Page 64 of From Us, Forever

“Security measures,” I replied, pulling my arms around her.

“Oh, I forgot.” She gave me a small smile before a sheepish look crept over her eyes. “I’m sorry I slept the whole way. I didn’t even realize I was that tired. But I’ll make it up to you.”

“Sure, you will,” I muttered as we entered the suite.

“I will,” she promised.

After dinner, Evelyn was asleep once again, curled up like a tiny shrimp in the middle of the bed. Must be all the sleepless nights I put her through last week. I tucked the sheets over her and placed a kiss on her cheek before I softly shut the bedroom door and ventured to the living room area that had a fully equipped bar.

Pouring myself a good measure of scotch, I padded to the floor-length windows overlooking the city lights and the shadowy mountains beyond.

Restless energy swirled inside me for some reason.

I sighed, tapping my finger along my thigh as I finished my drink.

The shrill sound of my phone ringing reverberated through the room. Frowning, I slid it out of my pocket, and with one glance at the caller ID, my molars clenched with friction.

I knew it was her; it didn’t matter how many numbers I blocked—she called me in a different one. Despite my best judgment, I thumbed the call open.

“What?” I gritted through my teeth, and after radio silence for a while, curiosity got hold of me.

“This is a surprise,” Cece’s shrill voice filtered through the call. “Usually, I’d have to call a few times before you pick up.”

“What is it?”

“You’re impatient. Is your girl not keeping you satisfied?”

“Don’t speak of her,” I warned in a menacing tone. “If you don’t get to the point, I’m cutting this call and changing the number.”

“Fine. Fine. Fine. You’re no fun, Emmie. But it looks like you didn’t get my message last month.”

“I did.” The vein in my forehead started to throb. “And so did the cops.”

“Yeah, right, I got the call, told me how I should stay away from you and all. But listen…” Her voice turned serious all of a sudden, almost distressed rather than her usual cool and collected tone. “All you had to do was wire the money, Emmie. That’s the least you could’ve done after everything Father did for you guys.” Her voice cracked at the mention of Dorian, almost as if somewhere in her deranged head, she truly loved him. “Now it’s too late. The stakes have gotten high; he’s asking for fifty million now, and I can’t do shit about it. You need to send it to me, or I swear my phone calls will be the least of your problems.”

My spine chilled. “Who’s asking?”

“No one.” Her voice sounded panicked. “I need to pay the debt the label owed, Emmie. They won’t leave me alone.”

“That’s not my problem, Cece. It was your own doing. But the last I checked, the money the label owed died with your dad, and you didn’t have to worry about that.”

“It’s bigger than that, Emmie. Look, I don’t want to waste my time talking in circles with you. You might want to look at the message I sent you.”

Frowning, I peered at the bunch of images that she sent me, and the grip on my phone tightened. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Cece.”

“Look, I don’t want to do this, but you’re making me. Send me the money by the end of the week, or those photos will be plastered all over the media.”

“I don’t do well with threats, Cece. It won’t end well for you,” I slithered in a glacial tone.

Her nervous laughter spurted out. “You don’t understand. It was the only way I knew to get out of this mess. Please, you have to do it. You don’t want your sweet girlfriend to see those pictures now, do you?”

“I’m done with this call.”

I resisted the urge to hurl my phone across the room as I stormed to the bar and poured myself another glass—this time to the brim.

The burn of the alcohol washed down my throat, but it did nothing to cool the anger flooding my blood.

I had no clue how Cece had taken those pictures, but I knew exactly from which day it was. It was a couple of years ago when she’d been giving the hints and pestering me for months, so I agreed to a few dates, not wanting to hurt a friend—a time in my life I didn’t know day from night because I was high as a kite with only the thoughts ofherin my mind. I knew only after two dates that I felt nothing for Cece. I remember when I told her amid the crashing waves at that restaurant in Malibu that it wasn’t going to work out—she was hurt and even faked a few tears. I couldn’t see that then, so when she kissed me, I let her.

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