Page 72 of His Lair

Hello to you too, stranger. Have a good time catching up with Sammie? Evie is not in town. I sent her home.

“Huh, E sent Evie home, which means he thinks something is going to go down too,” I tell Sammie.

“Babe, Emmanuel Lopez is a paranoid fucker. And stop talking to other men when you’re naked,” he grunts.

I roll my eyes. “He can’t see me.”

“How does he know you’re here?” Sammie asks, reading the message over my shoulder.

“He probably has a tracker on the car I borrowed,” I tell him. I know for a fact he has a tracker on it. “Also, he’s my friend. He knows I’d come to see you first.” I turn my head to look at Sammie. “But don’t you ever tell him I said that. I don’t need him thinking we’re friends.”

“Why?”

“It’s a thing. Do you have food?” I ask instead of answering. “I’m starving.”

“I’ll get you something.” Sammie pushes out of the bed, and I watch his naked ass as he walks across the room. Maybe I can skip food for a little longer and just have more of him.

“I’m going to feed you first, babe.” Sammie laughs as he walks out the door.

Damn it. I really could have gone straight for dessert.As the thought runs through my mind, my stomach growls—literally growls—and I’m thankful no one is around to hear it.Food it is, I guess.

Chapter Thirty-One

She’s back. And she’s here. Lailani is mine. I’m not letting her go for anything. Her eyes blink open. “Are you watching me sleep?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you are the most-precious thing I’ve ever seen. Also, I needed reassurance you were really here,” I tell her.

“I’m here. For good, remember?” She smiles.

“For good,” I repeat.

“We just need to get through this wedding today. Do you think your mom knows who she’s marrying?” Lailani sighs.

“My mother has done a lot of shitty things, but she’d never do anything that would put me at risk.” I know that. My mother loves me in her own fucked-up way, and I know she has no idea she’s a pawn in someone else’s game.

“Okay, I will make sure she doesn’t get caught in the crossfire,” Lailani says.

“That’s not your job, babe. You don’t have to do anything,” I tell her.

“It might not be my job, but she’s important to you, which means I will do whatever I have to do to protect her.”

“Out of curiosity, what is your going rate? What was E paying you to protect everyone here?”

“Five hundred grand a week.” Lailani grins and I roll my eyes. E has been paying her five hundred grand a week for more than six months. He likes her a lot more than she realizes.

“He must really like you,” I tell her aloud.

“OrI’m just really good at my job,” Lailani counters.

“I don’t doubt it.” I roll out of bed and throw on a pair of sweats.

“Where are you going?” Lailani asks when I open the bedroom door.

“To my office. Be right back,” I say before adding, “Don’t move.”