My insides ache. “What does that mean for him? More flashbacks? More nightmares?”
“Probably.”
“We’ll help him through it.”
“Yes.”
I let my mind wander. “Maybe we could go somewhere, for a bit. I think I need a break, too, from everyone staring at me. I’m sure I could find a private island to rent.” God, just the thought of it is lush. Maybe we could go to the tropics. White sand and fruity drinks and endless days just eating good food, snorkelling, shagging under the sun—
I realise Kenta hasn’t said anything, and check his face. “What do you think?” Maybe the boys’ idea of a holiday is more action-packed. Jet skis, or snowboarding, or whatever. I could do that, too. I think I’d enjoy doing anything with them.
“I think Glen and Matt would like that a lot,” he says carefully.
I frown. That seems like a strange way of putting it. Wouldhenot like that a lot? I’m about to ask him when my phone rings. I’ve been getting notifications all night, but I have it set to only ring for priority numbers. I check the screen and sigh. “Julie.” I swipe to answer the call. “Hello?”
“Briar, darling! Are you okay? Why haven’t you been answering my texts?”
“I was sleeping. The painkillers were doing a number on me.”
“But you’re okay, now? Kenta called last night and said you gotstabbed, is that true?”
Wow. She actually sounds concerned. “Yeah. I got some stitches, but I’m fine.”
“Where are the cuts?”
“Uh… my hip and my face?”
“Your face?”She squeals.“Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Where on your face? Send me a picture. Go on video chat right now.”
“Yeah, no. It’s on my cheek.”
She heaves out a relieved breath. “Cheek. Okay. Cheek, I can work with. We’ll play it off as a warrior-princess, Lara Croft sort of look. Thank God he didn’t get your nose. You have the best nose in the business.”
Ah. I see. She doesn’t actually care at all. She’s just checking her product isn’t too damaged to be sold. I rub my eyes. “What did you want, Julie?”
“To discuss how we’re going to handle the news of the kidnapping, of course! I’ve been justfloodedwith requests to interview. Not just magazines, but real news stations. I can’t keep them on hold much longer, the story will get stale.”
I sigh. I really don’t want to, but I’m going to have to face this eventually. I guess I should get it over with. “Fine. Come to the suite.”
She hums.“Oh, I’m out shopping, babe. You should come join me. Ambrose, eleven o’clock? We can work all of this out over mimosas.”
“Not Ambrose. That place is a fishbowl. All the walls are made of glass. And I can’t have mimosas, I’m on pain medication.”
I can practically hear her frown down the line.“Well, it’s a little early for Nobu—”
“I don’t want expensive sushi. I want something cheap and fatty.” She’s shocked into silence. I turn to Kenta. “I’m sure you’ve done shady business in LA before, haven’t you? D’you know any private spots we can meet? And I can get actual food with carbs in?”
His lips curl up. “I’ll send you a postcode, Julie,” he says, raising his voice so she can hear him.
“Perfect.” I press a kiss to his cheek, then say goodbye to Julie and hang up. “I should shower,” I mumble, slipping off Kenta’s lap. “And make myself look semi-presentable.”
He nods. “I’ll wake the others up.”
I frown. “Why? X is gone. Do I really need more than one guard taking me to breakfast?”
He blinks. “One of us should be fine, yes.”
“Then… why do we need to wake them up?”
