“Why are you here?” I bit out, my spine stiffening under his penetrating stare.
Great. Gone was sexy Monaco Shep, and in his place was stick-up-his-ass Shep.
“I asked him to come,” King said, and it was right there on the tip of my tongue to tell him I had too, just this past week.
“Why? The threat is against me, not him.”
“Which I understand. But you also mentioned you can’t disappear due to family obligations.”
“So?” Where the hell was he going with this? It wasn’t like Shep could go in my place.
“You can go,” King said as though I needed his permission. “Attend your family obligations. But from here on out, consider Shep your shadow.”
You havegotto be shitting me.
“Wherever you go, he will be.” King turned his attention on a mortified Shep.
Good, at least I wasn’t the only horrified one in the room.
“And you? I better not see your face on any TVs or magazines,” he told Shep. “You are a ghost this go around. But you are to watch him. You hear me?”
Shep looked at me, apprehension written all over his face at the thought of watching me, because of course he would. Just not the way King would like. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.
King arched a brow. “No? Do you have something else better to do than make sure your brother’s safe?”
I could see Shep balk at the word the same way I did, but he only shook his head.
“Good.” King started to turn away, but then hesitated and put his hand on Shep’s shoulder. “I know I can depend on you.”
Shep gave a clipped nod. “Of course.”
“We’ll figure this out,” King said, and as he backed out of the room, looked directly at me and added, “I don’t give third chances, Theo. Make this one count.”
18
SHEP
KING HAD NO idea the chaos he was inviting by making me Theo’s de facto babysitter. There wasn’t much I could do to get out of it, either, not without spilling a certain secret.
Thatwould never happen.
Tonight’s royal duties hadn’t been on the official schedule, but when Amaya found out Theo happened to be in New York at the same time as the newF1movie premiere, she made sure he’d make an appearance. Many of the film’s scenes had been shot in Monaco, home of the famed Grand Prix, so having a royal in attendance alongside the director and stars was fantastic press.
As for me, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to be invited to a premiere, but King’s instructions had been absolute. I was to stay in the shadows. To beTheo’sshadow. And even though I was one of the most recognizable men in Manhattan, I knew how to stay under the radar. Being one of Libertine’s leaders meant years figuring out how to navigate through the world without being seen when you didn’t want to be.
Theo’s surprise arrival on the red carpet sent the press into a frenzy, snapping photo after photo, calling out his name and yelling myriad questions. The flashes were blinding, but Theo seemed to revel in it, that charming smile just the right side ofsinful. His reputation as one of the sexiest men in the world was well earned from the way he played to the cameras and gave his attention so intently to each person who wanted it. Hell, I knew that from experience, having been on the other side of that attention.
It was strange to notice Theo like that now after all these years of being so platonically close, but it really was undeniable how attractive he was. It wasn’t exactly gonna be a hardship to watch him—I just needed to not think about him naked.
From where I stood, just part of the crowd, I tipped my hat lower over my forehead, and somehow that caught Theo’s attention. We locked eyes, and a playful smirk curled his lips. That look spelled trouble, the last thing we needed right now, but thankfully his gaze didn’t linger long on me before another reporter garnered his focus.
As he continued down the red carpet, I watched him, watched the crowd, watched for anyone who looked like they had ill intentions. No one would be getting their hands on Theo, but I had to make sure I was able to stay close enough, just in case.
Not that Theo couldn’t take care of himself, but the world didn’t need to know how good he was at taking a man down with his bare hands…as well as the many other tools he used for “fun.”
As Theo and the cast and crew made their way inside the new Galaway Theater, I did the same, producing a press badge so I could keep close to the man I was assigned to. My phone vibrated in my pants pocket—a message from Theo.
THEO:
