Trust Me (36 page)

I cannot stop giggling from all the sports lingo I used. My dad would have pushed me down the aisle if he knew a man could get me to have anything to do with sports. He might not approve of how I’ve learned these concepts, but there would be no reason for any type of explanation on that.

One of the security guards comes to the entryway while Bane is escorting Miss Clickety-Clack out the door. Mentally, I like to call him Mr. Badass. He’s built like a linebacker, and he’s really kind of scary with his bald head and tribal tattoo. I’ve seen it a couple of different times when his collar shifts.

“Miss Scott, you have a flower delivery. The flowers have been checked. Do you want to accept?”

“Yes. Thank you, Bane.”

When he raises his hand, another security guy appears and places the flowers on the kitchen counter.
Damien wasn’t kidding yesterday when he said he would increase security.
They both take their leave as I smile at the roses. There must be at least four dozen of them. They are the same exquisite white roses with crimson tips that Damien sent to me at my apartment on the night of Sam’s party. With everything that happened that night, I haven’t been back home since then, so I didn’t have a chance to enjoy them. Until now, I completely forgot about them.

They are by far the most beautiful roses I have ever seen. He’s just down the hall, but he still thinks of me when we can’t be together. I love him so much.

I open the card and read the elegantly scripted words.

My blood instantly turns to ice. Rebecca was his sister who was taken from their home and then later killed. These are obviously not from Damien. I head to find him immediately. I burst into the office and quickly shut the door with a loud thud as if someone is actually chasing me. My breaths are coming in and out quickly. When I walk in, Damien’s back is facing me.

When he turns around and sees me, he immediately says into the phone, “I’ll call you back.” Without even waiting for a response, he hangs up. “Alli, what is it?” He comes around the desk and stands by my side.

With shaking hands, I give him the card. “I just got this. I might be overreacting.”

One hand comes out and touches my shoulder while the other takes the card. He’s watching me with concern. I normally tend to underreact to things, but my recent experience still has me on edge.

He reads the card and then his eyes meet mine. Rapidly, he asks, “Where did you get this?”

“From the flowers that were delivered to me just now.”

He pulls out his phone and starts barking orders. “Bane, lock this place down. We’re in the office. Figure out who sent the flowers. I need a source ASAP. Tighten down security at the stadium. Only people on the list get into the skybox today. I want you and at least two other people on Alli at all times. I’ll give you more details shortly. I need to talk to Alli first. Okay. Thanks.”

He ends the call, and I’m now petrified. The look he gives me is sheer terror.

Pulling me to him, he asks, “What type of flowers did you get?”

I grab hold of him tightly, and he rubs my back. “Um, they’re white roses with red tips…just like the ones I thought you sent me the day of Sam’s party.”

“Motherfucker!”

He temporarily releases me and starts pacing the room, running his hand through his black hair several times. He’s working his jaw hard. When he looks back at me, he must see how scared I am.

Then, he’s right back at my side. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Alli. I promise.” His phone beeps, and he picks it up. “Yes. Fuck. Okay. Give us a few minutes.”

He hangs up and moves us to the couch where I cuddle into him.

“Am I in danger, Damien?”

He pulls me closer to him, almost squeezing me. “I don’t know. Those flowers were Becky’s favorites. I’m not taking any chances. The anniversary of her death was last week. We’re no longer going to the game. Even though I asked Bane to increase security, we’ll stay here. I didn’t mean to scare you, baby.”

Part of me wants to completely withdraw and hide, but Damien needs to go to this game. It’s important for him to be there because it’s his team. Plus, I’m not letting some asshole rule my life.

Grabbing my inner strength, I respond, “No, let’s go. I’ll be safe. We need to do this.”

“Alli—”

I hold up a finger to his lips. “I’m not going to lie. I’m a little freaked-out right now, but I’ll be by your side the entire time. We have to continue living. When we get back tonight, maybe we’ll have some more explanations.”

He scrubs his free hand down his face.

I try to reason with him. “It’ll be less stressful for me if we go. The media and whoever else won’t speculate as to why we aren’t there. This can stay between us.”

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He lets out a breath. “I’m a complete dick for agreeing to go. We’re definitely skipping the after-party.” He looks at me, and I nod in agreement. “You’re staying by my side, no matter what. I need to feel you next to me to know you’re safe.”

He watches me, and with the worry emanating from him, I can tell he wants to stay.

“We can still cancel and not go,” he says.

It’s ironic that I’m the one pleading to go. “No, we need to do this.”

He grabs my face and gives me a deep kiss. It’s laced with fear, and it does nothing but heighten my anxiety.

As he ends the kiss, something registers on his face. “Wait, you said you received flowers like this before Sam’s party? What did the card say?”

