Page 56 of The Road Less Traveled By

Liv pulls Teags and I in for a hug, and Teags tries to wiggle her way out of it but eventually succumbs.

For the next three hours, we sit around the kitchen table, laughing as we eat, and that sliver of normal creeps back in, making me feel safer than I have in months. Around this table, there is happiness and light, and I’m not alone anymore.

Chapternineteen

— SOMETHING ABOUT HER BY STEPHEN SANCHEZ

“Okay, so we haveall the exits covered. Let’s move on to the actual event ballroom,” I say as I flip the packet to the next page, Emerson, Kenner, Duncan, and Chris following suit.

Connie called me the other day to ask if I could start prepping a security plan for this big event that Bree is planning. When I asked her what event it was because I didn't see one on my calendar, she hung up on me, and thirty seconds later, I had an email in my inbox.

So, I got to work.

I still have to ask Bree about this, because if it was up to me, an event this size with the amount of publicity it will bring is way too dangerous. But I do what I’m told and try not to make much noise.

“Wait, so we’ll need every single person for this? Who’s going to watch the house while we’re all there?” Emerson asks me, voicing the concerns I’ve had since I got Connie’s email.

“Yeah. It’s an all-hands-on-deck occasion. I’m talking to Nico about having around the clock surveillance on the house while we’re at the event. He’s coming over later to talk about it.” Nico might push my buttons sometimes, but I love having him as a business partner. He mayact like some pretty boy who wears suits and flirts with everyone, but he’s damn good at his job.

“Okay. That works.” Emerson nods at me.

Duncan keeps flipping pages and eyeing me, so I look at him. “Something on your mind?”

“The guest list. It has lots of recognizable names. This seems like a widely publicized event.”

“And?”

“And isn't our main job to keep Bree safe? This event doesn't feel like it’ll be safe. It feels like a giant arrow is pointing at Bree for Ralph to come and get her.”

I sigh heavily, having the same gut feeling that this is going to be a giant mistake. Thanks to rule number eleven, my gut is usually right, but Connie isn't one to listen to gut feelings, so when I brought it up to her, she spun it around to be good publicity instead of focusing on the bad.

I’m all for spinning the narrative, but when it comes to Bree’s safety, I’ll always worry about that over anything the press wants to say.

“Connie has assured me it will be a controlled event. Tickets assigned to only the people on the guest list, and only certain people have plus ones.” I sigh again, trying to run a hand through my curly hair, only for it to get stuck in the tangles. “Look, I voiced the same concerns to her, but I trained you guys, and I trust that all of us can make this event as safe as possible.”

The four of them look between one another, and I suddenly feel like there’s something they want to say, but are too afraid to. “Anything you want to add?”

They look between one another again before Emerson speaks. “Alex is still on the list.”

“And? Is there a problem with that?” I ask, wondering what they’re getting at.

“Haven't you seen all the news surrounding him and…” Duncan trails off, and I wish one of these guys would just say whatever they're alluding to.

“News about what? One of you just tell me what the fuck is going on.”

“The media has spotted Alex cheating on Bree,” Kenner spits out.

“More than once,” Chris adds.

Fucking hell.“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“It’s been all over the place, Boss. How did you not see it?” Kenner asks.

“The internet is more Nico’s territory.” I assumed he would tell me if anything concerning Bree came up, and now I’m pissed at him for not letting me know. “How many?”

The four of them squirm in their seats, and I already know it’s not going to be a good number. Hell, anything other than zero is bad.

“Five, including the ex-girlfriend we ran into at the fashion show.”

---