“Tell me where women buy dresses. Like, vintage designer ones.”
Iris frowned. “Are you going for a new look?”
I sighed. “Yes. Obviously.”
“It’s about time.” She laid her head on top of Ronan’s. “I’ll text you with some places.”
“Sounds good. I’ll leave now so you can do whatever gross things you do to each other’s bodies.” I started to turn away then remembered the other shit I’d stirred. “Though, I should tell you Saul thinks Adelaide and I are engaged. Oh, and he is looking over our contract with a fine-tooth comb to see if he can terminate it. That’s all.”
I headed for the door before Iris could throw her coffee at me.
“Adam!” she yelled. “I’ll murder you and cut you into itty-bitty pieces if I have to call Saul Goodman and kiss his ass.”
“Murder me later. I’ve got shit to do.”
Adelaide’s landlord had been shockingly easy to bribe. All it took was the promise of concert tickets and me paying for a new main door to the building. No sweat. Ronan’s locksmith installed new locks and a dead bolt on Adelaide’s door, and an electrician put in a Ring doorbell. The security system I wanted her to have would have to wait until I convinced her she needed it.
The pictures of us were everywhere. Adelaide was pretty damn easy to identify, even though my drunk ass had tried to hide her from the cameras. I really didn’t give a shit if people thought I was some perverse sex fiend. No skin off my back. But conjecture and rumors about Adelaide weren’t acceptable.
After dealing with her landlord, I got in touch with The Season’s Change publicist, Elise. There was no taking back the pictures. They were out there and would live on the internet forever. But the story hadn’t been told yet. It was in my hands to spin it in a way that would paint Adelaide in the light she deserved, so that was what I’d do.
I didn’t get the reaction I expected to the locks or even the deliveries. Adelaide gave me silence, so I decided to give her space until our dinner. It wasn’t easy. My instinct kept trying to pull me next door, but she wasn’t there anymore—a fact I really couldn’t seem to wrap my head around.
I’d just gotten out of the shower to get dressed so I could finally go pick up Adelaide when my phone rang. If it was her trying to cancel on me, I’d kidnap her sassy ass and tie her down until she told me what the fuck I did and how I could repair her faith in me.
It wasn’t Adelaide, though. The call was from Matt, the bodyguard who’d been trailing her all day.
“Hello?” Panicked. I was panicked. Why would he be calling me unless something had gone wrong?
He cleared his throat. “Sir. It’s Matt. First, everything is fine. Ms. Goodman is safe.”
Relief had my knees giving out. I sat down on my bed, exhaling a great gust. “What can I help you with, then?”
“The thing is, she…uh—”
“What?”
“She won’t let me guard her.”
My brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know how, but she spotted me right away. At first, I didn’t know I’d been made, so I kept up with her. She zigzagged all over the sidewalk. To be honest, I thought maybe she was drunk.”
Impatience sizzled under my skin. “Get to the point. How are you not able to guard one woman?”
“Well, she turned around and walked right up to me. I had to tell her you’d hired me. I don’t think she liked that. Then, uh…”
“What, Matt? Speak.”
“Ms. Goodman told me she was going to follow me instead. She said she was going to find out where I live and be my little shadow to see how I like it. I didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t budging, and I knew she had to get to work, so I started walking again, and she stayed right behind me, like she was guarding me, not the other way around.”
My fingers flexed in and out. I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream my guts out. This woman…
“Where is she now?” I asked.
“Inside her office. She…uh, followed me to lunch earlier and took pictures of me while I was eating. I’ve been doing this for a few years and nothing like this has ever happened. I have to report to Ronan but I wanted you to know first.”
Thanking him and ending the call, I sighed and yanked at my damp hair. Adelaide was going to be the death of me. Probably Matt too.
I let my head fall forward as my shoulders shook with laughter. Jesus Christ. What kind of woman follows her bodyguard? Matt was a six-five, three-hundred-pound man and Adelaide had defeated him in less than a day. There was no one like my Baddie.
If she let me back in, the slow, painful death would be worth it.