Chapter 20 Liev #2
I pivot just in time to see a man lunge from the edge of the crowd. His fist clips Sera’s cheekbone and catches her nose.
Something inside me snaps.
For a split second, all I see is red, pure, blinding rage. I hear the crowd gasp, then explode into noise as hands grab at the man, voices shouting.
“She didn’t touch you!”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Not cool, man!”
He wrenches free and bolts, disappearing into the night.
I take one step after him.
Sera is suddenly in front of me, both hands flat against my chest, stopping me.
“Shut the door,” she snaps. “Let’s go. We need to get the principal to the hotel.”
Her eyes are watering, blood tracing a thin line from her nose, but the fire in her gaze is unmistakable. My hand lifts instinctively, already reaching for her.
She catches the movement. “I’m fine,” she hisses. “And we’re working.”
I clamp my jaw shut, and make myself nod, because that’s what she wants me to do. I slam the door and circle the hood as the crowd disperses, the sudden violence seeming to shock them. Meanwhile, I’m trying not to think about the tremor in Sera’s hands when she pushed me.
Inside, Sera presses two fingers gingerly to her nose. She winces, then exhales a heavy sigh.
“Should we call the police?” Dani’s voice is tight with worry.
“No.” Sera shakes her head. “The manager already did. If they need to talk to me, they’ll find me. Our priority is getting you safely back to the hotel.”
Marco leans forward. “Are you okay? That guy came out of nowhere.”
Sera chuckles, but it sounds forced. “It’s not the first punch I’ve taken.” She shrugs. “Some ice and I’ll be fine.”
Dani exhales shakily. “Damn. I think you’re my hero. Thanks for keeping us safe. Both of you.”
Marco nods. “Yeah. Seriously.”
Keke is already back on her phone. “I guess dancing’s out for the night.”
My eyes flick to the mirror, and I see Dani and Marco exchange looks, but no one speaks.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Dancing’s out.”
I keep my gaze fixed on the road, hands locked tight on the wheel, fury wound so taut beneath my ribs it’s a miracle I’m still functional.
I want to ask Sera how she’s feeling, whether her head hurts, whether she might have a concussion. Regardless of what she said, that was a hard punch. However, the rigidness of her posture tells me exactly how unwelcome my concern would be right now.
By the time we get everyone tucked into their respective rooms, my temper is hanging on by a single, frayed thread.
“Protocol says we need to call this in,” Sera says briskly as she boots up her laptop. “Given the number of phones out there, her PR team needs to be aware. Especially if anything surfaces online.”
I grit my teeth against the words crowding my mouth. I don’t give a fuck about protocol or Keke’s image. I care about the swelling already blooming across Sera’s cheekbone.
“We can set up the call on my computer—”
“I’m getting ice.” I cut her off and turn away before I say something I can’t take back.
I don’t know how long I stand in front of the ice machine in the hall, breathing slow and deliberate while I wrestle my instincts back into their cage.
She’s trained. She’s capable. She did her job.
I repeat it like a mantra until the pressure eases enough that I don’t feel like ripping the hotel apart with my bare hands.
When I return, she’s already on the video call.
One look at the tight line of her mouth tells me she’s pissed.
At me.
I wrap the ice in a washcloth and hand it to her without a word. She takes it, pressing it to her nose, eyes never leaving the screen.
“Do you think you need additional personnel?” Vincent asks.
“No,” Sera answers immediately. “This was a small group. Only one individual was confrontational.”
“The Dallas events are inside the hotel,” Brady adds. “That mitigates a lot of exposure, and Vegas should have plenty of security already there. We might want to reconsider for LA.”
“Right.”
Brady studies her through the screen. “You’re okay though? No dizziness? Nausea?”
“Please,” she scoffs. “Finn hits harder than that. I’m just annoyed I didn’t duck.”
My jaw tightens, but I stay silent.
A few minutes later, the call wraps with plans to monitor social media and reassess if needed. Sera closes the laptop and heads toward the bathroom.
I hear her voice a few minutes later through the door, clipped and incredulous. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a bloody nose… stop… I’m serious.” A pause. “She already posted it?” Another beat. “You’re kidding. What did she say?”
She comes back out shaking her head, pressing her palm briefly to her forehead.
“Apparently Keke went live thirty minutes ago, on social media,” she says dryly. “Hannah saw it, and according to Hannah, Keke is self-righteously claiming that she ‘won’t be cowed by anyone’ and ‘answers to no one.’”
I snort. “That woman is a nightmare.”
Sera’s lips twitch despite herself for a second before she sobers. “I should’ve seen it sooner.”
“Nothing you could’ve done. Besides, you took that hit and kept moving. Didn’t even hesitate.” And I hated that it happened.
She raises a brow at me. “Want me to give you tips?”
“Nah. I’ll just rely on my murder-face to scare people.”
She chuckles, and it helps lessen the pressure threatening to crush me.
“It was strange,” she says, thoughtful now. “Everyone else had backed off, and then suddenly he grabbed me around the waist like he was trying to pull me away.” Her brows knit. “Like he was watching to see how I’d react. Then he yelled that I hit him and swung.”
I feel the familiar, dangerous heat stir again, but I keep my voice steady. “You think he wanted an excuse?”
“Or an audience,” she says. “He must have thought I was the easier target.” She shrugs lightly.
“Lucky for him, the crowd stepped in.”
“Lucky?”
“Yeah,” I say mildly. “Gave him a head start before you kicked his ass.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she smirks, putting the ice on her face again. “Thanks for the ice.”
She glances at the clock and winces. “We should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be another long day.” She moves to her bed. “And Liev?”
“Yeah?”
“Next time you bolt like the world’s ending because I got hurt, we’re going to have a problem. Whatever else is going on between us, we’re on this job as equals. Can you handle that?”
I hold her gaze without blinking. “Not a problem.”
“Good.”
I watch her pull back her sheets and climb under before I speak.
“Just because I know you can handle yourself, doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry.” I flick off the overhead light and tuck my arm under my head, listening to her angrily mutter in her pillow.
In the dark, I know that’s the line we’re going to keep tripping over—her need to stand alone, and my need to stand between her and anything that might hurt her.