Page 42 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Bodyguard

It wasn’t him.

Unknown:I know where you are. I know you’re fucking some other guy. You’re going to pay for that, you little whore. You know you’re mine. You’ll always be mine. You can’t hide from me. Ever. When I find you, you’re dead. And so is he.

I gasped and dropped the phone. I had to sit back down before my legs gave out.

Skeeter was alive.

I dropped my head into my hands and forced myself to take slow, deep breaths. My heart was pounding.

I had to calm down. Then I had to think.

There was a knock at my door, but I couldn’t say anything. I was too freaked out.

Leo cracked the door open. “Are you okay in here?” He must’ve seen me then. “Whoa, Jess. What’s going on?” He came over and sat beside me on the bed, patting my back comfortingly. “Can I help?”

I pointed to my phone.

He picked it up. “Oh, shit. You think it’s that guy. Keeter?”

“Skeeter,” I croaked out. “Yeah. It’s him.”

“Fuck.” He started pacing around. “Let’s get you out of here. Not to brag, but you need to be in a Salazar establishment. Nobody’s dumb enough to take you out from under my family’s nose. Even that serial killer waited to kill anyone connected to us until they’d left our clubs.”

He was right.

“I have an idea.”

I told him about it on the way to Sugar.

He was less enthusiastic than I was. “I mean… maybe. But I still think you should wait and see what Byron has to say for himself first. He might be thinking the two of y’all are still together.”

I gave him a look. “And what about that conversation we both overheard?”

“I heard bits and pieces. Did you hear every word they said?”

“Well… no.”

“Exactly. And until you know for sure, I don’t think you should write him off. You have to give him a chance to defend himself.”

I was quiet. “I think I’m just going to handle this myself. But thanks, Leo.”

He had a worried look on his face, but he didn’t say anything else.

I made a beeline for Carmen’s office once we got to Sugar. I didn’t have time to waste.

I knocked on her door before Ardley had a chance to get up and stop me.

“Wait!” she lurched up from her desk. “She’s with someone.”

“I’m sorry, Ardley.” I opened the door and walked in before she could stop me.

Carmen raised an eyebrow at my intrusion, and Nora stared at me.

“I need to do the auction this month,” I burst out. I put my phone on her desk so she could read the text. Then I sank into a chair beside Nora. “I’m sorry I hijacked your meeting. It’s an emergency.”

“It’s not a problem,” she smiled at me.

Carmen held my phone. “I take it this is from the man who held you captive?”