Page 15 of Captivating

“Yeah... but you’d keep her safe.” It’s like a lightbulb just went off behind his eyes. “You could be there when I’m not. And... you could be inside the house. She won’t let Xander in.”

“What are you talking about? What’s a Xander?” I swear to God, he’s only had two beers and two shots, but he’s already losing me as his train of thought zigzags along.

“Xander is her bodyguard. He may not look like much, but he’s a perfect shot.”

Maddox hears the wordshota few steps down the bar and pops his head back in front of us. “Like with a gun?”

Guess now he’s intrigued.

Noah nods. “Ten out of ten.”

“Doubtful,” Madman muses. “Bet I could take him.”

“Lilah doesn’t want some guy whipping out a gun to protect her. That should be the last option.” My voice thunders a little more than it should, but she hates guns. Hates them. “There’s about ten million ways to protect someone before you have to reach for a weapon.”

Noah and Maddox seem to have a whole conversation without saying a word before they look at me with eerie fucking smiles that creep me the hell out. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

“Dude.” Noah points at me with his bottle of beer. “You’re the answer.”

“The answer to what?” I think I know what he’s about to say, but it’s like I can’t steer away from the impending disaster.

“You... You can keep her safe. You can stay in the house. She can go to the gym with you during the day—” Noah seems thrilled with this idea as Maddox cuts him off.

“Yeah, and nobody would think anything of it if you were out with her. This guy everyone is so worried about thinks he’s in love with her. Show him he can’t have her. You could be her boyfriend. You know... friends to lovers. High-school sweethearts. All that shit,” Maddox adds, and I stare in shock.

“What?” I ask, and neither guy answers. Fuck. They don’t even look at me until I slam my palm against the bar. “What the fuck are you talking about? Who loves her? What guy?”

“How’d you know?” Noah asks Maddox grimly.

Madman lifts his chin, but his knuckles grow white against his grip on the bar. “I make it my business to know when my friends are threatened. I’m a goddamn Beneventi. You really surprised?”

Fuck. He’s pissed. And I’m not following.

“Someone want to clue me the hell in?” It’s a demand as much as a question.

“The bomb.” Noah’s elbows hit the bar, and he buries his head in his hands. “She had a stalker for about two months before that. One who likes to send herthings. He thinks he loves her. He thinks she loves him. The note said everyone was keeping her away from him, and he didn’t want anyone in the way.”

My lungs forget how to pump air, and I choke on the weight of what he just said.

A stalker.

The last time someone I knew had a stalker, someone died.

Suddenly, I stop worrying about breathing and concentrate on not puking up my shots.

“That doesn’t make sense. If Lilah knows about this freak, why is she fighting so hard against having security?” But even as I say the words, the answer smacks me in the face as hard as Maddox’s fist when we’re sparring. “Shit.” I stare between Noah and Maddox. “She doesn’t know.”

It’s not a question.

I know I’m right before I look at Noah’s guilty-as-fuck face.

“How the hell could she not know?” I demand.

Noah blows out a long breath. “I’m not even sure howheknows. But I just figure I’m better off not asking.”

Yeah. I get that. We all just let Maddox do his thing and accept it with few questions.

“But Lilah. How could she not know?” My head throbs at the idea of them hiding this from her.

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