by Mia Kayla
A whoosh of air rushed out of me, and I blinked, momentarily stunned. “I swear, I thought …”
Jordan grabbed my arm, and his bodyguards ushered us into the black Escalade. The adrenaline rushed through me, and when the door shut, Jordan’s whole body faced mine.
“What’s going on with you?”
“I thought she had a gun.” My voice was shaky, my nerves on end.
“A gun? It was a pen.” He ran one hand through his blond hair, making it stand on end. “Dex and Larry, they have everything under control. But you can’t be doing that. With all these lawsuits from fans and paparazzi, you just can’t. Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Me? I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you.” I reached into my back pocket, pulling out the note, and placed it in his hands. “I found this in my car.”
He opened it, and his whole face hardened. “Shit.” A visible shiver ran through him, and in the next second, I was in his arms. “You’re fine. Everything is going to be fine.” He kissed the top of my head and reached for his phone. “I’m texting Cade.”
“It’s late.”
“It doesn’t matter. If this woman has gotten to you, who knows if she’s been in contact with your sister or my brother?”
I blinked, bile rising to the top of my throat. At the mention of my sister, I closed my eyes. This was getting out of hand. She’d already gotten to me, and there was no way in hell I’d let her reach anyone else I cared about.
I needed her behind bars.
Larry stood directly outside the door of Cade’s apartment, and Dex was stationed inside, his big-as-boulder arms crossed over his massive chest as though he were protecting a billion-dollar diamond. They were both in suits and wore earpieces, looking like they were part of the Secret Service, standing stiff and stoic against the window. The light, bright floral curtains that I’d helped Angie pick were up and draped over the floor-to-ceiling windows. The colors blended into an array of flowers from a garden—sweet, vibrant, and opposite to the mood in the room.
“Have you seen her?” Cade asked, pacing, his gaze menacing like the stalker was in the room. The muscle in his jaw ticked and ticked and ticked.
Wyatt sat on the plush leather couch, his eyes narrowed, and he was stealthily silent, but I could read the worry in his features.
“No, I haven’t seen her since the last time, in court. And before that, at my place, half-naked.”
I gripped Angie’s hand tighter, as we were squished on the love seat, watching Wyatt, Cade, and Jordan contemplate the next steps.
“This is crazy. Just ask them to take her in,” Wyatt said.
“On what proof?” Jordan threw his hands up. “Tene didn’t see her, but I know in my gut that this is Jordie.”
“Jordie?” Goose bumps formed on the back of my neck. “Sorry, her name is Jordie?” What kind of name was that?
He sighed. “I don’t know what her name was before, but she changed it to Jordie.” His face turned a shade darker. “Jordan and Jordie.”
I shot up. “She’s crazy.” I placed my hands on my hips. “What you need to do is get your studio on the phone and tell them what’s going on. Track that witch down and put her in jail.”
What girl would change her name to match his? A psycho, the kind you only saw in movies—that was who. One who was insane enough to possibly do anything to have him—and if she couldn’t have him, then no one could.
“Crazy is an understatement,” Cade said. “She has multiple tattoos of his face and name on her body.”
“I hate this.” Angie rubbed her temple, her knees bouncing with agitation. “I hate that there are so many people in town, and we don’t know which one is her.”
I patted her hand once and then stood.
Bile rose up my throat, and my stomach tightened. “I just can’t.” I paced the room with both hands on my hips and then faced Jordan straight on.
Why the hell were we still in this room, doing nothing? We should be at the police station, filing a report.
“You’re in danger. You need to take this seriously. We need to get the cops involved,” I said.
“We don’t.” Jordan’s tone was firm, his facial features unmoving.
Was he already desensitized by this danger, by this nonstop stalker girl who kept coming up in his life? He had to take this seriously.
“What?” My hands waved above me like a banshee. “What do you mean, we don’t? She may still be in the area. Last time, she showed up at your place without shame. Who knows what she’ll do now?”
What was it with men and their calm facades? My father was the same way. The house could be burning, and they would maintain their composure and slowly walk out from the burning building while the women would be running out.
“Calm down.” Jordan's eyes softened, which made me want to slap him upside the head to knock some sense in him. “You’re worried about me, but she was in your car. She knows we’re together. You’re the one in danger.” His gaze grazed my face.
He was constantly concerned about me, but I only cared about his safety.
All eyes were on us. Now, they knew we were a couple.
Cade’s eyes were unreadable, but my sister looked as though she had stepped into a Wilton bake sale, where all their accessories and baking items were seventy percent off.
“You’re together?” she whispered, standing from the couch.
“Yeah, we are,” Jordan answered for both of us, but his stare was locked with Cade’s. “You can beat me up like you did all those years ago for dating your sister, but I’m not giving Tene up.”
He squeezed my hand and stared down at me with such reverence that my heart flip-flopped. Goodness, I could fall for this man.
“And I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
It was a declaration of his feelings for me, and my insides soared like a rocket ship on its way to Venus, the planet of love.
Silence spanned the room.
Then, Wyatt stood and clasped a strong hand on his brother’s back, bringing him in. “If you’ve found someone who can finally deal with your ass, then I’m happy for you.”
