My tone was snooty and arrogant. Meant to rub them the wrong way. I’d do anything to not be treated like what I really was. A victim.
“You are aware of the reason you’re here?” Keltan continued.
I sucked in a breath. “Not entirely.” I glanced beside me at Andre, who was looking serious, which in front of all of these handsome men meant the situation was dire. “I’m aware that I need protection, but I’m not aware why it needs to be at midnight.” My tone was clipped. Unimpressed. It was low of me to speak to Andre like that, in front of an audience, no less. Outside of my norm for sure. I had my reputation but I had my limits. Demeaning people in front of anyone—or demeaning them in general—was not part of my repertoire. But holding on to my façade was getting trickier.
Plus, Andre knew me as well as anyone could, and he likely knew the score. His emotional skin was about the same thickness as an elephant’s, the reason he’d been able to stomach working with me for as long as he had.
Keltan’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Obviously not impressed with the way I spoke to Andre. “Coleson Kitsch is very dangerous.”
“I also got that by the fact he blew someone’s head off,” I said, my voice even. My insides were roiling, vision starting to get blurry since I hadn’t eaten a thing since…breakfast?
I made an effort to straighten my spine. Not sway in my seat.
“This isn’t just a run-of-the-mill murder, sweetheart,” the woman interjected with sweet venom that impressed me.
I turned my gaze to her. She looked good for midnight. Not as good as me. Exceptionally beautiful in a natural way. Messy curls. Kick-ass outfit. Killer gaze. “I wasn’t aware that any murder was run-of-the-mill,” I replied, matching her tone.
She raised her brow. Opened her mouth. Maybe to say something unkind—which I deserved—but the hot macho man beside her put his hand on hers and leaned in to murmur something in her ear.
“There have been two other witnesses under federal protection, both disappeared,” Keltan said. “I assume that’s the reason your publicist was smart enough to get you here at this hour, considering he must like you alive.”
Andre grinned. “I listen to a lot of podcasts about organized crime.”
I almost smiled. Almost. As it was, my lip merely quirked before I managed to regain my mask.
“So you will be able to protect me better than the law enforcement can?” I made sure to make it sound like I didn’t believe that. Which I didn’t. “All due respect to those witnesses that came before me. They weren’t as…well known as me. I think it might be harder to take down someone like me—”
“You can die just as easily as a normal person, no matter how much money you have, no matter how many movies you’ve starred in, no matter how many people know your name,” the women interjected, proving that a man, not even a hot macho one, could silence her.
She didn’t like me. She was making that clear. But she wasn’t being cruel or rude. I saw that. She was being real.
I held her gaze. She didn’t look away. Wasn’t impressed. I liked that. I made sure to hold the stare for long enough to make a point, then I turned to Keltan. “Okay. But I’ve got to ask, don’t I have some kind of legal obligation as a key witness in what I can only assume is a big case to be in contact with the police and DA? Not to mention the other state and federal officials who seem very interested in this case?”
Keltan nodded. “Usually. But considering the nature of the case and what has happened to previous witnesses, I think they’ll be more than happy for us to take over the protection detail. Again, that’s what you pay us for. We’ll handle that.”
“You’ll handle the LAPD and, I can only assume, the State Attorney’s office?” I clarified.
Keltan nodded once.
I didn’t argue with him because, they had their reputation for a reason.
He narrowed his eyes. “We gotta get something straight here. You hire us, you pay our bill, but you do not call the shots. We are the best in the business. We know our shit. So you do not argue with us. You do what we say, you’ll stay alive.”
I pursed my lips. I was not used to doing what people said. It was something that came from a stubborn soul and not my fame or fortune. I had a reputation in the business for being difficult. Because one director, famously misogynistic wanted me to do full frontal nudity for no other reason than he was a pervert and wanted to appeal to fellow perverts. He also got satisfaction from controlling beautiful women, from fucking them, because they wanted to further their career.