Page 11 of Tortured Tones

“Hey, man.” Lewis threw Wyatt a wicked smile. “You can watch me and Tia anytime. She likes that.”

Tia smacked him on the arm. “I only like watching you.”

“No, you don’t.” He hooked his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Wyatt’s hot. He can watch.”

Tia grazed her teeth across her lower lip as she eyed Wyatt up and down. “Yeah...okay. He can watch.”

Wyatt’s cheeks reddened as he shuffled on his feet. The shit we had to put up with was not for the fainthearted.

“And Cole? You have Ava Matthews.”

His brow drew into a deep furrow. “Why the fuck do I get a chick?”

My back stiffened. “I beg your pardon?” I was out of line to snap at a client, but who did this guy think he was?

Cole held up his palm. “No offense, but seriously? You’re half my size.” I wasn’t. I was five-foot-nine compared to his six-foot-two build. “How will you keep the fans off me? I’ll be protecting your ass, not vice versa.”

I drew my shoulders back. As I sucked in a deep breath, my nostrils flared. I was damn good at my job. I’d proven that fact on more than one occasion, and I wasn’t going to let some arrogant rock star question my skillset. “Want to make a bet?” My voice sliced through my teeth.

Wells just chuckled. So did my teammates.

“Cole?” Warning flashed in my boss’s gaze. “I can assure you, Ava is best suited to your needs. Do not underestimate her strength, her fitness, or her training. You’ll end up worse off. Trust me.”

“I doubt it,” Cole mumbled.

Wells pointed to Ramona. “Ramona is part of our secondary team that will cover you on the days this team has off. Sutton and Tia, you are under our protection when you are with the band. I’ll be coordinating our efforts with Ava, my second-in-charge, and I’ll be keeping an eye on April and Blake with Riley. Any questions?”

“None.” Cole snarled. He leaped from his seat, and stormed toward the exit. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. It’s time to party.” He opened the door and disappeared.

I gave Wells a curt nod and took off after Cole. “Mr. Tanner.”

Cole didn’t stop heading for the elevator.

“Mr. Tanner.”

He kept walking. Asshole.

Halfway down the hallway, I caught up to him. I grabbed him on the shoulder and spun him ’round to face me. “Do you have a problem, Mr. Tanner?”

He eyed me up and down as the corner of his lip curled into a sneer. “No. Just stay out of my way and everything will be fine.”

He turned to walk off. But I grabbed his arm, bent it behind his back, and drove him into the wall. “My job is to protect you,” I hissed toward his ear. “Don’t be cocky, smart, or a dick, or I’ll take you down. I know what I’m doing. I’m damn good at my job. Don’t ever question my ability. Deal?”

He jerked his hips backward, ramming his butt into my pelvis. He swung his shoulder up high and twisted to face me. Okay, I should’ve held him tighter, but I wasn’t out to hurt him—just put him in his place. But he clearly knew some defensive moves, I’d give him that. He grabbed the lapels of my jacket, pushed me back a few steps, and pinned me against the opposite wall.

Towering before me, he growled, low and husky. My heartbeat quickened with a mix of intrigue and spite as his electric green eyes speared me to the spot. Pure adrenaline shot through my veins. It had been too long since I’d had any man this close to me other than during combat training. I didn’t need Cole in my space. But holy fuck. He smelled good. A mix of earthy woods and spice...and alcohol.

His eyes narrowed as his lips hovered a few inches from mine. “Don’t touch me again or I’ll have you fired.”

In an easy defense move, I drove my fingers into his jugular notch and pushed him backward. He gasped and gagged. God. I didn’t even push hard. This guy was all show, not as tough as he made out to be.

The moment his back connected with the opposite wall, I stopped toying with him and pointed at his face. If I’d really wanted to hurt him, he’d be on the ground or unconscious by now. I was no fucking pushover. “Touch me again, and I’ll break those precious hands of yours. You need them to drum, don’t you?...And for looking after your daughter?”

Yeah, the details of him finding out he had a child had been in our briefing notes too. It wasn’t every day you found out you’d knocked up some girl and had to take responsibility for your actions. I, of all people, understood consequences. I prayed that despite the life-altering change he’d been dealt, Cole was a decent person who’d take care of his daughter who’d suffered too much loss. That he wasn’t just this half-drunken ass-wipe that loomed before me.

Surely there weren’t two Luthers in the world.

The light in his eyes disappeared, but within a blink they flashed with jade fire. “Stay out of my business.”

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