Page 93 of You Make Me Feel
“You’ve been very clear that there was nothing serious between you,’” Hudson points out.
“You have,” Asher agrees, the little ass licker.
“I think he likes her,” West murmurs.
“Can you please behave like the adults you are?” I plead. “I didn’t ask you here for a heart to heart. I need your help.” I glance around, making sure we’re still alone at the far end of the bar, then lean in a little. “She’s having trouble with her ex. That’s why she was so upset yesterday. And why I took her home with me last night.”
“What kind of trouble?” Hudson asks.
“Is she okay?” West adds, looking genuinely concerned.
“As okay as you can be when your ex-con ex-partner is threatening you.” I take a breath, leaning back in my chair,and unload the whole story to them. The one she told me last night, when her body was soft in my arms, and hair tickling my face as she spoke softly.
By the time I finish, the table is silent. There are no knowing glances, no amused grins. Even Asher stops tapping his fingers.
“Obviously we can let the security team on Liberty know he’s a threat,” Hudson says, his voice serious now. “We can also monitor who comes on and off the island and set up an alert. Can you get me his photo?”
I nod, my muscles relaxing slightly.
“I’ll do the same with the private landing,” West says, referring to the port at the north of the island that serves the resort area. “And the only way in and out by air is at the helipads. We can cover them too.”
“From the sounds of him, I don’t think her ex could afford a helicopter ride,” I say.
Asher fixes his eyes on me. “Ask Sadie to send me all of his details. Date of birth, last known location, anything she has. I’ll get my guys to do a full investigation. Find out where he is. Where he’s staying. We can have eyes on him at all times.”
And that’s what I needed to hear. It’s the big advantage of having a brother who owns a multi-billion dollar security company. If you need somebody traced, he’s got the people who can do it.
“I’ll get it all over to you tonight,” I promise, glancing at my watch. Because I need to see her, to have her close.
“What is he after, do you think?” Hudson muses. “Money?”
“Or maybe it’s about revenge,” Asher suggests. “It’s amazing how many men go crazy when they’re rejected.”
My chest tightens. “I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe hesees her as unfinished business. Or maybe he has too much time on his hands.”
Asher lifts a brow.
“Whatever it is, we’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt her.”
I nod, feeling more relaxed than I have in the last twenty-four hours. “Thank you,” I say.
“No worries,” Hudson tells me. “We’re family. That’s what we do.”
twenty-five
SADIE
“You could come home with me tonight,” Romy suggests, as she locks the door to the bookshop. “We don’t have a spare room but the sofa is a sleeper. And we have dogs. Nobody would get past them.”
I smile, because she’s been lovely to me all day. Ever since Zach brought me home and asked her to take care of me. Which led to a thirty minute interrogation scene that would scare a professional spy. But now she knows exactly what upset me yesterday, and more about my ex than I ever planned on telling anybody. Except for Zach.
And she also borrowed a baseball bat from Jesse and put it under the counter, which is slightly concerning.
“You’re super sweet,” I tell her, “But you’ve already done enough.” I start to flick off the lights. “And anyway, this is all being blown out of proportion. My ex is an idiot, but he’s not a real threat.”
Romy gives me a look. “You have a restraining order against him. They don’t give those out without a reason.”
“It’s fine. I promise.” I smile softly. An email from VINE arrived in my inbox this morning. Confirmation of his parole, and notification that they’re setting up an investigation into why I wasn’t notified. “He knows better than to contact me again,” I tell her. “It’ll break the terms of his parole, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to go back to prison.”
