Drake’s eyes narrow and he stalks forward. “You’re next, Mira Frasier.” His face contorts red with rage. “You think you’ve come up in the world? I know all about your past. You’re like me,” he snarls. “Came from the dumps, didn’t you? That’s where you’ll end up. They’ll throw you under the bus faster than they did me. You’re a woman.” He grabs my arm. “They’re using you. You have less power than any man in this place. You are nothing.”
I can’t move, can’t breathe. I shouldn’t listen to him, but for some reason his words hit home. I didn’t get this job due to merit, and I’m ashamed of some of the things I’ve done to survive. Pushing people away who didn’t deserve it, borrowing from bad men, lying to Lewis. I thought my job at Blue was a step up. But now, with Drake highlighting where I came from—is he right? Am I like that tree root in the woods reaching for the stars, tripping everything in its path, when where I really belong is back in the dirt?
The positive affirmations I’ve been silently chanting these past months flee my head. My mind is blank.
Tyler and another security guard barrel around the corner. Tyler’s gaze darts from me to Drake, his jaw clenching.
He lunges for Drake and wraps a thick arm around his neck. “Let her go, asshole.”
Tyler is taller, stronger. Drake grimaces and drops my arm, his briefcase clattering to the ground.
Tyler grabs his handcuffs and restrains Drake’s wrists, then shoves him at the other security guard, who’s even bigger than Tyler, bald, with a thick mustache that sticks out at the ends.
The other guard grabs Drake in what looks like a bruising grip, but Drake attempts to pull away, his eyes wild. “She’s next,” he yells, his body shaking as he tries to move toward me. “Mira and that bitch Hayden.”
Tyler steps in front of Drake and elbows him in the face, making blood spurt from his nose. Drake stumbles and lets out a piercing cry.
“Get him out of here,” Tyler yells.
The guard drags Drake to the end of the hallway, where two policemen round the corner.
Before the policemen can take hold, Drake twists his neck around until our eyes meet, his expression almost calm. “The rings, Mira. Look for the rings.” His face contorts into a disdainful, part-mad smile.
And with that cryptic message, he’s dragged away by the policemen.
Tyler waits until they’re out of sight, then turns and scans my body. “Did he hurt you?” He touches my arm, coming closer, blocking me with his body.
I don’t say anything, because the answer is nebulous. Did Drake hurt me physically? Not really. Psychologically? Yes. I’m fighting to negate his words. To positive-affirm the hell out of the stuff he filled my head with.
Tyler’s eyes flare at the expression on my face and he guides me into my office a few feet away, closing the door, despite the Blue employees watching us and the spectacle that just occurred.
“Mira?” Tyler touches my face, running his hands down my arms as if to check my pulse. He cups my cheeks gently. “Mira,” he says again. “Tell me you’re okay before I go back and fuck that guy up. I swear I’ll?—”
“Fine,” I choke out. “I’m fine. He just—got to me.”
Tyler pulls me to his chest, his hand running up and down my back, warm and gentle. “He doesn’t know anything about you, Mira. Don’t listen to a word that asshole said. I know you.” He squeezes me close with a little shake. “I. Know. You. You are feisty, and strong, and clever…and you are not your mother. You care about the people in your life. You sacrifice for them, even when they don’t deserve it. You protect them, when you’re the one that needs protecting?—”
“Okay. Stop,” I say. Tears build behind my eyes again. This is not the time or place to cry. And damn, Tyler. Why am I always crying around him? “I hear you. I won’t listen to him.”
Tyler is right. Drake may have had a rough upbringing, but we are not the same. We do not make the same choices. And he doesn’t know my heart.
Tyler pulls back and kisses me soundly on the mouth. No tongue, just a take that and try to stop me kind of kiss. He grins as if he’s proud he got away with it.
“You can’t kiss me at work.”
“But after…?”
I totally walked into that one. I frown and shake my head in exasperation. “Thank you, Tyler. For what you did out there. And what you said just now.” I pull away, putting a little space between our bodies, because this is work. We’ve already been caught kissing once. No way can I risk losing my job again. “I’m glad Drake is finally gone.”
There’s no way after that scene the guy will be coming back.
Tyler huffs. “He’s going to prison for a long time. I overheard the executives saying Drake is to blame for everything. The assaults. Maybe even money laundering. There could be more—they don’t know yet. The security team is going through more footage to make sure they haven’t missed anything.”
“Good.” I take a deep breath and smooth my skirt with a jittery hand, the hospitality list still clutched in the other. I can’t deal with thoughts of Drake right now. I have other things to worry about. “I gotta go. Gotta get back to work.”
“Mira, take a minute. What happened was crazy. Give yourself time to breathe.”
I shake my head. “Can’t. This festival has to go off without a hitch. The pressure is on, and I want to help Hayden. I’ve got suites to check and?—”
