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Luckily, he was far too smart for that.
Too smart for them.
He clicked through several pictures until he came to one ofher. She was standing a few feet away from the man, her arms around herself, though he could still see much of that body she so loved to flaunt.
Earlier, when he’d been standing on the sidewalk, staring down the wide-zoom lens, he’d been able to see inside the coffee shop to how she’d drawn the attention of that group of men, all of them, lusting after her.
Oh, she’d acted coy and shy, but he knew what a great actress she was. After all, there was more than one of them in the family, and she was certainly making the most of the publicity he’d given her.
The anger roared through his blood, turning the tips of his ears hot.
He’d expected her to hide away, to be ashamed of having herself being exposed to the world like that. Instead, it seemed to have bought her even more positive attention.
Once again, he was reminded of how unfair the world was to one like him.
He glared at the bodyguard. At the face which women seemed to flock to. He’d seen that too, how the female servers at Verve had noticed him. They’d thrust out their breasts, seeking his attention in a way he had never experienced.
It all made him sick to his stomach.
He continued flicking through the shots on the digital screen, studying every facet of that face. He had memorized every plane, every angle, every freckle so well that he could probably draw her face from memory.
There she was looking alarmed. The dog had noticed him then and was trying to let Turner know. She had been asking him something, but he hadn’t responded.
It gave him a small jolt of satisfaction to see that her bodyguard wasn’t so enamored with her. Maybe he wasn’t all brawn and no sense.
It wasn’t until he saw Turner speaking into his cuff that he’d realized they weren’t alone — that someone else was with them. If it wasn’t for that, he might not have noticed the Asian in the Mercedes coming after him in time.
Really, he had to thank Turner for giving the game away.
He scrolled through the many shots he had taken today, his hatred bubbling deep as a well.
It didn’t matter how big Turner was or how smart the dog — it wasn’t going to help her in the end.
Nothing would.
In the end, she would know just what it felt like to be truly alone, at the mercy of others.
17
Lexi sat in the backseat of the sleek Mercedes with the tinted windows, burning with questions yet not being able to ask any of them was an exercise in patience that she did not think she’d pass.
She stole a glance at Kane in the passenger seat. From his stoney profile, she had no idea what was on his mind or what it was he wanted to discuss.
What had gotten him so worked up?
At first, she’d thought those guys had come back to cause more trouble, but there had been no sign of them. When she’d tried to see what Kane had been taking pictures of outside the coffee shop, he’d been too quick for her, hiding his phone away, which only caused more anxiety.
She’d heard what he’d said to Johnny though, heard the instructions to follow a man. Who it was though, she didn’t know. And it seemed an extraordinary overreaction for a member of the paparazzi.
Why didn’t he trust her with the truth? Did he think she wouldn’t be able to handle it? Did he think that little of her?
It bothered her more than she thought possible.
Towering palm trees rushed by, that iconic sight always associated with this city. Despite how she was feeling, she still took a moment to admire their majesty, knowing that one could never take things for granted. One day they could be here, and the next, they could turn into a smoking pile of ashes.
Johnny drove as he did on each of their journeys — with purpose. He only ever joined in with the conversation if it was directed at him, otherwise he kept his mind and business on the job.
Since they’d gotten into the car, Kane had said very little to Johnny. Their driver had asked if what the problem was only to be met with a terse, “I’ll brief you later.” Unlike Lexi, however, Johnny had seemed satisfied with that non-answer.
