by Mary Abshire
“Did you just send me a message?” she asked, letting the door close behind her.
“Yes. You’re late.” He ran his hands into her hair and held her head. “I was worried.”
Before she could speak, he covered her mouth with his. He kissed her hard, as if he’d hungered for her for hours. But the kiss didn’t last nearly as long as he’d wanted. She pried her lips away and took a step back.
“We need to talk.” She took in his full view and then met his gaze. “How long have you been here?”
“Matt and I sat at the bar for a while and talked. Then I cleaned up and waited here for you. We’ve been back for nearly two hours. Where have you been?”
She walked around him and pushed her jacket away from her shoulders. “You will not believe what I had to do tonight.” She continued to the bedroom and he followed.
“I want to hear all about it.”
After she set the jacket on the bed she placed her phone and card on the closest nightstand.
“I had to pick out four good-looking female fans and ask them if they were married, did they do drugs, and were they at least twenty-one years old.” She unclipped the gun holder from her belt.
Andrew stood near the side of the bed, staring at her. “What?”
“Sherri told me Annie wanted four fans to join her in a party, but they have to be pretty gals. Annie didn’t want anyone fat. Can you believe that? And I had to check their identifications to confirm their age. Also…” She put the holstered gun on the nightstand and then moved closer to him. “I had to take away their cell phones. Annie can’t have them taking pictures since the party is private.”
His mouth opened, but words weren’t coming out. He didn’t know what to say. “Nothing about what you’ve said sounds normal.” Why would she only target attractive ladies?
“Oh, I know. I thought something wasn’t right. I have had this uneasy feeling since Sherri left me in charge.”
“Did you ask Sherri any questions why—”
“I asked her plenty.” She sat on the side of the mattress. “Sherri said Annie does this after shows. She made this whole private party seem so customary, but my gut doesn’t think so.”
Andrew sat next to her. “Did you do it? Find four women for party?”
“I had to. I picked them out, questioned them, confiscated their phones, and then had them wait by the venue security. Once I had all four, I took them to meet Annie.”
“Did any of the ladies question you before you took them to see Annie?”
“Yeah, they did. And I told them exactly what Sherri told me to. After I flashed my badge and told them I was part of her personal security, they believed everything I said.”
“Wow,” was the only word that came to Andrew’s mind.
“Annie talked to them for twenty, maybe thirty minutes. When she finished, I sent a message to Sherri. She said the transportation was ready. I escorted the girls to the exit where Don and Sherri were waiting. The four gals and Sherri got in the back of a black van, and then Don drove away.”
“Were they excited about going to party with Annie?”
“By that point they beyond being overjoyed. Annie had baited and hooked them.”
“Did Don see the girls or say anything to you before he drove away?”
“Nothing important. He told me to clean up Annie’s dressing room and make sure the girls didn’t leave anything behind. He said he’d come back to give me a ride to the hotel. I was half tempted to tell him I’d take a taxi. You know I don’t like being around him alone.”
Andrew didn’t like her near Don either. Since the first day they’d started, Andrew suspected Don had an interest in Emily based on the comments he’d made at dinner. Their workouts at the gym and time spent at the pool had proven he had been right. Don touched her to show her how to use certain weights and machines properly. Although it appeared he was teaching her, Andrew still hated to see the man’s hands on her. And Emily had disliked it too. She’d finally told him to back off. The jerk had laughed. Then at the pool he’d made several vulgar comments. Fortunately, Sherri and Annie had been there and cooled Don’s language before Andrew shoved his fist in the man’s face.
“Did you take a cab here?” he asked.
“No, because when I went to clean the room I realized I had their cell phones still with me. I sent him a message and had to wait for him to return. That’s why it took longer than I’d thought originally. I went ahead and rode with him here since he had to return the phones.”
A wave of heat rushed through Andrew. “Did he say anything or try to touch you?” So help him, Andrew would beat the shit out of him if he dared to lay a finger on her.
“No.” She shook her head and her long hair swayed over her shoulders. “In fact, he was really quiet. It was bizarre.”
Andrew clenched his jaw and lowered his gaze. “Something’s not right.”
“I felt that way since the minute Sherri told me what to do.”
“Does everyone know about these private parties?”
“She said they did. We know Don does. I don’t know about Matt.”
“I can ask him the next time I see him.”
Emily rose and faced Andrew. “If this is a regular thing Annie does, then I think we should find out where Don takes the girls.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“I have a few ideas. What were you doing after I left?”
“Matt and I escorted Annie from the stage to her room. We stayed with her until Sherri arrived. She sent us away, so I went with Matt and helped tear down some of the equipment. Then we came back to the hotel. He said that was what he normally does if Sherri or Don doesn’t need him.”
“Is there any chance you can get away from Matt next time?”
“I can try.”
“If not, I could try to get in the van with the girls.”
Andrew stood and gripped her arms. “No. I don’t want you getting in the van with them. You won’t have any idea where it’s headed. And for the record, I don’t like that you got a ride from Don. I don’t trust him.”
