Tristan turns, noticing the entourage of vehicles chasing us. “Of course.”
I wish I could sink into the seat and disappear. “They’re relentless.”
“Once we arrive at the private airport, they’ll be stopped.”
I glance over at him. “We’re getting on a plane?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re going to know we’re flying somewhere.”
He meets my eyes. “They won’t know where we’re going, and neither will you.”
“Why not?”
“The less you know, the better.”
I clench my jaw, angry that he’s not giving me any details. We zoom through the private gate, and those following us are left behind at the security entrance. The car pulls up to my parents' private jet. Within minutes, my bags are being loaded, and we’ve boarded. After we’re buckled, the plane taxis to the runway. Once we take off, I pull out my laptop, and before I can log in with my fingerprint, Tristan slams it shut.
“No internet. At all. Jack tracked your phone, and I don’t know if that’s infected too. As soon as you connect to the internet, your IP can be tracked.”
My nostrils flare. “Do you have any idea how many rumors are going to be started about me? Everyone will know I fled from my sister’s wedding, packed my shit, and escaped on a plane.”
“I don’t give two shits,” he firmly states.
“Of course you don’t,” I snap. He doesn’t realize how hard I’ve worked to stay out of the drama.
I grab my AirPods, then realize I don’t have my phone to listen to music, so I put them back into their case. Closing my eyes, I think back to all the meet & greets, public appearances, and videos that got me into this mess.
While it’s not Tristan’s fault that this happened, he seems to have zero compassion for me. Not that I want his sympathy, but my everyday life involves the internet, so dealing with all of this on top of having all access ripped away in a blink is a lot at once.
My mind reels, and I try to fall asleep, but the thoughts come and go so fast that I grow anxious instead of tired. I look down at the silk dress I’m still wearing and am reminded how quickly everything happened and how lucky I am to be safe. I already wish this nightmare would end, and it literally just started.
CHAPTER TWO
TRISTAN
I know Piper’s pissed, but there’s nothing I can do about it. She’s used to always getting her way, and considering she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, it’s not hard to guess why. However, I take my missions seriously, especially when her life is on the line. When we’re an hour outside of our destination, I connect to the Wi-Fi on the plane and text my brother. He immediately responds.
Tristan: Hey, I’ll be in town tonight.
Easton: Is everything okay? Did something happen?
Tristan: I’ll explain everything tomorrow. Is there any way you can help stock the beach house with food? I don’t know how long we’ll be staying.
Easton: We?
Tristan: Yeah.
When he realizes I’m not going to give any more details, he sends another message.
Easton: I can be there in the morning before my shift.
Tristan: Appreciate it.
I lock my phone, knowing I’ll eventually have to fill him in. It’s not something I’m looking forward to, considering the impending danger that follows being someone like Piper Montgomery’s bodyguard. My family worries about my well-being often, and that’s the last thing I want. It’s taken years for my parents to stop hounding me about staying safe, and once this is splashed on the news, concern will follow. My mother worried when I was in the military, and I think after everything that has happened, she always will.
Three and a half hours later, the plane touches down.
I’ve gotten the silent treatment during the entire flight, and I don’t know if she realizes or not, but it doesn’t bother me. Honestly, I’d rather her be quiet than hear her whining about her first-world problems. There are bigger issues than her not being able to log on to the internet, but I’ll never be able to convince her otherwise.
Once the plane comes to a stop, the cabin lights turn on, and the pilots wish us well. A concierge is waiting by the rental car her parents' set up, and I quickly sign the paperwork, then place Piper’s belongings in the back seat. The humidity is the first thing I notice, and it’s something I haven’t missed living in New York.
“Jesus, it’s hot,” Piper complains, smoothing her hair away from her face.
I get inside the vehicle and am happy the windows are tinted dark. Although it’s right after two o’clock in the morning, and I doubt anyone is searching for Piper here, I can never be too cautious.
Piper puts on her seat belt and stares out the window as we leave. I turn onto the main road, and her eyes are glued outside.
“Palm trees? Are we in Florida?”
Smirking, I increase my speed onto the freeway without responding. She huffs and doesn’t say anything else.
I could drive to my family’s beach house with my eyes closed. Though I wish I were visiting under different circumstances, I’ll take what I can get.
Glancing over at her, I notice she’s fallen asleep. Though she’s a huge YouTube star with millions of adoring fans, death threats from a pervert had never happened before now. It’s actually shocking it took this long, considering how obsessed people are with her.
But Jack? He’s taken it to the extreme.
I turn onto a small paved road, then pull into the driveway. Luckily, the doors are equipped with security keypads, so I only need a code to enter. I put the car in park and lightly nudge her.
Piper wakes and looks around. “We’re here?”
“Yeah. I’ll grab your things.”
She nods, and we get out of the car. I swing her backpack over my shoulders then grab my duffel and her suitcase. When we walk in, I realize the cabin hasn’t been aired out and smells musty.
Piper looks disgusted. “What is this place?”
“It’s my family’s beach house.”
“Wait, there’s a beach?”
I nod and point at the windows, though she won’t be able to see since it’s dark. “It’s private access, and during the day, you can see it from here.”
“So we are in Florida, aren’t we?”
“Yes. But that’s all I can share. It’s better if you don’t know exactly where we are.”
She swallows hard. “Do my parents know we’ve arrived?”
“I’ll call your dad once you’re settled, but he was notified via text that we landed and picked up the car.”
“Okay,” she tells me as her eyes scan over the place. I wish I could read her mind. This house is far from the luxury she’s used to.
She makes her way into the living room, then glances at the small kitchen and moves closer to the large wall of windows. Since the moon isn’t out, seeing the water is impossible. I open the windows, allowing the natural breeze to flow in.