Page 11 of Mysterious

“What? That’s impossible. Drew’s supposed to be in charge, Mia. I made sure of that before they left here today. Your mother knew that too since I talked to her this afternoon. Why didn’t she tell me she was planning to bring in someone new? He doesn’t know any of the plans.”

“He’s not new! He’s Michael, the one you told me was the shittiest bodyguard you’d ever heard of. He’s the one in charge, and I swear to God I won’t leave this room if she sends him down here to walk me to the stage. I won’t.”

My emotions are spiraling out of control so much that I don’t think even Ainsley and her Zen stuff could calm me down now. My mother has done some terrible things in her time, but this is the worst. She knows I’ve been on edge since Liam got shot, and she turns around and brings Michael back after she fired him for being such a terrible security chief? What the hell is wrong with her?

“Listen to me, Mia. I want you to relax. This is all under control. I’ll call Drew and find out what’s going on. Give me a couple minutes and then I’ll call you back. Don’t worry. My guys wouldn’t let me down and they won’t let you down either.”

When I don’t say anything, he adds, “Trust me. I’ll handle this and then you won’t have to worry about any of it. You’ll just be able to have a great show and thrill all those fans who are dying to see you, okay? I saw on the news that the line of people to get in is the biggest the Pavilion has ever had.”

“Okay. Just fix this, Liam. I don’t want to have him in charge. I don’t feel safe without you.”

“I will. I’ll call you right back.”

Slamming my phone down onto the table, I consider storming out to find my mother and firing her insubordinate ass for doing this on the biggest night I’ve had in so long. She knows how important these first shows are to me and everyone else in the crew. This is where we get the feel for how things are and what needs to be tweaked a little so everything runs smoothly when we’re out on the road miles away from home. How could she pull this on me tonight?

A knock on the dressing room door startles me, and the next thing I know, there is Michael smiling at me like we’re the best of friends and he didn’t treat me like I never meant a thing to him the second my traitorous mother fired him just six weeks ago. His expression comes off as smug, like he always knew he’d get his job back and nothing he did to me would matter.

Well, he’s wrong. Now he’ll get to find out just how mistaken he was.

“Don’t say a word because I don’t want to hear a thing from you. Just turn around and walk out the way you came in. You are not my bodyguard anymore, so you don’t belong in here. Whatever my mother told you was wrong, so leave.”

Michael runs his hand through his dark hair and smiles. “Good to know some things don’t change. I was wondering if you’d settled down since I left. I see you haven’t.”

“This isn’t some happy reunion, Michael. This is me telling you to get the fuck out or I swear to God I’m going to scream at the top of my lungs until the cops haul your ass away from here,” I snap, hating the very sight of this man.

My phone begins to vibrate across the table, so I quickly grab it and see it’s Liam. The second I put the phone to my ear, I hear him say to me, “Mia, I just talked to Drew. I don’t know what your mother is up to, but she’s all but cut my guys out tonight. All they’ve been told is Michael is in charge, but when they’ve tried to brief him on the plans I set up, he walks away. I’m getting ready to leave right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Before I can say a word, the call ends. Furious at the man standing in front of me and my mother, I spin around to face Michael and shake my head. Whatever the two of them thought was going to happen tonight isn’t, thanks to Liam.

“You and my mother screwed up, pal. You think you can just upend everything because she wants you back? Fuck you! I don’t want you back, and my new chief of security is pissed that you’ve made a mess of his plans to protect me. So get the hell out and go tell my mother than I’m not leaving this dressing room until Liam gets here, so she better goddamned hope there isn’t a lot of traffic or this fucking show won’t happen at all.”

My former bodyguard takes a step back and shakes his head. “Still doing the diva act, Mia? Fine. I’ll tell her, but everyone’s going to hate you for doing this just because you can’t have your way.”

“I’m doing this because I don’t feel safe without the one person who makes me feel fucking safe, you asshole!” I scream. “Tell my mother that too!”

When he leaves, I sit down again, weak from too much yelling and knowing I’ve probably wrecked my voice for tonight. I can’t decide if I want to cry or hit something. Or both.

My mother knows someone shot Liam not ten feet away from where I was standing, and she feels like bringing in some guy who made me feel like shit after she fired him is the logical next step she should take? I don’t think I’m ever going to forgive her for this.

How can I?

I hear the crowd cheering for me to come out and entertain them like I’m supposed to. I want to. They have no idea how much I want to be out there singing my heart out for them on every goddamned song.

But I can’t do it if I don’t feel safe, and without Liam, I can’t leave this room. I won’t.

The door flies open, and my mother storms in like she’s got a bone to pick with me. She’s as mistaken as her idiot new best friend if she thinks I’m going to just sit here and take her nonsense now.

“Michael says you won’t come out. Is that true?” she asks in some kind of fake shocked voice.

“Your little errand boy moves quickly when he wants to. What did you promise you’d give him to get him to behave so well, Mother?” I ask, staring into her dark eyes to find the truth of her feelings.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re making a fool of yourself, Mia. Michael is doing us a favor, one he didn’t have to agree to after I fired him and you made that scene at his apartment. Now let’s get going because your adoring fans are waiting.”

She turns toward the door as if her simply saying I have to go is all it takes. My feet feel like they’re encased in cement, though. I’m not leaving this room without seeing Liam and knowing he’s got everything under control.

“No. When Liam gets here, then I’ll go because I’ll know I’ll be safe. So you and Michael go find yourselves someplace to bitch about me until then because I’m not budging from this room.”

My mother’s eyes open wide, and I know she isn’t pretending to be shocked now. I’ve been stubborn on a great many points in the past with her, but I’ve never sounded like I do tonight.

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