Page 42 of Stars and Scars

Grayson arches his brows and tightens his grip on the steering wheel.

“Charlotte, you’re the most special woman I’ve ever met.”

Okay, now my heart hammers so hard I can barely even hear myself think. I stare at the floor and ball up my hemline in my fists.

“Do you really mean that?”

“Of course I do. I mean, you figured out the black SUV has been following us almost at the same time that I did. That’s incredible.”

My jaw drops open.

“We’re being followed?”

“Yeah, that’s what you were talking about, wasn’t it?”

I feel heat burning into my flesh like a thousand suns. Oh, the humiliation. I can’t even stand to look at him.

“Yeah, that’s what I was talking about. That we’re being followed…”

Then it hits me. We’re being followed. That should be a bigger priority than my embarrassment.

I start to turn around to see the car following us, but Grayson hisses through his teeth.

“No! Don’t turn around. Don’t give them any sign that they’ve been made. Can you read backwards in your sideview mirror?”

“Yes.”

“Then take my phone and text the license plate number to H.V. That will get it to our resident tech expert.”

“All right.”

I peer at the side view mirror and try to transcribe the plate number. It's harder than I thought it would be, but I manage. I send the text off and then turn to Grayson.

“Okay, I did it. Now what do we do? Should I call the police?”

“They probably won't get here in time, assuming they can find us at all. I’m going to try and lose them, once we get to a good place for it.”

He glances over at me. For a moment I think he’s checking out my chest, but then I realize the truth. Grayson is checking that my seat belt is secured.

Now it really starts to hit me. This is a dangerous situation. I’m glad Grayson is here. No, not just glad. Relieved. His cool professionalism might throw me off at times, but at the moment it reassures me.

“Oh man,” I mutter under my breath. “Oh man, oh man, oh man…”

His gaze darts over to me for a moment.

“It’s a scary situation. You can cuss if you want.”

I laugh, and even I can tell how anxious it sounds.

“I’m afraid if I get into the habit of cursing, I’ll start doing it when I’m live streaming.”

I take in a breath and look over at my bodyguard.

“Grayson, tell me it’s going to be okay.”

“It’s going to be okay, Charlotte.”

It’s stupid, and I know it, but hearing Grayson speak those words helps. It doesn’t eliminate my fear, but it does cut down on my need to panic.

---