Chapter 8
Serayah
I’d decided to do some writing at a coffee shop for the day. King was off duty. Chase and a new guy to my security detail, Gabe, were sitting at a table on the other side of the shop to give me a little space.
“Here alone?” The husky voice startled me, making me spin around. Piercing blue eyes were looking back at me. He said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He was cute. Tattoos covered his neck. His hair was buzz cut and he was dressed in loose jeans and a white sweatshirt. When I looked down, I saw a patchwork of tattoos on his hands.
I said, “Um, no, it’s okay. Wearing a white sweatshirt to a coffee shop is brave.”
He laughed. “I like to live a little on the edge. I’m Nico.” He reached his hand out to shake mine.
Smiling, I said, “Serayah.”
He smiled back. “Serayah. That is a beautiful name. I’ve never heard it before.”
I laughed and said, “I don’t know. It has some sort of meaning. My mother always said it meant princess or something. It was great when I was a kid. I told everyone I was a princess.”
He lifted his coffee cup, “To Princess Serayah,” he said before he took a drink.
It made me blush. “Oh my god, stop.”
“May I sit with you?” He asked. I was hesitant. A week prior, I was humping King’s fingers in the back of a limo. Now, a guy who was clearly flirting wanted to have coffee with me. King and I weren’t anything. We fucked once and fooled around once. Regardless of me being insanely attracted to King and wanting him, he was my bodyguard, not my boyfriend, and he wouldn’t have me.
He purred, “I promise I won’t bite.”
“Sure, come on over. I could use some company for a bit.” I turned around and watched Nico sit in front of me. “Do you come here often?” I asked.
“I don’t, actually. I’m just in town for a while, visiting a friend and wanted a coffee.” He shrugged. “I can see I’ve interrupted you. Are you working?”
I closed my laptop when he said that. “No…yes, well, sort of. I’m a writer, so it’s just writing. It can wait. So, tell me about yourself, Nico. What do you do for work?”
He leaned back and flashed a grin. “I’m in the car business.”
“Oh! Like a salesman or mechanic?”
“Yeah… something like that.” He was being vague on purpose.
“Something like what? Which is it? Are you a car salesman, or do you work on cars?”
“Princess Serayah, I’m an entrepreneur. So, I do a little bit of everything with cars.”
Just then, I felt a hand on my back. “Ms. Flores, we have to go.” I turned and looked up to find King standing there, eyes fixed on Nico. Chase and Gabe walked up a moment later.
In my most calming but somewhat nervous voice, I said, “King, this is Nico. He…” but King cut me off.
“Now. Let’s go.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Pack your things.” I remembered what he said about not questioning him when the time came and wondered,Is Nico my stalker? Is that why King is so adamant?
Chase stepped between me and Nico. Gabe had already gone outside to the car. King told him, “Take her to the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”
I asked, “Wait…what?” But before I could ask any other questions, King turned back to Nico. Chase guided me by my arm, ushering me outside so fast that I could barely process what was happening.
Chapter 9
King
“Hello?” I answered my phone; it was Chase. He told me a strange guy was talking to Serayah. “What does he look like?” I asked.
Chase went into detail about the guy and the description set alarm bells off in my head. He sounded familiar. It was my day off, but it bugged me not being near her. She consumed every thought. “I’m on my way. I’m ten minutes away, but I’ll be there in seven. Don’t lose sight of him.”
