“I don’t know why he hated me. Maybe that’s not true. I think he saw me as the reason he was stuck in a marriage he didn’t want. Hell, maybe I took too much attention away from him. No matter the reason, he took every opportunity to torture me in the worst ways. Then he threatened me if I told anyone, he would kill Dad and Kash. Ry said that so often that—sometimes—I would be with them and feel like I was suffocating. Maybe I even came to hate them a little for trapping me in hell. Then I won the lottery of musical dreams. I ran fast and hard. Even though I’d never tell them, I had no plans to talk to either of them again. I’d gotten my escape. Of course, no one let me leave them, and the distance created some huge guilt over punishing Dad for Ry. But there’s still a small part of me that wonders how in the hell no one saw me suffering. Then I remind myself I can be a damn good actor when I want.”
Marc felt Valon hesitating. He knew there was more. Marc couldn’t let him stop now. “What about Ry?”
The ugly laugh that escaped Valon made chills run down his spine. “He showed up the second he thought I had anything he could take. When I gleefully shut him down, he hired people totry to rough me up and intimidate me into basically handing him the reins to my financials. I kept hiring guards to protect me, except none of them seemed to understand how dangerous Ry is. Maybe they even thought I should be helping out my legal parent.”
Marc drew a sharp breath as the rage built.
Unfortunately, Valon wasn’t finished. “Then, one night after a concert, I went out partying with the band. I got shitfaced and let a guy lure me to an alleyway behind the club. When he attacked, I didn’t see it coming. Of course, I’d shooed away security so I could play. So I was stuck and fighting for my life. I don’t know exactly how it happened. One second, I was on the ground, scrambling to get away. The next, I had a broken beer bottle in my hand that I had stabbed into the guy’s throat.”
Marc kind of wanted to tell Valon to stop. He didn’t need the rest. Anything more, and he would kill Ry.
“I just kind of froze. He was choking on his own blood, and all I could think about was how this mess could ruin my career. I’d be forced back into a life I can’t stomach. Then he was dead, and I didn’t know what to do. I called Bond. He’s been my manager since day one. I didn’t know how he would handle it, but I knew he would. In minutes he was there, whisking me away and telling me not to worry about a thing. He would make sure no one ever knew what happened.”
Valon shivered, and Marc held him tighter. The horrific story continued.
“My guards were furious I had disappeared. There was a lot of screaming. They quit, and I ended up labeled a problem client. A title I made worse when I started having the feeling again—like no one was even trying to protect me. The one thing I didn’t consider, though, was Ry. He knew he had sent that guy. Ry knew that guy went missing afterward. That's when the blackmail began.”
Each time Marc thought he had reached the pinnacle of his anger, Valon added another log to the fire. Marc squeezed his eyes shut. Valon needed him calm. He got the feeling he was the only person ever to hear this story. Marc understood so much now, though. The way Valon treated Ledger and Kash. How Valon acted when it came to security. Marc saw it all now. Valon was trapped in a nightmare, and no one helped. Still, Valon had gone to his dad and shown him affection. He had smiled and cheered as Kash married his dad. The hurt and fear Valon choked down every second was enough to kill anyone. But now Marc knew, and Valon wasn’t who would lose their life over this.
Marc kissed Valon’s forehead again. “You have me now. It’s time for you to close your eyes and sleep without fear, okay? Nothing else will happen to you. That’s a promise I can keep.”
He felt Valon nod and relax. Despite just waking up, Valon was out like a light in minutes. Life had drained the fuck out of him. Marc would fix everything.
Chapter Four
WithValonsafelyhangingout with his dad and Kash for the day, Marc headed for the home office. Steel Security Services had been his career for the past seven years. He had gone from working venues and minor jobs to slowly working his way into full-time live-in security. It wasn’t a life meant for everyone. A live-in bodyguard for a celebrity was the highest-paying job a Steel employee could achieve. All it took was the right combination of chemistry and level of fame to set up guards for life. It was a tradeoff, though. He lived on Valon’s schedule. It had taken him a few days to find the time to run this errand.
The stone building that housed the main office of Steel Security was conveniently located in one of the poshest parts of Los Angeles. Part of their success was simply them being centered where the richest people saw their sign every day. The rest was reputation. Steel provided the best, making him the top choicefor celebrities. There were locations around the country in the most popular places for the rich and famous clientele. Each time Marc walked through the door, he felt his posture change. He walked taller with squared shoulders. Marc was proud of his job. He hadn’t expected to be more than a handyman of some sort. While a lot of those jobs could pay pretty damn well, the thought of Marc having to live that way day after day made him want to step into traffic. Not every job was for everyone. He was damn grateful he landed this one.
The minute Marc stepped into sight of Steel’s office. Steel came to his feet and circled his desk. “What’s wrong?”
That was a fair question, considering how rarely he came here.
There was a line between Steel’s brows. His eyes, which matched his name, were filled with concern. “You’re not quitting, are you? No one else here can handle Valon.”
That should have chafed. Valon deserved better. But he had no intention of disabusing Steel of that notion. Marc had to be irreplaceable in Valon’s life.
“No, it’s nothing like that, but I’d appreciate it if we could speak in private.”
Steel motioned toward the front desk. “Hold my calls.”
Marc followed on Steel’s heels. Steel was a solid country boy. He had broad shoulders from years of hard work. A hint of gray tinted his dark hair. He was also an extremely likable guy. Butwhen it came to keeping people safe, he was not a man to be messed with. Marc needed that side of him now.
The moment they were in Steel’s office, Marc closed the door behind him. He took the seat across from Steel at his desk. Marc didn’t waste time. “Valon is being blackmailed.”
Steel didn’t even flinch. In their business, these things weren’t uncommon. Plus, Steel was all about solutions. “Do we know who it is?”
Marc dipped his chin. “His estranged father, Ry Kenway. He’s…”
“I know him,” Steel said, saving Marc a long-winded story about Valon’s parents’ split. “He’s a bastard.”
Marc nodded. “Agreed. He’s ruining Valon’s life. This comes after he spent Valon’s entire childhood torturing him.”
Steel’s eyebrows snapped together. His face hardened. “He was abused.” It wasn’t a question. It sounded more like Steel needed to say the words aloud.
Marc’s hands rose and fell, showing he had nothing. “I don’t know what to do, but this can’t continue. Valon won’t last much longer. The strain is killing him.”
Steel nodded. His gaze seemed to turn inward. He snapped back to life and grabbed his phone. After finding whatever contact hesought, Steel set the phone on the desk and left it on speaker. The sound of ringing filled the air.
