“I love you,” he whispered into her hair.
“I love you more.”
He kissed her quickly, smiled, and climbed into a car with tinted windows. In a second, he was gone.
As much as Madi immediately missed him, she felt stronger than she’d felt in months. His love and their future gave her clearer purpose. In a few days, he’d be back in Chicago and she’d have him for four glorious days, all to herself.
She smiled as she turned to go back into the building, aware of Rob’s presence at the door. She studied him as she approached and suddenly had an idea.
“What are your plans tonight?” she asked him. Playing matchmaker was just the distraction she needed.
HIS ARMS CROSSED his chest as he lowered himself further into the chair. He rubbed his eyes under his sunglasses and sighed. “Are you done?” he asked.
“I don’t get why I had to call you ten times before you returned one phone call. I didn’t know how to answer all the comments and questions from the press. You could have at least texted me to let me know where you were. I thought you’d permanently dropped off the face of the Earth until I saw pictures of you at O’Hare.”
“Shit, Caleb… You’re worse than my mother.”
“Your mother is no longer responsible for you. I am,” he responded, pacing the room.
“I’m here now and that’s all that matters,” Jake responded, lifting some papers from his lap and skimming the pages.
“Were you with her?” Caleb asked.
Jake sighed. “You know I was in Chicago.”
Caleb huffed. “I should have expected you’d take off. I just never thought you’d cancel a concert. I guess it’s safe to assume she was angry?”
Jake pulled his sunglasses down his nose. “Very. Mostly hurt.”
“I still don’t know how you managed to fool me,” Caleb said with a shake of his head. “I didn’t know you were secretly seeing them both.”
Jake glared at Caleb as he tossed the papers onto a nearby table. “I wasn’t seeing them both. I wasn’t seeing Allison at all. I was drugged, remember?”
“Drugged? You still believe that?” Caleb asked.
“Actually, I’m waiting for the hospital to call with my results.”
“What results? What are you talking about? God dammit, Jake! How am I supposed to manage your life when you’re keeping secrets from me?”
“I’m not keeping shit from you. I went to the hospital before I left for Chicago. I went to Chicago to beg Madi for a second chance and to explain what had happened.”
“I assume she turned you down flat,” Caleb said with a shake of his head. He placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder, offering a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry, Jake. I know you really cared for her.”
“Actually, things are better than ever.”
“Really? Wow! That’s fantastic news. I’m glad she’s so forgiving.”
“There wasn’t anything to forgive. Just a lot of questions and a few answers.”
“What kind of answers?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t want to go into any details, but I think we have a traitor in our midst.”
“Are you kidding me?” Caleb questioned. “Another one?”
Jake shook his head before rubbing his temples. “Why does someone hate me enough to try to ruin every aspect of my life?”
Just as Caleb opened his mouth, Ang burst through the door.
“Thank goodness you’re alright!” Jake stood and Ang pulled him into a hug. “What can I do? What do you need? Is Madi okay?”
“I’m good, she’s good, and I don’t need anything right now. But listen, while you’re both in the same room, I need you to make sure everything I eat and drink comes directly from one of you.”
“Absolutely,” Ang agreed. I’ve got your luggage at the hotel. I’ll personally get your lunch and bring it to you there.”
Jake stretched his arms above his head. “Sounds good. I’m going to take a quick shower and head over for sound check. See if we can reschedule the concert in Boston for early next year. I’ll even do an extra show.”
Caleb nodded his head. “There are reporters outside. I don’t know how you managed to get to Chicago and back without being mauled.”
“Who said I wasn’t?” Jake said with a smile and a wink.
He walked away, laughing as he saw Caleb’s hands shoot up. “And exactly what in the hell is that supposed to mean? Jake? Jake…”
Jake slid his sunglasses on as he walked to the door. Dave and Greg stood in front of him with their hands on the doors.
“Are you ready for this?” Dave questioned.