Angie practically bum-rushed us, her arms tightly weaving around Jordan and me. “I’m so happy. This is so crazy. I just knew it. You’re too alike to ever be apart.”
She couldn’t have spoken truer words. Where she and Cade were polar opposites, Jordan and I were like twins separated at birth. And maybe we’d never settled down before because we hadn’t found the right person. Now, we had each other.
Cade’s eyes were tight, his face closed off. When he walked toward us, Jordan sucked in a breath. Through the challenge in his eyes and the way his posture stiffened beside me, I knew that Jordan wanted Cade’s blessing, and inside, I secretly prayed for it too.
“This was one of the things I was afraid of. Bringing your Hollywood drama to this small town,” Cade said.
“Bro, chill out,” Wyatt piped up.
My eyes took in all of Cade Ryder, a wall of muscle, the hard planes of his face, the narrowing of his eyes.
“Last time this happened, when you told me you were dating my sister, I beat you to a pulp.” Cade tipped his chin. “And make no mistake, she’s basically my sister, ever since I started dating Angie.”
When Cade’s gaze made it my way, Jordan stepped in front of me. My sister gripped the edge of Cade’s shirt, but he didn’t budge. Their stare-down, brother to brother, swallowed the air and space of the room. And when Cade took one more step forward, I stepped in front of Jordan, between them, to break the tension.
“I don’t have a say in this because Lord knows, I’ve tried.” Cade’s dark-as-night brown eyes locked with Jordan’s blue ones. “I want to know you’re ready. You’ve moved on. You’re healed.”
Cade was talking about Candice, and I understood his concerns. If Jordan wasn’t over Candice, then he couldn’t fully be with me.
Jordan squeezed my hand harder and li
fted his chin to meet Cade’s gaze. “It took me a long time to get here. And time and time again, I’ve lied to myself and others, telling everyone that I was completely healed—that I was ready to move on.” He brought my hand to his lips, staring deeply into my eyes now. “But I am. Because I wouldn’t be with you if I wasn’t ready—if I wasn’t all in.” His proclamation hit me directly in the chest, and I melted into him.
When we turned to Cade, his eyes were intently focused on Jordan, studying him—debating, maybe.
Cade took a step forward, and I held my breath. I thought everyone was.
“You’d just better treat her right. But judging on your past relationship, I have no doubt you will.”
A whoosh of air rushed from everyone’s lungs, so loud and all at the same time that we all began to laugh.
“Yay! We’re now basically all related,” Angie cooed, pulling me into a hug.
“That sounded wrong,” Jordan said.
My little sister squished us together in a little bubble of love, her love, my almost-love.
Then, she began to jump up and down until the hardwood shook beneath us.
Boom!
The sharp, piercing noise shattered the celebration.
My heart jumped to my throat.
At once, the men in the room were alert, faces tight, necks taut. Then, Larry busted through the door, gun out of his holster, and we realized what had been the cause of the noise that made the house shake.
With all the jumping next to the side table, the vase that held the mini orchid had fallen off the edge and onto the hardwood floor.
We let out a laugh, this time less carefree.
“We’re all on edge,” Jordan said, his features devoid of any humor. “And I’m going to settle that sooner than later.”
Chapter 24
The next day, after the long day of filming was over, Jordan and I headed to the suburbs to have dinner with my family and the boys.
The leather seat of my BMW clung to the backs of my legs as I peeked at Jordie’s picture on the dashboard.
Jordie Stein.
The stalker had a name, a face, and a plan. A plan to be with my man. Little did she know that was never, ever going to happen.
The day before, I’d watched my boyfriend pace the room and talk to numerous people from the studio about Jordie and her little note for me. Jordan had made sure I knew what she looked like, her style of clothing, and what she drove. I cringed when Jordan showed me numerous pictures, showing her at various events.
“You need to memorize what she looks like. From every angle, even when she’s wearing a hat or a disguise. And if you ever see her, you need to run in the other direction.”
“I know.” I plucked the picture off the dashboard and flicked it to the floor. “I don’t want to look at that face anymore. Every time I do, I want to hunt her down.”
I didn’t want to think of Jordie. I wanted to think of food, of filling my belly, of laughter with Nana, and of hugs from my father. Not this shit. This was the last thing I wanted to think about.
When we stopped at a red light, Jordan bent over and picked up Jordie’s picture, shaking it in front of me. “Are you listening? This is important.”
“I know! I wish you’d stop worrying about me. I’m scared shitless for you.”
He sighed. “I told you …” He brushed a tender hand down my cheek, pinching the bottom. “… don’t worry about me; I’m a big boy.”
“And I’m a big girl,” I countered.
The light turned green, and he pressed on the gas. His lips were in a thin line, his jaw tight. “She’s dangerous, Tene. And crazy smart. I have no idea how she got through my gated community, past my security, and into my house. Who knows what she’s capable of?”
Chills ran down my spine and to the end of every one of my nerves. “Did your studio call you yet?”
“Not yet. They’ll be on this. They will locate her. The studio has people who work on this kind of stuff.”
The ringing of my phone in my purse diverted my attention. “Hello?”