“Neither do I, but he has to think that I do.”
“I do not want you getting in the van,” he said stronger as he tightened his grasp of her arms.
“If we can’t do this together, then one of us needs to get a taxi or borrow a car and follow that van.”
“I’ll do it. I’ll find a way to follow it. I don’t want you going alone. Promise me.” The thought of her tracking the vehicle on her own made him queasy.
She gently pushed his hands down. “You know I can defend myself.”
“Oh, I know that. But this could potentially be something very dangerous. We already know Don is a prick and he’s not safe to be around. Sherri is his sidekick as well as Annie’s. The demons are so sneaky they’ve managed to hide their crimes well. Anything can happen, Em. I don’t want to lose you. Besides, our task is for me to destroy the demon in Annie. That should be our focus.”
She crossed her arms. “She’s supposed to be meeting these girls at a private location. If we follow the van, it should lead us to her since she’s the host of the party.”
“But she won’t be alone.”
“Don’t you want to find out what’s going on?” she asked, irritation lifting her voice.
He shook his head as he backed up and sat on the mattress. Sure, he wanted to learn where the girls were going to and what would happen to them, but it wasn’t his priority.
“I’m just as curious as you are to know what’s going on, but we are here to destroy the demon in Annie. We need to get her alone,” he said in a calm tone.
“If we follow and she shows up like she is supposed to, we might get that chance. We don’t know until we follow.”
He loved Emily with all his heart, but she could be too damn stubborn. He knew if he didn’t give in to her request, she’d find a way to go on her own.
“Okay.” He left the bed and approached her. “We’ll
find a way to follow. And since I’m the one that has to do the killing, it’s either the both of us or just me.” He took her face into his hands. “Please promise me you won’t go without me.”
When she lowered her gaze, he lifted her head so she’d meet his gaze. His woman had a good heart and intentions, but he feared they would land her in trouble.
“Promise me,” he said, staring into her blue eyes.
“Fine, I promise.”
“And mean it, Emily. For me.”
“Okay, I won’t follow without you.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “If something ever happened to you, I would go crazy.”
She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Then she pressed her lips to his. “I thought I had already made you crazy.”
His cock began to awaken while he grinned. “You have, but in a good way.”
He kissed her with renewed hunger, taking her tongue and sucking on it. She whimpered softly and leaned against him. She felt so soft and delicate in his grasp. He’d lose all his control if anyone harmed her. He was losing another kind of control as she ran her warm hands down his back and brought one around to his groin. Yes, she made him all kinds of crazy.
“Give me a few minutes to clean up,” she said, her hand pressed against his solid erection.
“Need help?”
Smiling with a lusty gleam in her eyes, she took one of his hands and stepped back. “I’ve had a long day. I could use a little help in the shower.”
Desire filled him as she pulled him toward the bathroom. “Then I’m your man. I aim to please.” And he would as often as he could while they were together.
Chapter Nineteen
A loud knock from somewhere in the distance lifted Emily from her slumber. Hearing silence again, she took a deep breath. The noise must have been created by her mind. So she’d thought until she heard it again. This time, she opened her eyes and raised her head. Warmth surrounded her as the heavy blanket named Andrew covered her backside. His arm lay on top of hers. He stirred behind her.
“What is it?” he groaned.
“I heard a knock.”
No sooner had she said it and someone pounded on the door.
“Fuck,” she said.
Andrew rolled away from her. “I’ll get it.”
As he scooted off the bed, she glanced at the clock. The time reflected almost quarter to ten in the morning. They hadn’t slept much since they enjoyed a few hours pleasing each other. Time well spent in her book.
Andrew slid a pair of boxer shorts up his legs. His hair looked a bit of a mess, but in a sexy kind of way.
The person at the door pounded on it again.
“What asshole is doing that?” she asked.
“I’m about to find out,” Andrew said as he ran his hands through his hair. “Stay here.” He shut the door behind him.
Emily left the bed and headed for the bathroom. She recalled seeing two robes hanging on the wall near the door after she’d showered in the early morning. The cold tile gave her a slight chill as she entered the room. Finding the white robes where she’d remembered, she took one off the hook. On her way to the bedroom door, she slid her arms through the soft sleeves, and then tied the front closed. She didn’t bother to check her hair to see how messy it was. Frustrated with the jerk who had woken them, all she wanted to do at the moment was to give the person a piece of her mind.
She stepped into the living room and found Andrew talking to Don. The big guy wore jeans and a black shirt with Annie’s name on the front. The two men shifted their attention to her. As Andrew shook his head, she noted his tight features. Don on the other hand had a grin and looked pleased as he took in her view.
“So you’re the asshole who woke us up?” she said as she came to a stop near Andrew.
“Good morning to you too,” Don said.
Her anger began to manifest. Fists clenched within the long sleeves of her robe, she glared at him and resisted telling him to fuck off. “What do you want?”
“Annie wants to see you,” Don said.
“I don’t understand why this can’t wait until later,” Andrew said.
