Page 26 of Unguarded

“Hi,” he repeats.

I glance from his face to hers, noticing the way they both lean in toward each other and block out the existence of the rest of us. After a few long, awkward seconds, I cough.

Ember blinks, like she’s clearing her head from a daze. Brooks jerks back, standing up straight and squaring his shoulders, like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing. She clears her throat.

“Zade wants to talk to Cash and Danny.” She pushes the door farther open to let us in.

I walk inside the dressing room after Danny. He and I face Zade, who is standing behind Monroe with his hands planted on her slim shoulders.

She’s ready for her first song in a shimmery olive-green dress. It’s tiny, cinched in at her waist, and exposes the tops of her breasts. She’s wearing knee-high, diamond-linedsilver heeled boots with them. Her hair is a pinned-up mass of tight blonde curls, a few trailing over her shoulders. Red lips and dark, smoky eye makeup give her a sexy, alluring vibe that’s nearly overwhelming to my heightened senses.

I keep a safe distance, eyeing Zade as he opens his mouth to speak.

“Which of you two is to blame for the disgusting shit that happened to my girlfriend?” His words are clipped, like a father reprimanding his children.

My boots are planted shoulder-width apart. My shoulders are squared back. I remain silent, staring him down. He shifts his gaze to Danny, who wrings his hands.

“It was a onetime occurrence, Mr. Byron. Miss Blue’s safety is our top priority. We have some new team members still learning the ropes, ah, but I won’t allow the break in security to happen again.”

My eyes flicker to Monroe’s.

She blinks up at me before folding her arms over her chest and shaking Zade’s hands off of her. “It wasn’t the bodyguards’ fault. They were with me at rehearsal when it happened.”

I don’t offer a response. My jaw clenches, and I continue to stare Zade down. His eyes grow darker, brows lowering. Monroe slinks over to where Ember is waiting by the door. Her assistant hands her a bejeweled microphone.

Zade follows her, wrapping his arm around her waist and leaning down to kiss her lips. He holds it for a beat longer than necessary, clearly staking his claim. Ember has her phone raised, taking videos of the couple to presumably post online.

“Knock ’em dead, gorgeous.” He reaches around and cups her ass, his fingers gliding along the lower crease of her skin.

She’s frozen, eyes looking away from him toward the wall. Every muscle in my body is taut, waiting and watching.

She pulls away from him without a word, following Ember out the door. Her icy response to his affection is all I needed to see to know exactly how she feels about him.

10

CASH

Scanning the crowd of thousands of fans screaming at the top of their lungs while Monroe finishes her opening song has my heart pumping and my skin tingling. The hair on the back of my neck stands up when Clint Clyde steps out onto the stage to join her. The crowd roars louder, the panicked shrieks nearly piercing my eardrums.

I’m in a hidden pocket below the stage, between Monroe and the closest fans. There’s an eighteen-inch section separating the stage from the crammed pit that Brooks, two other security guards, and I are patrolling.

“How y’all doing tonight?” Monroe’s seductive Southern twang booms across the swarm of fans. “Y’all don’t mind if I bring up an old friend for this next song, do you?”

The squeals somehow grow louder. The earplugs we were given suddenly make a lot of sense. Between the screaming and the speakers close to our heads, I bet I’d lose my eardrums without them.

“Friend?” Clint says with a wry grin. “That’s not how I remember it, sweetheart.”

In the screen across the arena, I see him flash her a grin as the gentle strumming of his guitar fills the air. He winks, drawing swoons and gasps, followed by shrill voices calling his name.

“I love you, Clint Clyde!”

“They were so perfect together!”

I try to tune it all out, focusing instead on the screen, where I see Monroe’s bedazzled silver boot tapping to the music. My eyes travel over the fans behind her, but it’s impossible to pick out any details with so many phone lights and moving targets.

Keeping my gaze on her is the best plan, assuming that if there was any danger, it would be from a physical assault, like what happened in Texas last year. The metal detectors and bag searches upon entry are thorough here.

“I guess we were alittlemore than friends back in the day,” Monroe purrs, turning away from Clint and blessing the crowd with her million-dollar smile.

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