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I willed the dryness of my throat to disappear as I dared to take a glance at Travis but instead, I was met with a red face of pure anger and fury. Steam could’ve blown out of his ears at any moment as he clapped his gaze onto the photograph that was pinned to the door.
“You just couldn’t wait, could you?” He pulled the knife out of the photograph and letter and they both fell to the ground. Cass reached down to grab them, tucking the letter into her pocket she held the photograph, staring at the two of us. I looked up at the angered Travis as he wielded the knife in the air like it was an inflatable jumbo hand, unskilled and without finesse. Xander quickly pulled me behind him as Barrett ushered me to move back. “Why couldn’t you just keep Charlotte out of the public eye? Can’t you see how this is going to blow up?”
“Travis,” Xander stated calmly, “the knife. Just put it down.” He swiped it again through the air back and forth. “Look, you’re scaring Cass.”
Travis turned to the side to take in Cass but there wasn’t an ounce of fear. There was only anger and pure rage as she grabbed Travis’s wrist and pressed hard before giving a quick flick of his wrist, making the knife drop to the ground with a clang.
“Fuck, Cass. That hurt.” Travis’s widened eyes took her in as she shrugged her shoulders, peeping over her shoulder to check I was fine. “I was angry. I wasn’t going to hurt them.”
“How do I know that? How the fuck does Xander and Charlotte know that you weren’t going to stab him in the neck?” Cass exclaimed like it was a revelation to him. “Look around you, Travis. Look at what we’re dealing with. Someone is after your star lady and you throw a knife around in their faces. Wouldn’t you be thinking ‘what the hell’ too?”
“We wouldn’t be in this place if he’d—” Travis snarled, pointing at Xander. “If he had just kept his cock in his pants and kept his mouth off Charlotte in fucking public. Look at the shitstorm it’s caused!” he shouted.
“You don’t know. It could have happened at any time. It could have even been the meeting today with Stuart that had been the plan all along. It could have been at the studios… Travis, this stalker isn’t afraid to hit where it hurts,” Xander snarled back. “Now I want to go inside and read what that letter says. Are you coming?”
Cass handed Xander the letter as we all piled into my living room and took seats. I planned to sit in the small chair by the window but Xander’s clearing of his throat made me go straight to him. He needed me. He needed my strength as he patted for me to sit on his lap before he opened the letter and began to read it aloud.
Xander Hutton
A name I’d never forget.
Bodyguard—ha! You don’t deserve that title, do you?
Do you think Lily, your bastard sister, would think you did?
I rubbed soft circles over Xander’s arm before giving it a squeeze, hoping he knew I was here for him and that he knew that it was okay to feel some sort of emotion from whatever he was about to read.
I mean, you could’ve picked any woman but nope, Charlotte Baxterly.
It makes perfect sense though, a full circle coming around.
You see, I loved once.
I lost everything too.
I thought I’d be happy with making Charlotte suffer but only one thing will ease my pain.
Seeing you suffer.
Seeing her suffer.
Without one another.
I’ll see you both soon, my love. Xx
I watched Xander scrunch up the letter before I turned my attention to the room. His head dropped against my shoulder and rested there for a moment and I knew why. I wasn’t about to push it as I pulled my arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head but I knew.
“I’m not going anywhere, Xander. You hear me?” I stated strongly, taking in the faces of concern around the room as Cass walked over and handed me the picture, making a wobble appear in my throat at the way it had been captured. Such love, such affection. Then one swipe of destruction across the center. “I have an idea.”
Xander lifted his head, wiping his eyes on his shirt, hoping that not a soul would mention the fact that his emotions had gone haywire at what he read out to everyone.
“Kitten, do you think we should discuss this first?” Xander asked, questioning me as he took in my determined glare. I wasn’t backing down. “Alone?”
“No, let her speak. This could spiral out of control,” Travis uttered.
“He’s right. We’re all playing with fire. Who says we’re not at risk, too?” Cass interrupted as she nervously looked down at her hands as her nails dug into her skin. She was right. I couldn’t say to any of them that they weren’t at risk just for being someone who knew me. Except I couldn’t help but push back the unease that was in the room since Xander had read that note. Everyone was on edge but Cass seemed like she’d locked her mind somewhere else. Was she having flashbacks of Lily? Why hadn’t I thought how hard this must be on her? Afterall, she’d lost a best friend already and now Lily’s brother and I were both being threatened. Of course, that would freak anyone out. “We need to stick together and not hide away. Charlotte, what’s your idea?”
“That Xander and I go public. That we don’t allow whoever this stalker is to have a hold over us,” I replied. I held back on the rest of my idea because I didn’t know deep down if I could fully trust the people surrounding me or not.
