Page 65 of Reckless King

I keep those thoughts to myself though. “Someone from Pinnacle Security will be there within twenty minutes. I won’t be far behind them.”

She lets out a sigh, probably realizing there’s no point in arguing with me. “Okay. Thank you.”

The moment we disconnect, I dial Pinnacle. Once they have the information and assure me they’ll head that way immediately, I stride back into the dining room. “I have to go. Violet needs me.”

“What’s wrong?” Cole asks, the tension stiffening his posture probably a reflection of mine.

“Reporters. And not the good kind.” I don’t need to say more. We’ve all had enough experience with the tabloids to know what that means.

He half stands. “You need help?”

“I’ve got it handled. A security team is on its way.”

With a nod, he slowly sits again.

“Call us if you need anything,” Roman says.

I nod my appreciation at him, strangely touched by his terse offer. Then I shoot a glance at Mom, expecting her to be wearing a look of irritation. She won’t be happy that I’m cutting lunch short. Instead, she’s watching me, the tiniest of creases between her Botox-frozen brows. I raise my own at her, waiting for the inevitable comment about my priorities.

But she waves her hand in the air. “Go, go. The last thing anyone needs is those leeches lurking around.”

The surprise that hits me is etched onto my brothers’ faces as well. I don’t have time to unpack her out of character response, so with a silent nod, I head out the door, my mind back on Violet.

The urgency pumping through my veins right now is mostly unfamiliar, and it’s got nothing to do with work, or the company, and everything to do with the woman I convinced to participate in this ruse with me.

I’ve gone through life doing my best not to care too deeply about anyone. It’s safer that way. But within a few short weeks of meeting Violet again, I find myself caring more than I should. I don’t quite know what to make of that knowledge. Maybe it will turn out to be nothing. Maybe it’s just a side effect of the parts we’re playing. But regardless of the why, the outcome is the same. The urge to protect her as if she were really mine is too strong to ignore. And I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure she’s safe. Even if Violet doesn’t like what I’m going to propose when I get to her.

Twenty minutes later, while Jeremy is navigating standard NYC traffic, I get a call from Pinnacle. They’re at Violet’s shop, and they’ve evicted all the reporters. Although they’re apparently still loitering outside. At least now Violet can come out from the back.

It takes another twenty minutes to get there. From down the street, the crowd gathered out front is easy to spot.

I shake my head. Fucking vultures. They’re welcome to come after me. After all, I’ve been making news in the tabloids for years, but they can stay the fuck away from Violet.

“Do you want me to take you around the block, Mr. King?” Jeremy asks.

“No. Let me out here. I’ll deal with them.”

As soon as the car has come to a stop at the curb, I swing the door open and step out. I’ve barely straightened to my full height before the reporters have surrounded me.

“Mr. King, is it true that you and Violet Sinclair are engaged?”

“Tate, where did you and Miss Sinclair meet?”

“What made you decide to finally put a ring on it?”

For a long moment, I stand my ground and stare each reporter down. Only when the whole crowd has fallen silent do I speak. “I’m only going to say this once. Yes, Violet and I are engaged. Yes, I’ve known her for a while. This is not out of the blue. The time was just right for both of us. Now, let me make myself very clear. My fiancée is an extremely hardworking small-business owner. She doesn’t need you descending on her and making her life difficult just because you have an unhealthy fascination with my relationship status. I would appreciate it if you give her the privacy she’s entitled to and don’t interfere with her business. That’s all I have to say on the matter.”

More questions are thrown at me, but with Jeremy by my side, I make my way through the throng of people and into the shop. With Pinnacle still on the scene, they don’t bother trying to follow me inside, though several take photos through the window.

Inside, two burly bodyguards stand conspicuously next to the counter. I sigh to myself and head for them first, shaking their hands and thanking them for coming on such short notice. Then,because I don’t see Violet, I tell Jeremy to wait for me here and make my way around the counter.

When I push through the door to the back room, I find Violet at the bench, slicing bread. Jarrod is standing next to her, his hand on her shoulder, his head lowered close to hers as he talks.

She looks up as she registers the sound of the door opening. My shoulders are tense in anticipation of how she’ll react to seeing me. She has every right to be angry that I put her in this situation. But instead of irritation or outrage, her eyes fill with relief. She drops her knife on the cutting board, dusts her hands on her apron and starts toward me.

Jarrod steps back, a stony expression on his face. Yeah, he has a right to be pissed at me. Hell, I’m pissed at myself. I should have had security in place from the moment we started this thing.

I give him a nod, acknowledging his help. It’s the least I can do. But that concession doesn’t mean I’ll allow him to take over my role in her life.

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