“Let’s get it over with.” Jake nodded his head as they pulled the doors open. Reporters jumped toward him as flashes blazed from every angle. Greg pushed forward with his arms outstretched, protecting Jake. Dave did the same behind him.
“Is Allison Gregory with you?”
“Are you two in love?”
“Why were you in Chicago?”
“Tweets claim she was there as well. Did you have a secret rendezvous?”
Jake kept his head lowered and bit his tongue as he pushed through the crowd and into a waiting limousine. Ang waited patiently inside.
The door closed behind him as people cupped their hands, trying to see inside.
“What a nightmare,” Ang whispered in a hush.
“You’ve got that right. Did you find out anything?” he asked anxiously.
“As a matter of fact, I did. But you’re not going to like it.”
***
MADI TIGHTENED THE laces on her tennis shoes as Kendra kicked into a punching bag. “Why in the hell are we here again, and why did you insist I wear these stupid little shorts while you get to wear sweats?” Kendra questioned.
“Animal” by Neon Trees blasted into the speakers of the private training room Madi reserved in the University gym. “I knew we’d be moving around and sweating, and I know how pissy you get when you’re overheated.” Madi stood and checked the time on her phone before stuffing it into her bag.
“I can’t believe you’re suddenly interested in exercise. Trying to tone your muscles or build them to handle lover boy better?”
“You’ll see,” Madi said, smiling.
Just as she said the words, Kendra’s eyes sprung to the door. Her hands went to her hips and she sighed. “We don’t need you here to watch us, voyeur.”
Madi turned and smiled as Rob strutted into the room, adjusting the tape on his wrists. “I’m not here to watch, Ms. Parker. I’m here to teach.”
Kendra glared at Madi. “Oh, fuck no. I’m not staying for this shit.” Kendra bent to pick up her bag and Madi saw Rob do a double take toward her ass before continuing to adjust his tape.
“That’s fine with me. I wasn’t told I was offering a class,” he replied.
“Ken, wait…” Madi reached for her and she paused, huffing in frustration.
“Rob is trained in mixed martial arts and this stuff called Jiu-J…” she glanced toward him.
“Jiu-Jitsu.”
“Yeah, that,” Madi said, turning back to face Kendra. “He said he could teach me how to take down a man three times my size. I thought it would be good to know. You know, in case Peter Markum ever tries anything again.”
Kendra’s eyes softened. “That’s not going to happen. You’ve got Jake and”—she pointed toward Rob—“it to protect you.”
“I don’t want to do this alone and I worry about you. It would make me feel better if I knew you knew how to protect yourself, too. So please, do this for me?”
Kendra sighed as she glared at Rob. “I would do it for you, but the karate kid over here already said he’s not interested in teaching me, so…”
Rob sighed as he maintained a firm, unwavering tone. “Ms. Parker, I would be more than happy to show you how to protect yourself.”
Kendra sighed. “Fine. Let’s get this over with. I have a date tonight.”
Madi watched as Rob closed his
eyes briefly, turning to place his bag on the ground. He pulled on his pants and they snapped off, revealing firm, toned legs in shorts. He unzipped his jacket, revealing a Navy tank top over finely sculpted muscles. Madi’s eyes twisted to see if Kendra noticed.
Kendra let a small gasp leave her mouth before she coughed and cleared her throat, turning to get her water bottle.
“Are you alright, Ms. Parker?”
Kendra turned quickly. “Do you work for me? You’re not my butler and I have a first name. If you can’t form the word ‘Kendra,’ then feel free to call me ‘Your Highness.’ Just stop with the Ms. Parker shit, okay?”
“I’d be happy to refer to you by your given name when you refer to me by mine,” Rob stated.
Madi noticed a tattoo of a skull on his upper arm. “Can I see your tattoo?” she asked, pointing.
He glanced down at himself as if he’d forgotten he had them. “Sure,” he responded with a shrug.
Madi tugged on her arm. “Ken, come see this.”
Kendra rolled her eyes and made her way toward him. Rob stared at her as she approached before following Madi’s gaze to his shoulder. “Irresistible” by Fall Out Boy began to play overhead.
