“Hollis, it’s no secret Marcos Silva has been gunning for you inside and outside the cage. Could Silva be to blame?”
Vin stepped to the podium and a loud, piercing buzzing noise filled the room when he turned the mic on.
“Quiet! This press conference is over! Any of you who spoke out of turn will have your access badges confiscated before you leave. You know better than to conduct yourselves in this fashion. TCF press conferences are run with order, professionalism, and as a courtesy. The press conference has concluded,” Vin sternly said into the microphone.
“Come on, let’s go, Hollis,” Corey said as he guided me toward the stage stairs. My security guys were right there and guided me to the door. I stopped suddenly and glanced around.
“Where’s Patrick?” I asked Steve.
“Alfonso is in the hallway with him. He’s safe,” Steve assured me.
Once I saw Patrick, I felt better. I hadn’t even given Marcos Silva a thought, and though I knew he had nothing to do with Chase and the photographer, I had grown paranoid because my grandparents were somewhere with Morgan.
“Steve, can you make sure Morgan and my grandparents get to their rooms okay?”
“I’ll make sure our security team is on it.”
“Can’t you go?” I asked.
“I can’t leave your side, Hollis.”
“Why? Is there a problem or is something going on?” I asked.
“No. You know how it is, Hollis. I’m not doing my job if I don’t have you in my sight.”
I nodded. The main four security guards, Steve, Alfonso, Jacobi, and Zed had to be with me, for the most part.
“We’ll escort you back to your dressing room, Hollis,” Steve said.
“You can get changed and showered,” Patrick said as we started to walk down a hallway.
“Actually, I think I just want to go up to my suite. I’ll shower and change there, and then Morgan and my grandparents can come up there and we’ll have dinner.”
“Are you sure?” Patrick asked.
“Yeah, I need to be out of the public eye right now. I just want to unwind with you and have dinner with them,” I murmured so only Patrick would hear.
“Okay, you won’t hear any complaints from me,” he said.
“Steve, I’m just going to go up to my suite. Can you get a message to Morgan and my grandparents?”
“Of course.”
“Let them know to come to my suite in an hour for dinner, please.”
Jacobi and Zed gestured to another hallway that would take us to a set of elevators that would get Patrick and me up to our rooms. Once on the floor of our suites, the four security guards that rode up in the elevator with Patrick and me took seats outside my room and Patrick’s.
Patrick walked to his door a short distance from mine.
“Patrick.” He stopped and turned to look at me when I called his name. “See you in about an hour for dinner,” I said. Was it necessary to say? Probably not, but both of us understood the importance of keeping up appearances.
“See you then,” he said.
I held the key card to my suite over the card reader by the door and stepped inside once the door clicked open. I closed and locked the door to my suite before I went to the door that connected my suite and Patrick’s. I unlocked it and waited for just a few moments before the door opened and Patrick walked through.
I reached out and took hold of the hem of his black Team Dragon polo and pulled him closer. I curled my hands around his shoulders and backed him against the wall. His warm breath blanketed my skin as I stared into his eyes. He put a hand on the back of my neck and gripped my bicep with his other hand. I felt myself leaning on him for strength.
Behind closed doors, I was completely at ease with Patrick. Not only was he one of the very few people who knew what was going on in my life, but he was the only one to have a fragment of understanding of what Chase was feeling. Patrick had been there for me and our family through all of this. I’d fought tooth and nail this past month to stay in control and keep a strong face. The pressure of TCF and trying to protect what I’d built had been incredibly demanding. No matter how hard I tried to keep the balls I was juggling in the air, they all came crashing down tonight.