Don lifted his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m doing what I’m told. She wants to see Carrie.”
Since when does a late-night partying celebrity wake up so early and request meetings? Shouldn’t she be in bed with the curtains closed and a ‘do not disturb’ sign outside her door?
“She wants to see just me?” Emily asked.
“Yes. She called me and told me to get my ass out of bed and bring you to her. So put on some shoes and let’s go.” Don reached for her.
“Hell no, I’m not going like this,” Emily said as she backed away from him.
Andrew quickly stepped in front of her, blocking Don from getting any closer. “She’s not leaving.”
“Look, it’s early and we’re all tired. I don’t want any problems, but if she doesn’t see Annie we will be dealing with a major bitch for the rest of the day. Trust me, you don’t want that.”
Emily put her hand on Andrew’s shoulder and he twisted to face her. “I’ll go, but give me five minutes to get dressed.”
Don started walking toward the sofa. “I’ll wait here.” He took a seat and widened his legs.
“I’ll get dressed with you,” Andrew said softly.
Andrew followed her to the bedroom. Once inside, he shut the door. She opened her mouth to speak, but he lifted his forefinger to his lips. Then he pointed to the bathroom. It took maybe a second for her to understand his plan.
She reached the vanity and turned on the faucet.
“He told you the same thing he told me. I said you were sleeping and wouldn’t wake you. Then you walk out of the room,” he said.
“Yeah, because I wanted to know who had woke us up so I could tell the person off.”
“Well, now you’re stuck and I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”
She grabbed her brush from the counter. “Relax, it can’t be anything worse than last night.” She combed her hair.
“What do you think she wants with you this early in the morning?”
“It has to be related to the girls and her party.”
“It couldn’t wait?”
“I can’t think of anything else she would need to see me about.” After she set the brush back on the counter, she rinsed out her mouth, and then turned off the running water.
“I’m going with you and I’m bringing the poison.” He left the room before she could argue.
Emily followed him to the dresser. “She asked to see me, not both of us.”
He withdrew a pair of jeans from one of the drawers. “I don’t care. We’re a team. And we’re married. I’m going with you in case this is my chance to kill her.” He bent to put his pants on.
Shaking her head, she grabbed a clean pair of underwear and a bra from one of the drawers. She doubted he’d get the chance to kill her, but she wasn’t about to pass on any opportunity.
“I don’t understand why she’d want to talk to me. Whatever it is, it can’t be good. She doesn’t seem to like me anyway,” she said as she dressed.
Andrew tugged a gray t-shirt down his torso. “Another reason for me to go with you.”
The bandages covering his tattoo were looking worn. He’d kept them on his arm twenty-four-seven since they’d moved onto the property. She’d have to rewrap his arm soon to avoid anyone asking questions.
While Andrew dug through his discarded jeans on the chair near the table, Emily hurried to finish dressing. She grabbed a shirt and tights from another drawer. Since they were only staying two nights in the city, she’d packed light. As far as she knew, they were flying out later in the afternoon.
“I’m almost ready,” Andrew said as he pushed the vial and hotel card into one of his front pockets. He sat in one of the two chairs and put his shoes on.
Emily pulled her pants up. “I hope this doesn’t take long. I’d like to get a nap in be
fore we leave.”
The few hours of sleep hadn’t been enough. She’d glanced in the mirror earlier and had noticed she had puffy eyes with dark circles. She felt as bad as she looked. A nap would help her get through the rest of the day.
She grabbed her jacket sitting on top of the dresser and then claimed her phone and key card from the nightstand. Finding her shoes near the bathroom door, she quickly stepped into them.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and this will be the last time we have to deal with her,” he said, still keeping his voice low.
If only they could be so fortunate, but she didn’t think so. Life was never easy.
After Andrew opened the door, she strode out, sliding her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. Don was still sitting on the sofa. He had his attention focused on the phone in his hands.
Andrew walked around the chair, heading toward the coffee table. He picked up his cell. “We’re ready.”
Don rose and tucked his phone in his back pocket. “She asked for Carrie. Not both of you.”
“We’re a team. We go together.” She opened the front door.
Don let out a big sigh. “Annie’s not going to like this.”
Emily pressed her lips together. Goldilocks can kiss my ass for waking us up so early.
She followed him and Andrew out of the room. Don led them to elevators where they waited to catch a ride up. Annie didn’t stay in the penthouse, but she had a fancier suite on one of the top floors. Don and Sherri stayed up there with her. Emily didn’t bother to ask if they stayed in separate rooms or the same one. She honestly didn’t care. After they stepped into the elevator, he inserted his code into the box.
Andrew crossed his arms as he stood on the opposite side of Don. “Have you spoken to Matt this morning?”
“No, I wouldn’t be awake now if Annie hadn’t called me,” Don said.
Emily leaned against the back wall and stared ahead. She wasn’t too surprised to learn Annie hadn’t woken Matt. It seemed Annie left him out of the loop on many things. But if she guessed right, Sherri was awake. The two seemed pretty close.