Page 32 of Dare to Rock
“Tyler, go home, please? I’ll figure out what I want to do and let you know.”
His gaze softened as he looked at his sister. “I’m worried about you. Did you have a panic attack getting through those jackals?” he asked.
Grey narrowed his gaze. “Panic attack?”
Avery tensed. “I handled it.”
Tyler placed a hand on her shoulder. “I never said you didn’t. I just want to protect you from having to deal with it at all.”
“Well, you can’t protect me from everything.”
But Grey wanted to. He had the overwhelming need to pack her up and move her in with him, into his doorman building, where she’d be protected and safe.
“I’ll call the cops to clear them off of private property,” Tyler said.
Grey nodded. “That’ll be a start, but it won’t hold off the more determined ones. And it won’t keep them away from public areas where Avery goes.”
“Hello, can you stop speaking about me as if I’m not right here?”
Grey met her gaze. “Sorry, sugar.”
Tyler scowled at the endearment. “You need a bodyguard. Someone who can follow you at a distance but who will be there just in case you need him. I’m assuming Mr. Rock Star here has one.”
Grey stiffened but let the insulting tone slide. “When I know I’ll be in public, yes, I have security.”
“I want my guy on you when you’re together.”
“Fine,” Grey said, knowing better than to argue. He didn’t care who watched their backs as long as she was safe.
“Are we in agreement?” Tyler met his sister’s gaze.
Avery groaned. “Fine.”
Grey didn’t like what he had to do next, but he looked at Tyler. “Can I have a word with you?”
Avery’s gaze shot between them. “What? Why?”
“It’ll be fine.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She stood, and he rose with her.
“I’ll go see if Ella’s okay.” She looked between them one more time. “And I expect an explanation later.”
Grey waited until she’d disappeared down the hall before turning to Tyler. “Look, you don’t have to like me, but can we agree we both have Avery’s best interests at heart?”
“That remains to be seen.”
Grey swallowed a curse. The man wasn’t going to make anything easy. “There’s another security issue you need to know about.”
“What’s going on?” Tyler asked.
“I got a piece of fan mail...” Grey went on to explain the connection between the e-mail he’d received from Emerald and Avery’s blog, and the woman’s implied threat to break them apart.
He wanted nothing more than to hide the information that would give Avery’s brothers even more reason to dislike him and want him away from their sister. But he wouldn’t put his self-interest above Avery’s safety, and he wasn’t foolish enough to think he could handle things on his own.
He rolled his shoulders, tension settling there like lead. “I don’t know what it means, but I don’t like what my gut’s telling me.”
“Fuck. And you can’t just walk away and leave my sister alone?” Tyler muttered.