Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tonight was the first night in five years Steven had asked me to stay with him.
I was too tired to process what was happening between us at the time, but the incessant ringing of his cell phone had me wishing for my bed.
Since coming to terms with my attack, the nightmares had completely stopped. And I was grateful.
“Steven.” I nudged him when he didn’t move. “Your phone is ringing.”
I partially rose on my elbows as he fumbled to answer the phone. Normally, he was a light sleeper. The sex off and on all night took its toll. My hand was like a magnet automatically reaching out for him, but he abruptly sat up, surprised.
“Well, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Steven spoke cheerily.
He was definitely pouring on the fakeness for whoever was on the other end. I rolled over to my back, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for him to get off the phone.
“Oh, really?” he said. “Please, do tell. I can’t wait to hear this.”
I heard the smile in his voice. I focused more on his conversation because I wanted to know who or what was so amusing to him.
Again, my hand reached out for the smooth, hard muscles in his back.
My nails traveled up one side, then down the other, putting me in a lull.
A grunt sounded, causing me to pause my actions.
“I understand,” he voiced. “Men like us are always targets.”
There was silence on Steven’s end as he listened to what the other person said. “Be that as it may, you came to me, St. Clair.”
St. Clair? That name was familiar to me.
“Now, what do I get out of the deal?” His deep laughter shook me from my thoughts. I knew that name but couldn’t remember from where. “Well, this must be serious if you’re willing to give me stock in your company.”
Then it dawned on me. This was the St. Clair he had a meeting with a few days ago.
I’d never been so invested in negotiations as when the two of them went back and forth.
For St. Clair to offer Steven a piece of his company when it was clear they didn’t like one another had me once again straining to hear the conversation.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Steven ended the call, placing his phone back on the side table.
“Was that Tony St. Clair?” I asked. “The man you had a meeting with a few days ago.”
He nodded, then picked up his phone again, dialing a number. “Conrad.”
“What are you calling him for?” I asked but was shushed, definitely not a smart thing to do. I pushed myself up from the bed, gathering my leggings and shirt from the floor.
“I need you to look into something. There is an article going around on social media about Tony St. Clair and a woman claiming to have a baby with him. I want you to look into it. Find out who leaked it.”
I froze with my leg halfway through my leggings at the request. We weren’t investigators. We were glorified bodyguards. What the fuck was Steven up to? And it was my team. Shouldn’t I have a say in what happens with them?
“I know you’re not a fucking detective, but you still work for me, and this is your assignment.” Nothing more was said because Steven hung up. His teeth were clenched when he turned his stormy gaze on me. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“I’m leaving,” I said indignantly. “You don’t get to fuck me, then shush me, Steven.”
He stalked to where I stood, stopping inches from me. I hated I was having to look up at him. I tried to push him so he would be out of my space, but he barely budged.
“Tisha, you’re overreacting.” He stepped back out of my space. The calmness he was showing at this moment was pissing me off.
“That’s my team, Steven.” He was right, I was overreacting. My issue wasn’t that he told me to be quiet or that my team was a man down. It was that he didn’t want to tell me what was going on.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at me, frustration etched on his brow.
“It is your team, but they are under my employment. I’ll use them where I see fit.
” There was no haughtiness in his voice.
It was a matter-of-fact statement, one I knew was true.
“I think Conrad is good for the job. He has a background in surveillance and has connections. That’s why I asked him to look into it. ”
He knew without me having to say a word what I wanted to hear. And this was why I was madly in love with him.
“You’re not sending him into anything dangerous, are you?”
He pulled me against his chest and kissed the top of my head. “Of course not. I know how you feel about them.” He chuckled. “To be fair, he’s probably in more danger when he’s with me. Same for all of you.”
I nodded. How many times had someone been aiming for him?
How many times had we rushed him away from a venue because of a threat?
Not to mention the things he and Josh got into that I wasn’t privy to.
Someone was still gunning for him, that was how we lost Donavon, but I had no doubt whoever it was would slip up.
“I know,” I said, my words smothered into his chest.
“Now, come back to bed. We have a busy weekend.”
STEVEN
“Smith,” I answered my cell phone. Spending the weekend with Tisha had been exhausting, but it was well worth it to see her smile when she left my house this morning. I could get used to it. Her being here again tonight was confirmation I was doing just that.
“It’s Aaden Conrad. I’m sending you an email of the information you asked for with pictures and a signed confession from the woman.”
“Damn, that was fast. Send it,” I ordered, then hung up.
An email notification came through on my computer and my cell. I opened it. There were around ten pictures and a confession from the woman, like Conrad said. I forwarded all information to St. Clair and explained the pictures attached.
This is the ex. And he’s also the one who called the reporter about the kid. He paid the woman when the reporter went to follow up. FYI: There is no kid. The woman admitted it to my contact, she doesn’t even know you personally, only from the media coverage.
I shook my head as I sent the email. The bullshit we went through because of money.
I made my way back to Tisha, snuggling under the covers beside her.
What St. Clair was going through struck me.
Although Tisha could take care of herself, I was sure I’d go on a rampage if someone took her away from me.
My cell phone rang as I lay there thinking about what all of this was leading to.
“Tony. Surprised to hear from you.”
“Tell me everything you have on this guy, Steve. No bullshit,” he growled, panic in his voice.
“Who is that?” Tisha asked sleepily.
I sat, grabbing my clothes from the floor. “I’ll be right back.” I muffled the phone so St. Clair couldn’t hear.
“Give me a minute to get to my study.”
I leaned over and kissed Tisha on the forehead, then made my way out of the room and down the stairs to my study.
I sat down behind my desk, placed the phone down on speaker, then opened the file Conrad sent me.
“Okay, let me see. Mark Garrison comes from a well-to-do family in Charlotte, not mine or your status, of course, but he has money. He attaches himself to women, then drops them like nothing.” I flipped the page. “Longest relationship he’s ever had was with your personal assistant.”
“The picture you emailed me, is that man still around? Is your guy still tailing him?”
Aaden should have been on his way back here, but I texted him anyway to make sure.
“IS HE STILL TAILING HIM?”
I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. Fuck Tony St. Clair. He could end up on the end of my blade like everyone else. However, I held my tongue because of the panic behind that false bravado.
“I just texted him. He’s on him.” I paused when I read the next part. “He has your girl, too. But St. Clair, I’m not letting my man get caught up in your mess. He’ll stay on him until you get there. That’s it.”
Whoever or whatever this guy was up to, I didn’t want any connection to. I had enough to deal with.
“Tell him to watch for my black SUV. I’ll need his information.”
“He’ll be in a blacked-out truck,” I said. “I’ll text you his location.”
I hung up the phone, then instructed Aaden to get his ass out of there and to text me when he was in the air as soon as St. Clair showed up.
No questions asked. No heroics. Tisha would never forgive me if something happened to him.
So, I would make sure her team stayed intact no matter what it took.