Page 7 of Silk Shadow

"Yeah, she built her own brand from the ground up. She started out as a social media influencer?—"

At his puzzled expression, she elaborated. "You know, someone who is famous for their lifestyle and fashion sense."

"Got it."

"But she always had a unique style. Her following grew, and soon teens around the world were trying to mimic her look. She does a great job of mixing haute couture with affordable mall fashion."

Whatever that meant.

"Then the top brands began to take notice, and soon she was a brand ambassador for a handful of designers and department stores. With the economy in the mess it's in, she was doing for them what retail no longer could. Then last year, she launched her swimwear line. Sexy, elegant swimsuits for real women.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I've got one—they're really flattering, actually. Anyway, the collection did so well, she's thinking about expanding into fashion. And she's got her own signature perfume. Silk, it's called. It smells incredible."

He wondered if that was what she'd been wearing in their meeting.

"She's certainly been busy." He turned back to the screen. Every photo had thousands of likes and almost as many comments. He could see why the brands loved her. "Two million, seven hundred forty-five thousand and fifty-three followers," he read.

"Insane, isn't it?" Anna shook her head. "But then the world needs style icons, especially ones who look like real women and not stick figures."

He studied Izzy's smiling face as she laughed into the camera, her head tilted back, long dark hair caressing the surface of the water. In this shot, she was standing waist-deep in the sea, her sun-kissed body gleaming, her glorious breasts rising above the bikini. The golden girl frolicking around in glamorous settings, living a life that other girls only dreamed about.

His principal. The woman he'd sworn to protect.

"Couldn’t agree with you more,” he muttered.

CHAPTER 4

Izzy was looking forward to this trip. They were shooting next season's swimwear collection, and the late August sunshine was just what she needed. It had been a tough few weeks arranging her father's funeral, taking over the reins at Omega Enterprises, and dealing with the threatening notes, while still running her own business.

Even tougher looking like you're having fun when you're expecting a sniper to take a shot at you at any moment. Okay, that was a bit ridiculous— it was probably just some prankster—but she couldn't be sure.

Uncle Pat had been a darling. Not really her uncle, but a close family friend. She'd called him that ever since she was a toddler, and old habits were hard to break. Besides, he felt like family.

She'd never quite gotten to the bottom of his relationship with her mother, although she knew they'd been close. If it wasn't for Pat's wife dying and seeing how distraught he'd been, she might have suspected they were more than friends.

And now she had Viper. What kind of name was that anyway?

She thought about the mysterious ex-military man with the hardened body of a soldier and eyes the color of the ocean. Pat had told her he'd done something quite brave in South America recently, although he hadn't gone into detail. Apparently, the former military man had been badly injured and as a result, medically discharged.

Safe hands, Pat had said.

She couldn't ignore those hands—scarred, calloused, and rough. Hands that had handled weapons and taken lives. How many lives, she wondered? Despite the late summer sun, Izzy felt a chill crawl up her spine.

She exited her apartment building, pulling her carry-on behind her. Lewis, the concierge, carried her two big suitcases downstairs. Inside were two weeks' worth of designer and department store brands she was contracted to show off while on vacation.

Her legions of followers liked that she wore clothes for real women. Not supermodels or anorexic celebrities, but women with curves and flaws and boobs. She showed them that they could also look sexy and elegant. Yesterday's imperfect was today's perfect.

Her bodyguard stood by the car, massive chest bursting out of a suit and tie, making it look almost ridiculous. Was it her imagination or did he appear even bigger and bulkier than yesterday? Then she noticed the protective vest beneath that pressed white shirt. He glanced up and down the street, alert and on guard. There was a Bluetooth listening device in his ear, presumably to call for help if needed.

The reality of her situation hit home. Her stomach clenched with a sudden spurt of anxiety.

Breathe.

She couldn't let this unknown threat ruin her life.

Viper was the best. He would protect her, until the police caught the person or organization behind those letters.

Please let it be soon.

Living like this wasn't going to be easy.

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