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“Mmm, Richard Gere certainly does, unlike another guy I know.” I tapped my chin debating the food choices. “Fuck it, the calories don’t matter today. I’ll burn them off in the morning with a run. Do you want to split a pepperoni stuffed crust pizza, tomato garlic bread and cheesy chips?”
“Hell yeah!” Cass quickly shouted out in a loud outburst. She instantly covered her mouth with her palm and her eyes widened at her sudden explosion.
I couldn’t hold back the chuckle as I bent over my seat belt in laughter and reached for the handle above my head, trying to keep myself steady as Memphis took a turn slightly too fast.Did he think he was a Formula One racing driver? Wrong type of car for that stunt! I’ll have to lend him my Lamborghini.
Cass removed her hand as I righted my frame against the cushioned backrest and met Memphis’s gaze quickly in the mirror. I guess he wanted to check we were both okay after his antics and that I wasn’t about to snap and lose my cool at him again. I couldn’t help being annoyed. Fucking Xander Hutton and his self-entitled ways. He’d really annoyed me.
“I can’t remember the last time I ate carbs,” Cass admitted. “My body is craving them and do you know how hard it is to resist them?”
“I do.” I skimmed my hand over my figure, wincing at the slight pouch on my tummy that I needed to rectify. No matter how many sit ups I did though, it just wouldn’t budge. I’d just have to push extra hard. “It’s hard to remain in shape. A real chore and not an easy task at all. I’d love to let loose more often but the calories go straight to my ass and midsection and I…”
“Charlotte, have you seen yourself?” Cass blurted out. “There is nothing to you. If anything, you could do with an extra pound or two, not losing it. This is just because you’re questioning yourself…”
I nodded in agreement. Cass was correct. I did struggle to accept all the good parts about myself, especially after a knock in my confidence.
“I’ve ordered food,” she announced. “Now shall we deal with whatever’s got you all worked up?”
“Yeah. Let’s do that. Just wait until I have a glass of red first.” I felt the car pull to a standstill and looked out the black tinted windows, noticing we’d arrived. The light entered the back of the vehicle as Memphis opened the door, waiting for the pair of us to exit and head to the house. “Aren’t you going to check the perimeter or whatever you need to do?” I questioned Memphis.
“No need. I have eyes everywhere,” he mumbled before I climbed out and squinted my eyes, causing my brow to crinkle.What did he mean by that?I glanced back at Cass who stood by my side. She shrugged her shoulders—almost like she had telepathically read my mind—and allowed the edge of her curled brown hair to bounce upwards with the movement. “Let’s go inside.”
“I can decide when I’d like to enter myownproperty. What if I wanted to go out by the pool?” I cocked my head to Memphis, waiting for his retort as I tapped my fingers along the black shining lacquer on the car. I hope that my fingers left horrible smudges he’d have to buff out later.
“Inside. That’s the order I got from Xander.” I felt my jaw tick at the mention of his name. The man wasn’t even here and still he had his control over me. The worse thing was that he was still protecting me and it made my heart ache and my core throb with need. I shouldn’t allow the bastard to make me feel this way, especially after his brash treatment and suddenly throwing me to the curb. I just couldn’t control it. What the heart wants the heart normally receives and unfortunately, mine wants the guy who’d rather listen to my boss than actually have a discussion with me. “I have specific orders. Yourgardensare not safe enough with too many options for a hit to attack.”
“I’m sick of this!” I throw my hands up in the air in dismay. “I’m a prisoner locked in my own mind and now I’m expected to wait around for my superhero to rescue me from the dreaded evil nemesis.” I huffed. “Why am I seen as a damsel? A woman of inconsequence? I’m nothing of the sort. The sooner Xander, Travis… fuck, all you macho security guys notice that the better.” I grabbed my keys out of my bag and opened the front door and nodded at Cass. “I’m a woman who will not stand by forever and wait. I’d rather attack and fight back, whether you like it or not.”
“Charlotte, I know you’re strong but you need to listen. This isn’t a battle of power. This is much more than that. It’s about safety, protection and ensuring that nothing happens to you,” Memphis stated firmly as he entered behind us and closed the door. “I can understand you feel stripped of your standing in the world at the moment but if we don’t fix this, catch whoever is behind this, you will have no world. You’ll have nothing.”
I understood the enormity of what Memphis had said like a thunderbolt had hit me. If I kept pulling away and fighting against everyone, I was only putting myself straight into harm’s way. My stupid stubbornness could end up risking my life and world all for the petty sake of wanting to be in control. I was being a fool but I couldn’t help the torn emotions that ricocheted through me. I had to push them to one side and stand tall and try to understand everyone else’s viewpoints.
“Okay, I’ll try but that doesn’t let Xander off,” I choked out as Memphis nodded.
“You have your reasons, I’m sure,” Memphis said as he made his way toward the door and took guard.
The moment Memphis’s back was turned I dragged Cass into the kitchen and grabbed a pair of wine glasses and a bottle of red.
“Let’s open this up. You can set the film up.” I passed Cass the remote control as Memphis strolled in with the takeaway food in hand and placed it on the table. “Grab a plate and help yourself, unless you’re not allowed the calories too.”
Memphis let out a laugh as he grabbed a plate and helped himself. “Thanks,” he replied. “You didn’t need to.”
“Of course I did. Friends?” I uttered.
“Friends,” Memphis replied as he made his way back over to the door with pizza and drink in hand.
I managed to get halfway through the film and I had only managed two oversized large glasses of red wine down my throat before Cass turned to me, her eyes glaring. I knew what she wanted. Me to let loose why I had reacted the way I had about Xander. I just knew the moment I started I wouldn’t stop. I hoped Memphis’s hearing wasn’t pitch perfect or that he was too lost in scouring the outside area to ignore our conversation.
“Spill it,” Cass insisted with a hiccup. I laughed at the irony as she waved the motion away and grabbed her wine glass again, taking a sip.
“I slept with Xander.” I blurted out the words, allowing them to roll off my tongue. I wasn’t going to go into the full details of what happened but for Cass to understand why I was angry, then she needed the basics. Even if it was only the pure minimum. “He… was. Erm… the chemistry. I…”
The silence between us was eerie before Cass looked up at me and for a fleeting moment, I couldn’t place the emotion that graced Cass’s face but my insides clenched. Was I being petulant and stupid at the thought? Did I see jealousy? Anger? Resentment? As suddenly as it had appeared, it left. Had I mistaken something, I wondered as a small smile masked across her lips.
“But that doesn’t explain why you were so angry,” Cass replied, reaching for the bottle of wine and filled up her glass.I’m sure that was half-full a moment ago?“What did he say?”
“Well, not just him but Travis too. The fucking snake.” I seethed. “That he won’t be able to separate his personal life from his business life or keep his dick in his pants. How dare he question him like that?”
“Maybe he’s right?” Cass reached for a slice of the now cooled pizza and took a bite, allowing the gooey cheese to string on her lip and gather it quickly with her tongue, munching it without a care until she swallowed. “Charlotte, have you thought of why he’s doing all this? He cares too much. Maybe he’s scared? Maybe, just maybe he needs the distance to ensure the safety of you.”
