hated that Monique was so concerned for me. “Jorge would never
let me get hurt. If something happens to me he loses half the stories that he
tells Linda.”
    Jorge’s wife, Linda, was a US Marine who
was deployed overseas. I had been made aware that Jorge kept her entertained
with stories of my antics. I was pretty confident that having a front row seat
to those stories was the main reason he was so willing to work with me.
    “Be careful, ma petite.”
    “I always try to be,” I said quietly.
    “I know,” she sighed.
    After hanging up I turned and found Griffin
watching me with a concerned look on his face.
    “Problems?” he asked.
    I put a smile on my face. “Nothing I can’t
handle.”
    “You sure?”
    “Of course I’m sure.” I could tell he was
worried so I tried changing the subject. “How’s Ramos?”
    Griffin looked pained. “She doesn’t sound
like she’s doing so great.”
    He looked lost as if he didn’t know how to
fix this for her. The fact he cared so much reminded me why I loved him.
    “Do you want to go see how she’s doing?” I
asked.
    “I can stay here with you if you have a
problem.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t have a problem.
Monique’s having a little bit of fun with staffing at the moment but she’ll
work it out. She always does.”
    “If you’re sure.”
    I nodded. “At this moment Ramos needs you
far more than I do. I know she’s hurting.”
    Griffin pulled me into his arms and kissed
me on the top of the head. “You’re amazing, you know that? Fletchall’s a jerk
but he was right about that.”
    I looked up and kissed him softly. “I’ll
see you when you get back.”
    He nodded and reluctantly let me go.
“Shouldn’t be too late.”

Chapter Eleven
    The apartment was quiet without Griffin in
it. I was becoming used to having his presence dominating the small space. A
knock on the door interrupted my silence. Opening it, I found Crystal and Edwin
with pizza boxes.
    “We were wondering whether you would like
dinner with us.”
    I eyed off the pizza. “I can see you put
effort into it.”
    “Are you going to criticize or do you want
food?” Crystal queried. “At least we’re trying. We could have just turned up
and expected you to feed us.”
    That was true, it had happened often enough
in the past.
    Once settled at the table I turned to
Crystal. “How was your day with your mom?”
    Crystal surprised me by smiling. “It went
really well. I met John.”
    “What’s he like?” I asked.
    “Picture the man that you would have
expected my mom to pick based on the last thirty years of her life,” Crystal
said.
    “Okay.”
    “Now imagine somebody who is the complete
opposite of that image. That is John.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really. Wait here a minute.”
    I watched as Crystal raced out of my
apartment.
    I looked over at Edwin who was devouring
far more pizza than you would expect for a man who prided himself on his toned
physique.
    “She seems excited.”
    Edwin nodded, looking slightly worried.
“She is. I’m kind of a little surprised. Considering what she’d told me about
her mother, I figured she had given up on a normal mother-daughter
relationship. It looks like it was something that she really wanted. I’m trying
to keep an eye on things. I’m just worried that there is something else behind
this. Considering the stories that Crystal has told me, I’m having a little
trouble believing that the woman has made that much of a change in her life.
Crystal’s dad is a bit concerned as well.”
    “How’s he coping with the whole thing?”
    “You know George. Whatever makes his little
girl happy is