Page 64 of Like You Love Me

“Miss Bianca. Can I help you with something?”

She was startled when she looked up to see a security guard standing over her. His eyebrows were bunched with concern. Bianca took a step back and forced herself to take slow deep breaths. “No. I’m okay.”

His eyes followed her gaze through the glass doors to the circle drive and then back to her again. “You must be looking at the reporters. I’ve been trying to get rid of them, but with that whole freedom of speech mumbo jumbo, they feel they’re entitled.” He did a shoulder shrug. “Do you need to get out of here?”

“Yes,” Bianca replied, even though she wasn’t sure if she could trust him.

“Ma’am, I got you,” he said, nodding. “Don’t worry about a thing. Instead of taking your car, how about one of the shuttle drivers sneak you out of here?”

That was a good idea. Bianca smiled. “Yes. I would like that.”

“No problem. I’m Ivan. Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll get one of the drivers to meet you at the side door.”

“No, you don’t have to—”

He held up his hands. “My job is to protect and serve you, and I take that responsibility seriously. Despite whatever happened in the past with Troy, my loyalty is with you and your family.”

Bianca watched as Ivan walked away with determination in his steps and breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe there were still some good guys out there.

Within minutes, Ivan was signaling her to follow him to the side door, where he stayed with her and waited.

“Do you have any family?” she asked.

“Yes, I do.” He pulled out his phone and showed Bianca his screensaver; a picture of him, a woman and two beautiful little girls with long dark hair. Both had to be under five. “They are beautiful.”

“My wife and I both think so,” Ivan said with a chuckle. “But they are my life. Fatherhood changes you,” he said with his chest stuck out proudly. “I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.” There was a look of pride in his eyes, and his love for his family was evident. It was the same look Collin had when he talked about his wife and children. Maybe, just maybe, at some point in his life, he realized he had made a mistake.

“They are lucky to have you,” she said and spotted the shuttle pulling up. Ivan swung open the door, and Bianca pushed the hat down over her ears and stepped outside. The driver, Matthew, immediately jumped out, and slid the side door open. Bianca glanced around cautiously before she climbed into the vehicle that had tinted windows.

She waved goodbye to Ivan and waited until the driver was at the steering wheel before saying, “Take me home.”

Without anyone noticing, Matthew followed in the direction she gave him without the news media following them. She sent London a quick text message that she was headed home. When the van pulled onto her street, Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. All week reporters and TV station vans were parked out in front of their home. She grinned to find no vehicles in sight. She climbed out and gave Matthew a generous tip. He was loyal and had been working for the hotel long enough that she knew there was nothing she needed to worry about.

Once inside, she made a few calls while she packed. Sheyna volunteered to keep Sierra. Bianca loved having her family around because it made spontaneous vacations possible. Jace would swing by and pick his niece up after school.

Bianca put together a quick overnight bag for Sierra and then reached for a third bag and packed London’s. By the time he arrived home, she had the bags at the door.

“Wow. You got that done fast,” London said as he leaned in for a soft, lingering kiss.

“We’re not going to need much. So packing was easy,” she whispered with a wink.

“You could run around naked the whole time; I won’t complain,” he said teasingly.

“Down cowboy,” Bianca murmured. “We first have to figure out how to get out of here without anyone noticing.”

“We haven’t driven the Lexus much. How about we take that?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” she said, nodding. “Even though most of the town knows all our vehicles.”

She heard a key turn in the lock, and the front door opened, and Bianca gave her husband a curious look. London rounded the kitchen and walked out the room with Bianca at his heels. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Passion—their cleaning lady. The thirty-something mother of four was startled when she saw them, and her cleaning supply caddy fell to the floor.

“Oh my!”

“Sorry, Passion,” London replied and rushed over to pick it up. “We didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No worries,” she said with a smile on her dark-brown face as she took several deep breaths. “I didn’t know you were home.”

“We decided to play hooky,” Bianca explained and then she had a thought, and her gaze shifted over to London to see a wide grin forming on his lips.

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