do.”
I hated the fear in her eyes. Another lifetime, I wouldn’t have let her walk through that door. I also would’ve already taken my brother down.
Tyler glanced over his shoulder toward the lobby. “Let’s keep it moving.”
“Come on, love. Time to go in.” Vance walked her through the door.
Turning my comm off, I looked at Tyler. “Text me the second you hear from Harm. I want to know what was in that envelope.”
Serious when he needed to be, Tyler nodded. “Copy that.”
I turned my comm back on and walked into the room.
The meeting was a disaster.
I couldn’t hold my attention to what everyone was proposing, and I realized just how little I’d actually had a hand in my own career over the years. I never took meetings like this without my agent, manager, and label present. I never even went anywhere without security and my personal assistant being within arm’s reach. As long as I could sing to my fans, I trusted the people around me to take care of everything else. They weren’t people I ever would’ve had in my life under normal circumstances, but I wasn’t here to make friends.
My job, my purpose, was to sing.
But three months ago, when I got the first bomb threat, everything changed.
I didn’t trust anyone anymore, not my label, Trinity Media Group, and especially not the owner, Leo Amherst—not that I ever had. I didn’t even trust Vance or Adam, or even Ronan now that he was here.
But those three men weren’t in my life when the first threat materialized, and I trusted that more than I trusted myself to listen to this meeting.
“Miss Narine, do you agree that it would be beneficial to get the venue locked in before we approached other artists?” the irritating women asked. “A selling point in booking the lineup is most certainly the location.”
A man whose name I couldn’t remember snorted. “Sanaa is headlining. It doesn’t matter where the hell it is.” He glanced at me and gave me a fake sheepish smile. “Pardon the language, but my point is that the sooner we get names added to the lineup, the sooner we can get a handle on dates and narrow down a window. Location is secondary.”
I didn’t know who was right, but I hated the woman who kept glancing at Ronan and Vance behind me. I didn’t know which one she was looking at, but it didn’t matter. She was obvious each time she smiled their way, and that alone made me distrust every word out of her mouth.
I was also ashamed to admit that if I had to sit through any more meetings like this, I selfishly didn’t want to do this charity concert anymore. Making a mental note to text my agent and manager tomorrow, I decided on an alternative. I would ask them to set up a crowdfunding initiative on one of the social fundraising platforms with a promise that I would not only match every dollar donated, but make a donation myself.
Satisfied with my decision, I pasted on a smile and glanced over my shoulder.
As if he’d been watching me the whole time, Ronan’s gaze locked on mine and he stepped forward.
Vance, busy texting away on his phone, looked up. Quickly pocketing the thing, he also stepped forward.
The smile still glued on my face, I stood. Then I pieced together a few phrases I’d heard my manager and agent say over the years. “Thank you all for coming today, and under such short notice. We all have a lot to consider.”
Seamlessly picking up on my dismissal of everyone, Vance stepped to my side and his ever-present hand landed on my back. “Gentlemen, lady.” He smiled at the leering woman. “Miss Narine has another engagement and, unfortunately, our time is up. Have a good day.”
Whisking me away from the insufferable meeting as Ronan closed in on my other side, Vance led me to the door that magically opened as we approached.
Ty stepped back, but not before he nodded at Ronan. “Clear.”
“Copy,” Ronan quietly responded, careful not to touch me as Vance ushered me past him and through the door.
Harm and Tyler joined our entourage, and just like before, five overly muscled, overprotective, alpha men surrounded me like I was a queen.
With all of them constantly scanning our surroundings, and none of them speaking, I couldn’t take the suspense anymore.
“Who was the man in the crowd?” I asked no one in particular.
Vance’s hand made a small circle on my back as we walked