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If he was within shooting range, the guy would be staring at the sky full of buzzards in a heartbeat.
“What’s going on?” Clay demanded as he skidded into the room.
“My stalker!” Avalynn cried before Julius could respond.
“He got away into the vineyard! Go!” Julius roared.
He rushed to Avalynn and yanked her into his arms as Clay and Quaide shot out of the room on a manhunt.
Her stalker had comefartoo close to Avalynn. And Julius hadn’t been ten steps away from the bedroom door.
His chest heaved, and she clutched at him tighter.
When they find you, I will make damn sure you never walk again, you bastard.
Oh yes, he’d makedamnsure her stalker would never walk again, let alone scale a wall and enter through a balcony. He would break both his kneecaps…right before he snuffed the life out of him.
* * * * *
Avalynn attempted to swallow, but it felt as if she’d tried to force down broken glass.
She looked to Julius for help. “Water.” The request sounded as a squeak.
“Of course, honey.” He released her only long enough to stride to the nightstand and grab the bottle she’d left there the previous night.
People surrounded her, but she hardly took notice of them as he uncapped the drink and placed it in her hand. When she brought it to her lips, her hand shook. Julius wrapped his fingers around the plastic to steady it enough for her to take a sip.
He held her stare until she lowered the drink.
She swung her gaze from Julius to the rest of the people in the room. Lark and Heidi were both staring back at her, concern pinching their faces. Lark rushed across the space and wrapped her arms around Avalynn in the most sisterly hug she could ever ask for.
“My god, Avalynn. What happened?” Heidi rubbed her arm. In her own mother’s absence, she was always grateful to have her manager on the road with her, and now she was more glad than ever she had solid people.
A shiver tore through her at the memory of being jarred awake by a brush of cool air on her face. Then opening her eyes to find a man in a black ski mask staring down at her.
Julius shot her a look before he strode to the door. “Don’t answer that question just yet, Avalynn. Jennings!”
His brother entered the bedroom, looking as pissed-off as Julius sounded.
Looking closer, she realized that wasn’t just anger she saw on her new husband’s face—it waswrath.
Another shudder ripped down her spine. Lark hugged her tighter.
“Come sit on the bed, Avalynn,” the woman urged.
She allowed her to lead her to the bed and sank to the edge. “When will this nightmare end?” she muttered.
Julius’s fingers curled into fists. “We’ll find him. We’ll get him. And when we do, I’ll fucking break his neck with my bare h—”
“Brother!” Jennings barked.
He shook himself. “My fury won’t help you. I’m sorry, honey.”
She reached out to him, and he gripped her fingers before taking a seat on the other side of her. Lark released her hold, relinquishing her care to Julius. When he cradled her head in his big palm and drew her against his chest, she sucked in breaths of his manly scent.
“Tell us what happened, Avalynn.” He spoke calmly, but she detected the rattle of rage still ripping through his system.
Her bodyguard—husband—was barely clinging to control.
