Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Tell me what happened, Lyra.” Phoenix tried to keep his voice calm. He didn’t want to make her panic even worse, but he needed to know what he was up against.
She stared out the window with her lips pursed as Caesar pulled up to the front of Danger Bluff and parked the SUV. “I’ll take her things to the front desk and meet you there,” his friend said.
Phoenix jumped out of the SUV at the same time as Caesar and moved to open the passenger door where Lyra still sat, still buckled in, not moving. Silent tears were running down her cheeks.
Fuck.
He reached across to unbuckle her and then cupped her face. “Did he hurt you, Lyra?”
She shook her head.
“Tell me, Little one,” he encouraged again.
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
He rubbed her tears away with his thumb. “Call me crazy, but I feel a connection to you. I want to haul you into my arms, wrap you in a warm blanket, and rock you until you fall asleep.”
She gave him a small smile. “That sounds so nice. It’s been a long time since anyone was that kind to me.”
“Well, I intend to be that kind to you from now on. But I need you to tell me more about your agent because if you’re in danger, I want to protect you.”
She sighed heavily. “He’s never hurt me. He wouldn’t dare. I’m a public figure. He needs me to be in good physical shape so I can perform.”
Phoenix frowned. “Is he stealing your money, Little one?”
Another heavy sigh. “I don’t even know. I don’t think so, but I’ve never looked.”
Shit.
“He’s been my manager for fifteen years.”
Phoenix flinched. “How old are you?”
“Thirty.”
“You were fifteen when you started…working with him?” Please tell me this man has not been sleeping with her for fifteen years. Phoenix lowered his hands to her waist and lifted her to move her over to the center of the seat. He climbed in next to her and shut the door. He wanted to hear the rest of this story, and he wasn’t willing to risk breaking the connection with her by suggesting they go inside. Plus, the dim lighting would probably make it easier for her to continue.
She looked at him. “You’re intense.”
He chuckled. “I’ve heard that before.”
“And…” her gaze ran up and down his frame, “…huge.”
“I’ve heard that before, also.” He needed to touch her, so he picked up her hand and held it against his thigh. He shrugged. “I used to be in the Army, and then I was a firefighter, and I like to stay fit.”
“And now you work for a resort?” Her brows furrowed. “Did you get injured or something?”
He smiled. “No. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you my story after you tell me yours. Yours is a priority. I’m worried about your safety.”
She licked her full lips. “Boyd—that’s his name—suddenly declared two days ago that after the last concert on this New Zealand tour last night, he and I were heading to Japan today. I usually let him make those decisions because it’s easier than arguing with him. And I’m too tired to argue.” Her shoulders dropped.
Phoenix rubbed her knuckles. He already wanted to clobber Boyd. “Go on.”
“This time, I’d reached my limit. I did not want to go to Japan. He never even asked me before he booked me there.”
“Don’t you play with a quartet?”
“Yes, but in between our tours, I often do solo performances without them. Boyd likes to keep my schedule full. The quartet wrapped up. We’re on a break now. Boyd never lets me take a break.”
“What does Lyra want to do?” he asked gently.
She gave him a gorgeous smile. “Lyra would like to take back her life, ditch Boyd, and make her own decisions, which is why she found an opening playing here at Danger Bluff and took it.”
“And what did Boyd say?”
“He locked me in my room in our suite at the hotel, barricaded the door, and went out drinking. When I was unsuccessful at getting myself out, I called the front desk in the middle of the night. A hotel employee came and let me out. I packed my stuff, called for a rental car, and by morning, I was on the road headed here.”
Shit. “Does Boyd know where you went?”
She shrugged. “He probably does by now. He has a tracker on my phone. He probably has a tracker on my damn cello. He knows I would never part with it.”
Phoenix drew in a breath. Don’t scare her. “He sounds controlling, Lyra.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Are you also…in a physical relationship with him?” He didn’t want to hear the details about her with that asshole, but he needed to know. Maybe the information he’d gotten from Kingsley had been wrong. Maybe his Little girl hadn’t been sleeping with some dick up until yesterday.