Page 14 of The Rented Bride

“Ms. Adams, I applaud your tenacity, but—”

“That’s it.” Cassie pulled her phone from her back pocket and tapped the number twelve for security.

“Ms. Adams,” Sam began.

The phone picked up on the first ring. “Security,” said a deep male voice on the other end of the line.

“This is Cassie, I have a problem in the—” she glanced at the hallway “—dammit, which hallway is this?”

“The rear east hallway,” Sam said.

“The rear east hallway,” Cassie repeated into the phone. “I have an intruder who—”

“Dammit,” the waiter cursed and snatched the phone from her ear.

Cassie seized the wrist of the hand holding the phone, and twisted it into a wrist lock. She was a single woman from Miami with two sisters and four brothers. This guy didn’t have a chance.

“What the hell?” he muttered.

“Ms. Adams,” the security man’s voice boomed through the phone as it slipped from the waiter’s fingers.

Cassie yanked Sam over her shoulder as the phone thudded to the carpet. He landed on his back with an audible whoosh of air from his lungs.

Cassie scooped up the phone, then said into the phone, “Please send someone to the rear east hallway.”

She jerked her head around at the pounding of booted feet approaching from the kitchen.

The waiter drew in a slow breath, then shifted onto an elbow.

“Don’t move,” Cassie warned.

A tall, muscular man came into view, followed by two equally muscular men.

“Hiring you was just another mistake in a string of mistakes,” Sam said. “You’re fired.” He heaved onto his side and Cassie took a step back as the men neared.

“Are you all right?” The security guard demanded, as he extended a hand to the waiter.

“Yes,” Cassie said in unison with the waiter’s reply, “I’ll live.”

The head of security looked from Cassie to the waiter. “What happened?”

“I caught this man trying to gain access to the private section of the castle,” Cassie said.

The man frowned, then shifted his gaze to the waiter. “I’m sorry, Mr. Weston. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“That’s okay, Blakely. I think we can safely say the only danger is to me. And possibly of missing dinner.”

“Mr. Weston?” Cassie echoed. She jerked her gaze onto the man rising from the carpet. He gained his feet and Cassie lifted her gaze as he rose to his full height. “Mr. Weston?” she said. “Trent Weston?”

He cupped the back of his neck and rubbed. “Yes.”

“Oh no.” Cassie frowned. “I don’t understand. Why are you working as a deliveryman?”

“You assumed I was a deliveryman. You needed help and I was available.”

“And when you stepped in as a waiter,” she cut in. “What the hell was that all about?”

He stopped rubbing his neck and turned his gaze to her. “What that was all about was you not bothering to ask who I was.”