“Go away,” I say.
“I’ve called a security company,” Julie calls, her voice muffled by the door. “Their driver is downstairs now.”
I yank the door open. She stands there in the doorway, all five-foot-two of her, her arms crossed over her chest and her pretty red lips twisted in a look of fierce determination.
“What?”
“You’re going to that premiere, babe. I don’t care how many asshole soldiers we need to piss off to get you there.” She passes me my red beaded clutch. “This is your night. They have no right to mess around with your career like this. That self-inflated knobhead might not think your job is worth his time, but it is. You know it is.”
I take the clutch off her and follow her slowly back into the bedroom. I can hear the men walking around in the hallway outside, talking in low voices.
“How am I supposed to get downstairs? They’ll never let me leave.” In a matter of minutes, I’ve gone from client to prisoner.
“Actually,” she smiles, turning her gaze to the fire escape, “they were kind enough to leave you an emergency exit.”
I consider the door for a few seconds. Pain and anger and frustration all whirl inside me.
“Get my heels,” I mutter, and she squeaks in excitement, clapping her hands.
Forty-One
Kenta
?
I go down to reception to show hotel security X’s picture, and then perform a quick sweep of the public areas. When I get back inside the suite, Matt is sitting at the dining table, a bottle of sparkling water in front of him, scowling at his phone.
“Hotel security agreed to have a night guard monitor the live CCTV tonight,” I tell him, hanging up my jacket, “and they’re checking the IDs of everyone that comes in and out.” I look around the lounge. “Where’s Briar?”
“Sulking in her room,” Matt mutters.
I glance at her door. The light is on, and I can hear the low hum of her television playing. “I don’t know what you expected. If you don’t tell herwhyshe can’t go, of course she’s going to be pissed. You’re treating her like a kid.”
His jaw clenches. “She hired us to protect her. What’s the point of having security if she doesn’t follow my advice?”
I snort. “You mean your orders?”
He looks up at me, his eyes icy. “Does it matter?”
“This is herlife.Hercareer.You really think that she’s going to let you come in and disrupt all of that for no apparent reason?” I shake my head and make for her door. “When we tell her, I’m sure she’ll understand completely.”
Matt grabs my wrist. “We can’t tell her about the gunpowder.”
“What?” I shake him off me. “She has to know! It’s her life at stake!”
He’s breathing hard. “We can’t control her. She completely disobeyed us the last time this happened. If we tell her, she’ll just get mad and make everything worse.” He rubs his face. “Bombs,Kenta. Not ammo, bloodybombs.”
I frown. “I think you’re underestimating her. She lashed out last time, because that’s how she’s learnt to deal with harassment in the industry. Now that we’ve told her about the differences in stalker psychology, she won’t make the same mistake twice. If anything, it was our fault for not briefing her properly.”
Matt slams a hand onto the table. “How do you know that she won’t do it again?”
I shrug. “I just do. I know her.”
“And you’re willing to bet her life on it?” He asks, his eyes wild. “You’re willing to bet the lives of everybody at that premiere? Every fan, every celebrity, every worker and photographer andkid?”
I suddenly realise what’s happening. He’s not seeing what’s in front of him. In his head, he’s right back in the Middle East. The last time he took a chance on our lives, we ended up getting tortured for months. Now, it’s hardly surprising that he wants to err on the side of caution.
It’s notsurprising,but it’s still not right.
