You're Not Broken (31 page)

              “I’m going to that audition,” I said firmly. “No matter what.”

              Rowan stared down at me, his face a mixture of exasperation and worry. Finally he threw up his hands. “Well, you’re not going alone, that’s for damn sure,” he muttered.

              I grinned. “Thank you!” I cried as I flung my arms around him.

Chapter Eighteen
Rowan

              I shifted uncomfortably as I watched the expensively dressed woman laugh and hug each other throughout the wide garden terrace.

              The Light Feet Charity Luncheon was mostly comprised of all women. They were very richly dressed and had that air of exclusivity that only people of money really had.

              Everything was very delicate. The woman were delicate. The china plates were delicate. The crystal cut glasses were delicate. The flower decorations were delicate. It made me feel like an elephant in a china shop.

              I stood guard by a side door, blending in with the regular security, and watched Jessa from a distance. Dressed in a light pink and white dress, she looked like the epitome of spring. Her hair was pulled back, highlighting her rosy cheekbones and her long slender neck.

              I thought of last night and how we spent another night rolling in each other’s arms. Just as Jessa was an honest and open girl, she was an honest and open lover.

              She moaned with abandon when pleasured. She freely gave all of herself to me. She scratched at me as she came. It was like sleeping with passion itself.

              Having acquainted ourselves with each other’s bodies the night before, last night we were able to explore deeper, push further. My body flexed instinctively as I thought about how my fingers had plunged into her silky hair, jerking her head up roughly as I took her from behind.

              Her ass, soft and shapely, felt as if it had been molded just for me. I had pulled her head back as I thrust my cock again and again into her tight warmth. My cock twitched every time I heard Jessa’s throaty moan. I had never been so turned on before. It was like I couldn’t get enough of the woman. I wanted to kiss, lick, pinch, bite every inch of her even though I knew it would never be enough to sate my hunger for her.

              Jessa’s musical laugh echoed across the terrace as she spoke to some women. I watched her move through the crowd, a light around her. She outshone any woman not simply by her beauty but by her genuine nature. There was just something about her that made you stop and stare.

              And of course, it was this nature that was getting her in trouble. It was this nature that had drawn in this demented stalker.

              I really did not want Jessa on that plane to New York. With what happened to her house, I wanted to keep her close to the people who could best protect her. I would lay myself down for her but who knew if that would be enough? I wanted her to have more security.

              But watching her as she took the call from David Francetti, my heart had melted seeing the pure joy and triumph glow across her face. She had earned her reward. She had persevered against her obstacles, against all the naysayers, and had proven them wrong. How could I extinguish all that?

              I had no choice but to make sure that she didn’t fly alone. If nothing else, I was going to be with her at all times.

              “And how do you think you’ll give your guards the slip?” I asked, doubtful that any kind of plan would work.

              Jessa furrowed her brows as she thought. “Well, I’ll need to meet with Agent Todd after the luncheon. Why don’t you go on ahead in a separate car? You can go on ahead to the airfield in Burbank. I’ll make a call tomorrow morning and they should have a plane waiting for us.”

              “And what are you going to say when Agent Todd or Harrison asks where your bodyguard is?”

              “I’ll tell them that he’s gone on ahead to do a security sweep of the hotel to make sure it’s safe,” she said confidently. I was impressed with her quick answer.

              “And then what about you? How will you get to the airfield? Your driver won’t just suddenly up and decide to take you to the airfield. He knows he’d get in trouble for that.”

              The crease in Jessa’s brow deepened before she suddenly broke out into a grin. “
You’ll
call him,” she said brightly as the idea grew in her head. “The driver and my security team look to you for orders anyway. You’ll call him and tell him you need me at the airfield. He wouldn’t question that. He’d take me there.”

              I had to admit, it was a pretty clever plan. And by the time she called, we would be halfway to New York already.

              “And,” Jessa argued, “I plan on coming back that evening anyway. I wouldn’t even spend a whole day there. So really, the agents should have nothing to complain about.”

              I would highly disagree with that but I could tell there was no talking her out of this. And I wouldn’t let her throw herself into possibly foolhardy danger by herself. So it looked like we would be heading to New York tonight.

              I jerked as my phone buzzed against my thigh. I picked it up.

              “Hello?” I answered.

              “Steel,” Raze’s gravel voice greeted. “Tonight. At the club by 8 PM.”

             
Oh come on. Was the universe fucking with me?

