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To find Phillip standing by his door with a sleepy Wally at his feet.

I halted.“You okay?”

“I was going to ask you that question.”He held up his hand.“I didn’t hear the call, but I heard your tone of voice.”

Because I’d left the door ajar so I might hear him if he needed me.I winced.“Apologies.”

He waved me off.“I wasn’t sleeping anyway.Is there something I can help you with?”He was so earnest.With his worried green eyes and his tousled hair.

“I’m really okay.I have to run up to LA?—”

“At this hour?”His voice was full-on panicked.

“Yeah.This is my job, Phillip.Ninety-nine percent of the time, I send emails, press releases, and organize interviews.Then, once in a blue moon, I have a crisis that demands my personal attention.Now, are you going to be okay?”

“Can I come with you?Maybe I can help.”

I envisioned him sitting in my SUV in the parking lot of the dive bar.Maybe with Wally.

Not a reassuring picture.

“Look, how about I call Marcie?”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“No…but Thaddeus and Raphael would be thrilled to see you in the morning.”

He bit his lower lip.

“You had a nightmare, Phillip.I know you didn’t think I knew, but I did.The lingering smell of smoke isn’t helping.”I rubbed my face.“Truthfully, I would worry about you here and even more if I leave you in an SUV in a parking lot.So let me check with Marcie, okay?She can always sayno.

I pulled out my phone, found Marcie’s number, and dialed.

Fifteen minutes later, I left a sleepy Phillip in the capable hands of my beloved sister and hit I5 on my way to chaos.

Chapter19

Phillip

Awareness camein degrees as I wavered between a very erotic dream about Jeremy and the persistent feeling of being watched.

I slowly opened my eyes.

To find Raphael about three inches from my face.

To my great pride, I didn’t startle.Instead, I smiled.

“Mom said not to wake you.”

“Ah, well, I’m glad you did what your mom said.Thank you for not waking me.”

“Are you awake now?”

“Yes.”

“Mom!Phillip’s awake!”

Ears ringing, I pushed myself into a sitting position.