Chapter 5
Serayah
“Girl, what are you mad about?” Tasha asked as she filed her nails. “You got dicked down in a club by a literal King ding-a-ling who saved your life once already. Now he’s your bodyguard and you’re mad?”
Tasha had no filter whatsoever, but that’s what I loved about her. “Tash, that’s not the point. This whole bodyguard thing is a terrible idea. What are the fucking odds that he would be my bodyguard? What if our one-night stand gets him in trouble at work? Or it gets serious?”
Tasha laughed. “Sounds like fate stepping in to me but think what you want. Heartline is the best security around. I’ve heard great things from my cousin. Trust the process, girl. You can’t be havin’ some psycho messing with you.”
I pulled my hair into a ponytail and said, “Yeah, okay. I’ll trust the process. Listen, I’m going out for a run. I hate running.”
“Then why are you doin’ it?”
I shrugged. “Because…exercise.”
She laughed her loud Tasha laugh and said, “Babe, the only place I’m running to is the bathroom. Besides, I can think of a much better exercise for you, and it involves a muscle man.”
“Tasha! I’m done. I’m out. Lock up when you leave.”
***
When I came out of the elevator to the lobby, Mack was standing there. “Ms. Flores,” he greeted with a nod of his head.
I showed him a quick, pleasant grin and kept walking toward the front door.
When I walked outside, the cool air hit me, and I took a deep breath.
It was late January and the air was crisp, but not cold enough that I couldn’t go for a run.
There wasn’t any snow or ice on the ground either, so it was a perfect day to clear my head and jog it out.
Looking down at my watch, I set the timer and picked my playlist. I loved running to Lysander.
The piano was peaceful and kept me focused, almost in a trance-like state.
I took off running and was thinking about everything that had happened since my book signing.
The crazy guy at the end of the book signing.
Getting attacked that night in the club.
Returning home to find those photos of me.
It was all a bit much, and I didn’t know who was doing it.
Was the guy who attacked me the same one from my signing?
Was that possible? I wish I could’ve seen his face that night in the parking lot, but everything happened so fast. Either way, I felt like a fool for not thinking of it sooner and made a mental note to tell King about it when I got back.
I slowed down and finally stopped to catch my breath a bit.
How far I’d ran, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t familiar with the neighborhood and needed to start making my way back.
To cool down, I started walking, and that’s when I realized there was a slow-moving black car behind me.
My heart rate ratcheted up, worried that it was whoever sent me those pictures.
What if it was the guy who attacked me in the parking lot?
I looked over my shoulder and started walking faster.
The car moved faster with me. Finally, I started running, and that’s when I ran into what felt like a brick wall.
Someone put their arms around me, so I closed my eyes, screamed, and punched their chest.
“Ms. Flores! Stop, it’s me, King!”
Finally, I calmed down and said, “Fuck!!! Someone is following me in that black car,” pointing to the car parked a short distance away.
“It’s…I’m sorry. That’s Mack. He was just following closely to make sure nothing happened to you.”
I was angry. “Where the fuck did you come from? And I thought he was in the lobby.”
King took a step back and said, “Chase took his spot in the lobby to give Mack’s feet a break.
They rotate every hour. When you stopped to take a breather, I got out of the car and stood over there.
” He pointed to the tree not far from us.
“I just wanted a different angle since Mack was in the car.”
I let out a breath and shook my head. “I just wanted to go for a run without freaking out. Are you guys seriously going to follow me and every move I make?” I did hire them for that, but it was jarring to see it in play.
King stood there with his hands together in front of him. “It’s our job, Ms. Flores. It would be helpful if we talked about your schedule for the day or week so neither of us is caught off guard.”
I absolutely hated that he was calling me Ms. Flores. “Well, speaking of the schedule, there’s a Valentine’s Ball that I’ve regretfully already committed to at The Gilded Hart Hotel tonight. They asked if I’d be a local celebrity in attendance.”
“No problem. We’ll be nearby to make sure nothing happens to you.” King was stone-faced.
“Mr. Security guy, I need a date, and I’d like you to go with me.”
“Ms. Flores, I don’t think…”
I cut him off. “No. You can’t decline. I think it might help keep stalkers away if they think I have a big, muscled up boyfriend, and you’re going to be following me anyway.
I’ve never had a security detail before, and I don’t want to answer questions about it.
So, you just need to be my date.” I let out a grumble.
“Besides, you’re already in this suit getup, and it’ll work great. ”
King gestured toward the car. “It’s cold. Please get in the car, and we’ll take you back to your apartment.”
Shaking my head, I insisted, “Not before you agree to be my date.” His face softened and his furrowed brow relaxed just a bit. I could tell he didn’t want to argue with me. He probably felt sorry for me.
“Fine. I’ll escort you to the Valentine’s Ball. Now, will you please get in the car?” He really was cute, even when he was trying to be tough.
“My pleasure,” I said as scooted into the back seat.
King rolled his eyes and got in the front seat. As Mack pulled up to my apartment, King said, “Mack, you can park it here while I escort Ms. Flores to her place.”
Mack replied, “You got it. I’ll do a few laps around the perimeter once you guys are out and in the lobby.”
King said, “Thanks, Mack,” before getting out and opening the door for me.
As we made our way into the lobby, I stopped and turned to King, grabbed his arm and said, “Listen, I was thinking about it, and I thought you should know that shortly before the incident at Velvet Arrow, a deranged guy got loud and angry with me at a book signing of mine in New York. He said he was my biggest fan. He had to be restrained and escorted out of the convention center by security staff.”
King’s brow furrowed again. “What did he look like?”
“He was a middle-aged white guy with spikey, brown hair and dressed all in black. Other than that, I don’t know anything about him.”
“Could he be the same guy as the one who attacked you at Velvet Arrow?”
“The guy at Velvet Arrow was wearing a mask and his hood was up, covering his hair, so I don’t know. But…he did say something that alarmed me. He called me sweet thing, a line from one of the fictional stalkers in my books.”
King made the rest of the connection. “Then the stalker who entered your apartment used the term, sweet thing, in their note to you.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “Exactly. I think all three people are the same guy.”
King touched his ear microphone thing and said, “All units, this is Kilo-1. Rendezvous in the lobby.”
Chase came around the corner and said, “What’s up?”
King replied, “Let’s wait until Mack gets here.” Thirty seconds later, Mack walked through the front doors and asked the same thing.
King said, “Listen, I want you to be on the lookout for a middle-aged white male with spikey, brown hair. He may have a bruise on his face or a busted lip. Right now, he’s a potential suspect.”
Mack and Chase wrote the description down in their notebooks. Mack asked, “Got it, anything else?”
“Not right now. Just keep your eyes peeled.”
Chase said, “Ten-four” and went back to his post as Mack headed back out to the car.
King looked back at me and said, “Let’s get you safely upstairs.”
I smiled nervously and let him lead the way. I didn’t know exactly how long the whole security arrangement was going to last, but for the first time, I did feel a little safer.