Page 11 of Behind the Scenes

Handsome didn’t matter if the man had the manners of a pig.

“Nothing special, if you ask me. I’ve dated much better looking men, so whatever he thinks he’s got going on, it isn’t much.”

“What made him so odious?” Lauren asked innocently.

Alexis opened her mouth to explain what happened, but nothing came out. She was so furious. The man had actually made her speechless.

Finally, she said, “I don’t want to talk about it now. Just take my word for it. He won’t be here long if he doesn’t realize who’s the boss here.”

“It’s your home, Alexis. Paul needs to understand that if you don’t want someone in it, they need to go. I think he’s forgotten that lately.”

She smiled down at Lauren. “Thank you for reminding me. This is why you’re irreplaceable, you know that? Everyone else could go away, but as long as I have you to rely on, I know I’ll be okay.”

“You can rely on me. Always. Never forget that.”

Alexis closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. At least she had one person she could trust in the world.

Chapter Four

Hunter carefully examinedevery square inch of Alexis Marchand’s penthouse apartment, and after two hours of checking each window and door, he felt satisfied that at the very least that part of protecting her wouldn’t be a problem. The fact that her home took up one-fourth of the top floor of the building had given him concern, but after checking out all the entrances, he didn’t worry as much.

A single elevator as the only means of reaching the apartment meant anyone trying to get in would have to get by security on the main floor. Hunter immediately decided at least one of Alexis’s security detail would have to be stationed near the front door of the building at all times. To trust her safety to the single security guard who manned the entire main floor wouldn’t be wise.

He found Paul waiting for him in the dining room next to the kitchen. The manager sat alone at a long table that seated ten, so he pulled out a chair and sat down next to him.

“I’ve done my preliminary examination of the penthouse. The location on the top floor makes creating a security plan much easier since there’s only one way into the apartment, unless your stalker plans on scaling the side of the building.”

Paul laughed. “You have no idea how dedicated some of her fans are. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if one tried it sometime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Other than that, I think at least one, if not two, of her security guys should be stationed in the lobby of the building at all times round the clock.”

“Okay,” Paul said, nodding in agreement. “That won’t be a problem.”

“Good. I don’t think we should rely on the building’s security when it comes to things like a stalker. Other than that, all packages need to be inspected by me before anyone does anything with them.”

That made Paul grimace, and he stopped nodding. “On that, we might have an issue.”

“Oh?” Hunter asked, wondering why something so simple would cause a problem.

Hesitating, Paul took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly before he answered. “Lexi isn’t going to be happy about that. She’s going to see it as an invasion of her privacy.”

“Well, she can get over it or she go through what you described happened the other night again. Which do you think she’d find less of a hassle?” Hunter asked, already getting irritated at how this place worked.

If Alexis Marchand wanted to be protected, she’d have to accept the fact that it might mean some things needed to change. If she couldn’t, he’d never be able to help her or find out who was stalking her.

Paul drew his eyebrows in toward his nose in an expression of worry. “I’ll just have to explain it to her. I’m sure if I do that she’ll understand.”

The two men sat silently for a long moment before Hunter asked a question he needed answered. “Why did you call Persephone for help with this? Did Alexis ask you to?”

“Oh no,” he answered, shaking his head quickly. “She’d never ask for help like this. It’s not in her nature. She might not know how to solve this problem, but she’s stubborn. She would have kept going like she has been for months if I hadn’t contacted you guys.”

“I think maybe this might have worked better if she actually wanted the kind of help I can offer. As it is now, she’s not very receptive to it.”

“You just have to understand Lexi. She’s strong, and I mean that in any number of ways. She doesn’t want to be considered helpless, but that’s exactly what this guy has done to her. If you knew her before all this began, you wouldn’t recognize her now.”

Curious as to why Paul kept referring to the stalker as a male, Hunter said, “You keep saying he and him when you talk about her stalker. Do you have an idea of who it might be that makes you think it’s a man? An ex-boyfriend, for example?”

“No, not really. I think I keep saying it’s a man because Alexis is sure the stalker is a guy.”

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