Page 119 of Tortured Tones

“I don’t need this. I don’t need more to worry about.” Stress skipped through Cole’s low voice.

“Hey?” I touched his arm as we entered the busy lobby. “We’ve got the situation under control. We’re doing everything to keep you safe. Trust me.”

“Do we need more security?” he asked as we headed for the elevators.

“We have more than enough staff and surveillance on you,” I assured him. “We’ll submit her photo to the hotel’s and the venue’s security teams. We’ll make sure she doesn’t come near you or cause any issues.”

“What about the other guys? Are they safe?” He glanced around the people loitering in the foyer. I hated seeing him worried. His safety was my team’s concern—not his.

“Yes, as much as anyone can be.” I hated that I couldn’t give him a 100 percent guarantee. “Let’s get you and Charlotte back to your room until it’s time to go to the venue.”

“Thank you.” He dipped his chin as he cradled Charlotte against his chest. “Next time I’ll fucking call room service for pancakes and ice cream.”

“It’s fine to head out.” Beckett pressed the call button. “We just need more warning so we can scope places out and ensure security is in place.”

“Noted for next time.” We stepped into the elevator. Once we reached his suite, Charlotte raced past Cole into the room, but the tension didn’t fall from Cole’s face. He leaned against the open door. “I’m sorry I can’t provide more help on who could be following me. I’ve never had any issues before this tour.”

“Let’s hope it’s just an excited fan.” Beckett’s calm tone never faltered. “We’ll get Bruno to investigate further.”

“Thank you.” Cole took a step into his room. “I’ll see you guys in a couple hours.”

“See you soon...Cole.” I dipped my chin and shuffled back a foot.

He nodded and let the door fall shut.

As I headed to the elevator with Beckett, I gave myself a stern reprimanding. Today had been a firm reminder. I couldn’t let my growing feelings for Cole get in the way of doing my job. With my intuition in overdrive, I had to stay focused on my surroundings, protect the guys, and not let my emotions get in the way.

To do that, I had to stay away from Cole.

It was the only way I’d survive the rest of the tour.

My eyes were on my end game: getting Josh back. Nothing...absolutely nothing else mattered.

Not Cole. Not Charlotte. Not my heart, which wouldn’t stop racing when he was near. Nor the want that fired in my core when he looked at me.

Shit!

Was I more involved than I’d originally thought?

Had I fallen for him?

No . . . don’t go there.

I wasn’t into Cole Tanner.

No, I wasn’t. No, I wasn’t. No, I wasn’t.

Chapter 27

AVA

“It’s a teacher. From Atlanta.” I handed Cole my tablet displaying the intel we’d found on the blonde in the café.

I’d rejoined the tour in Orlando after my weekend with Josh. My team had called a meeting with the band after sound check in their dressing room to give them and their entourage an update. Bruno and our staff in LA had worked overtime to find out who the woman was over the past few days. Melissa Whyte. Thirty-seven years old. Single. Elementary teacher at a school near Morningside. But she had no online footprint. No Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram accounts. No work history on LinkedIn. Something in my gut didn’t sit right. Why would a teacher want that much footage of Cole? Fans usually giggled, ogled, and wanted to meet their idols. This woman hadn’t done any of that.

“So, it’s nobody to worry about?” Leaning against a table, Cole scanned the report. Our findings didn’t seem to alleviate any of his stress, nor did they alleviate mine.

“No, not at this stage.” Unease crawled beneath my skin in slow slithers. “She just seems like a fan. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remain diligent.”

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