I’m instantly moving, shoving Aspen aside and reaching for Sloane.
There’s a flash, then another blur, and then Cash’s girlfriend is pinned on the ground. More blurs, and three beefy dudes try to pull Giselle off of Aspen, who’s arrived out of thin air to pin the pop star to the ground.
“Donottouch my client without permission,” Giselle says.
“Jesus, where did she even come from?” Cash says. “Did she teleport?”
“She was checking the perimeter.” Sloane’s eyes are wide too as she scurries out of my grasp.
I straighten and point to a few trees. “Property line’s right there on this side. She was close.”
“You need a ring,” Aspen shouts, still trapped under Giselle.“Don’t send a middle finger picture without a ring sparkling bright on your hand!”
Giselle freezes.
Aspen and Cash’s security detail pause too.
Aspen slides out from beneath Giselle. “My god, you people overreact to everything. Who has a ring? It’s been what, four days since you got engaged? And how much money do you have, Davis? Enough to buy a freaking diamond ring, that’s for damn sure. Cash, light the campfire. Davis, do you have any wine? What about a flannel blanket? Sloane, what’s your favorite meal? If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. You’re gonna look like the happiest woman on the happiest planet in the happiest universe to show that toadstool what you have without him. While you flip him off.”
“Nigel already believes we’re engaged,” Sloane says. “He knows we don’t have rings yet because it was so spontaneous.”
Aspen grins. “That’s why you need one now. A big, fat, juicy diamond that says there’s no price too high for Davis to pay for you. He went on a diamond ring hunt and look what he found. Nigel can’t give you that. Can he? Is he the kind of guy who can afford a five-carat diamond?”
“No.” Sloane wrinkles her nose. “Probably. Hopefully. Actually, I don’t even want to know how much he makes. It might make me sick. His grandfatherdidhave one of the largest houses in town, and—you know what? I don’t want to think about that anymore.”
“Excellent. Let’s go get you a ring.”
Cash nudges the biggest of his three security guys. “She’s brilliant.”
“She’s giving me a heart attack,” the guy mutters back.
“More cardio,” Cash says. “That’ll help.”
And I’m over this. “Cash.”
My buddy looks at me. “Yeah?”
“Get fucking lost.”
Aspen finally sits up and gapes at me. “Did you just say a fuck word? Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heardyousay a fuck word.”
“I have,” Sloane mutters.
Cash nods. “Same. He uses it all the time. Just not around you. Giselle, you got this?”
She flips him off.
“Good. Davis, don’t do stupid shit alone when you have a dozen of us ready to jump in and have your back. Except this weekend. This weekend, we’re booked. Take a lot of pictures of the wedding. Pissed we’re missing it.”
“I can get laryngitis if we need to be here instead.” Aspen fakes a cough. “Oh no. The leaves. The dead leaves are giving me a tickle in my throat.Cough cough. How will I ever perform?”
Giselle looks at the other security team.
They grumble, then one of them quietly says something to Cash, who scowls too. “Fine,” he mutters.
“If you need a set for a fancy elopement wedding immediately, I know someone shooting a video in LA tomorrow,” Aspen says. “Say the word, and we’ll get you a plane and I’ll get you on set for a few photos too. Crap. Unless this guy is a huge fan of Keisha Kourtney? Would he recognize the set when the video comes out?”
“That dude won’t pay that much attention,” Cash says.
