Marco wouldn’t let anyone take me, not under his watch.
“I intend to have a chat with your assistant. I’ll tell him to throw away any gifts from this fucker,” he said.
The anger in the Alpha’s voice took me by surprise. To be honest, it pleased me as well. It was nice to imagine that I was more than a job to Marco, that the Alpha saw me as more than his employer.
Yeah right.
Continue dreaming, Todd.
“Okay,” I whispered. “That sounds good.”
I closed my eyes for a couple of moments.
It was suffocating in here. I needed to get out of my changing room. I felt like a prey animal trapped in a cage.
“Marco? Can you take me home now?” I asked.
“Sure. This shit would be gone in the morning,” Marco said, gesturing to the flowers and chocolate box. “Come on.”
I didn’t mind Marco grasping my wrist and leading me out of the room. We walked past the set and eventually the studio.
A couple of staff members and one or two actors gave us stares. No doubt I would be the topic of gossip the next morning but I didn’t give a damn.
I was just that shaken.
Finally, we were outside the studio. Marco opened the car door for me. I got in, still feeling numb. Part of me still couldn’t believe this was truly happening to me.
I kept hoping it was all a bad dream but it wasn’t.
Marco got behind the wheel and started the engine.
“Seat belt,” he said.
I sighed, placating him. Marco always liked to remind me constantly to put my seat belt on.
“I’m not a kid,” I grumbled. “What’s with you and seat belts?”
I sounded cranky, like I wanted to pick a fight with someone. Marco just happened to be there.
I was sick of feeling scared and anxious all the time. I even had trouble sleeping lately.
I kept wondering if Randy was hovering right outside my apartment, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
“My parents died in a car accident when I was a kid. That’s why I’m a careful driver.” Marco explained.
I let out a breath, suddenly feeling thoughtless and petty. Insensitive. No wonder Marco always got tight-lipped when I asked him about his family.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” I began.
“It’s okay. You’re under a lot of stress.”
“It’s not fine. I acted like a dick.” I pointed out. “I’m sorry, about your parents I mean.”
“Don’t be. It was a long time ago,” Marco said with a shrug. “I can barely remember their faces.”
I hesitated.
We weren’t close.
Heck, Marco, and I barely knew each other although I hungered to know more about him. I wanted get under his skin, to discover the Alpha, the man underneath the bodyguard.
“Can you tell me more about them?” I asked.
Marco looked thoughtful.
“They were coming home from a party. A friend of theirs got engaged. It was winter. The roads were all covered in ice. Both my dad and mom forgot to put their seatbelts on. They collided with another vehicle. I’m told if they had their seatbelts, they would’ve survived the accident.”
“Oh Marco, that’s awful.”
I wanted to kick myself.
I was never good at comforting someone. Still, Marco shared that piece of himself with me. We were making some progress.
For a second, Marco helped me forget about my problems. I wondered if he told me about his parents just to distract me from Randy’s latest gifts.
Was it arrogant of me to think that?
“You’ve been working late. Is it always like this?” He asked.
I was glad for the abrupt change in topic.
I shook my head.
“Not always. We’re a little behind schedule but once we catch up, filming will be less intense. After this season is done, I get to enjoy some downtime. I don’t mind working late nights. Usually, anyway.”
Long hours meant I didn’t need to think about my lacklustre love life.
I was focusing on my career and had no time to date. That was what I always told Aaron and the rest of my family.
After seeing several of my cousins finding their mates and settling down, I secretly began yearning for more.
My career wasn’t enough.
“Usually?” He prodded.
Marco picked that up, huh?
I wasn’t surprised. Marco was sharp and perceptive.
The first time we met, I was a little apprehensive Marco would write me off as an alcoholic but he figured out I was drinking more thanks to my stalker.
By now, he probably had a clearer picture of me in his head.
“I’m freaked out, okay?”
My frustration sometimes got the better of me. I took deep breaths.
What was wrong with me?
I shouldn’t be rattled this much. I was in one piece. Randy just sent me more gifts. That was all.
“He’s gotten more dangerous. He probably knows you hired a bodyguard,” Marco said.
“What does that mean?” I demanded.
Marco shook his head. “You’re tired. Get a good night’s rest and we’ll talk about this more tomorrow morning.”
“No. Marco, let’s talk about this now. Please.”
I added the last word, hoping he could hear the desperate plea in my voice.
“The press doesn’t know you’ve hired a bodyguard and you’re a private person. You’re too busy working to go out to parties or events. Your stalker probably knows someone who works at the studio or he works at the studio.” Marco explained.
Goosebumps appeared across the length of my arms at those words. I had a sneaking suspicion Randy had somehow found out about Marco but it never occurred to me that Randy could be someone I worked with.
I just assumed he was a fan who lived far far away from me.
“Hey, this is all speculation for now. I’ve been looking at everyone you work with. I’ll start interviewing some of them discreetly.” Marco paused and continued, “Todd, I’ve promised you this before, but you need to hear it again. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
I let out a breath. Marco’s words felt like the blanket of comfort I needed at that moment.
Unlike me who was in panic mode, Marco was calm and rational. He’d done this plenty of times before. Marco was a professional and I was in good hands.
This Alpha would keep his promise to me.
Marco stopped the car and I realized we were finally at my apartment building.
I shivered, staring out the windows but I didn’t want to get out immediately. Some coward I am.
“Todd?” Marco asked.
I said nothing for a few moments.
How could I tell him that I didn’t want him gone? That I wanted him to stay the night because seeing those maggots and rotting roses petrified me on a whole other level?
4
Marco
I had a feeling Todd was trying to tell me something important. I was just too dense to see it.
My mind kept replaying that moment in the dressing room over and over again. It wasn’t just Todd’s assistant Gary who had access to his dressing room.
Make-up artists, members of the production team, and other staff members came and went as they pleased.