She blinked back tears at the reminder, but said nothing. He released her arms, and she sat back up.
“I promise I’ll get you out of this safe and sound,” he said. “I’m bigger and stronger than her.”
“And she’s got the gun.”
“She won’t use it.”
“Oh, really. And how do you know this? Did the psycho clear this with you first?” She jolted upright. “Omigod. Did you plan this whole thing?”
“Steph!” he chided.
“What?”
“How can you say that? I’m not a complete asshole. I would never scare you into publicity.” He cradled her face with one hand as he always did when he spoke from the heart. “I promise you that.”
She believed him. She pulled away from him. “She’s still dangerous.”
He shrugged. “She won’t hurt me because she loves me.”
“That’s good for you,” Steph said. “But what about me?”
“Do you love me too?”
She groaned. “Why do I even talk to you?”
He grinned. “Because you love me too.”
She put her hand up in a stop sign. He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. She did not want to spend her last minutes on earth fighting with Griff.
“I hope you don’t die,” she said.
“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve said to me in a long time,” he replied. “Right up there with, oh, Griff, I’m coming!”
She shook her head. “I don’t know how you can be so calm. I’m terrified.”
He gazed warmly into her eyes. “If I had to be with anyone before death, I’d want it to be you.”
Her throat felt tight. This was exactly why she’d fallen head over heels for him in the first place. The way he could reach out with such heartfelt emotion. It was what made his music so powerful.
“Oh, Griff,” she managed over the lump in her throat. She really didn’t want to die. She had so much she wanted to do in life. So much she wanted to share with Dave.
The car slowed to a stop.
Griff took a deep breath. “I love you, Steph. Never forget that.”
Then he got out of the car to face Mandy. Why did he have to say things like that? She felt like they were his last words before facing a firing squad. He did love her, in his own selfish way. She heard Mandy yell, and Steph quickly ducked down on the seat.
Mandy yelled some more while Griff spoke in low tones. Mandy’s voice lowered. Then things went eerily quiet. Her heart pounded. She might not want to stay married to Griff, but she certainly didn’t want him dead. There was a scuffle, a woman’s voice cried out, and a clanking of metal on metal.
All was quiet again. Sweat ran down her back. Did Mandy still have the gun?
The door opened, and Steph scurried back from it. Griff stuck his head in. “All clear. Get out here, beautiful.”
“Is Mandy there?”
“She took off. Literally. She ran like a frightened deer.”
Steph got out of the limo. They were in front of the restaurant Griff had reserved for dinner in Beverly Hills.
Griff ran his hands through his hair. “Still can’t get used to not having the hair.”
“Where’s the gun?” she asked.
“I tossed it in that sewer grate,” Griff said.
“What the hell, Griff!” Steph hollered.
He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
“What if she comes back?”
“She’s a reporter for Stars Chronicle,” he said. “She just wanted pictures and a good story.”
Steph pulled away. “So she tries to kill us? Is she going to pull a gun on other celebrities for a story too?”
“I don’t think she really wanted to kill us.” Griff shrugged. “I think she just wanted to get pictures of us together on a date. That gun probably wasn’t even real.”
“It sure as hell looked real!” Steph paced back and forth on the sidewalk. “That was insane. You know that was insane.”
“That’s show business. Press can make or break your career. She was trying to help me.”
Steph had no idea what to say. She was shaking again, thinking about how she almost died so that psycho could get a story. Where was Mandy? Was she going to show up at the hotel?