“I got the one near my shoulder first, six years ago,” he said, angling slightly.
As she got closer, she saw it was a skull with a sword going through it. Inscribed in a banner underneath, it read, “The only easy day was yesterday.”
“Is that it?” Kendra asked, unimpressed.
He huffed and turned, lifting his shirt from behind, revealing not only a finely sculpted back, but also a Navy trident on his right shoulder blade.
“Hmm…” Kendra leaned forward to get a decent look.
He turned quickly, removing his entire shirt. Kendra took a step back as she inspected him.
“And this one,” he said.
On his chest there were the bones of a frog. It seemed to be creeping up his chest. “What’s that one?” Madi asked.
“It’s a tribute for my own, lost in battle.”
Kendra studied it for a moment then lowered her gaze to his impressive six-pack. “Not bad, soldier boy.”
“Thank you, Ms. Parker.”
Kendra sighed. “Rob.”
“Kendra,” he nodded.
Madi bit her lip as she watched their short interaction.
Rob tugged his shirt back on.
“Why’d you do that?” Kendra asked. “It was the only thing I don’t hate about you.”
“Let’s focus, shall we?” he responded. “The first step in protecting yourself is to always be aware of your surroundings. Madi, without looking, tell me how many exits there are in this room and where they are in relation to you.”
“Umm, there’s the one behind you and I think there’s an emergency exit.”
“Where is it?” he asked
“Behind me, to my right?” she stated in the form of a question.
Kendra made a buzzing sound. “I’m sorry, Madison, but you’ve just failed round one of Name Your Favorite Exit.”
Rob glared at Kendra disapprovingly. “This isn’t a game show, Kendra.” He turned to Madi, pointing. “You’ll notice there’s one to the left of the storage room as well.”
“Kendra, what would be the first thing you would do if I approached you?” he asked.
“Before or after you hit on me?” she replied with a smirk.
Rob crossed his arms.
“Ken, please,” Madi pleaded.
Kendra sighed. “I’d look you right in the eye, like this, and maintain eye contact so you would know not only that I clearly saw your face, but also that I wasn’t intimidated by you.”
Rob nodded. “Very good.”
“Do I get a star for my chart?” she asked sarcastically, snapping her gum loudly and purposefully.
Rob placed his hand out in front of her. “Spit it out.”
Kendra crossed her arms and blew a bubble.
Madi sighed. She loved Kendra, but she was really trying to push Rob’s buttons.
“I’m not done with it yet. Get your own piece,” Kendra replied.
Rob’s hand remained in front of her. “Your smart mouth doesn’t impress me, Kendra. Now spit out your gum. In a minute, I’m going to have you face down on the floor. I don’t want you to have anything to choke on besides your pride.”
Kendra’s eyes drew into angry slits as she opened her mouth and spit into his hand. Rob strode to the garbage can in the corner to deposit it.
Kendra leaned in to Madi. “Damn, he’s got a hefty chip on his shoulder named ego.”
“You forgot the pain in his ass, named Kendra,” Madi whispered. “Please try to be nice to him.”
Kendra rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Now what?” she asked, feigning interest as he returned to them.
“Some women have an amazing gift of sixth sense,” he began. “If something doesn’t feel right, trust the voice in your head. Your intuition is extremely powerful. If it tells you to avoid a situation or person, trust it. Know that you have the right to defend yourself, but escape is always the best option. If you can run, run. If you can scream, yell like hell. Don’t ever leave the primary scene. You’re more likely to be hurt or killed if you go to a secondary location. So far so good?” he asked, glancing from Madi to Kendra.
Madi nodded. She felt a twinge of adrenaline shoot through her, a mix of fear and excitement at the same time.
“You need to know that, in order for this to work, you’ll need to practice. This needs to become instinctual. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be happy to practice with you until I feel comfortable that you’re prepared.”
“Wait a minute…” Kendra said. “Who said anything about this lasting weeks?”
