No words are spoken, and he just stands straight and tall next to me the whole time. Not that I’m in the mood for small talk anyway.

We enter another foyer, but my guy walks to a door off to the side and swipes a card against it, opening the door and then turning to me. “This way, sir, Ashton’s in his office.”

Just giving him a nod, I follow him down a long corridor of offices with banks of computer screens on every desk, men and women dressed in black suits, casual clothes, and black street clothes. It’s a hive of activity, and I won’t lie, it looks impressive.

“Hey, boss, here is your guy,” he says as we walk into an office that looks more like a control room.

“Thanks, Tal.” Ashton stands and comes to me, taking my hand to shake it and slapping me on the shoulder at the same time. He takes my suitcase from my hand and pushes it out of the way to the side of the room.

Then he stands in front of me in that same stance he had the first day I met him in the boardroom at the Kentwall Estates office. “So, tell me what brings my distant English cousin to my office, when the woman he is obviously in love with is on the other side of the world, vulnerable.” The smirk on his face is enough for me to let out a sigh.

“You worked it out?” I ask.

“What, that we are distantly related, or that you are in love with Harper?” His deep laugh makes the tension in my body release just a little.

“Yeah, both,” I answer.

“Well, the first one was easy to track, and let’s face it, with the same last name, there had to be some chance. The second one, it was written all over your face the day I met you and you looked at me like you would kill me if I so much as touched her. So now answer the real question.” He waves his hand in front of me like the floor is mine. “Why are you here, Forrest?”

“I want you to use me as bait and get this Chester guy to lay his hands on me, hurt me, which will then land him back in jail for breach of bail. Then I know she will be safe.” I speak with conviction that I’m fully committed to this plan.

“You what?” he exclaims.

“You heard me.” I stand my ground.

Then he lets out a deep laugh, pointing to the chair beside his desk. “Well, you better sit down for this one. I have a feeling this is going to need more than five minutes.” Ashton takes one seat, and I take the other.

“You could say that.” I sink into the chair, ready to lay it all out in front of him.