Page 69 of Replacement
“I’m not enforcing the secret. You’re free to talk if you want to. We’re basically just not explaining ourselves. It’s not anyone’s business except the people who care about us.”
“That makes sense. But there is still a wild card here. What are you going to do about Amber?”
I start to tell her about the plan for dealing with Amber that William and I worked out and agreed to, but the words get trapped in my throat at the sight of a man coming out of the men’s room in the back of the coffee shop.
Receding hairline. Wire-framed glasses. Expensive clothes. A smug smirk.
Montaigne.
I freeze for a few seconds, shocked and terrified. He must have been following and talked his way in through the back. There’s no way he was here before or my bodyguard would have seen him.
He starts walking over toward me. Smirks again. It’s that expression that finally slices through my fear.
I push the panic button on my wrist. Stand up so quickly my chair falls over with a loud clatter.
“Are you okay?” Haley asks, jumping up too and clearly worried.
I open my mouth, telling myself to scream, to call for help, to do something other than back away slowly. But I can’t make my throat work.
He’s going to reach me in about ten seconds.
He doesn’t get a chance because Caleb, my big, handsome, dark-haired, blue-eyed bodyguard is already here, approaching with long strides, grabbing Montaigne and forcing him up against a wall.
He’s talking through his earpiece, but my mind is too fuzzy to understand the words he’s saying.
It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing I need to do.
Montaigne broke a restraining order, and now he’s been caught.
* * *
That evening, I’m curled up on the couch in the media room when William gets home.
I called him immediately, but he was almost two hours away in a business meeting. He jumped into the car to get back to me, but he got stuck in a major traffic jam coming home.
He checked in every half hour, and each time I assured him I was fine.
Iamfine.
I spent a lot of the past several hours crying, but it’s more from relief and aftermath than it is from upset.
I’m not foolish enough to assume this means Montaigne is totally stopped, but this will change things. Significantly.
He doesn’t get free rein to stalk me ever again.
William puts down his case and shrugs out of his jacket as he hurries over to the couch. He sits down and wraps his arms around me, pulling me against him. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Damn traffic. I was about to explode at the delay.”
“I know you were, but I told you I was fine.”
“I know. But it was still like torture, not being able to get back to you right away.” He nuzzles my neck and tightens his arms.
“I know. But we had it under control. I’m glad you’re here now though.”
We hug for a long time, and I feel better and stronger when I pull away.
He says, “I was just talking to the DA’s office. He’s in custody for now, and they’re going to push for a high bail because of his history with stalking.”
“His family has money though.”