Page 21 of Captivating

The head of my label sits across from me at the table, with my tour manager on one side and her VP of marketing on the other. She doesn’t smile. Hell, she looks as pissed as I feel. “Not even a little bit, Lilah. We can’t even get insurance to cover the rest of the tour. We’ve got to cancel the remaining eight venues and refund the tickets.”

“No. I’ll insure it myself before I’ll do that.” I refuse to let some unknown creep control my life and my career that I’ve worked my ass off for.

“Lilah,” my manager, Scottie, blurts out. “We should discuss this.”

I glance her way, then let my eyes stop briefly on my publicist, Zoe, before I turn back to Iris. No need to even look at Noah. I may be pissed at him over last night, but he’s a steady, supporting force to my left. A united front, as always. “I will not cancel eight stops.”

“Your safety and the safety of everyone in the venues has to come first,” Iris tells me calmly, like she’s rehearsed it. “Tell me you understand that.”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a green newbie getting ready for her first tour, Iris. I understand safety. I also understand refusing to allow some crazy person to dictate my life and my tour. I didn’t even want to do this tour in the first place, but you insisted. Now there is absolutely no way I’m going to disappoint thousands of fans and tell the world that I’m too scared to do myjob all in one fell swoop. Find insurance, or I’ll fund it myself.” I push back from the enormous boardroom table and rise with my head held as high as I can. “This is my life.”

“I’ll keep working on it on one condition,” Iris stops me. She waits until I give her my full attention. “You agree to increase security.”

I open my mouth, but she shakes her head. “I mean it, Lilah. I need someone on you at all times. No sneaking off like you did this morning.”

“What the fuck?” I look from her to Noah, but my brother shakes his head. “Xander called you?” Blood roars in my ears. Guess that means I’m firing Xander.

“Of course, he advised me. He works for me.” She bristles, closing the black leather folio in front of her with a slap. “Everyone out. I want to talk to Lilah alone.”

“You okay?” Scottie asks and waits for my okay before she packs up and walks out with Zoe. Noah, however, doesn’t move.

“I’m sorry, Noah. Did you think that meant you could stay?” Iris snaps, and my brother doesn’t even flinch.

He crosses his arms and leans back in the chair. “I’d like to see you try to move me, Iris. Anything you say to her, you can say in front of me.”

“You heard him,” I echo and wait.

“You two drive me absolutely fucking crazy. You know that, right?” It’s not the first time she’s told us that. “Fine. Like I said, if you agree to an increased security presence, I’ll continue exploring insurance options. But only if you agree, Lilah. This isn’t about the money. It’s about your life.”

“Fine. But I want them to work for me, not you. A family friend owns a security company,” I argue, thinking of Maddox’s dad.

“No. Hard no. Your security team works for us. Nonnegotiable.”

“Nothing is nonnegotiable, Iris. If you want my security increased, I’ll agree to one more man.” I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I’m not sure I have a better option either. Better to deal with the devil you know. Noah squeezes my hand, and the overwhelming urge to kick him in the balls comes hard and fast. I debate it for all of thirty seconds before I hear Iris’s sigh.Fuck. “One man.” I cannot believe I’m saying this, but I’ve laid it down now. Might as well commit. “He can live inside my house. He can go everywhere with me. And he can basically beat anyone to death with his bare hands.”

I drop Noah’s hand and focus on Iris. She’s got to buy into this. She has to. I don’t have a better option... even if I know I’m going to regret it. “To the world, we’ll look like a couple in love. But he’ll never let anyone near me.”

“And does this magical man have a name?” Intrigued, she lowers her chin and waits me out as my heart and head wage an internal battle big enough to putGame Of Thronesto shame.

“He’s the UFC World Heavyweight Champion.”

“Killian St. James,” she scoffs. “You want me to put Scarlet Kingston’s son in danger?”

“Scarlet St. James,” I correct her.

“I don’t give a flying fuck who she married. She’s still Scarlet Kingston, and she’s never going to agree to this,” Iris argues, clearly having come across Killian’s formidable mother before.

“It was Killian’s idea, and he’s a grown man with a mind of his own. I promise you he’s in, and this won’t backfire.” I leave off the part where I think it won’t backfire on her because this crazy scheme is absolutely going to bite me in the ass.

Iris finally sits down and opens her folio, tapping her pen as she considers what I just laid out. Eventually, a small smile creeps up on her lips. “This could work. It would be great PR for both of you, and no one would even think to step up to that mountain of a man. But you still have to let me increase yourother team. They don’t have to be inside your house or inside the events with you if he is, but they check it all out and stay outside the entire time.”

When I open my mouth, she stops me. “No. Lilah, he’s not trained for this the way they are. He can be your body man, but I want professionals checking locations. I want them driving. I want them armed. Don’t fight me on this. You will not win.”

“Not in my house. That’s nonnegotiable.” My nerves and my anger tumble with my growing frustration, along with the unbelievable hurt that mixes in whenever Killian is involved, and I have no doubt I just made a deal with the devil because there’s no way I’m getting out of this unscathed.

Alive isn’t the same as unhurt.

KILLIAN

---