“Where’d you meet her?”
“She’s the girl who found Dad outside of the hotel after his disappearing act. I owe her big time.”
“You owe her more than your dick, Jamie. We need to lock Dad down somehow.”
“I know. He scared the shit out of me.”
“Yeah, I know. I thought… Look, don’t worry about it. Leave it to me. I’m tightening up our security. That means you can brush up on your charm.” Marcus chuckled at the other end of the line.
“I guarantee you I’ll have her before the week is over.”
“Maybe I can help with that,” Marcus suggested. “Devereux’s flying into Belfast this weekend instead of me flying out to New York. There's a new Verto site we want to look at. I’ve asked Freddy to do the catering.”
“That’ll give him publicity for his new restaurant.” Jamie nodded in approval, his mind already shifting.
With his phone pressed to his ear, Jamie moved back to the lobby, leaving the hallway and entering the main hotel reception again.
Out of instinct, his gaze shot to the street through the windows, where a figure caught his eye. Shannon darted past the front window, the wind ruffling her hair as she moved with purpose.
An unexpected rush of excitement stirred in his chest. He held his breath as she disappeared into the afternoon crowd.
For a racing heartbeat, his pulse thrummed out of frustration until he found her standing out in the sea of faces.
“Jamie…what’s happening? Are you listening to me?” Marcus’s voice yanked him back to the conversation.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here.” Jamie stalked closer to the lobby doors, battling with his self-restraint.
He scanned the scene outside, finally locking onto her across the street, waiting at the bus stop.
“Lana’s planning an event in The Fitz,” Marcus continued. “It’s scheduled for tomorrow night. Bring a girl—maybe the one who’s squeezing your nuts right now.”
“She’ll be there,” Jamie drawled, his attention still locked on Shannon. “Although Devereux always has an entourage of beautiful women. If she doesn’t come with me, I’m sure I can amuse myself.”
They laughed together.
"Hey, before I go," Jamie said, a teasing edge to his voice, "how’s the lovely Lana?"
Marcus’s tone softened, filled with affection. “She’s good. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m not letting her go this time.”
Jamie raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Yeah? The extra security is for her, huh? What’s next? Tracking her steps with a GPS? Gotta make sure she’s safe from every guy that looks at her.”
Marcus chuckled darkly, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Maybe. She’s mine, Jamie. You get that, right?”
Jamie laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I get it.You’re like a walking alarm system. She’s lucky to have you, mate.”
“Nah, I’m the lucky one,” Marcus replied, his tone full of quiet pride.
“Jesus, who the fuck are you now?” Jamie chuckled under his breath.
“Make sure you actually show up at the party, and don’t get lost with some random girl instead,” Marcus ordered.
“Alright, bro. Talk soon.” Jamie ended the call with a grin.
His thumb hovered over the screen, then swiped through his contacts to find Shannon’s name. A fresh wave of anticipation pumped through him as his finger lingered over her name, the thrill of the chase heating his veins.
“Excuse me, Jamie. There’s a call for you on line four. It’s Ronnie Carter,” chirped one of the hotel staff.
Not showing his irritation, Jamie gave him a quick, appreciative smile.
