Hero Book 3 - The Battle: Military Romance (10 page)

“Leighton! Leighton! Tell us about your ordeal!” Another entertainment anchor shoved her way toward me. “Kidnapped and beaten by unknown assailants, Leighton Machus braves the red carpet despite the bruising still apparent.”

The insistent woman broke my hold on Haze and pulled me in front of the camera. I'd put on enough make-up to mostly disguise the fading bruises on my face, but I'd forgotten about the darker bruises on my leg and only now realized the dress revealed them as I walked. Panic rose in my throat, and I wanted to run back to the limousine.

“Was it all an elaborate ruse? A way to call attention to your grandfather's movie premiere?” the anchor asked.

Haze started to step between us but the woman's question pissed me off, vaporizing my fear. I held up a hand to let him know I was okay.

“I'm sure my kidnappers are watching this right now, and I'm here to show them that they did nothing but make me stronger.” I gave them a bright smile.

The entertainment anchor gaped at me, letting the camera roll for thirty silent seconds before she recovered. “There you have it. Leighton Machus like we've never seen her before.”

I walked away before she could try to coat my reputation with her assumptions and rumors. Haze had waited a few steps up the red carpet, but as I walked towards him, Bastian appeared, casually wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“I swear, you're getting more press than me and the movie,” Bastian said with a wide grin. “Smile for the cameras.”

I smiled outwardly, but I was inwardly seething. Bastian was just another man who saw only what he wanted to see. The onslaught of photographers overwhelmed me again, but this time Haze was in front of me, so I kept my eyes on him, my smile for him alone.

He wore a black on black three-piece suit, the only spot of color an emerald green pocket square that matched my dress. Plenty of photographers were snapping pictures of him as well. Haze was handsome...and completely unimpressed by everything around him. As Bastian fawned over the reporters and photographers and practically begged for attention, Haze stood above it all. He drew interest like a magnet, but he was there for me and me alone.

At some point during it all, Bastian released me and moved off on his own to soak up more publicity. Not long after, my grandfather joined me on the red carpet, and I finally tore my eyes off Haze.

“There's an extra seat in our row if you would prefer Haze to be with you,” my grandfather said quietly.

“What?” I glanced at him, startled. “No, I'm fine. I'm not scared anymore.”

“No, you're not. You're an inspiration.” Grandfather's eyes sparkled in a way they never had before. At least not when he looked at me. He continued, “I just thought you might want to ask Haze to join you as your date since Bastian seems a bit preoccupied.”

“My date? He's my bodyguard and nothing more,” I said, not meeting my grandfather's eyes.

“I remember not so long ago, he was more,” Grandfather said.

“Oh? Is that another thing you and Haze discussed behind my back?” I asked, my voice a little sharper than I intended.

“Leighton, please. I underestimated you and I learned my lesson,” Grandfather said, his voice serious. “Don't punish Haze or yourself. If he makes you happy then you should be with him.”

We continued up the red carpet, smiling for the still flashing cameras. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Haze three steps behind us. His dark eyes met mine and he smiled. Grandfather was right about one thing. More than anything, I wanted to lace my arm through Haze's and be with him...but it was better this way.

I smiled and shook my head, letting Grandfather lead me into the movie palace and away from the chaos of the premiere crowd. Inside were only A-list guests and waiters with champagne. But before I could breathe again, I heard my name.

“Leighton? Darling! You came!” Paris trotted over to me as fast as her tight dress would allow. “I've been worried sick!”

I wondered why she'd saved her tearful greeting and dramatic hug for the relative privacy of the foyer, but then I noticed the cameras pressed against the window. I didn't doubt she'd mentioned the spot to them.

“I couldn't help thinking it was all my fault,” Paris said, feigning remorse. “I dragged you to Diabolique.”

“You seduced my bodyguard and left me unprotected,” I countered, my voice cold.

She puffed out her lower lip. “I couldn't help myself. You understand, darling, don't you...holy shit, is he your date?” Paris asked, eyes wide.

Bastian held a flute of champagne over my shoulder and then kissed my cheek. Outside, the camera flashes erupted again and Paris frowned.

“There's a private party for cast only,” Bastian said. “Let's check that out before we take our seats.”

“Sounds like fun,” Paris said as she stepped in front of Bastian.

He glanced at her and smiled, but said nothing. After a beat, he turned to me and offered me his arm. “Shall we go, beautiful?”

“Excuse us,” I said to Paris with a smile. “You understand, darling, don't you?”

Without a look at her, I took his arm and we walked away, leaving Paris fuming with jealousy. The sight of her reminded me of the night I'd been taken, but more than that, her insincerity brought back all the times she'd done horrible things while pretending to be my friend.

I supposed it was no surprise then that I didn't feel guilty as I left Paris.

I did, however, spare a glance for Haze. He followed Bastian and I to the private room and then took up a post outside the door. Once inside, Bastian dropped my arm to mingle with other celebrities, and I was left sipping my champagne alone.

But if I was honest, unless I was with Haze, I was alone.

Haze
appeared behind me in the hallway and paused there, waiting for me to rid myself of my beautiful, but uncomfortable heels. He followed me up the stairs to my bedroom door, and then continued past to take up his regular post near the back stairwell. At some point, I assumed someone would come to relieve him so he could get some sleep. He had to sleep at some point, right?