“Where are you?” Angie asked. “Dinner is ready, and you’re twenty minutes late. You know Mom …” Her voice trailed off.
That was the understatement of the year. Of course, I knew my own mom.
“And, Tene, make sure when you enter the gates, no photogs are following you. They were outside the restaurant today when I went to visit Cade. I swear, they could’ve followed me home.”
“Shit, Angie. I’m sorry.”
“I know. I stayed in the car for an hour until Cade got me. They get me all nervous. I hate these people disrupting our town.”
Angie was the anxious type, so I could empathize with where she was coming from, but because crowds and attention didn’t bother me, I focused on the positive—the thriving of businesses around the Wells property due to the new attention my boyfriend was bringing to our small town.
“It’ll be over before you know it. Anyway, will be home soon. Jordan was on the phone with the studio and local law enforcement, which is why we’re late.”
“What happened?” Angie’s voice heightened, and the worry in her tone was evident. “Did you find out anything new?”
“I’ll fill you in once we get there.”
I hung up the phone, and my gaze flickered toward my boyfriend, whose steel-blue eyes were distant while he was deep in thought. We’d talked and argued and debated on what was to be done about Jordie from when I found that note in my car and into the morning after leaving Cade and Angie’s and to now. My body ached. My brain hurt. Even though our minds raced, right now … it was time for the quiet.
Warm, pale-yellow walls beckoned us in, but as I stepped into the foyer of the house I’d grown up in, I cringed, knowing my mother was just around the corner, and I wouldn’t hear the end of it because we were late.
This house. I loved this house. The couches, worn leather from all the jumping and plopping and just plain sitting. The colorful pillows against the couches that I used to drool on. The pictures of every stage in our lives hung neatly along the wall of our family room. The plasma TV mounted on the wall and Dad’s recliner, which was older than me, set in the corner of the room.
We walked down the hall and paused before we entered the dining room.
I stilled hearing my mother’s voice.
“When will filming end? All this hoopla has interrupted my grocery shopping. Did you see the traffic today? It took me an extra fifteen minutes to get downtown.”
“I know. I know. Thank God all of this won’t last forever. Once filming is over, I assume they’ll follow him to his next location,” my father added.
“It’s not that bad,” Nana chimed in.
Of course, Nana would be eating this all up.
“At least they’re not following your every move. Well, actually, they’re stalking Cade, him being the brother and all, but I’m still collateral damage,” Angie whined. “But I agree; at least it’ll be over soon.”
I exhaled a heavy sigh. Over soon? Once everyone got wind that I was Jordan’s girlfriend, it would never be over. Angie would be the Pippa Middleton of the United States. Our lives, what we did on a daily basis, would be scrutinized.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jordan said before pulling us into the room. “But it’ll be fine.” He squeezed my hand hard.
But would it?
I didn’t want to move, and if he moved here, he’d bring the mass of chaos that always followed him. This was the difference between men and women. Women thought ahead. That was just in my nature—to plan. The men of the world just worried about the now.
Why couldn’t things just be simple?
“Hey, guys!” Jordan stormed into the room, and everyone waved in greeting.
We were hugged by Nana and my father first. My mother had dinner set on the dining room table, a room we only entertained in. She hadn’t looked up when I entered and continued to straighten the already-perfect table setting.
&
nbsp; I made my way down the long mahogany table fit to sit sixteen, where Cade, Angie, and Wyatt were seated. I half-hugged each of them as I went down the line.
“Glad to see that you made it.” My mother’s voice seethed with sarcasm.
I wanted to plop on the floor, throw my arm over my eyes, and say, I give up. That was the kind of day I was having.
“At least she made it in safe and sound.” My father pulled out Nana’s seat and then dropped down next to her.
I didn’t even have the energy to think of a snappy, smart response. I took my regular seat at the table, but Jordan stood straighter, his hand resting behind my chair. I pulled at his shirt to sit, but he didn’t budge.
“I’m sorry we’re late, Mrs. Armstrong. I was tending to a stalker who has been following me around the nation, even showing up in my apartment. And now, she’s left a lovely note in your daughter’s car.” Then, he sat down as though he hadn’t just thrown a hand grenade on top of the green beans.
The gasps of my mother and Nana echoed around the room. Then, a commotion erupted, coupled with a slew of questions.
“Where? When did this happen?” my father piped in.
I could kill the BF at that moment. Talk about inappropriate dinner subject.
“Are you okay?” Nana asked, her aged eyes round with worry.
Great. Now, he was going to give my eighty-five-year-old grandma a heart attack.
“Where is the stalker now?” My mother’s hand was pressed to her throat. She dropped in her seat as though she couldn’t hold her own body up.
Was that genuine concern in her tone?
“Everything is under control,” Jordan said above the ruckus. “I have the studio tracking down this woman’s whereabouts.”
Cade added, “And I’ve beefed up security at the restaurant.”
Cade’s eyes were laser-trained on Jordan. Guess I had someone else on the strangle-Jordan team.
“Tene’s place is secure, and building security knows about the situation.”
Cade gripped my sister’s hand fiercely above the table, and when their eyes met, his smile was tight with worry.
