Okaaayyy, we’ll file that under Not Reassuring.
“I’ve had some followers that are … overly enthusiastic,” I admitted. And that was putting it kindly. “If I’m being honest, I do get some creep vibes from followers sometimes.”
A fresh look of alarm washed over Axel’s face. “Anyone in particular?”
“There’s this one girl, BlushBabe123, that is always the first to comment on my posts. At first, I was thrilled because it helps the algorithms, but over time, I couldn’t help but wonder how she has that much time to invest in one influencer. And her comments are …” I wobbled my head. “Overeager.”
Axel shot a glare to Ryker, who seemed to digest this possibility.
“Maybe she did this. Or some other follower.” Maybe it wasn’t the Romano crime family, who knew how to tie concrete anchors to your feet.
“It’s possible,” Ryker said, but his tone suggested he thought unicorns were more likely. “Have you ever had a fan send you something like this before?”
“Follower,” I corrected. “And no.”
“Has she or anyone else threatened you in any way?”
“Well … no.”
“Nothing’s impossible.” Ryker was careful with his words and even more careful with his tone. “But this is anger. Not adoration.”
Fair … but where does the life of an obsessed stalker begin?
“Crime families tend to have a flair for dramatics,” Ryker added. “Black roses have surfaced in some of their activities before.”
Activities. Right. Becausemurderswould’ve been too harsh of a word for polite company.
“So, you honestly think the Romano family is going to come after Axel and me?” I asked.
Was I in denial, thinking that was overkill?
Ugh. No pun intended.
“Let’s just take this one step at a time.” Ryker’s lawyer voice kicked in.
It dawned on me that Ryker was pretty damn good in a crisis. It also dawned on me that while his primary reason for being here had been to see the message and roses with his own eyes, to reconcile them against organized crime cases he’d worked in the past, he’d quickly developed a secondary purpose: his attention sweeping over Faith like she was a beacon of light in a room of darkness.
If Faith realized he was staring, she gave no indication. But I noticed. Hard not to when the man looked like he’d been struck by lightning.
Even with everything we were going through, I couldn’t help but feel joy, watching my brother’s friends find happiness, one by one. Which made me wonder. Why hadn’t Ryker found it yet? The guy was selfless to a fault. He stood by Knox’s side, spent God knows how many hours each year working on Knox’s parole hearings, probably sacrificing his nights and weekends, and he never so much as asked for a thank-you.
What if all those hours had been stealing him away from having a life of his own?
“I think it might be best if you guys stay here, stay inside, until I can figure out what’s going on,” Ryker added, his protective hand finding my shoulder again.
“I can’t stay inside.” The words tumbled out. “I have to meet with folks from my brand deal, and I have weekly dinners with my parents.”
“Can’t you reschedule?” Jace suggested.
“To when?” When would this be over? “When the crime family decides they’re done sending us horticultural threats?”
Axel’s attention laser-focused on me. “Maybe you can meet with your brand people here.”
I blinked. “You never let anyone in your penthouse.” I gestured around at the room currently full of people. “Except for close friends.”
“For your safety, I’ll happily make an exception.” His stare deepened, voice dropping. For a moment, everyone else fell away, and it felt like Axel would bend every one of his sacred rules just to keep me safe.
“As for your family,” he continued gently, “I’m sure they could understand you missing one dinner.”
