Tanner: I’m worried
“Hans is here,” Ashley said, hurrying back.
“What happened?” Hans asked. “Why isn’t she with you?”
“When did she come to get me?” Ashley asked, like this was the important question and not where the heck Sam had gone off to.
“Right after you left. Ashley—”
“Hans and I were arguing.” She closed her eyes. “Catiana...”
He wanted to scream at the sound of her name. “I’m so fucking tired of hearing her name.”
Ashley nodded. “Me too. But she toldRolling Rockthat it was you who told her Sami Jo’s identity.”
“Yeah, I know that part.” It was the headline. But Sam understood he hadn’t told her. He hadn’t. They’d covered it.
He’d already asked that it be clarified by Courtney when she made her plan for clean-up. It’d go out in the press releases. Be a little correction box no one looked at but him. But it’d be there. On the record.
“In the big article coming out in the magazine, Catiana—”
Tanner grimaced at her name.
“—she clarifies you didn’t tell her specifically. You simply didn’t correct her when she guessed,” Hans said, stepping into their huddle. “That is the accurate version, yes?”
Tanner’s lips went dry. His mouth, too. He nodded.
“I told Hans about it. Since, you know, I’m an accomplice.” Ashley’s shoulders sank as she spoke. “Dammit, I was in on this.”
“Catiana also talked about how you both made good fun of Sam back in the day,” Hans said with a frown.
“Dammit.” Why was history so hard to rewrite? And why was it always trying too hard to fuck him?
This was it. He blew out a breath. Scraped his fingers over his scalp. He’d lose Sam because he’d been an idiot. Wasn’t that the sad story of lost love always? And he didn’t even know if she was hurt. Okay or not okay?
The pressure of all the universe seemed to push on him from all sides.
“Sam is fine,” Hans said, as though reading his thoughts. “She checked into a Hilton a few blocks from here. I just heard. Unfortunately, I heard through the wrong grapevine and the paps are all over. It’s like she’s Justin Bieber in his biggest days. They’ve gone nuts for her. This is more than Courtney and I ever imagined or planned for.”
“She runs. When she’s scared or hurt, she runs. It’s what I always did, too,” Tanner admitted.
“What pulled you out of it?” Ashley asked.
“I finally had a family who wouldn’t let me run.”
“Then be that for her,” Hans said.
“Can you get me into the hotel?” Tanner asked.
Hans nodded. “Through the back?”
Duh. “I’m sure as fuck not going in the front door.”
He would not give up on Sam. And if she was ready to give up on him, then he’d be sure she didn’t give up on being herself. All of herself.
He choked on that thought. If that’s the last thing he could give her, it would have to be enough.
Hans worked fast, and soon Tanner stood in front of Room 315. He knocked.
