time I saw you. The music videos don’t do you justice, sweetheart.”
Hitting me like an IED blast, realizing a decade too damn late the repercussions my actions had set in motion for her all those years ago, my finger curled around the trigger.
“Brother,” Harm whispered as Luna’s gaze cut from hand to my eyes.
Hating myself, wanting to kill Amherst, I ignored Harm and glared at Amherst. “Why are you here?”
Dropping the performance for his protégé, Amherst eyed me over her shoulder. “I could ask the same of you.” He glanced at my hand on my Sig.
My finger didn’t fucking move. “Protection detail.”
The asshole chuckled. “What a coincidentally small world.” Amherst’s gaze cut to Vance. “And let me guess, you’ve set your sights higher now.” He suggestively rubbed Sanaa’s arm.
My nostrils flared.
“Let it play out,” Harm warned under his breath.
I kept my finger on the trigger.
Vance smiled mildly at Amherst. “I work for Miss Narine, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“As?” Amherst wasn’t asking, he was throwing down a challenge.
Vance didn’t bite. “As whatever she needs.”
Amherst fake laughed again. “We’ll see about that.” Turning his attention back to Sanaa, gripping her hand tight, he gave her a salacious smile. “Your team is pretty up in arms. You left them high and dry in London. Your manager has been calling me daily, but no worries. I’m here to take you back. I wouldn’t want you to miss your next concert.”
Finally pulling out of his grip, Sanaa stepped back. “Last I checked, Leo, I do still have the freedom to go where I please when I’m not performing.”
I shifted my finger off the trigger.
Amherst smiled wide. “You always were a handful.” Glancing at Luna, he nodded. “You and your men can give us the room.”
“We could,” Luna agreed, “but we won’t.”
Instant frustration, like an insolent child, clouded Amherst’s expression. “I have the right to speak to Sanaa in private.”
“You’re right, you do,” Luna seemingly acquiesced. “If Miss Narine wishes it.”
“Not happening,” I warned.
Sanaa waved her hand through the air. “All of you stop. Leo, I’m here because I want to be. It’s as simple as that. No need to worry, I’ll make the last concert.”
Amherst’s expression darkened. “Yes, about that. Your contract—”
“My contract?” Sanaa spit the offending word out. “I’ve more than fulfilled every contract you strong-armed me into signing, and the concert next week is the last of my obligations to you. My lawyers have already expressly explained that to you and your team. My time with Trinity Media is at a close, as is this conversation. Thank you for coming, but you needn’t have bothered. Vance will show you out.” She turned toward the short hall off the main area of the large suite that led to the bedrooms.
“I know what’s going on,” Amherst blurted.
Sanaa spun. “Yes, and what’s that, Leo? What do you think you know?”
Leo glanced around the room.
“Go ahead,” Sanaa taunted. “Say it.”
Amherst squared his shoulders and pitched his voice low like he had any kind of authority. “You’re being threatened.”
“Yes, I am.” Sanaa crossed her arms.
“I’ll handle it,” Amherst blustered.
Sanaa’s expression turned mild, and her voice softened. “And how would you propose to do that?”
I saw the change in her tone for what it was.
Amherst didn’t. The fucking prick demeaned her again. “You let me worry about that, babe.”
“Mm-hm. So you’re going to step in now, three months late, and do what everyone else couldn’t? When neither my manager nor security team, both of which you employ I might add, were capable of stopping it?”
“I’m here now, and I’m prepared to take you back myself and sort this out.” Amherst kept fucking talking. “We have security services and legal teams for a reason. Now is not the time to go off on your own, half-cocked, and try to solve this yourself, Sanaa. You have no experience in dealing with these kinds of threats.”
Sanaa gave the prick the withering look he deserved. “Don’t I?” she asked calmly.
Amherst, asshole that he was, opened his mouth to respond.
Sanaa held a hand up. “Before you answer that, let me remind you that I was there ten years ago when you threatened to invalidate my contract if I didn’t do exactly what you wanted. So before you embarrass yourself any further, Leo, I suggest you leave. You’ll get your last concert out of me. You’ll also hear from my attorneys regarding the cost of the private security I had to hire because the security services you provided failed to do their job.”