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Miles had agreed to cover her gigs, but he’d turned down the full-time security position. There was only so much of the diva he could take, even if she had mellowed somewhat. Or mellowed with him at least.
Everyone always wanted something from her. They gave her anything and everything to keep her happy. She wanted for nothing and was never pulled up for her antics. She was a brat, used to getting her way, that was, until he came along. He had turned her life around. Her acting career was better, her concerts were better. She had found herself. The diva was more of an act now, because when the pretence dropped, she was forming real connections with people. She always asked about Ivy, especially after feeling her first dose of genuine guilt at seeing the photos that had been used to drive a wedge between them.
“She’s doing well. We’re getting married when I get back.”
“And I didn’t get an invitation?” Her pink glitter, perfectly manicured nails covered her mouth in mock horror.
“You’d be more than welcome to come, except for the fact you’d steal my bride’s limelight,” he teased.
“You have a point there, people adore me, your bride would probably spend her whole wedding serving me drinks and fetching me food.” She meant it as a joke, but knowing Ivy, she probably would. “Though in all seriousness, I don’t blame you, if I was meant to be a shrinking violet, I wouldn’t have been given this body.” She jutted her hip out with the flair she was known for, sending the short tassels on her skirt outward.
“Or that ego. Come on, Miss Legends, one more hour and you can rest up for the night.” A tone in his ear caught his attention. While his teams spoke openly, they also had signals that worked faster than words. It seemed despite the arena security, someone with a backstage pass had managed to smuggle a knife through. This was but one of the reasons he insisted on TSS checking everything. No one was infallible, and he’d know people to smuggle the most unbelievable things in very… uncomfortable places.
It was an hour and a half later when Bay Legends finally announced she was retiring to her room. She’d signed things, had photos taken, and chatted with some of her fans. During that time another signal had come through, so when Miles finally closed the door on his duty for the night, the first thing he did was call his security team. This message was personal.
He listened in frustration as they told him about Ivy’s car and the photos that had been recovered. While the first thing he wanted to do was check on Sin, he needed the facts. They assured him she was fine, and while he wouldn’t rest until he heard her voice, he needed the facts, needed to see exactly what happened since his bride-to-be would play it down. He wanted to see it for himself. He needed to.
Pulling his tie free, his fingers working his top buttons free as he fired up the laptop, and spent longer than necessary going over the security tapes, hoping to see something the others had missed. Whoever their vandal was, had accessed the building through the trade entrance someone had left ajar, and knew enough about the camera placements to ensure their hood, baseball cap and glasses shielded them at every turn.
From what he could tell, their gaining entrance hadn’t been done maliciously. Someone was having furniture delivered and had propped open the double doors. That’s when they’d sneaked in. The question was, how had they known they’d get access? Was this merely a coincidence or did they have another plan if they couldn’t have waltzed right in?
The timing seemed suspect. He’d only left yesterday, and someone had already made a move. There was no way he could keep the notes quiet, not now. He had to make sure she knew the threat was real, but from the look on her face in the video when she peered inside the envelope, she was already aware of just how serious things were.
The thing that was bothering him most though, was the lack of a note. Sure, they’d spray-painted the word whore across her car, but they hadn’t sent a warning, hadn’t asked for money in exchange for silence. Nor had they released the photos to the media, yet. So what was their goal?
Slipping his blazer off, armed with all the facts, he now allowed himself to do something he’d been wanting to do since he first heard what had happened. Phone in hand, he listened to the shrill ring waiting for her to answer. There hadn’t been so much as a message from her about what had happened. He knew she didn’t want to distract him, but she shouldn’t have kept it from him. Surely she knew the security team would update him.
She probably left it to them, knowing they’d ensure the message was passed on once his duty ended, probably hoping they’d tell him after he returned home.
As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t scold her, not about this. He was many things, but not a hypocrite. He’d done the same thing with the notes. Perhaps it was time to change that. Secrets were no good, even if knowing the truth would hurt or worry them. Perhaps it was better. It was definitely safer.
His protective drive was firing on all cylinders. By the time she answered the phone, his case was already half-packed. So much for sitting in the chair looking relaxed. He didn’t even remember getting up. All he wanted to do was get back to her, hold her in his arms, be by her side, and keep her safe but…
“No.” Not a hiya, not hello, but no. That was how she answered the phone. It was as if she’d stolen the words from his lips before they could be spoken. Despite himself, he bit back a chuckle, clearing his throat to mask any sign of amusement his vixen had stirred.
“Sin.” His firm voice issued a one-word warning.
“No, Miles. It’s just a car, and don’t think I don’t know you haven’t asked the security detail to stand outside the front door. They won’t even have a cup of tea from me. So no.”
“Sin, someone destroyed your car.”
“I’m well aware of what happened. Now, you tell those two gentlemen outside that I’ll call them if I need to leave the apartment. I don’t want them out there, Miles. I’ve humoured you until now, but no, enough.” Such a feisty woman, he could certainly think of other uses for that mouth right now. He loved her spirit, her passion. Just hearing her so riled up, so assertive made his heart sigh.
His lips ticked up in the slightest smile. She certainly wasn’t taking any prisoners tonight, which meant she was probably blowing off steam with Monster Hunter. That game was a salvation, it sure pushed her moods to the extreme and vented frustrations. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he counted to three. “I’m coming home.”
“No, you’re not. You have a job to do, and you’re damn well going to do it. I promise if I leave the apartment I’ll let them know so they can be all stalkery, but I’m not having them outside the door, and I’m not having you fly home. Now, switch to video call, because you may have padlocked my toys, but I can still…” He groaned as he accepted the on-screen prompt to switch to video, only to see her sitting on their bed, dressed in nothing more than stockings and suspenders. The blue glow of a discarded PS controller cast its pale light upon a pile of hastily shed clothes “Now, Master, what would you like me to do?”
And just like that, she leaned back from placing the phone on the tripod, and he knew she’d won the argument, and from the glint in her eye, she knew it too.
Damn it, his sexy little Sub had him wrapped right around her finger. But if she thought he was going to let her break their agreement, she had another thought coming. Because she sure as Hell wouldn’t be. Yes, this would do quite nicely.
He made himself comfortable, loving the way the soft light cascaded over her, the way her loose hair brushed her pink, hardened nipples. His tongue swiped across his lip, wishing he could taste her, touch her, feel her writhe. But she didn’t want him home. He had to respect that, no matter how against his protective instinct it went.
That said, her compromise was better than he’d expected, or so he’d thought, until he realised a few minutes later that her compromise was to just revert to how things had been before he’d had her security detail at her door.
He made himself more comfortable on the chair. So she wanted to try topping from the bottom, did she? It seemed he’d have to remind his cheeky vixen exactly who was in charge.
CHAPTER TEN
