Chapter 47

Chapter 47

I couldn’t go to work that day. Whatever drug Bob and Lisa had used, it kept me incapacitated with a hangover worse than any alcohol I had ever

consumed. The shock of finding the letter opener had dulled the effects at first, but after that died down, I could not even get out of bed, except to vomit. on the floor.

Andrew grew concerned, so he brought in an emergency room physician to take care of me. The doctor gave me something in an IV, and Andrew paid her to look after me the entire day. Fortunately, thanks to the doctor’s care werewolf genetics, I had worked the drug out of my system by that night.

and my

By 9 p.m., I sat alone in the dining room, trying to eat a peanut butter sandwich and drink a glass of milk. I stiffened when I heard someone enter the room but relaxed as soon as I realized that it was Andrew.

“Hello, beautiful,” Andrew said with a small smile.

I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, please. I look like death on a biscuit.”

He took a seat next to me.

“You don’t look that bad, especially given everything that you’ve been through.”

“Well, thanks. You really know how to make a woman feel better.”

He reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand.

“How do you feel?”

“Like a semi ran me over, but better than I felt earlier.”

“Then I suppose that’s all we can hope for. You think that you’re going to make it to work tomorrow?”

Inodded.

I think that a good night’s sleep will put me in much better shape, and then Il be able to carry on like normal…well, as normal as I can after what Juppened

I cringed, and Andrew frowned.

“About that…I will let you return to work-”

“Like you could stop me?”

Andrew arched a brow at me, and I stooped my head at him.

“Sorry, Your Highness. I spoke out of turn.”

“No, you’re right. I don’t have any right to tell you when you can go to work and when you can’t. I just want you to do so safely.

“Okay. How can I do that?”

“Let me put a guard on you. Just one. He will shadow you everywhere you go and make sure that you stay safe”

I hesitated. Even though the idea of having a guard brought me some sense of security, the thought of some man following me everywhere still creeped me out. It didn’t matter that he worked for Andrew,

“I don’t know,” I finally said. “There were guards at your dining room and all over the mansion, and someone still managed to get to me here even with them around.”

“This will be one of my personal guards.” Andrew assured me. “He received the same training as the US Secret Service, and since he’s pureblood werewolf, his senses are a hundred times better.”

I sighed. This was obviously an argument that I was not going to win.

“All right. I relent.”

Andrew grinned.

Thank you. I swear, you won’t even know he’s there.”

Andrew lied. At least, his definition of not knowing that the guard was there did not match up with mine.

65, the guard-Jeffrey-was an intimidating presence. He wore a black

piece suit and black sunglasses, and he carried a handgun in a holster

Chapter 47

hanging around his waist.

When I first entered the store with him, Terri pulled me aside, causing Jeffrey to follow.

“Uh, Crystal…what’s with the suit?” she whispered, discreetly glancing at him.

“For personal reasons, I’m going to need a b*dyguard for a while.”

I cringed. I had rehea rsed these words a thousand times since last night, and they still sounded artificial.

“Personal reasons? What happened?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

Terri’s eyes searched my face for a minute, then she nodded.

“All right. He won’t disrupt our work at all, will he?”

“No. I was assured that he’ll stay in the background.”

Jeffrey did stay in the background, but he wasn’t out of sight or out of the way. He always stood within two feet of me, making maneuvering in the store difficult and generally giving me the creeps. And I wasn’t the only one.

My colleagues gave me a wide berth. Clients who normally loved to work with me asked to work with Terri or Samantha. I could hear them whispering-not very quietly-about my new companion.

“Who’s that new guy?” one of the brides-to-be asked Terri.

“I don’t know his name, but he’s Crystal’s personal b*dyguard.”

“Personal b*dyguard? Why does she need one of those? Did something happen?”

“I don’t know, but Crystal hasn’t been to work in a couple days. She was gone to see a client a couple days ago, but she took a personal day yesterday. I think something happened to her.”

The poor dear. She’s always so sweet. But that man…

I don’t know if we can work with her with him looming over us, the woman’s fance said, “It’s making us uncomfortable.”

“I completely understand,” Terri replied. “Someone will talk to her about it. For now, I’ll help you out.”

At lunch, after Jeffrey had finished searching my food for contaminants, I received a call from Lily.

“Hi, Lily,” I said wearily, knowing what this was about.

“Hi, Crystal,” Lily replied. “I heard that you have a new…friend at work.”

“Yes, I have a personal b*dyguard.”

“Would you like to tell me why?”

I sighed. I could choose not to tell Terri, but Lily was my boss. I couldn’t avoid telling her.

“You know how I’ve been staying at Andrew’s mansion since getting kicked out of the apartment?”

“Yes?”

“Well, I’ve been receiving threats from someone to try and get me out of there. The other night, someone drugged me and left a letter opener in my pillow with a note demanding that I leave the mansion or else. The only way that Andrew would let me come to work was if I took one of his personal guards with me.”

I heard her gasp over the phone.

“You were drugged? Are you okay?”

“I am now. Andrew made sure that a physician saw to me. But…”

“But this guard thing has gotten a bit out of hand?”

“Yeah. I’m sure that Terri has told you everything that’s been happening with our clients.”

Of course. They seem to find him…intimidating.”

He is That’s part of his job, I suppose.

Chapter 47

Lily didn’t say anything for a minute.

“Crystal, I’m really glad that you’re okay, and I really want you to be safe, but… you’re Head Wedding Planner. You need to represent our company. Your image is our image.”

“I’m following.”

“That image can’t include a creepy b*dyguard. You need to make it seem as though everything is safe and secure at the shop, no matter what is going on in your personal life.”

“I know, but until I move out, there will be someone out to get me. That’s not to mention the fact that this is a direct order from the Alpha King.”

Lily sighed.

“You’re right. I trust you to be able to fix this, though. That’s why you’re Head Wedding Planner, because you know how to fix the impossible.”

I flinched. That was a low blow, and she knew it.

“All right. I’ll talk to Andrew tonight and see if we can come up with another solution.”

“Thank you. You’re the best.”

“No problem.”

I groaned as I hung up, knowing that it was going to be a huge problem.

Jeffrey trailed me to Andrew’s home office that night after we came back from. Ever After Weddings. The guards positioned outside the office nodded to me before knocking on the door.

“Come in!” Andrew’s voice called from inside.

The guards opened the door for Jeffrey and me, then closed it behind us.

Andrew smiled at me as he watched us walk inside.

Hello, Crystal. Please, sit down. What can I do for you?”

Chapter 47

I didn’t say anything as I sat down in the seat directly across the desk from his. The smile vanished from Andrew’s face as concern overtook his features.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No, no. Well, yes, but nothing like the other night,” I said.

Andrew’s brows burrowed as he looked from me to Jeffrey and back again.

“Okay. Then what is it?”

“Andrew, I really appreciate you being so concerned that you want to put a guard on me, but I need you to take Jeffrey back.”

Andrew’s expression went blank.

“No.”

“Please. I can’t have him following me everywhere. It’s negatively affecting business.”

“I’m sorry, but your safety is more important.”

“But what kind of life will I be living if no one wants to interact with me because of this giant shadow looming over me-

“I said no!”