25. Graham
GRAHAM
NOW
A voice jerks me awake. I blink and look around to get my bearings before remembering where I am.
The car I’m riding in travels at a high speed on the interstate as San Antonio passes in a blur, aside from the fixed cluster of high-rise buildings downtown.
I must’ve fallen asleep as soon as we left the airport.
“Mr. Kingston,” the driver says. “Sorry to wake you, sir, but we’ll be arriving at the hotel soon.”
As he takes the next exit, I dig through my backpack and find the makeup palette either Tatum or Maisy left at my house years ago. Maisy never has to know I’m using expired eyeshadow to enhance the dark circles beneath my eyes.
When I swung by my house earlier, I threw on a wrinkled button-down and grabbed a necktie. The right costume makes a big difference, and I have an important role to play: heartbroken ex. Art is truly imitating life, in my case.
The scene near San Antonio’s River Walk district can only be described as chaos.
Local law enforcement attempts to control the fans wielding posters and signs with Makenzie’s name on them.
My driver navigates the car through the crowd, bypassing the parking garage, and stops outside the hotel’s main entrance.
“Are you kidding me?” I whisper, arranging the tie loosely around my neck so it looks as disheveled as my hair. No one mentioned I’d have to fight my way inside.
A swell of cheers rolls through the crowd when hired muscle in a black suit opens my door.
It’s showtime. When I exit the car, I duck my head, trying to dodge the painful cacophony of fans crying and screaming my name.
They believe they’re witnessing a romantic, Hollywood fairy tale in real time.
Little do they know, I’m the red herring in an elaborate game of sleight of hand, one designed to get Tatum back to Walford undetected.
Aside from grabby hands brushing my clothes, the two-person security detail escorts me through the human funnel and into the hotel without any incidents.
The guy who opened the car door sticks with me until I’m stepping off the elevator and standing outside a corner suite. He even hands me the room key.
With a deep breath, I swipe the card and push into the room, spreading my arms wide. “Your hero has arrived! Pardon the delay, I had trouble parking my trusty steed.”
My eyes find Tatum first, and I can’t stomach the forlorn look on her face.
I pull her into my arms and give her a peck on the neck before whispering in her ear.
“I expect a full report of last night’s activities, minus the great sex.
” She’s half-smiling when I lean back and point to my face. “Don’t mess up my makeup.”
The scowling man standing by the window catches my notice next. He has short, wavy dark hair, green eyes, and cowboy boots that have seen better days. He’s also the grouchiest dude I’ve ever met.
I give him a curt nod. “Jake.”
“What is this?” he asks in his rough, raspy voice. “And how does everyone have a key to our room?”
I shrug as he glares at the evidence in my hand.
Marcus answers from his command center at the dining table. “A distraction. The media loves a good story. Heartbroken ex shows up to win the girl.”
“How does that help us?” Jake turns his glare on him, but Marcus hasn’t looked up from his phone.
“We divert their attention. They saw him walk into the hotel, looking like he hasn’t slept all night, so they’ll wait with bated breath to see if he emerges alone or with his prize on his arm. Meanwhile, you sneak out the back.”
“A red herring,” Jake mutters to no one in particular.
“Exactly.” Done with that conversation, Marcus returns to his problem solving.
I join him and Judge near the table while Jake drops onto the sofa, looking more remorseful and disheartened by the second as he scrolls through his phone.
I can only imagine what’s being said about him online.
Even a minute of fame isn’t for the faint-hearted.
And from what Tatum has told me, Jake has a sensitive heart beneath the grumpy armor. Sort of like Miguel.
Tatum crawls into Jake’s lap, and they have a hushed conversation. Hours ago, Miguel was in my lap. I waited over a year for that orgasm and didn’t get to stick around for his brand of aftercare. Blueberry muffin would’ve looked so good on me.
The sacrifices I make for my friends.
I shift my focus to Marcus, Judge, and the task at hand. With Tatum’s career on hold, the cousins have been working freelance security gigs to stay busy.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
Marcus runs a palm across the top of his bald head. “Tatum will leave in the same car as you. We’ll make the switch at the airport. She’ll ride with us to Walford, and your driver will take you to Austin. It’s not a long drive, a little over an hour.”
“Guess I’ll be taking another nap,” I mutter. “What about Jake?”
“Not my fucking problem.”
Damn.
I peek at Judge to see if he shares Marcus’s sentiments. He’s nonspeaking, but I’ve learned to read his facial expressions and body language in the five years I’ve known him. Right now, he’s staring at Jake like he wants to toss him out the window and see if he can fly home.
The couple making out on the sofa doesn’t stop to breathe until Judge joins them, breaking up their little love session. With a straight face, he drags a finger across his neck, and Jake’s eyes go wide. I laugh. Judge looks like a tough guy, but he’s a teddy bear with a giant soft spot for Tatum.
“Judge, leave him alone,” she says, smiling at his false threats.
A yawn comes from my left. It’s been a few months since Marcus has bopped around in different time zones.
“When did you get here?” I ask.
“Late last night. Tatum wouldn’t answer her phone, and I spent an hour persuading the manager to give me the room key.”
“Did you put him in a headlock?”
“Her. And no, I had to use another weapon in my arsenal.” He glances at Judge, but before I can ask for all the juicy details, he announces, “We’re rolling out in fifteen.”
Everyone moves. Marcus and Judge exit the suite first to make sure the coast is clear, while Tatum and I say our quick goodbyes to Jake. She blows him a kiss, and I toss him a friendly wink.
The resigned expression on his face is the last thing I see before the door closes behind me. Our group remains quiet, keeping our heads down until we reach the service elevator. Once inside, Tatum and I stand at the back while Marcus and Judge form a barrier between us and the doors.
Aware of the camera in the top corner, she grabs my hand and looks at the floor. “I’m really sorry. No one told me they were calling you.”
“This is what we do, but you’re supposed to be staying out of trouble and out of sight.” Leaning down, I whisper, “Was it worth it?”
“If things don’t work out with Jake this time, at least I’ll have last night. I’ve waited ten years to feel that happy again.”
With an arm over her shoulders, I tug her against my side. “You and Jake will be fine. The fates may give us obstacles to overcome, but they don’t mess around when assigning soulmates.”
She offers me a shaky smile. “We’ll see.”
We reach the employee area of the parking garage, and Judge rushes ahead to open the car door for Tatum. After Marcus reminds us of the plan, and Tatum and I are tucked inside the vehicle I arrived in, we set off.
She groans, slouching in her seat. “Thank the gods we don’t have to walk through the crowd.”
“I took care of that part. All you have to do is give the performance of a lifetime through the window.”
Sitting up, she wraps her arms around my neck as the car breaches the throng of her fans. “I owe you one.”
“You gave me four years with my prince. Playing yours one last time is the least I can do.”
As I hold her in a tight embrace, I think of the years we spent presenting ourselves as a couple and how we both reaped the benefits.
It wasn’t a tit-for-tat arrangement. From the start, we’ve given each other undying support along with unwavering loyalty.
If one of us had a need, the other stepped up and fulfilled it.
There was only one time she outright asked me for a favor, and it nearly cost me Miguel.