“You have Jarrid, but I’m also giving you a team of undercover bodyguards to watch you. Now, here’s the important and the hardest part. I need you to go about your life as normally as possible. Go home, don’t look around to see if anyone is watching, don’t appear nervous. We’ve been feeding staticthrough the cameras and bugging devices—they think they’re not working rather than they’ve been found—I don’t want them to get the slightest inkling that we’re on to them. Do you think you can do that?”
I stared wide eyed. “You’re telling me that my ex-boyfriend is even more of a monster than I thought and you don’t want me to look nervous or let him know we’re on to him? How am I supposed to do that?”
“Because you’re Fern Richards,” Neo reminded me with a smile.
“Neo is right. I’ve seen the photos of your injuries. I know how hard you fought. You can keep fighting him, Fern. I know you can. Which brings me to the next part. After this, we are going to go to a rival firm of James’ to file the restraining order. Then we’re going to the police station to file a complaint. We’re not asking them to press charges, but hold the evidence on file while you decide what you’re going to do. That way, James sees you going to the police, which will make him shit himself.”
“And come after me?” I mumbled, feeling like I was in the twilight zone.
“That’s likely, but you will be surrounded by my best people. No one is getting near you.”
“You don’t know James.”
“James doesn’t know me. I’m really fucking good at my job.”
“But you’re not on the job. Like you said, you’re overseeing it.”
“Jarrid is the best I have and I am a phone call away.”
“So you’re nearby?”
Thomas paused. “Well, no. I’m only in London two days a week, but you can call me anytime.”
A burning pain filled my chest, making me push up from my seat, pressing my fingers to the desk as I leaned forward. “Excuse me, Mr. Lanton, if I don’t leap for joy that you’re throwing me in front of the man who tried to rape me, like apiece of meat, telling meyou’rethe best, but then informing me that you won’t have anything to do with protecting me. You expect me to act like nothing has happened and I’m not shitting myself every second of the day and then you’d like me to poke the already angry bear to piss him off even more? I don’t think so. But thank you for the offer. I appreciate you finding the bugs and cameras in my house. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a job to do.”
“Fern,” Neo hissed.
“No, Neo. I’ve had enough. I’ve been told what Ishoulddo since I was a kid. I’m not doing it for another second. That fucking man took so much from me, I will not allow him to take another thing.”
Thomas smiled. “See, strong. I should introduce you to my wife. You’d get on like a house on fire. What do you need?”
“I want to choose the law firm where I file the restraining order. I want one that helps women, not just another one in the boys’ club. If we go to the police and I’m going to piss the fucker off anyway, I want to press charges. I want to see him brought in for questioning, and I want the best people, Thomas. I want the people you’d leave your wife with. Are the people you’ve got watching me the people you’d trust with your wife’s life?”
“They are, but I’m going to bring in Sean as well. He runs my business these days. He and Jarrid will keep you safe. I’d trust my wife with both of them.”
“Then I guess it’s on, but if that fucker gets his hands on me, then I will hunt you down and kill you myself. Do I make myself clear, Thomas?”
“You do.” He offered me a smile, and I sat again. “Right, let me have a coffee and we can go file a restraining order.”
Chapter 22
Charlie
“So, do you want to tell us what happened over Christmas with Fern and why you stayed longer than you planned?” Fox poked.
“Nope. Not my story to tell, boys. We got our recording contract back, which was why I went. Can we just leave it at that? ”
We sat around the island in my kitchen having our weekly dinner and I pretended to zip my lips closed and throw away the key, making them both laugh.
“Are you ready to go back to the US, Arch?” I asked, knowing how much he was missing his fiancée , Nee, since she vanished there a few months ago.
“Nope, but I can’t sit here getting hammered, either. The therapy is helping. I’ll be okay.”
“We know you will, bro. You’re badass.” Fox laughed, pulling him into a hug.
Archer started mumbling threats into Fox’s chest, trying to shrug him off as my phone rang,Princesslighting up the screen.
“Hey,” I answered.
