Page 45

I mmy let the music flow through her.

The fans cheering became background noise as she watched Jenner sing. He moved from one song into another.

And she recognized this song. It was her favorite song even though it was a bit sad. All about a man who loved a woman that he didn’t think he was good enough for.

Made her eyes water every time.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

She startled and glanced over to find Lauren standing near her.

Oh. Awesome.

They’d been back from South Hampton for over a month and now they were in South Carolina at another concert. That Lauren had arranged.

Nothing had happened recently and she was hopeful that the wannabe Deity hadn’t had any more Sentinels. He had confessed to everything so that was something.

“I thought we had a conversation about your role in Jenner’s life,” Lauren muttered in Immy’s ear. It was hard to hear her over the noise, but her mouth was basically right by Immy’s ear. She grabbed Immy’s arm, digging her nails into her skin.

Ouch!

And then she was suddenly pulled away from the other woman and tucked behind a broad back.

Tobias had been standing just behind her. He’d been watching everyone with an eagle eye all day. She’d seen several people giving him wary looks. And a number of women giving him admiring looks.

Mostly, though, he’d just stood to the side and let her do what she needed to. Although he had told her off for trying to carry stuff on her own.

“What are you doing?” Lauren said.

Cupcakes. People were turning to glare at them and she was missing the concert. Jenner was about to wrap things up.

“Do not grab Immy,” Tobias warned.

“I didn’t grab her,” Lauren said in a tense voice. “I was just talking to her.”

Immy glanced around again, then she noticed that Jenner was staring over at them.

Shivers. Not good. She waved at him and smiled.

“You hurt her.”

Tobias reached around and gently took hold of her hand, bringing her arm out.

“What? That? That’s nothing.” Lauren was now glancing around, though. She seemed to see the people watching because she stepped closer to Tobias.

Whoa.

She was either very brave or very stupid. Because if Tobias looked at Immy like that . . . she’d run.

Or pee herself.

Maybe both.

Because Tobias was mad. Immy hadn’t actually realized how mad until he’d moved her so she could see his face.

But the man was about to lose his shit. And he couldn’t do that here.

“Tobias.” Immy turned her back on Lauren. Probably not wise, but she figured the other woman wasn’t going to do anything more to damage her reputation. “I’m fine. Look at me. Hey, no. At me. I’m all good.”

“She doesn’t get to touch you. Nobody gets to touch you.” His eyes were intense, his face even more so.

Whoa.

Yeah, this wasn’t the Tobias she was used to. It was clear that he was a dangerous man, but at the same time he had always seemed so in control.

“I know,” she said soothingly.

“She touched you.”

“I don’t think she meant to.” Immy glanced back to find Lauren looked slightly ill. “I have a bit of a headache.”

Tobias’s gaze flickered to her, then away.

Cupcakes.

The guys would have reacted immediately to that. They’d have rushed her out of here and had her in bed before she knew it. But Tobias was a different kettle of fish.

“Can you take me back to the hotel? Please?”

He nodded. “After I have a chat with Lauren.”

Uh-oh. No chat. There could absolutely be no chat.

Immy grabbed his arm, shaking her head as he stepped toward Lauren.

“You can’t threaten me,” Lauren said haughtily. “I’ll have your job.”

Tobias huffed out a breath. “Don’t work for you. And you think once I tell Jenner about this, that you’ll still have one?”

Cupcakes. This was getting out of control and Jenner would be back here soon.

“Tobias, you’re overreacting. Look at my arm. Look!” Immy held out her arm, which was barely scratched. “And I mark easily. She barely grabbed me and it was just her nails. I’m fine and you’re making a scene. I have a headache, please take me back to the hotel.”

Tobias glared at Lauren, but the tension left his shoulders. Immy let out a sigh of relief as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned her away. They walked out of the building toward one of the cars they’d hired. When she tried to pull away from him, he tugged her back.

Immy snuck a look up into his face, but it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. He opened the passenger door and then waited for her to get in before shutting it.

Then he jogged around to the driver’s seat. She turned to him.

“Tobias—”

“Quiet,” he commanded.

Immy bit her lip. Quiet? Really?

“But I wanted to talk?—”

“Immy, I said quiet.” He shot her a stern look.

Was he upset with her?

To her surprise, he reached over and pulled her seatbelt across her. His arm brushed against her and she had to work hard not to react.

He started up the car, then put a hand behind the back of her seat as he turned to look out the rear window.

God, why did he have to look so good? And smell so amazing?