My stomach bottoms out. I try to swallow the acid building in my stomach. “Yes, the card said, ‘Thinking of you.’ I thought you had sent them because of the photo shoot. I forgot to thank you with us arguing about the party and then the incident. They should still be on my kitchen counter.” I’m nervous. When I’m nervous, I talk fast to try and purge everything at once.

He gives me a kiss on my head and then takes in a deep breath. “Are you sure you want to go today? I just want to keep you here.”

That’s exactly why we need to go. Otherwise, we’ll both start becoming prisoners to this fear.
I’ve been a prisoner to my emotions before. I can’t go back there.

“Yes. I’ll do whatever you ask of me. We need to go, Damien…for us.”

“I love you, Alli. I’ll protect you.”

“I know, or I wouldn’t be going. I love you, too.”

He grabs his phone to make another call. “Bane, we’re going to the game. Is everything set? Very good. No fuck-ups. Okay.”

After he hangs up, he brings me to him, and I instantly feel safe.

We’ll make it through this.

It’s after the game, and we’re getting back into the limo. Despite both of us feeling tense, a small part of me enjoyed the game. Damien scoots in behind me and lets out a sigh. There are two security guys with us, one driving and one in the passenger seat. More security guards are following us in another car.

After he pulls me into him, Damien lays his head back. “I’m so glad that’s over.”

Cuddling into his side, I say, “I actually understood some of the game. Sam’s going to be pissed.”

He gives me a small laugh. It’s the first one I have heard from him all day.

“Yes, she will be. I had very different plans for us today. I’ll bring you back to a game to fulfill those in the future.”

My body involuntarily shivers. With all the stress coursing through me at this moment, it’s amazing that my body still responds to him. It works on a completely different wavelength than my mind. “Sounds like a date. What’s the plan when we get back?”

He cracks his neck from side to side. “We need to talk more about what’s happened and then give the details to Bane. We’re taking the plane back to Georgia tonight. I need to fill you and him in on some things.”

With his last statement, my mind goes to all sorts of places. “Will you tell me first? That way, I’m not hearing whatever it is for the first time in front of Bane.”

“Of course. I planned on that. We’ll talk as soon as we get back to the hotel. Our plane doesn’t leave for a few hours.”

When we get to the hotel, security men surround us as if we were royalty. As we make our way up to our hotel room, I hear the guards repeating things like, “Living room, check,” “Master suite, all clear,” and then one of them marks a little piece of paper.

I release a slow breath to try and dissipate my built-up energy.
Nope, that didn’t help.

As we approach the suit, Bane says to Damien. “Sir, all rooms and exterior exits are secure and clear. As discussed, security will remain in place outside. If you need anything, push this button.” He hands over a small pen-looking device that appears to be a panic button in disguise.

On one hand, it’s cool that something like that exists, but on the other hand, it’s so uncool that we are in a position to need something like that.
Oh, I’m a mess.

“Thanks, Bane. I’ll be in contact. Has everything been arranged as I requested?”

Bane nods in his badass manner. “All has been taken care of. Car is on standby. Per your request, I’ll be the only other passenger on the plane with you and Miss Scott, so we can talk. Security will be waiting on the ground at the Atlanta Airport.”

Damien tips his head to Bane before he turns to leave. The click of the door upon his exit seems like a doomsday call.

As Damien walks me to the couch, he asks, “Alli, do you want anything to drink? Do you want to change before we talk?”

“No, I’ll change on the plane. I just want us to talk and then go home.” My hands involuntarily start rubbing up and down my legs.

He looks at me endearingly. “We’ll be home soon.”

As I sit on the white couch, he takes a seat across from me on the matching ottoman, putting my legs between his. He starts off by making sure we have complete eye contact.

“Just know, what I am about to tell you is not who I am anymore. I’ve changed.”

I nod. “Damien, I know who you are. I love you for who you are. Whatever you are about to tell me won’t change that. I trust you with my entire being.”

He takes a deep breath. “Let me start by explaining what I was like seven to eight years ago. I’ve told you a little about my grandparents.”

I nod as I mentally scroll through what I know about them.

“After my grandfather passed away, my sister and I inherited my grandparents’ entire estate. Becky was three years younger than me. I was twenty-one and in college. She was eighteen and in high school at the time. Anyway, my grandparents didn’t get along with my parents, and they wanted to make sure that we were taken care of to the best of their ability. They didn’t trust my parents to do right by us. Therefore, they left their entire fortune and sports empire to us.

“My parents blamed me, thinking that I had talked my grandparents into changing the will, but I hadn’t. My sister and I just loved our grandparents. My grandparents had never even talked about their intentions with me, so it was just as big a surprise to me as it was to my parents. Well, my parents didn’t trust what I had to say, regardless of what I told them. It shredded every last bit of the relationship we did have, which hadn’t been much to begin with. My grandparents probably never thought of that happening. They knew my parents were selfish, but my grandparents would have never believed my parents would practically disown me because of the inheritance. They already had so much themselves.”