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“Is there something else you’re not telling me? We’ve been down this road before. Don’t go hiding shit from me, Axel.”
“No, I’m not hiding anything.” Because I didn’t know if there was anything more.
“Then take your brother with you to Simone’s. She won’t care. Then you can watch both of them at the same time.”
He couldn’t be serious. “My brother has pissed off a Russian Mafia family, and you want me to take him to Simone’s? No fucking way. I won’t involve her in my brother’s mess. Jesus Christ…” I massaged my temple. The day was only getting started and it already sucked.
“Well, my sister needs you too, so figure out how to keep her safe. I’ll be in touch.” The call ended.
Since the breach and fake affair, and almost losing Miranda, Will didn’t cower away from anything. Not even me. I respected him more than ever before. And not because he was giving me a shit ton of money to save my brother’s life. Will was an upstanding man. There weren’t a lot of people in the world like him. I counted myself lucky to have him in my corner.
Conrad exited the bathroom and crawled into his bed, virtually ignoring me. God, I didn’t need his bullshit on top of everything else. Maybe I should let Simone do her own thing and get a new bodyguard. My brother should be my only priority. My loyalty had always been to him first and foremost, even before Jennie. It shouldn’t be any different with Simone.
But I fucking well knew it was completely different.
I’d never been crazy about a woman like I was with Simone. Not even my Jennie. If I had been, I wouldn’t have joined the Rangers. I would have stuck around, married her, and had a family. Perhaps then she wouldn’t have died.
No, not likely. I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten mixed up with so many addicts. I hardly drank and never smoked. I didn’t screw with drugs or dick around like my manwhoring friends in the army. I never wanted complications. Never wanted to risk an unplanned pregnancy. Never wanted to settle down.
Fucking hell. Simone made me think about the future in ways I hadn’t dared to consider until now. It scared the crap out of me too.
Snoring snapped me out of my musings. I shook my head, glaring at Conrad as he looked peaceful in the bed. He was screwing up my life left and right. Danger could be at my door any day and I was expected to handle it. But I was only one person.
Then there was Simone. I wouldn’t let her put herself in danger because she was pissed off at me. If anything happened to her, I would blame myself.
Gritting my teeth, I picked my jeans off the floor and dug into my duffle bag for a pair of clean boxers. After a quick shower, I’d pay Miss St. James a visit. No chance in hell would I let her call the shots. I might fight my feelings for her, but she didn’t get to tell me to go away.
Maybe I should jerk off before seeing her. Take the edge off.
Anything to help resist her…
7 Simone
GETTING DARWIN AND Jones to agree to bring me home wasn’t easy. York had those men trained well in saying no. But I never backed down when something was important to me. And coming home meant everything. It would also preserve my sanity. I couldn’t spend another second with my parents in their pretentious, cold mansion.
As soon as I got home, I placed an order to have some groceries delivered. With someone stalking me, I didn’t want to go out to eat. I wasn’t much of a cook, so I stuck with the basics—eggs, cheese, veggies, kettle chips, microwave popcorn, gelato, and Diet Coke. I could always order takeout for dinner. York had told me to tell my bodyguards before ordering anything, so they were on alert. And I did as he said.
Beneath my tough girl persona, I was actually scared out of my mind. I’d never had someone stalking me before. I’d heard about celebrities and other public figures being tormented by a crazed fan. But why would anyone be interested in me?
I knocked on my front door as I was instructed to do. It opened and Darwin appeared.
“Yes, Miss St. James?”
I smiled as Jones poked his head in the door too. “I’m going to be in my bedroom should either of you need me. I’ll have my new phone with me, so just shoot me a text. I’m not expecting anyone, and I don’t want any visitors unless it’s Lily. But I doubt she’ll be stopping by.”
Darwin nodded. “Yes, miss. When will your groceries be delivered?”
“Not for a few more hours.”
“Okay.”
I slowly shut the door and locked it as I was instructed to do. Now I could go relax in a luxurious bubble bath.
After filling my jetted bathtub and removing my clothes, I turned on my tunes. Ed Sheeran serenaded me as I slipped down into the bubbles. The hot water loosened up my tense muscles nicely. I exhaled, closing my eyes, then inhaled the scent of lavender. I needed to destress, so I also added a stress relief bath bomb into the water.
After four songs by my man Ed, I was the calmest I’d been since Miranda’s baby shower yesterday. I might do a little yoga later, just for good measure. And eat some gelato. Maybe curl up on the sofa with a book and a bowl of popcorn.
Yep, I was stressing. Gelato and popcorn were my comfort foods. I did feel better than I had last night or this morning though.
