I am safe.
“That’s enough!” I hear a yell, “I didn’t approve any questions!”
Daphne shoves through the crowd of paparazzi, pushing them out of the way, “Savannah, darling, why didn’t you come in through the back?”
Killian releases me but only by a little, “The back?”
“Mark had instructions to bring you in through the private entrance, I knew this would happen.”
“Mark didn’t bring me.”
“Well, why not?” She huffs before her eyes flick to Killian, and she takes him in. My hackles immediately go up when I see she likes what she is looking at.
“Well, who are you?” She gives him a flirty smile.
Killian is tense, his body rigid against mine and I subtly turn my face to see his, noting his expression isless welcoming and more thunderous as he glares at my agent, “To you?” He scoffs, “No one.”
“Well, aren’t you just a bundle of brooding deliciousness,” She flutters her lashes, “The press will eat this up.”
“Eat what up?” I demand.
“This,” She flicks her manicured finger between us, “Whatever this is. Bodyguard romance, am I right? You should have told me you’d hired security, Savannah,” She tuts at me, “Though I’m a little annoyed you didn’t at least give me a heads up.”
“He isn’t my bodyguard,” I snap at her. “He’s a friend.”
“A friend,” She nods and smirks, “Right.”
His arm is still banded around me, “Can we just get this over with?”
“You could have been in and seated right now if you had just followed basic instruction,” Daphne purses her lips, “Come along.”
The ground is shaking under me. Wait no, not the ground, Killian is shaking, and his expression is no longer thunderous, it’s murderous.
Flashes of images suddenly take over, consuming my brain in a way that paralyzes me to the spot.
I came all this way to get what you owe me.
The words are inside my head, but it feels as if they’ve been blasted from the loudest speakers. I’m running, terrified, knowing what is about to happen and he’s chasing me. Adrien is chasing me. He wants me and I’m all alone.
A hand wraps around my ankle, and I hit the ground hard, pain flaring through my body on impact and then I’m being dragged, my body bumping down each step until I reach the bottom. He presses me into the ground, trapping my arms beneath him and even though I thrash and fight, I can’t get him off.
A scream rips from my throat as he tugs at his zipper and my clothes, attempting to take what is not his. My eyes squeeze closed, a wish, a prayer that this isn’t real, this isn’t happening but then the weight is suddenly gone and a loud crash booms through my head.
‘How fucking dare you touch her! I am going to rip you apart!’
“Savannah!” A violent shake releases me from the clutches of the nightmare. My vision swims as I turn my wide eyes to Killian who is cradling my face, his eyes soft and full of concern as his thumbs draw soft circles on my cheeks, “Come back, Tiny Dancer.”
“You killed him,” I breathe the words as I stare up into his devastatingly handsome face.
The truth falls from me, a tidal wave that forces shutters to come down over his face.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he tried to hurt you.” His hands drop, leaving the space they occupied cold.
I have so many questions, so many intense feelings whirling inside of me and yet none of them is fear. I’m not scared of Killian. Iknowwho he is.
