“Just… Don’t scream at them. Please,” Todd says. “Legally, I can do anything you want me to. You have every right to sue, and all four of you better, but you lose leverage if you lose your mind first.”
“Okay,” I say curtly.
“Sadie,” he says as he steps in front of me and puts his hands on my shoulders. “I need you to understand just how many people are in that lobby waiting for the four of you to come down.”
“Why would someone do this to me?” I whimper as a tear slides down my cheek. “I’ve never done anything to anyone. I mind my own business and stay out of people’s way. All of this is because some vindictive bitch wanted something that was never hers to begin with.”
“I know, sweetie,” he says softly. “Everyone in this room is here for you. Okay? We are here for all four of you, and we will continue to support y’all just as we always have.”
“My parents are going to see that. They probably already have,” I say.
“Hey,” Mason says as he pulls me into a hug. “We can help handle your parents. Our parents love you, so you know they will also help.”
“What should we do when we go out?” Dean asks. “Public relations isn’t my thing.”
“The public isn’t your thing,” I say, sniffing back tears.
“She’s not wrong,” Todd smirks. “They’re trying to make it look like you three pressured her into this. Let her do the talking. She needs to be the one who has complete control, and none of you should be talking for her. The only time that should be reversedis when people are attacking her or being crude. You four are partners, so defend each other on everything, no matter what.”
“As far as QuadTech?” I ask.
“You’ll have investors pull pretty fucking fast, but your loyal ones will pick up the slack. You’ll have more to come in and support you. No publicity is bad publicity when it comes to this. What you will have to battle is personal attacks,” Todd says. “Understand that I am a criminal defense attorney as well as a corporate lawyer. Obviously, I’ve always helped you guys with legal matters, but my expertise is in the depraved. Watch your back because people are fucking crazy.”
“You don’t think someone would target her, do you?” Jake asks.
“Honestly? Yes. She was labeled as an innocent who was taken advantage of and liked it. People will start linking things that do not exist, and let that be an excuse to harm someone,” he says. “Just make sure you don’t go out by yourself for a while and keep the alarm on at home. Change the code and don’t tell anyone what it is. Not even us.”
“Come on,” I say. “I’m sick of standing here.”
He nods, and we all walk out of the room. We all get into the elevator and go to the lobby. I am overwhelmed, but I need to keep a level head until I get home. I can melt down there when it’s just me and the guys.
When the doors open and we step out, we see that the lobby is flooded with people. They turn, and suddenly people are taking pictures. Panic that I was storing away for later is about to flood out of me. I stop abruptly and turn to the guys for support, and Lance immediately takes my face between his hands.
“Breathe with me,” he says softly. Mason and Dean are rubbing my back as I try to stop my body from trembling. All of our friends are with us. I match my breathing with his and try to calm myself down. After a minute, my heart rate slows, and the panic subsides enough so I can keep walking.
Lance is to one side, Mason is on my other, and Dean is directly behind me. Todd is beside Mason while everyone else is surrounding us so that no one can get close to me. All of their hateful questions are thrown at me.
“Were you raped?”
“Was the video leaked intentionally?”
“How do you know these men?”
“Did they buy a night with you?”
The questions go on and on. Most of them are annoying, but a few of them make me mad. Any of the ones insinuating that the guys did anything wrong to me make me want to scream. I don’t scream, though, I just keep my mouth shut and go to the front desk.
“I need to speak with the manager, please,” I tell the woman.
“He’s not here today,” she says simply.
“You and I both know that is bullshit. There’s a lobby full of reporters and random strangers screaming at me, and they know damn well that I was illegally recorded in this hotel. I want to talk to the manager,” I repeat.
“I’ve got it, Kyra,” a man says as he walks over. “You guys can come back. Although I don’t have room for everyone.”
“Todd, go with them. We will stay here,” Stacy suggests.
“I am John Gains,” he says as we follow him down a hallway away from the lobby. “I am the hotel manager. We’ve been trying to get the lobby cleared, but the police have been no help.”