It was so distracting.

“Tobias, we need to talk?—”

“Immy, if you don’t hush, I’m going to find something to make you hush.”

What the heck did that mean?

Her own temper stirred. She didn’t lose her temper that often. But when she did . . . it could be spectacular.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed out a breath. “You are not the boss of me, Tobias Smith!”

“Actually, that’s exactly what I am,” he replied in a stern voice. “You got painkillers?”

“Um. What?”

“Painkillers, Immy. You got some?”

“I’m allowed to talk now?”

“When I ask you a question, yes.”

“Well, why not any other time?” she asked, throwing her hands up into the air in exasperation.

“Because I’m not very happy with you right now, Cherry.”

“What? Why? What did I do?” she asked. If anyone had the right to be angry, she was pretty sure that it was her.

“Do you have painkillers?” he repeated as he drove them to the hotel.

She sighed. “Yes. Why?”

“For your headache. Wanted to know if we needed to stop and get some.”

Okay. That was sweet. “I have some in my handbag. I just don’t have any water.”

“Was it the music?”

“No.”

“Was there even a headache, Immy?”

Shoot.

“I do have a slight headache,” she gritted out as they parked at the hotel.

“But it was really an excuse to leave, wasn’t it? It wasn’t about a headache, it was about wanting to get me away from Lauren.”

Urgh.

Darn it.

He’d know if she lied.

“Fine, it was mostly about getting you away from Lauren before you did something that you would regret. But I also had a bit of a headache.”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t regret it,” he told her darkly.

He undid his belt and turned to her. Then he grasped hold of her chin. His touch was gentle, but definitely firm. “Believe I’ve said this before, but I’ll keep saying it. Do not lie to me, Immy.”

She sucked in a breath at the look on his face. He was deadly serious. Intense. She might have been a touch scared, if she was smart.

But Immy decided that she wasn’t always that smart. Because instead of placating him, she leaned into him. “Again. You’re not the boss of me.”

“No? You think not?”

“I do think not.”

“Well, we’ll see. Because that’s exactly what I intend to be.”

He got out of the car before she could question him. Did she want to question him? Oh heck. What was going on here?

Opening the door, he reached in and undid her seatbelt. Then he helped her out of the car. Grasping hold of her hand, he led her into the hotel. She noticed that he kept a vigilant watch on his surroundings as he moved.

It was kind of infuriating, because it made it harder for her to be mad at him when he was being so protective.

They stepped into the hotel and headed up the elevator.

Unfortunately, there were people in the elevator with them, so she couldn’t say anything.

But as soon as they were back in the room, she turned to him.

“You don’t get to tell me to hush.”

“I do when I’m mad at you and I need a moment,” he said, walking to the mini-fridge.

Was he going to start drinking?

But, no, he brought out a bottle of water and undid it, handing it to her. “Pills.”

Urgh! That was infuriating as well! As much as she wanted to stay mad at him it was becoming increasingly difficult due to the way he kept taking care of her.

She just stood there, glaring at him.

“Want me to get them from your handbag?”

“I’ll get them.” Her headache was starting to feel worse. She probably hadn’t drunk enough water today. “But I’m not taking these because you told me to.” She wanted to make that clear.

Tobias crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t care why you’re taking them, just that you take them.”

“You can be a very infuriating man.”

“And you can be a stubborn brat.”

She huffed in a breath and started choking on the pills she’d just put in her mouth. She smacked at her chest and he leaped toward her, slapping his hand down sharply on her back.

“Cough! Cough!”

He wrapped his arms around her, shoving his fists into her stomach. Suddenly, Immy managed to spit the pills back up.

Shaking, she leaned back into him.

Oh God. Oh God.

“Easy, easy, sweetness. You’re okay. I have you.”

She shook her head. She’d nearly choked. She couldn’t . . . she couldn’t . . .

Tobias turned her in his arms as she started to sob. Then he picked her up. She expected him to move to the chair or maybe the bed and cuddle with her.

But he just stood where he was, holding her. He didn’t rock. He didn’t make any noise. No words of reassurance.

Then again, she didn’t really want that. She just wanted to be held in strong arms. By someone who had saved her.

“Sorry,” she whispered hoarsely, trying to wipe at her cheeks.

“Don’t apologize,” he said firmly. “You’re entitled to cry after choking.”

He walked over to the armchair and set her down in it. Immy couldn’t stop the whimper of protest from escaping her. But he backed away.

“I’m just getting you some more water, sweetness. I’m coming right back.”