AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
Landon
“I honestly think that Micah needs to come home immediately. Whoever sent the emails and notes he’s received are beginning to escalate with their obsession of him. You’ve seen the news, Michael. These stalkers become obsessed, dream up a relationship that doesn’t really exist, and then they come after their victim. I only want what’s best for our son.”
“For fuck’s sake, Cynthia! Calm down. You’re scaring our son with your obsession with following the tabloids and fake news. Micah is not only booked in Milan, his schedule for the remainder of the year is full. I have people begging and offering obscene amounts of money to bump off another contender and put their label ahead. Now is not the time to let a few silly threats interfere with Micah’s dream. You’re acting like a schoolgirl. You know better than this, Cyn. Surely you can remember what it was like to be the most sought-after model in the world. What’s wrong? Are you jealous of our son’s success?”
I arched my brow at that comment and waited on Samantha to intervene in the conversation and kick the guy’s ass for talking to her best friend like he was. During the flight over, Samantha had given me a briefing on his latest assignment—the one I’d tried to decline but she’d insisted that I was the man for the job. I’d finally explained that I was worried about Arizona and was afraid my head wouldn’t be in the game, but she’d brushed off my concerns without even considering my worries. She’d quickly dismissed my words by saying that Eli was handling Ari’s safety while on the cruise, so she needed me to take care of her godson.
Speaking of the godson—the young man in question was sitting quietly at the conference table, trying to appear interested when he was clearly bored with the entire conversation. He hadn’t talked much, just a few softly spoken words in greeting to him and Samantha. He was polite—perhaps overly polite for someone his age and in his current position in the modeling world. Yes, modeling. I wasn’t certain what I’d done in another life to deserve the punishment of having to babysit a model, but it had to include boiling puppies alive or serving kittens to alligators.
There was nothing in the world that could have been less interesting to me than being embroiled in the billion-dollar industry of the rich, famous, and drop-dead gorgeous. The kid probably made more in a week than I made in a month. Well, at least he was polite and not a spoiled-rotten asshole…like his father. The man was a total full-of-himself twat. Just being in the room with him made my blood pressure soar through the roof. Hell, if Samantha didn’t step up and shut him up, I was going to have to achieve the honor myself.
“I’m only worried about him, Michael. There’s no reason to be so offensive,” Cynthia Gentry said. There was an edge to her tone, letting me know this wasn’t her first disagreement with her ex-husband regarding her son’s modeling career. “Perhaps you should worry more about his safety than the bottom line or his popularity for once.”
“Shut the fuck up, Cyn!” Michael snarled. “You were also jealous of me and you’re allowing that jealousy to interfere with our son’s career!”
“Enough!” Samantha yelled. “This conversation is absolutely ridiculous. Michael, your son has received threatening letters and emails. Your security for him is well below average and unable to keep him safe if these threats turn out to be something more than just a sixteen-year-old girl sitting behind a computer screen and doing a 24/7 Google on Jinx Gentry and then allowing her teenage hormones to convince her to do something stupid like threaten to abduct him. If you aren’t going to allow him to return home, then surely you will allow my company to see to his safety while he works.”
Michael literally snarled at Samantha. “Stop acting like you care about Micah’s safety just because you’ve slept with my ex-wife!”
Wow. Samantha had left that part out of the portfolio.
Samantha stood up and leaned over Michael. “One of us needs to, Michael…and apparently, it isn’t going to be you!”
“Both of you make me sick!” the father growled. “I won’t allow it. More security isn’t in the budget.” His eyes gleamed with hatred as he looked at Samantha and Cynthia. “Send your Rottweiler home, Cyn. You’ve wasted her time and money by having her fly over here.”
The man truly was remarkable. Here I was, worried about my own son even though one of the best bodyguards in the world was stuck to him like glue while he was on his birthday cruise, but this man didn’t want the best security for his son because it wasn’t in the fucking budget? I hadn’t wanted this job. I disliked the entire modeling industry because it appeared superficial and catered to the self-image problems many young girls and boys, and older women and men suffered from. I wanted nothing more than to get back on the plane and wait for Arizona to return home, safe and sound. I liked working with my client, not against them.
