Page 3 of Triple Protection
Mirium thankfully interrupts my spiraling. “So, now that you know us, I’d like to get a brief idea of what we’re up against and then maybe a tour of your house? A run-down of your day-to-day so we can accurately gauge what we’re dealing with.”
I refocus on the people sitting in front of me. I appreciate a woman who gets straight to the point.
I take a deep breath. “As a social media influencer, I receive dozens of messages daily, some threatening, some adoring,” I start. Alex rolls his eyes dramatically. Fucking rude. I ignore him. “However, some of these messages have gotten…”
I hesitate to say it out loud, as if giving it words would give it life, give it more power. I shake my head.Get to the point. “Over the last few weeks, I’ve had presents delivered to my home, my doorbell rung with no one there..." I swallow around the fear and emotion. I don't know if I can say it all out loud.
"What kind of presents?" Liam asks, throwing me a lifeline.
I pull out my phone and lay it down on the low coffee table between us. I open the photos app and show them the pictures I took after I opened the package. It's of a plushy doll with blonde hair and blue jumpsuit. It wasn't a common doll. "An exact replica of a doll I used to have when I was a kid.” I swallow, the implication heavy in the air. This wasn't an adoring fan; this was someone who had gone to great lengths to find out intimate details of my life. How he knew what doll I had, who he had asked, maybe pictures he'd seen of me as a kid...
Liam's flirty smile falters a bit. Even Alex and Brick share a look.
I swallow again. They have to know everything before they can help me. “The thing that made me call for security, however," my voice barely over a whisper, "was when I was sent a picture of myself sleeping, taken from inside my bedroom.” I swipe my phone and show them the picture I was sent in an email. It was taken at the foot of my bed, almost in grayscale with the only light coming in from the moon. I'm on my side, hair done in a loose braid, blissfully unaware of the danger I was in.
Miriam stills, her professional smile falling. All three boys take turns looking at the picture and then staring at me with an intensity that is difficult to withstand. I drop my gaze to mylap, where my fingers are tangled together, gripping the next one tightly so I don't expose how truly terrified I am.
The room is silent, and what's not being said is almost louder than spoken words. Someone broke into my house and watched me sleep. At that moment I could have been raped, kidnapped, murdered, tortured, any number of things and no one would have been there to protect me. To save me. I was completely and utterly alone. The only reason I was still alive today was because of the mercy of a madman. Someone who thought taking a picture of me sleeping wasn't crossing a line but raping me was. What if he'd come back? What if he came back for more? What if the next time rape, torture, murder isn't crossing a line? That he can just reach out and take me?
A shiver runs through me.
Alex speaks first. “Were your windows locked?”
“Yes.”
“And your alarm on?”
“Yes.”
“Any old boyfriends with keys?”
“No.”
"Did you go to the police?"
"Yes." I cringe, remembering the conversation I had with them. For a moment I pause, afraid of getting the police in trouble before I remember how callously they dismissed me. I lock eyes with Alex again. "They told me that with such a large social media presence, I was essentially inviting it." He stiffens, his scowl deepening, but at least this time it's in my defense. Liam winces and looks away and I'm pretty sure I hear Brick growl.
“Any housekeepers with keys? Anyone at all with access to your house.”
“One housekeeper, one gardener, and they’ve been with me for over 6 years.” I imagine if they had wanted to do something like this, they would have when I first hired them.
“Could have been someone they know.”
I bristle at his accusation. Accuse me all you want for being careless, but attacking my help was uncalled for.
“Carlita and Jose are the best things that have ever happened to me. They have been with me through more ups and downs than my own family, and I trust them with my life.Youhave a better chance of being my stalker than they do, so if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to show you the house before you accuse someone else I care about.” I stand quickly and turn on my heel, leaving no room for arguments.
I listen as clothing shuffles behind me to confirm they are, in fact, following me.
I give them a brief tour of the house my manager, Marshal, bought and set up for me. It's stark, modern, bare, but he assured me it made for a more passive background in my lifestyle photos, allowing me to be the focus without the distraction of brightly colored furniture or artwork. I didn't mind. It was comfortable and functional and more beautiful than many people got.
Why he thought I needed a pool house and six bedrooms, though, I'll never be sure. Maybe a show of status? That having such a large house meant that I'd "made it". The influencer industry is all about appearances, so I didn't complain.
Mirium and her team followed and listened attentively. I could feel the boys scanning each room with their eyes, assessing every inch for potential vulnerabilities, points for security details, or escape routes. I walked them through my daily routine of working out, answering comments, creating content, answering emails and collaborations with companies Marshal set up for me. Mirium takes notes on her tablet as I talk and I'm suddenlygrateful I called Cerberus. They hadn't agreed to take me on as a client yet, but that they were taking notes had to be a good sign. God, I needed their help. I'm not sure how much longer I would last, having panic attacks and looking over my shoulder and jumping at every sound.
When the tour concludes, we return to the formal sitting area. This is it. This is where she tells me if they'll take me on or not. I wring my hands together in my lap again and gnaw nervously at my lower lip. Miriam, now with a solemn expression, speaks, "Thank you for being thorough. We take this matter seriously, and our priority is your safety." I sigh, grateful. "We'll start right away. I don't want to risk another night with you by yourself. Our focus will be on enhancing your security measures, both online and offline. Liam will work on fortifying your cyber presence, Alex will handle the physical security aspects, and Brick… well, Brick will be an ever-watchful presence," she explains, her gaze shifting to the giant man who simply nods before catching my eye. It's the first time we've really looked at each other and, in his gaze, I see an unspoken promise. He'll protect me. I feel my entire body relax for the first time since I received that picture and my muscles suddenly ache from the loss of tension.
"The boys will move into one of the guest rooms and work in 8-hour shifts so that someone will always be near you."Wait. What?A brief wave of panic overcomes me. Move in? I'll have to live with them? Someone will always be near me? I don't know what I expected hiring bodyguards, but them moving in certainly wasn't a part of it. I've lived alone my entire adult life. Now I'll have a constant shadow and will be living with three of the most gorgeous men I'd ever met.What could go wrong?