“No. I’ll look like I’m scared.” I inhaled deeply. “I’m not afraid. I-I’m not. I’m finishing this. It’s only a few more shows.”
Klaus swore softly in German. “Hummingbird?—”
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do,” Klaus said gruffly.
“Then trust me on this. I need to finish it.”
He sighed, clamping his mouth closed. I knew he was pissed, but I couldn’t let whoever this was win. The press would have a field day if I canceled my tour and went into hiding. It was career suicide.
“Ro, we only want what’s best and safe for you. We’re worried,” Evan broke in.
“I know. I’m worried, too, but you know this will screw up my career.”
Evan pursed his lips. “OK. We’ll do it your way, but I swear, Ro, if something happens to you, I will kill someone.”
I swallowed hard at his proclamation.
I had no doubts he would.
“You need to be practicing all the moves we’ve shown you. There isn’t a shortage of men around you to help you with this stuff,” Klaus said. “Every night. Practice. You do it until it’s like wearing a second skin. OK? Can you do that?”
I nodded. “Yes. I can do that.”
“Good, baby. Perfect,” Klaus said.
Anson hung up with the cops and took my phone to the bedroom we shared to talk to Evan and Klaus.
“Did you do it?” Dante demanded, speaking into his phone. I stared at him, seeing how angry he was. His hands shook as he held the phone.
“If I find out you had anything to fucking do with this, then our deal is off, and it’s war. Do you understand me? There will be no place you can run and hide from me.” Dante’s words sent shivers down my spine. “No fucking renegotiation. Nothing. Just death.”
I went to Dante and tried to pull the phone away from him. I didn’t know what I planned to do, but I didn’t want them fighting. Dante promised me he’d never touch Enzo and the guys, but he seemed really intent on doing it in that moment.
“Stop,” Dante snarled at me. “Rosalie. Stop.”
“Let me talk to her.”
I heard Enzo’s voice through the phone, and in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to talk to him and demand to know if he did this to me. To… us. Because his reputation was on the line, too.
And Anson.
God, Anson. He would have to deal with people saying shit about it. It would be humiliating for him.
“Stop. Rosalie. Fucking stop,” Dante shouted as I tried desperately to get the phone from him. “De Luca, I’m sending men to you. You better answer your door when they show up.”
“Let me talk to Rosalie. Dante, please?—”
“One hour, or I’ll kill you myself.” Dante disconnected the call and gripped my face. I cried out at his tight hold, his monster coming through.
“I will protect you,” he said fiercely. “Even if it means I’m killing the things you need to let go of. If you don’t have the strength for the task, I will do it for you.”
“Dante, don’t?—”
He released me and nodded at someone behind me.
Vic’s hands wrapped around me, and he tugged me away as Dante made another call.
