The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 229

Chapter 229

Violet

The second Rowan said the word vacation, everything spiraled.

Not bad exactly. Just… Loudly.

“Vacation?” Camille repeated excitedly while standing beside Theo near the hospital entrance. “Like actual vacation?”

“Yes,” Rowan answered calmly.

Theo stared at him suspiciously. “Who are you and what did you do with my brother?”

“I’m serious.”

“That’s deeply concerning.”

The late evening air outside the hospital felt freezing compared to the overheated waiting room we’d spent the last few hours trapped inside. Nurses moved in and out through the sliding glass doors behind us while Devin leaned carefully against Rowan’s SUV looking exhausted and heavily medicated.

One of his ribs was officially fractured.

Apparently Asher hit harder than he looked.

Still though, Devin somehow looked more offended than injured.

“I’d like everyone to know,” he announced tiredly, “that I was assaulted before coffee this morning and that feels deeply disrespectful. And I am deeply in need of this so–called vacation.”

Camille gasped dramatically. “Oh my God maybe we should get you a neck pillow.”

Theo looked horrified. “Why would he need a neck pillow?”

“I don’t know, Theo, he looks fragile.”

“I have one fractured rib,” Devin deadpanned. “Not Victorian tuberculosis.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. And weirdly enough, hearing myself laugh after everything that happened lately felt almost

foreign.

Rowan’s eyes flicked toward me immediately at the sound.

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But then reality came crashing back into my brain.

“Wait.”

Everyone looked toward me.

I crossed my arms tightly over my chest while staring directly at Rowan now. “You’re not seriously expecting us to leave tonight.”

“Yes.” That answer came way too fast. Absolutely not.

“Rowan.”

“Violet.”

“I have an ultrasound tomorrow.”

“So do I,” Camille added quickly while pointing at herself. “And apparently I might already be carrying a full grown toddler

according to Violet.”

“I did not say full grown toddler.”

“You implied advanced fetus.”

Theo looked alarmed immediately. “Advanced fetus sounds medically terrifying.”

“That’s because you two have possibly been together longer than we thought before finding out,” I defended quickly. “You’re crying over sheep slippers and tiny duck blankets.”

“They were emotional ducks.”

I looked back toward Rowan again.

“What if something serious needs to be addressed first?” I argued. “What if Camille actually is farther along than we think?” I gestured vaguely toward myself now too. “What if there’s something wrong?”

The second the words left my mouth, Rowan’s entire expression changed.

Not angry.

Worse.

Protective.

217

Intensely protective.

He stepped closer immediately while lowering his voice slightly.

“There is nothing wrong.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’ll make sure you get an ultrasound appointment wherever we go.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Yes it is.”

“No it’s not!”

The parking lot suddenly went quiet around us.

Even Theo slowly took a step backward with Camille and Devin looked like he was trying very hard not to involve himself

in whatever this had become.

Rowan lowered his voice further now.

“Violet.”

“No,” I interrupted immediately. “Being pregnant is important too, Rowan.” My chest tightened painfully now. “What if we leave and something happens?”

His entire face softened instantly after that. Oh. That was not fair. Not when he looked at me like that.

“Listen to me carefully,” he said quietly while stepping even closer. “Marcus Hale was FBI.”

That immediately shut me up.

“He knows federal procedure. Investigation patterns. Security response.” Rowan’s jaw tightened slightly now. “And Asher knows our company.”

My stomach dropped slowly.

Oh.

“If they’re working together,” Rowan continued quietly, “that makes them extremely dangerous.”

The humor completely disappeared from the group now.

<

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Theo crossed his arms tightly beside Camille. “He’s right.”

I looked toward him in disbelief. “You’re taking his side?”

“Yes.”

“Traitor.”

“Pregnant women don’t get to call me names. Theo informed me calmly.

“That feels sexist.”

“Probably.”

Camille smacked Theo’s arm immediately. “Support women’s rights and women’s wrongs.”

But Rowan was still staring directly at me. Focused Protective Completely serious.

“They may come after us,” he said quietly.

And suddenly…

6. 6.

The parking lot didn’t feel safe anymore either. The empty cars. The darkening sky. None of it.

I swallowed hard while looking away briefly. God. I hated that he was making sense.

“I’m not trying to take this away from you,” Rowan continued softer now. “I’m trying to keep you safe long enough to get

there.”

Theo finally stepped forward slightly now. “We can find another clinic wherever we go,” he added more gently. “Tomorrow

if we need to.”

Camille nodded immediately. “And if I’m farther along than we think, then honestly they’ll probably tell us right away

anyway.”

That did not help my anxiety whatsoever.

Devin finally spoke from beside the SUV. “As the heavily medicated victim of today’s violence,” he muttered tiredly, “I would personally like to vote for not getting hunted down by corrupt government men.”

So finally, quieter this time, I asked, “Do you already have somewhere in mind?”

“Yes.”

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Chapter 229

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Rowan.”

“We’re going to Honolulu.”

Silence. Complete silence.

Then Devin blinked once from where he leaned against the SUV….Excuse me?”

“Hawaii,” Rowan clarified calmly.

Camille let out an actual shriek. “HAWAII?!”

One of the hospital valet workers nearby physically turned to look at us.

Theo dragged one hand slowly down his face. “You already planned this.”

“No,” Rowan answered evenly. “I simply already knew where I’d take everyone if something escalated.”

That was somehow worse.

I stared at him in disbelief. “You have emergency evacuation vacation plans?”

“Yes.”

“That is the most billionaire thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I prefer prepared.”

Camille was practically vibrating beside Theo now. “Oh my God we’re going to Hawaii.”

Theo looked horrified already. “You don’t even own sandals.”

I looked back toward Rowan slowly. “You’re serious.”

“Yes.” His expression softened slightly now. “The Royal Hawaiian Resort.”

Even Devin looked impressed by that. “The pink resort?”

Rowan nodded once. “I own roughly fifteen percent shares.” He gestured briefly toward Theo. “Theo owns seven.”

Theo looked offended immediately. “Why did you say mine like an afterthought?”

“Because you are an afterthought.”

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“Rude.”

I barely heard them.

Because brain

my

was still trying to

Hawaii. Hawail. Actual process…

me

again

before

his voice lowering

Rowan stepped closer toward states in the country,” he explained calmly. “Honolulu has the infrastructure and security of a major city, but it’s isolated

has

controlled that movement in

is and out

“The resort itself enough

easier to monitor.” Another

private security, pause.

access, and medical staff nearby.“

slightly.

“Hawaii

consistently ranks

as

one of the

Of

course he already

researched all

this.

Of

course he did.

“It’s safe,” he finished quietly. “That’s the point.”

I hated how

much

that softened

me emotionally.

But

then

my brain immediately caught onto something else.

“The ultrasounds.”

“I’ll

arrange them.”

“It has to be

an

OBGYN,” I interrupted immediately. “Not just some

random clinic.

“I know.”

“And I want printed results.”

That caught him off guard slightly.

I crossed

my arms

tighter over my

chest. “I’m serious,

Rowan. I want copies of

everything so I

can bring them

back to

my

primary

doctor once we return.”

His expression softened instantly again. “Okay.”

“And-”

“Yes?”

I narrowed my eyes at

him. “No work.”

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The CEO Above My Desk