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“Ty.” I couldn’t get the words out, I was so traumatized. The image of Paul being stabbed was so horrible I shuddered.
“Paul!” Ty yelled over his shoulder as the shakes began to set in. Mark appeared next to him then stepped back as Paul rushed up to us. His hands replaced Ty’s, and he bent down to look into my eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked, and I handed him my phone. I watched as he replayed the video, holding it so the others could see. “Where did you get this?” Paul’s voice was all business.
“Jack,” I swallowed hard, “my contact at the Washington Post. Oh, my God.”
“We’ve seen it.” Paul’s tone was low and cold. “It was released that day.”
I shook my head and tried to push the images away. I had been so out of it lately catching up on sleep, worrying about Chase, my career, that I didn’t think to look at the news.
“You should be dead, Paul. That video is horrifying.”
“Yeah, it was.” He shrugged and leaned against the wall next to me. “You see the kind of people that are after you? It’s not just Bruno, it’s everyone. You’re on their list now.”
“I’ve always been on their list. I just keep myself useful, so they don’t rush to take me out.”
He chuckled darkly. “Christ, woman, you really have no regard for your safety, do you?”
“Never had a reason to care too much about it.” I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“Yeah, me too.” He looked toward the table where Ty was filling them in. “You looked like you were having fun out there.”
“I was,” a smile pushed through, “until my bodyguard came and scared off McGray.”
“McGray?” He rolled his eyes.
“What’s wrong with that name?”
“Nothing.”
“Sorry he’s not like you with your one-word name like Drake or Madonna,” I teased.
“I have a first name. I just don’t choose to ever use it.”
“Why?”
“Reasons.”
“Okay,” I figured he wasn’t about to share the reason, so I switched the conversation back, “what was your reason for chasing off McGray?”
He stared down at me so hard I felt it in my knees. “Because he was touching the last place I touched you.” He looked down at his hand between us then slid his fingers along my exposed skin and stopped where my jeans sat low on my hips. The coil in my stomach tightened so quickly I felt lightheaded. His fingers hooked in the fabric and jerked me toward him. I used his arms to stabilize myself. He leaned forward, and his breath brushed over my sensitive neck.
“Does this mean you finally believe me?” I needed him to say it to address the elephant in the room.
He vibrated out a sexy growl as he kissed the side of my neck and lingered there like he was deciding on how to answer my question. His hot lips raised my body temperature to a dangerous level. “It means I don’t like men touching you where I have.”
He hadn’t said he believed me, and my fire, as the girls called it, came raging back, and I welcomed it as I knew the other women would.
“Well, you know what, Paul? I remember all the places you’ve been and where you haven’t. So, I’ll remember that the next time I meet a man.”
“What?” His mouth opened in surprise.
I stepped back and watched anger flicker across his handsome face. Call me crazy, but I loved that I affected him the way he did me. I turned away and headed toward the table where everyone was gathering their things.
“Cole says you guys need to ship out in the morning, so we’ll head back.” Savannah handed me my purse. “I hope you had fun.”
“I really did. Thanks for this.”