“Thank you,” I said.

“For what?” He turned questioning eyes toward me.

After wanting his attention all night, now that I had it, I found myself at a loss for words. All eyes had been on me throughout the premiere, but now was the only time I felt like someone actually saw me. And I knew he saw more than my image, more than my reputation, more than my money and infamy.

There was no way I could tell him what I saw when I looked at him. The man I wanted to be with more than anyone else. The man who made me want to be a better person, a person he could be proud of. A woman who deserved him.

To my surprise, he reached out and took my hand. Raising it to his lips, he kissed the back of my hand. “You were amazing tonight. Fearless as well as beautiful.”

Before I could even thank him, he'd returned to his usual stance, his armor firmly in place.

But I'd gotten through it tonight. I didn't know how he'd seen any of that in me, but it gave me hope. If I could change and be the woman he'd seen, then maybe, just maybe, we could be together.

I spent the rest of my sleepless hours trying to figure out how to become the new me, but when the dawn broke, all I knew was that I had to make changes in my life. I couldn't just do a make-over and still be the shallow little girl I'd always been. I had to make deeper changes.

And not just for Haze, but for me. He wasn't the only one who deserved better than who I was now. I did too.

Chapter 10

Haze

Leighton
was the first thought in my head when I woke up. She always was, but this was even more than usual. Dreams of her in her emerald green dress had haunted me all night. The sensation of it beneath my fingers as I walked her down the red carpet, not as her bodyguard, but as her...just as hers. Untying the dress, feeling the fabric warmed by her body as I slid it off. Then, nothing between us.

It'd been torture to follow her all night. The few touches I'd stolen still electrified me. Helping her from the car. Guiding her when that asshole Bastian had just walked away. The final jolt had come when I'd kissed her hand outside her bedroom door last night. That light brush of her skin against my lips was enough to keep me on fire until my replacement had come.

I was exhausted, but jumped out of bed as soon as I woke up. I knew I couldn't be with Leighton twenty-four-seven, no matter how much I wanted to be, but I was using substitutes as little as possible. I quickly dressed in my uniform and left the guest house. I wanted to be outside her door when she emerged for the day. I knew the knot in my stomach wouldn't ease until I saw her.

“Oh, good, Haze, you're here.” Devlin hailed me from the kitchen as soon as I stepped inside. “Grab some coffee and meet me in my office.”

I considered pretending I hadn't heard him, but, aside from the fact that he was my employer, I respected him too much to do something like that. I knew he appreciated my dedication to Leighton, but I had a feeling that would've been pushing it.

Less than two minutes later, I walked into Devlin's office with a steaming cup of coffee. He was behind his desk, standing as usual, but he still wasn't in a suit and his laptop and phone were nowhere to be seen.

“You want me to report on last night?” I asked.

“I think it was a success, don't you? Leighton was stunning.”

“And she handled the reporters amazingly well,” I said, trying not to think of her in that dress. Or with that idiot on her arm.

“Yes, I heard them harassing her about the kidnapping.” He put his hands in his pockets, then took them out again, as if too restless to stay still. “It's too bad the media isn't harassing the police about their lack of leads. I spoke with the chief yesterday, but they're not any closer to finding the kidnappers than they were when it happened.”

“They're probably starting by trying to piece together a money trail,” I said, surprising myself by defending them. “It'd be a clear path to the kidnappers and get them one step closer to an arrest warrant and a conviction.”

“Which I could respect if it was yielding any results, but they haven't come up with a single theory about what happened, much less a suspect.”

He had a point there.

I sipped my coffee and let my mind wander. I'd learned a while ago that when I focused too hard, I could miss things. The whole not seeing the forest for the trees thing. Whenever I was stuck on a problem, I needed to pull back.

Theories. Suspects...

Motive.

There was the person who wrote the letters. That motive appeared to be whatever twisted fantasy world they lived in.

Except I hadn't gotten a sexual vibe from them. More like jealousy. Not wanting Leighton, but wanting to be her.

So there was one, but I knew there had to be more.

“You'd think they'd at least have something by now. I mean, you gave them the description of that bartender, and they have a picture of him from the security footage,” Devlin said, interrupting my thoughts. “But they've come up with nothing. They can't find him or his mysterious partner anywhere.”

I understood his frustration. Hell, I shared it. I hated knowing those assholes were still out there.

“You'd think the voice altering equipment would be a lead,” Devin continued. He glanced at me. “Don't you have anything that could help find at least the guy we know about?”

“He was the one who knew how to hit.” I rubbed my chin where he'd clipped me. I frowned, leaning forward in my seat, an idea sprouting to life. “In fact, he used some pretty specific moves. Krav Maga. I'll let the cops know to look at gyms that feature that particular brand of martial arts.”

“You do it.”

“What?” I almost sloshed my coffee on the rug as I straightened.

“Check into the gyms, like you said. Tell the police if you want, but I want you to do it yourself too.”

They wouldn't be happy about me nosing in their investigation, but doing nothing bothered me more. “I suppose I could see if anyone recognizes him. Maybe I could get a name.”

“See? Better work than the police and it’s not even nine in the morning,” Devlin said, looking pleased with himself.

I couldn't deny that a part of me wanted to do as Devlin said and find these fuckers myself, but there was a good reason I couldn't.