Page 35 of Scorned Queen

His expression is stone.“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Oh my God, Damion and his threats.”I throw my hands up in the air.“I know you aren’t after my body, Adam.I have minutes to get to my call time.Come in now.”I back up, and, thankfully, he steps inside.

“Shut the door,” I order, bending down to pick up the note, and when we’re sealed inside alone, I hand it to him.“Look at this.”

His brows dip, but he accepts the piece of paper and reads, his gaze shooting to mine.“What is this?”

“This morning, I received flowers.I thought they were from Damion.I was late and didn’t look at the card until now.”I motion to the note he holds.“That’s not from Damion.”

His gaze darts to mine and narrows.“Who is this from?”

“His father,” I say, hugging myself.“I know it’s from his father.”

He shoots a photo of the note and hands it back to me.I wave it off, wanting nothing to do with the threat I cannot truly escape, but at least I don’t have to fretfully read it over and over if it’s with him, not me.“What did he give you that he’s threatening to take away?”he asks.

I tunnel my fingers through my hair in utter frustration.“I’ve been trying to figure that out.Damion?My show?He doesn’t have the direct power to cancel us, but he bribes everyone.He can get to anyone, it seems.Or maybe it’s the money my father borrowed?Or even my mother?I don’t know; I really don’t, but none of these possibilities are good for me and those around me.They hurt someone other than myself—all of them—which means I can’t just blow this off.And I think it’s important to note that I found the flowers in my dressing room right about the time he paraded my mother in front of Damion’s lawyer.”

“Does Damion know?”

“I can’t reach him, and I have to report to my call time.”I glance at my watch.“Now.I have to go now.”

I try to step around him, and he catches my arm.“I have to tell Damion.”

“Tell him.He’s going to lose his shit though, so make sure someone is with him to pull him off his father.”

His lips press together.“I’ll handle it once we get you to the studio.”

“How?You’re stuck here with me.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“I’ll be in a soundproof booth.No one can get to me there.I’ll be in there for hours.I’ll be safe, locked down even.You can go handle this, and I’ll be fine.”

“We have a second man on his way over.I’m not leaving you alone.”

“A second man is a little excessive, don’t you think?”I challenge.

“No,” he says, offering nothing more, and I can’t help but wonder what he knows that I do not.

He opens the dressing room door, surveys the hallway, and then motions me forward.I glance at my ring, and consider removing it, but decide against it.It makes me feel close to Damion and I need that right now.I step out of the room, and join Adam.Side by side, we travel toward my destination, and when we’re finally there, thankfully everyone else is already inside, and I hold up a hand to Adam.“You can’t go inside.This is the actual recording studio.”

“I’ll need to clear your location.That’s non-optional.The studio is aware of my presence.They’ve approved me to do what I need to do.”

“Adam—”

“Alana,” he counters.“I’m going to clear the room, or you’re not going in.”There’s an absoluteness to his tone.Damion hasn’t just paid him to protect me.Instinctively, I know he’s threatened him, though I have a sense that neither of those things matter to Adam.What does is how much I mean to Damion to make him do those things.

I draw in a breath and nod.He opens the door to my destination, steps inside, and, after about sixty seconds, returns.“Clear.”

“Thank you,” I say softly.“I know you’re just trying to help.I don’t mean to be difficult.I’m just not used to—well, all of this.”

“And we’re going to do our best to ensure you don’t need to get used to any of this.We’ll help Damion make it go away.He loves you.”

His words matter to me, especially the part where it’s obviously enough that he knows Damion loves me, but I’ve never really questioned that love.We’ve always loved each other.There have just always been obstacles between us, and every moment I’m reminded that nothing has changed.

“I love him, too,” I whisper.“Very much.”I rotate away from Adam and step to the door, pausing to calm my nerves and steel myself for what comes next.

Dread fills me at the million questions I will face inside, but a part of me is now quite relieved that Adam is present.He’s an extension of Damion, who is finally back in my life after years of back and forth and turbulent times.But I cannot help but feel I’m the catalyst for something dark and dangerous, and perhaps destructive.

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