AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The bartender gave her a look that said he was so tired of rich people, but he nodded, because he was paid to cater to her. "Sure." He took the phone. "Hello. How may I help you?"
Piper watched as he listened. His eyes narrowed, and he looked at Piper, and then scanned the room. "What does this guy look like?" He asked Piper.
She looked in the mirror and described him.
The bartender's gaze settled across the room. "Got him." He turned away, turning his back to Piper while he continued to talk to Declan.
Tori leaned over. "Update?"
Piper filled her in while the bartender went back to mixing drinks, still on the phone with Declan.
"Damn, girl," Tori said. "Declan checks all the boxes, doesn't he? Dropping everything to keep you safe?"
"I don't have a checklist."
"No, but if you did, he'd fill it in nicely." Tori sat down next to her. "I'm going to text Maddie and Keira. I want them here with us. There is power in numbers."
Piper nodded. "Thanks." She saw Dick leaning against a pillar, watching her. His phone was in his hand, dangling from his fingertips. He wasn't even pretending not to watch her. He was stalking her, trying to intimidate her. Dammit. This wasn't a one-time thing. These were his social circles, and they were hers.
He would never stop until he had his wife back, or had finished his business with Piper.
Tori squeezed her arm. "In it together, girl. We always are."
While Tori texted, the bartender handed the phone back to her. "Piper, my name is Myles Bolden." His voice had an interesting lilt, an accent she couldn’t quite place. Cajun, maybe? His skin was dark brown, his eyes impenetrable, his energy focused and all business. Gone was the annoyed bartender. His tone was gentle, but there was an edge to it. "I'm your bodyguard for the next thirty minutes."
Piper took a breath. "All right."
He looked at Tori. "You're her friend?"
Tori cleared her throat. "Yes, I'm Tori."
"So, this man has seen you with Piper?"
Tori glanced at Piper. "Yes."
"Then you're under my protection as well. If you have other friends here, tell them to stay away."
At that moment, Maddie and Keira raced up. "We're here," Maddie said. "Lucas's plane is landing in a few minutes. I'm going to call him, and get the Harts on this?—"
Tori and Piper met gazes and turned toward each other, blocking out their friends. "You guys need to go," Piper said softly, not looking at them.
"What? No?—"
Myles leaned in. "If Dick sees you with Piper, you both becomehis target. Stay at the bar, but go to the other end and pretend you don't know Piper and Tori. Do it now."
They stared at Myles. "Wow," Maddie said. "You're like a Hart with that intensity."
He raised his brows. "I'll take that as a compliment. I've met a few of them through the Stocktons, and they're good people."
"You know the Stocktons?" Maddie said. "I'm marrying a Hart! The Stocktons will be my family, too."
Myles eyed Maddie. "All the more reason to keep you out of danger. To the other end. Both of you. Now."
"Right. Got it." Maddie grabbed Keira's arm, but didn't look at Piper or Tori. "See you guys across the room, where we can stare longingly at each other."
"Stay safe," Piper muttered. "Please."
"Always."
