Page 7 of Mysterious

As much as I understand her concern, I’m not in the mood to discuss this. My security situation, as she calls it, is the best it’s ever been. That’s because of one person. Liam. Now that I know he’s going to be fine and right there with me when I go out on tour, I have nothing to worry about.

“Later,” I say, pushing her off like I will every time she brings this up.

“No, now. With Liam laid up, we need to address your security. I think we should bring Michael back.”

I stop, stunned by her suggestion. Spinning around, I try to make out if she’s serious or not. “You want to bring Michael back? Why? I don’t need anyone new, or in this case, old.”

Setting her jaw like she always does when she insists on something, my mother takes a step toward me. “Liam is upstairs in his bed, which is perfectly natural since he’s been shot. That said, he’s not in any shape to protect you, and you need someone by your side when the first shows begin this weekend. We’ve got the media camped out on the street because they sense a story here. If ever you needed security, it’s now. It’s too late to get anyone else to replace Liam, so Michael’s the logical answer to the problem.”

My brain spins at the fact that she’s serious about this. “There is no problem, first of all, so I don’t need a solution. Liam is resting, as the doctor said he has to, but he’ll be by my side when the tour starts. The first few dates are right here in Tampa, and all of his guys he’s brought in to assist him can help him if he needs it, which he won’t. It’s just a few stitches in his upper arm. This isn’t some injury he received on the battlefield. He’ll be fine, so thanks but no thanks about Michael.”

Still, she doesn’t back down, even after I’ve told her no to replacing Liam. And why is she acting like having the media obsessed with me isn’t exactly what she works to cultivate with every move she makes?

“Mia, I handle security for you, and I’m the one who brought Liam in, if you remember. Let me handle things. It’s only until he’s back up on his feet. We don’t really have a choice. Michael is the only one who can come with such short notice.”

Everything she says confuses me. Shaking my head in disbelief, I struggle to understand why she’s being like this.

“You were the one who fired Michael for helping me get that hotel room and sneaking me out. Now you think he’s the only person in the world who can pick up whatever slack you’re sure is going to happen now since Liam’s been shot? Not the guys he trusts and handpicked to work with him to protect me because he wanted to shore up my security, which by the way was so lax that I probably was in more danger than anyone wants to talk about? No! Let Michael stay with his hoochie mama at his apartment. That’s where he belongs.”

Before she can try to give me another reason why I should take that poor excuse for a bodyguard back, I hurry over to Ainsley’s room to talk out all these things I’m feeling about Liam. I know she isn’t crazy about him, but that’s good because she’ll be happy to give me all the Devil’s advocate arguments she can think of.

When she opens her door, I march right in, ready to talk about everything that’s going on with Liam and me. Ainsley looks a little surprised but doesn’t complain about my not asking to come in. Maybe she thinks after what I went through last night that she shouldn’t give me a hard time.

“We need to talk,” I announce as I flop down in the weird saggy chair with the blue cushions over near the window.

“Okay,” she says warily. “What about?”

“I need you to be as tough on me as I need, but remember that my feelings are a little all over the place today, okay?”

Ainsley sits down on her bed and crosses her legs under her. “Okay. I thought for a second there that you had some problem with me, but now I’m confused. What do I have to be tough on you about? Hey, shouldn’t you be rehearsing with Tiffany and your dancers? The tour begins in only a few days.”

“That’s not what I need you to be tough on me about, but thanks. I’ll get to her and them in a few minutes. First, though, I need you to give me all the reasons why I shouldn’t care about Liam.”

My life coach levels her harsh gaze directly on my face and grimaces. “You sure you want me to go there? Because there are about a million small reasons and one big reason I can give you for not falling for him.”

I shrug, hopeful when she hears the truth that I’m already crazy about him that she won’t pitch a fit. “Too late. I’ve already fallen.”

“Then what the hell is this conversation for?” she asks in exasperation.

“To help me figure out what to do! Stop being so difficult. The man protected me last night after someone shot him. You act as if he’s some scum off the street.”

She lets out a heavy sigh full of irritation. “Fine. He did his job. Yay for him. That’s no reason to fall head over heels in love with him.”

My face heats up from a blush at her mention of love. “I didn’t say I was head over heels in love with him. God, you are such a drama queen. I said I’ve fallen for him. Not in love. Let’s just say in caring for him.”

“Fall in care with someone? Okay, so now we’re just making shit up? At least I know the rules of this conversation. So you care for him? Why? That seems like a good place to start. Tell me why you care for Mr. Rules and Regulations, who by the way hates your dear friend, yours truly.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He just hates how you sound like you’re giving birth to goats when you do your evening stretches,” I say, struggling to hold back my laughter.

But Ainsley doesn’t find any of it funny.

“He’s crazy uptight. Like if you stuck coal up his ass, you’d be able to pull out a diamond in a week.”

I scrunch up my face at that visual. “I’m not sure if you’re trying to make me dislike him or you with that description, Ains. Can we get back to talking about my caring for him? I need you to tell me why I shouldn’t.”

“Because he’s your chief of security. That sounds like a good place to start. Isn’t he breaking some kind of personal code of ethics people like him make a pledge to uphold when they take a job?” she asks in a tone that tells me she thinks he is.

“I don’t know. Is that really a thing?” I ask, wondering if Liam could get into trouble for caring for me.

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