“Yes.”

“Grandma says Michael is looking for you. I need you to explain what she’s talking about.”

“No. You don’t. That’s my business.”

“Not anymore.” He stepped closer to me. “Are you out of the contract with Michael? And I don’t want to hear about how Hex can use the stuff that you’re in.”

“I’m still bound to the contract with Michael.” I raised my hand before he could say how pissed he was for lying to him earlier. “However, there is a clause in the contract that says if he doesn’t have me in a work-in-progress and I’m involved in another artist’s project for at least thirty days, then I’m allowed to continue that project.”

“So your plan was to tell him you were working with Hex after thirty days?”

“No. My plan was for him to find out whenever the collection was released. I planned on working other jobs by then. I had my lawyers researching ways to cancel the contract, but they’ve been lackluster in trying to solve it. In the end, they’re really Michael’s lawyers and will be more loyal to him.”

“I’ll have my own team look into it.”

“I don’t need you to do that.”

“Too bad. It’s going to happen. Not only will it affect you, but this will deal with my brother, too. You should have told me the truth from the beginning.”

I blew out a long breath. “I didn’t think you would’ve let me work for Hex if I told you. Plus, Michael wouldn’t even find out until the end. He doesn’t even know now.”

“He does.”

I scrunched my face up in confusion. “What?”

“My grandma’s visions show him screaming out the name Ellie over and over and staring at a newspaper announcement I had my publicist do to reveal that Hex and you are working together on a new collection.”

My heartbeat boomed at an erratic pace in my chest. “There was an announcement?”

“Yes. It was posted yesterday morning.”

“And in your grandma’s visions she saw him looking at the article and yelling Ellie?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe your grandma knows that he calls me that and perhaps she figured out that—”

“There’s no use trying to convince yourself that my grandma’s visions are wrong or even why she is having them. That’s not the point. What’s important is that you’re possibly in danger. She said he was drinking the whole time he screamed your name and painted you on his canvas. That doesn’t sound like a sane man to me.”

He wasn’t, but not as bad as what Alvarez would be thinking. Michael just liked to swim in depression and mind games. It wasn’t that he missed me because he loved me. Michael cried for me because he needed another person to blame and hurt. If I was gone, then who would he point to as the reason for his failures? Who would take the blame?

“He won’t hurt me.”

“Guards are going to stay with you wherever you go.”

I shook my head. “First of all, I would appreciate it if you asked me instead of ordered me.”

“I care about you. I want you safe.”

“I understand, but it’s my choice to make whether I will have guards with me or not.”

He took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed his temples. “Will you?”

“Maybe. I’ll have one for a few days, but I can’t keep them the whole time.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not your responsibility. You have enough going on.”

“And what if I want you to be my responsibility?” He stopped rubbing his forehead and moved closer to me. Bags rested under his eyes. His shirt appeared rumpled and slept in. Although, knowing Alvarez, he probably hadn’t slept at all.

“You’re busy right now. Maybe you should take some time to finish all of the things you have on your plate first, before you begin adding me to the mix.”

“What does that mean?”

I swallowed down my nervousness. It had been one of the biggest things I’d considered last night after hearing Hex’s news. Alvarez dealt with mountains of duties and stressful situations when it came to his family, things that no one should have to deal with. But after being with him and truly learning about the type of person Alvarez was, I understood that his family was a labor of love for him. I just didn’t know where I would stand in such a busy situation. With all of my baggage and personal insecurities that I still had not conquered, would I be more of a hindrance than an escape?

And there was the fact that although Michael didn’t truly love me, he would be a new difficulty for Alvarez. I didn’t know if Alvarez’s grandma’s visions were true or not, but if they were, then this would be awful news. Michael would come here and try to win me back, whether through fake chivalry or threats. Alvarez would attempt to step in as the knight in shining armor because that was just the type of guy he was. I would add even more to his plate than his family.

Tags: Kenya Wright Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net