Page 22 of Craving the Off-Limits Billionaire

“Mate, how are you?”

Leonidas watched as Mila sipped her tea, the action graceful, even as her finger shook. “I’m at your place in Croatia,” he cut to the chase.

“You are? That’s funny, because my cousin was planning—,”

“Mila’s here too.”

Silence, while Benji digested that. “I see.” Another stretch of silence. “Please tell me you’re not calling to tell me something’s happened between the two of you, because you know how much I care about you, but hell—,”

“No,” Leonidas demurred, guilt exploding in his belly. “That’s not why I’m calling.” He neatly sidestepped an admission of guilt. “What do you know of Mila’s stalker?”

“Stalker?” Benji repeated, and Leo could practically hear his best friend’s frown. “I know there was some overzealous fan a few months ago. Why?”

So she hadn’t been honest with Benji, just as Leonidas suspected. He took a moment to bring his friend up to speed, relaying what Mila had told him in concise bullet points, without taking his eyes off Mila inside. His senses were honed; he heard and saw everything.

Benji let out a low whistle. “Why the hell didn’t she tell me?”

“I can only presume she didn’t want to worry you.”

“Damn it, I’m her only family. Her only friend. Who else can she turn to?”

“Me,” Leonidas said simply. “I’ll help her.”

“You don’t need this right now. You’ve got enough going on.”

“I’m offering. I’m here. I’ll get Grieg on the case,” he said, referring to his head of security. “And I’ll keep her safe in the meantime.”

“Leo, you don’t have to—,”

“Don’t I?” He leaned against the doorjamb. “Have you forgotten what I owe you?”

“You owe me nothing,” Benji dismissed. “I was only being a friend to you.”

“Then let me do the same. Let me help Mila. I promise you with my life, I will keep her safe.”

Benji was quiet, and Leonidas knew him so well, he could perfectly picture the analytical look on Benji’s face. “I don’t know why she didn’t tell me.”

“She strikes me as a very independent person, someone who’s used to dealing with things on her own.”

“She is. She’s had to be. Mila’s done it tough for a long time.”

Something inside Leonidas stretched to breaking point. She was beautiful and talented, confident and courageous, but she was also broken, hurting from life circumstance, adept at pushing people away, because she’d had to be. He ached to contemplate how often she must have felt the sting of rejection.

“Leo, be careful.” Benji sighed.

“You think I’m danger?”

“Who knows? This person sounds unhinged. But I meant—,”

Leonidas closed his eyes. Benji didn’t need to finish the sentence. “I know.”

“The way you are with women, I don’t judge, but Mila isn’t—,”

“I know. For God’s sake, Benji, I get it. I’m trying to help her, not hurt her.”

“Good. She’s known enough hurt in her lifetime.”

After disconnectingthe call with Benji, Leo called Grieg, his head of security, and filled him in as well, galvanizing him to act, to take point on the investigation. Within twenty minutes, local police began to arrive at the house, but Leonidas was not there to witness their arrival. He’d taken Mila and her most essential belongings only, away from the house, the threat, her fear, and any sense of danger.

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