“Don’t be ridiculous.” It’s not like Tony to be dramatic. “I might hate what you represent, but I don’t hate you personally. Giving you a few sleeping pills is not the same as poisoning you, which is what I’d do if I wanted to kill you.”
“Don’t you dare make light of this. This is no laughing matter,” he snaps, and it’s uncharacteristic because Tony is always calm and he’s always been nice to me. “I didn’t wake until six a.m., Sierra. I was knocked out cold for twelve hours. Anything could have happened to you in that time. I had no choice but to take Pen’s word that you were safe. Knowing you were out there with some guy I hadn’t vetted, without your purse or your cell—” Scrubbing a hand across his stubbly chin, he shakes his head, pinning me with pained eyes as he sighs. “I’ve been worried sick.”
I’m instantly chastised because I see the truth written all over his face. I lean forward on my elbows, looking him straight in the eye. “I’m really sorry, Tony. It was a totally shitty thing to do. This wasn’t anything personal. I swear. I just wanted to let loose and have fun without you watching my every move and reporting it to my father.”
“And did you?” he asks.
I frown. “Did I what?”
“Have fun?” His features soften a little as he looks at me expectantly. Reading between the lines, I can tell he understands why I did what I did, maybe even approves on a subconscious level. Warmth spreads across my chest. I’m glad Tony is my bodyguard. Because he knows me, understands me, and while he still wants to throttle me for putting myself at risk, he gets it.
I smile, nodding. “I did.” Mostly.
He crouches over me, and his brow puckers as he gently brushes his fingers against my neck. His eyes narrow as he zones in on the slight finger-sized bruising around my throat. “Did someone hurt you?” Anger and fear replace the previous emotion in his eyes, and he looks ready to flatten someone.
“No. It’s not what it looks like.” I inwardly cringe. “It was consensual.”
“You’re sure I don’t need to beat someone’s ass?”
I cough out a laugh at the very idea of Tony trying to take on Ben and his gun-toting friends. “I’m sure.”
He stands. “This can’t happen again, Sierra. I’m charged with protecting you for a reason. There are plenty of crazies out there who would love to get at your father through you. If anything had happened to you last night, I would never have been able to live with it. Your safety is more than just a job to me.”
Without hesitation, I jump up, flinging my arms around him. He doesn’t hesitate to return my hug, and we enjoy a rare, brief embrace. “I care about you too. And I am really, genuinely, honestly sorry. I promise I will never do that again.”
“Okay.” Air whooshes out of his mouth, and the last vestiges of his anger disappear.
“So, we’re gonna keep this between us. Yeah?” I offer him my best puppy-dog eyes.
“Yeah.” He sighs, running a hand across the back of his neck. “But don’t make me regret it. If your father finds out what happened, and that I hid it from him, he won’t just can my ass.”
“He won’t find out. I promise.” I know Pen and Esme will carry the secret to their graves. The other girls are never at my house, and Father doesn’t even know their names, so we’re good. I breathe a sigh of relief. At least that’s one problem diverted.
I follow Tony out, joining my two best friends in the living room, watching as he exits the suite to stand guard in the corridor.
“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I ordered a bunch of things,” Pen says, waving at the array of cold and hot foods on the long coffee table.
My stomach rumbles appreciatively, reminding me I haven’t eaten since dinner last night. “What time is it anyway?”
“It’s just after two,” Esme says, pulling me into a hug. Holy shit. I guess I got more sleep than I thought. “Pen woke me at eight to tell me what happened.” She holds me at arm’s length, staring at me with tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assure her.
“This is all my fault. I’m so, so sorry. I should never have gone after that man.”
“You shouldn’t have,” I agree, stacking a mountain of fries and a chicken burger on my plate. I add some salad to offset the coronary-inducing feast.
If I wasn’t so pissed at Ben, I would be angry at my friend now. Truth is, Esme’s recklessness almost cost me and Pen our lives. If Ben hadn’t been there, who knows if either of us would be standing here right now.
“Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” she asks, biting down on her lower lip.
“I’m not. At least not physically.” I proceed to fill them in on everything as we eat, and they listen attentively. Esme interrupts, cursing like a sailor when I get to the part where Ben insulted me and then basically kicked me out of his place.
“That fucking bastard,” Esme seethes. “I’ve a good mind to head over to the Venetian and give him a piece of my mind.” And there’s that reckless streak again.
“It’s not worth it, and it’s far too dangerous.” I doubt Ben and his friends carry guns as accessories. “Besides, I never want to lay eyes on him again.”
“That sucks, babe.” Pen pins me with a sympathetic look. “I remember how badly you were crushing on him.”
“He wasn’t worthy of your devotion,” Esme says. “But it’s weird he keeps your picture in his pocket.”
“Do you think he knew we would be there?” Pen asks, looking newly concerned.
“I don’t see how.” I stuff the last couple fries in my mouth. “Esme made the booking in her name, and we only stumbled across Scarface Salerno by accident.”
“Then, shocker, I agree with Esme. It’s weird he’d be so cruel when you clearly meant something to him. He wouldn’t have kept the picture otherwise.”
“And it’s not like you were a shit lay,” Esme supplies, and my mind instantly recoils in horror. “Babe. Stop freaking out.” She squeezes my hand. “No guy fucks a girl all night long unless he’s really into the sex. He came, right?”
I nod. “Multiple times. On me and in me.”
“So, it’s not that.” Esme taps a finger on her chin.
“It doesn’t matter anyway.” I set my empty plate down on the table. “I don’t want to think about Ben anymore. As far as I’m concerned, he’s dead to me now.” I uncap a bottle of water, glugging a few mouthfuls. “He wants me to forget last night ever happened, and I’m A-okay with that.”
“That guy he sent here said the same thing,” Pen says, and I almost spit my water all over the floor.
“What guy?”
Pen glances over her shoulder to ensure no one is listening. She lowers her voice. “That dickhead Renzo brought me back here, and he insisted on taking my cell and disconnecting the phone in the suite so I couldn’t call anyone. I was losing it, close to breaking point, when Ben’s friend Leo showed up.” Her cheeks flush, and I arch a brow.
“You didn’t give me any of these deets earlier,” Esme says, wearing a curious expression. “Spill.”