              “Raze, I’m not doing this,” I said firmly. I hadn’t yet thought of a way out with Raze. I had hoped that he wouldn’t call for a while yet but clearly that hope had been in vain. “I’m—”

              “Steel,” Raze cut in, his voice as sharp as a blade and clearly worn thin with impatience. “I want you to take a good look at your woman. Looks pretty in that pink dress, don’t she? That’s her second glass of champagne. She better watch herself. Liable to get drunk in such a fancy gathering.”

              I whipped around, trying to find the best vantage points for a sniper. There were too many. With all the buildings in LA, there were too many good spots to hide with a steady scope and rifle. My blood ran cold as I gripped my phone tighter.

              “She’s been chatting with that woman for awhile now, hasn’t she? They friends?” Raze continued. I watched Jessa laugh and chat with a tall blonde woman. “Do you think the blonde is friendly enough to take a bullet for your woman? Or maybe she’ll just end up an innocent bystander in the terrible shooting?”

              “Raze,” I gritted out in warning, sure the veins of my neck would pop. He had a fucking sniper trained on Jessa right now and I was stuck in the middle of a garden party able to do nothing but listen to him taunt me.

              “You get your ass to the club tonight by 8 or you’ll watch me blow that sweet piece of ass right in front of you,” Raze said calmly.

              I ground my teeth, realizing I had no choice. “At the club. 8 PM,” I spat out.

              “Good,” he said before hanging up.

              According to Jessa’s plan, I wasn’t to call the driver until 9 PM. That was the earliest the airfield could accommodate Jessa on such short notice. It would be a damn near impossible mission to get to Low Pointe by 8 and figure out a plan to get Jessa and me safely out of their clutches and then get to the airfield by 9.

              I watched Jessa take her seat at the dais where the speakers sat. She smiled as the head of the organization called the lunch to order.

              There was no choice. I would have to take a gamble and see if I could try and pull Jessa out of Raze’s hands. I couldn’t let him hurt the woman I love.

And just like that, my heart sang the words loud and true. I loved her. And I had to protect her.

I just hoped I wouldn’t have to hurt any Black Wings riders to do so.

              Member or no, they had been my brothers once. And I didn’t want to kill a brother.

Chapter Nineteen
Jessa

              “Miss Blair?” The hangar attendant gently tapped my shoulder. “Our flight plan only allows for another ten minute hold. Otherwise, we need to get in the air.”

              I nodded.

              The hangar attendant stood for an awkward minute before heading back towards the waiting plane.

              I stood by the open hangar doors, looking out for a black SUV. Or anything really. Anything that meant that Rowan was on his way.

              I wrapped my arms around myself as a cool night breeze swept through the hangar. The empty airfield had no hints of any approaching vehicles. I knew the longer I waited the more I risked the chance of getting caught by the FBI. Who knew how long my driver would keep his silence.

              Where was Rowan?

              I had seen him at the luncheon. We had exchanged silent looks throughout most of the lunch. Every time I looked over to the side door, I saw his smoldering gray gaze fixed on me. I had a hard time focusing on whatever the person in front of me was saying afterwards.

              I was happy. This was the first time in a long time where I found myself with a person who allowed me to feel so naturally myself. Actually, it was probably the first time I had
ever
been with someone who allowed me to feel this way. No part of me was for show and I could be just as real and naked with him as I could with myself.

              But then the luncheon started. The speakers all gave moving speeches about the effects of the charity within the harder cities. One speaker gave a particularly emotional speech about how a young girl whose mother had been living on welfare and food stamps had won a ballet scholarship to college thanks to Light Feet Charity.

              Then it was my turn to speak. And the day kept whirling around me, hours slipping by faster than I could blink. And before I knew it, I was shaking goodbye with all the wonderful ladies of the lunch. Beverley Kyle, CEO of Light Feet, hugged me and asked me to come back again.

              “There’s nothing like having Jessa Blair endorse a charity,” she said smiling knowingly. “Before the luncheon was even finalized, we had more donations come in than ever before just so that women could have the opportunity to spend an afternoon with you.”

              I blushed a little at the compliment and promised to return any time they wanted me.

              And then an agent was escorting me to Agent Todd where he was situated in a back room that looked like an extra pantry. He had a laptop out that had cameras pointing onto my house.

              “So far, no new activity,” he said. “We don’t think the perp will try to come back to the house any more actually. He probably—Wait, where’s Matthews?”

