Page 133 of Studs Up
Frank nearly slid off his desk when my silence answered for me.
“You’re telling me that you had sex with a Guardian that night?”
“A whole lot more than one night,” Alex contributed in a mumble.
“Alex,” I hissed. He blanched.
“Sorry,” was all he had to say for himself. I needed to get the fuck out of here.
Frank swallowed. “So this wasn’t a one night stand? Just to be clear you’ve been in a sexual relationship with our literal biggest rival, for how long, exactly?”
“Sexual?” I closed my eyes. This was the beginning of the eyes clawing their way into my private life. “Since March.”
“I need to know who it is,” Frank said seriously. I looked away. Nolan’s life was about to be ruined. Frank decided not to wait for my answer and made his own deductions. Only two Guardians had been called up, and I braced for what was coming.
“You and Marcel are the same height. So that’ leaves…” he trailed off, and this time, he did slide off his desk and caught himself against the wall.
“Holy fuck,” he breathed. “No way. Holy fuck.”
“I can't bring him into this. You can't say anything to anyone. This can't ruin him, too.”
“You can't be serious!” He hissed and dragged his hand through his hair, ruining his perfect pompadour.
“I have to keep him out of this,” I begged him. “Please. Don’t tell his rep. Don’t say anything to anyone. I have enough to deal with. I can’t deal with the rest of it right now.”
Frank took a deep breath and let it out very slowly.
“Frank,” Alex said. “This has to stay quiet.” His tone was firm, and when I looked at his eyes, they were boring daggers into Frank.
“Okay,” he said. “But this won’t stay quiet forever. I guarantee you that whoever posted these pics has the original. They will know it’s him. You’ll need to come up with a plan.”
Now would be the time to say he has more than the original. But I didn’t.
Frank released us so he could have a panic attack in private.
“I need to stay at your place,” I said when we got to the car.
The world kept moving around us, not noticing or caring that my world was imploding.
“Uh, sure.”
Alex dropped me off at his apartment and answered Rafa’s summons. There was a meeting and I couldn’t be apart of it. I couldn’t stand before them and feel their eyes again. It was right out of my nightmares.
“It’ll be okay,” he said as I closed the door. I didn’t want to hear it. Nothing was going to be okay.
Alex’s place was not warm, not welcoming, and it looked like he barely lived there. He had a couch, a main bedroom and a spare, and a tv and that was about it. I sat down on the edge of his couch.
There was one last thing I had to do, before I could collapse. I turned on my phone and it was already ringing when it finished booting up. I closed my eyes and answered the call.
Nolan
We got the text as we walked out of the training center. The synced chime brought us all to a dead stop.
The link sent me to a website I recognized as a Guardian fan site. Me and Holden in the bathroom in that bar in Nashville. My face was tucked into his neck, where I whispered naughty things to him. I had been photoshopped enough that I wasn’t recognizable.
I didn’t even read the words. It all blurred as I stared at the picture. My stomach lurched and I nearly lost my legs. Holden. Oh my god. It was happening and I was powerless. I was hundreds of miles away and I couldn’t do anything.
I had been altered and was being held for ransom. I knew the message Holden had been sent. Do what I tell you to or I’ll send out the original.