“Learning takes practice. Were you able to play the piano the first time you tried?”
“Some might say yes, that I’m a natural.”
“So you think you’ll be a natural at this as well? That this just comes naturally for some people?”
“Probably,” Kendra said, placing her hands on her hips.
“Fine. If you can take me down, I’ll never say another word.”
“Oh, right. You probably weight ten times as much as I do and have ten times the training.”
“So?”
“So, let’s be more realistic. Show me a basic move, and I’ll master it,” Kendra replied, rubbing her hands together.
“You think you’ll be able to replicate it on your first try?”
“I’m a fast learner,” Kendra said with a grin.
“Okay. You’re choice. Do you want to come at me from the front or behind?”
Kendra laughed.
“What’s so funny now?” he asked with a sigh and a turn of his head.
“Usually that’s the question I’m asking the guy.”
Rob stared into her eyes before he took a step forward and pulled her away from Madi by the elbow.
Kendra huffed but allowed him to move her. Madi turned away from them, but she could still hear every word. She never realized just how good her ears were until recently.
Rob leaned in to make sure she heard him. “In my experience, the people who make jokes and play games do so to hide their fear. You are no exception to this rule. I see through you. I know deep down you’re afraid, and I get it. It’s your defense mechanism. But I don’t have a lot of time or patience for your bullshit, Kendra. Madi’s afraid that the same man who once tried to rape her may try again. If you are any kind of friend, you’ll stop your childish games and focus on the fact that learning these moves makes her feel safer. If you’d stop talking and start listening, you might be surprised to learn that I can and will teach you something you don’t already know. Do you think you could manage to do that for her?”
Kendra glared into his eyes. “Yes. I would and will do anything for Madi, but for future reference, I’m not afraid of anything. And the next time you want me alone, you don’t need to pull me off like a caveman; you can simply ask
. I might even let you whisper in my ear for fun.”
Madi glanced over her shoulder to see Rob purse his lips. “If you stop trying to act like you’ve got it all together, I’d be happy to whisper in your ear.”
Kendra huffed as a small grin spread across her face.
Rob turned immediately to Madi as he clapped his hands together. “Okay, let’s get started.”
JAKE FINISHED THE final encore and made his way to his dressing room, feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Ang stood outside the door with a bottle of water in her hand. She handed it to him as he passed through the door. He nodded as his eyes spoke volumes to her.
He wiped his head with a towel and pulled his sweaty shirt off his head. Ang handed him a fresh one.
Caleb rounded the corner, smiling. “Fantastic job, Jake!”
Jake nodded but made no eye contact.
“Rob called. Said you need to call him ASAP,” Ang stated, returning his cell to him.
Jake nodded as he took another drink of water.
“What’s wrong?” Caleb questioned. “Does your throat hurt?” he asked, reaching into his pocket for the spray singers often use before a show.
Jake held his hand up to him. “No thanks, I’m good. Just tired. Is Dave out front?” he asked.
Ang nodded, handing him pictures to sign. She turned and he scribbled on her back, handing them back to her.
She took them and eyed him warily, concern flowing out of every pore.
“So, tomorrow afternoon, we have a scheduled interview at the hottest new talk show on television then a fan club luncheon and signing. Tomorrow evening we’ll head off to Jersey and wrap this baby up!” Caleb exclaimed excitedly.
“Make sure you tell them I will not answer any personal questions,” Jake insisted.
“They’re clamoring for a scoop. We need to say something about what happened.” Caleb huffed in frustration.
“No, we don’t. Unless you want me to tell the world that I was drugged and posed and that someone on my team is gunning for me?”
Caleb shook his head no, appearing defeated.
Jake shot him a burning gaze as he made his way through double doors, toward Dave. Dave handed him his leather jacket and Jake slid it on before rushing toward the car. The flashes made it difficult to see. He didn’t stop to sign autographs as he usually would. He pushed past and slid into the limo, pulling out his phone almost immediately.
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