Page 7 of In Love with My Secret Husband

Buzz.

He was calling her. Again. This man who could have had any woman in the world. He was calling her like shereallymattered to him.

But she couldn’t let the past happen all over again.

Couldn’t let herself keep pretending they were okay.

And the most painful thing about this whole thing, with her phone ringing nonstop...was that she found herself crying yet again.

TROY CALLED BURTONat nine that evening.

"I need a status," he told him.

“Standard locks,” Burton reported. “Decent neighborhood.”

“Then she’s not safe.”

Burton was used to such commentary. Barrymore had been his client for over a decade. A hockey star like him had to deal with a lot of crazies, and the man had been even more determined to protect his privacy since his marriage.

“The building has a main entrance and a fire exit,” he elaborated. “Super lives on-site. No parking garage. Street parking only—she's in a permit zone.”

“That’s not enough for me.”

“That’s a given,” Burton acknowledged, “you being you.”

Troy scowled. “Are you implying something?”

“Look, son. I’ve known you for a long time, and I was mighty glad for you, when I got to meet your wife. I saw how protective you were with her, and that’s why I understand, where you’re coming from with all this.”

“Just get to your point,” Troy said curtly.

“No place is going to be good enough for you,” Burton said simply. “So if you want your wife safe, find a way to get her back.”

Over an hour later, and Troy still couldn’t get Burton’s words out of his mind.

Find a way to get her back.

His lips tightened. That was easier said than done. Laina might look fragile on the outside, but once she made up her mind about something...

Troy walked back to his study, where a folder waited for him on the desk. Aside from performing a safety assessment of his wife’s new neighborhood, he had also asked his security consultant to take surveillance photos of the whole place.

And Burton...

The man was either thinking of punishing or rewarding Troy by including one photo of Laina, taken with one of Burton’s cameras with a long-distance lens. It was Laina, seen from her living room window, and she was on the floor, with her knees tucked under her chin, and her arms around herself. Beautiful beyond words, but also...with an expression that broke his heart.

Burton’s second call came two hours later, this time reaching Troy while he was still in the kitchen and staring at the cabinetdoor that his wife had left open...and he somehow couldn’t find it in himself to close.

How the hell had he gotten this sentimental?

“Hope I’m not catching you at a bad time,” Burton said when Troy answered the call.

“You did.” Because without his wife by his side, he would always have a bad time.

“Sorry about that. Should I call you another time?”

“No, it’s fine. What do you have for me?”

“Mrs. Barrymore—” Burton paused. “She’s still that, isn’t she? Divorce papers aren’t finalized?”