              I shrugged as if dismissing his concerns. “Rowan went on ahead to sweep the hotel. I felt a little itchy with everything that’s happened,” I did my best to give a slightly scared and wounded look, “so I asked him to double check everything for me.”

              Agent Todd nodded understandingly. “Of course,” he said. “And that’s not a bad idea. With the high alert surrounding you, extra precaution is always a good safety measure.”

              Agent Todd continued his rundown over the developments of my house and the repair work being done. He again stressed to me the constant communication I needed to be in with the team for my safety. And with a very firm gaze, he added, “Again, we have to ask you refrain from going anywhere too far from us. So please, don’t accept any interviews or engagements out of town or especially out of state.”

              I nodded and lied through my teeth as I promised I wouldn’t.

              An audition wasn’t exactly an interview. Nor an engagement. It was an audition.

              I knew it was splitting hairs in the worst way possible but I couldn’t help it. This was something that was a once in a lifetime chance for me. Everyone saw me as the cute and ditzy girl who always fell for the boy. If I wanted a career in twenty years, especially a career I could be proud of, I needed this audition.

              And once I had gotten back to the hotel, I had carefully changed into an outfit that I thought would best suit the audition—a casual heather gray t shirt and a pair of soft denim jeans. I wanted to look like a girl who was on the road traveling. But wanting to be extra prepared, I packed a small suitcase of alternative outfits just in case I changed my mind on the way over.

              And then I waited. That was the hardest part. I wanted to jump right up and run to the airfield but I knew our flight wouldn’t be ready for a while yet. I needed to wait for Rowan’s call.

              But it never came.

              I sat and waited, sure that he would soon call, apologizing for the delay but it never came. I checked my watch constantly then checked my phone to make sure my watch wasn’t off.

              It’s funny. A few weeks ago, if someone had described this exact scenario to me, I would’ve thought I’d be fuming by now. I’d be angry and upset and hurt that Rowan was taking so lightly something that was so important to me.

              But I didn’t fume. I wasn’t angry. Yes, there was still a lot to learn of each other but I knew enough of Rowan to know that he wasn’t the kind of man who took things lightly. He was thoughtful. He was careful. And he was observant. Scarily observant. So he knew how much this audition meant to me.

              I couldn’t believe that he would just blow me off.

              But looking at my watch, I realized I couldn’t wait any longer. I called my driver and had him pick me up at the back of the hotel. It had been quite a job getting away from my security team but I convincingly explained the FBI had called me for a private meeting and I needed to get going. I wasn’t a top actress for nothing.

              As for the driver, a good old fashion bribe went a long way. I paid him a few hundred bucks to take me to the airfield and to keep his mouth shut. He had taken the money immediately and nodded, swearing his silence.

              But a man that could be bribed was a man that couldn’t be trusted. I knew it’d only be a matter of time before the driver talked. But even knowing I had a driver on the loose and a plane about to take off, I had parked myself in the hangar, determined to wait for Rowan.

              I didn’t want to take off without him. Not only did I truly feel safer with him but I also felt good with him. I wanted to share moments with him. And this was a big moment for me. For so long, I had been doing things on my own without anyone for companionship or support. It was too risky since too many people enjoyed getting their fifteen minutes of fame by selling me out to a gossip magazine.

              But with Rowan, I had finally found someone with whom I could actually share a real part of me with. And I never for a moment feared what he might say or how much money he would take from a reporter. I knew speaking to him was like speaking with my own heart.

              And yet, why wasn’t he here?

              The old, quiet fears slowly began to creep back into my brain. Perhaps it had all been too much. Perhaps the lifestyle and pressures of a Hollywood actress seemed like too high of a price to pay. Perhaps, he had figured, I hadn’t been worth the trouble.

              I shook my head, trying to throw out the negative thoughts and yet unable to really quiet them.

              I saw from the corner of my eye a hangar attendant nervously try and approach me. I knew he was coming to tell me that it was now or never. They had to either fly now or lose their flight plan.

              Rowan wasn’t coming.

              But I refused to lose my dreams along with my heart.

              Rowan wasn’t here but the audition was still waiting and I was getting on that plane.

              I quickly stood up and turned around, catching the attendant off guard. I gave a small smile. “I’ll board,” I said.

              The attendant nodded, relieved he wouldn’t have to tell Jessa Blair to hurry the hell up. He led me towards the plane.