Kelsey was feeling awesome, carrying several bags of clothing and accessories, ready to head over to the makeup store with Robbie, when Robbie stopped abruptly and jerked Kelsey’s arm, pulling her around a pillar and then into a nearby store.

“Whoa,” Kelsey said, rubbing her arm as she looked at her friend, who was staring out carefully around the doors of the store as if she didn’t want to be seen.

“That was a close one,” Robbie muttered.

“What’s going on?” Kelsey asked, but Robbie put a finger up to her lips, and Kelsey shushed.

Robbie’s usually sunny, positive disposition had changed to one of stress, and there was a deep crease between her brows. “Dammit, what are they doing here?”

Then she did something that shocked Kelsey utterly. She raised her wrists and sniffed gingerly, then nodded. “No, I’m still wearing masking agent. They couldn’t scent me.”

What? Masking agent? Was Robbie just babbling in shock or something?

But no, as Robbie gently took Kelsey’s arm and pulled her to the other side of the store to look out of a window, Kelsey could sense her friend was feeling very real tension over the situation.

“What is masking agent? Some kind of perfume?”

“Something like that,” Robbie said. She scratched her head and stared out the window nervously. “Okay, I think they’re leaving. Phew.”

She stepped out into the store’s entrance and watched a group of three guys walking down the hall away from them, then let out a sigh of relief.

Robbie was so dominant, so powerful in her personality, that Kelsey hadn’t ever thought she would see her scared of something.

“Who were those guys?”

Robbie gave her a wary glance. “I don’t know if I can explain it,” she said.

“Come on,” Kelsey said. “I know what it’s like to have some guys you’re afraid of. I have a few I wouldn’t want to see. Is one of them an ex of yours?”

“Um, something like that,” Robbie said.

“How so?”

“Come on. Let’s go get your makeup before they decide to come back this direction or something.” Robbie darted back out into the hallway, and Kelsey followed.

When they entered the store, one of the associates, a beautiful, skinny woman with immaculate makeup, came over to greet them.

“This is my friend,” Robbie said. “And I want her hooked up with everything she could possibly want.”

The woman grinned brightly. “Anything for you, Robbie.”

“Business still going well?” Robbie asked.

“Yes, so much better ever since you,” the woman said.

“Glad to hear it, Glory,” Robbie replied.

As Kelsey sat in a chair in front of a makeup station with a mirror, she looked between the two women curiously.

“Robbie came in and did some management training for our store,” Glory said, answering Kelsey’s silent question.

As Glory began to put makeup on Kelsey, showing her different shades and getting her opinion, she couldn’t help watching Robbie, who continued creeping to the store entrance and peeking out as if still nervous about the guys from before.

Glory had to go to the back to grab something, so Kelsey waved for Robbie to come over.

Robbie’s forehead was still creased with stress. “Yes?” she asked. “You look gorgeous by the way. Not that you already didn’t.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate your flattery, because I totally do, but what is going on? Come on. You can tell me.”

“I don’t know,” Robbie said. “It’s not something I really talk about.” She snuck another peek outside. “But since you’re probably thinking I’m pretty weird anyway, I guess it can’t hurt to tell you. Just don’t… tell anyone else, okay?”

Kelsey pressed her lips together. If Robbie was actually in danger, was that a secret she should keep from the others? Especially since they all worked together.

Still, once she gave her word, she kept it. “I won’t tell. It’s your secret. But if I think someone should know, I might tell you I think you should tell them.”

“I know. Okay,” Robbie said. “So here it is. That guy out there? He’s from my hometown. He and the other guys. They… have probably been trying to find me. I mean, that’s probably not why they’re here, but let’s just say if they knew I was here, they would want me to leave with them.”

Kelsey found that confusing. “Why?”

“He’s… sort of my fiancé,” Robbie said.

Kelsey sat up with a start. “Are you serious?”

Robbie shrugged, sitting in a chair next to her with a sigh. “Yeah.”

“Um, I’m going to need more info,” Kelsey said.

“About having a fiancé or about the fact that if they saw me, they’d try to take me back by force?”

“Both,” Kelsey said, a lump forming in her throat. Robbie was so positive and friendly and take-charge, but she was hiding something so dark and not telling anyone about it. Even the guys, who presumably would protect her. “Why would they do that? I don’t get it. That isn’t allowed in this day and age, right?”

“It’s complicated,” Robbie said. “It was sort of an arranged marriage. I guess you could say it has to do with… my heritage.” She got a distant look in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself and looked out at the mall and the people walking back and forth.

“I think you should tell the guys, given that you’ve seen him in the area,” Kelsey said. “What if he knows you’re here?”

“I doubt it,” Robbie said. “And they… they were probably just here shopping like anyone else.”

“But is this close to your hometown?”

“About an hour away,” she said. “But I don’t know. We didn’t have any shopping areas like this. It’s just… I haven’t run into them before.”

“But…” Kelsey had a bad feeling about the whole situation, but Robbie was a strong, independent woman. If she wanted to take care of it herself, Kelsey supposed she had the right to do so.

“It’ll be fine,” Robbie said. “They’re gone now, and with luck, I won’t run into them again.”

Kelsey knew it was pointless to ask about it any further, so she just finished up with Glory and then walked back out into the mall with Robbie, holding her bags with a warm feeling of contentment.

They were walking to the elevator to take it down to the parking garage when she heard Robbie let out a gasp and stop abruptly. Her gaze was pinned over Kelsey’s head, and she looked in that direction to see the guys from before.

But this time, they were facing toward Robbie, and by the intense, angry expression on the leader’s face, they’d seen her.

“Run,” Robbie said, grabbing Kelsey’s arm and jerking her down the hallway in a full run.

Kelsey struggled to keep up, having much shorter legs than Robbie, but luckily, there was a single bathroom just to the left of them, and together they darted inside, shutting the door behind them and shoving the lock into place.

“Phew,” Robbie said. “Safe for now.”

Kelsey’s heart was pounding. She had no idea what had happened. This morning, she’d been looking forward to a simple shopping trip. Now they were somehow in danger.

She eyed Robbie, who was pacing worriedly.

No matter what, if Robbie was in trouble, Kelsey was here to help however she could.

Robbie ran her hand through her hair, pulling out a few of the curls from her elegant up-do to fall alongside her face. “Hm. What to do? I could call Ella, but she’d tell Dante.”

“We could call Adrien,” Kelsey said, causing Robbie to look at her sharply.

“He’d tell the others,” Robbie said.

“If you’re in danger, maybe they should know,” Kelsey said.

“No… I can’t. I can’t explain why. The fewer people who know, the better,” she said, folding her arms and lowering her head in thought. “Let’s see.”

“I think Adrien can keep a secret if you ask him to,” Kelsey said.

She wasn’t sure, but what was their other option, really?

“I suppose I have no choice,” Robbie said, pulling out her phone. “I want you out of this safely, and I already feel bad for getting you involved. I’ll call Adrien and see if he can pick us up.”

They’d taken a cab over here, but that wouldn’t be safe now that Robbie’s stalkers could be following them.

“Damn,” Robbie said, dialing a number and putting the phone up to her ear. “I haven’t seen them in years, and now I’m out with you and this happens? Unreal.”

Kelsey bit her lip nervously. It was pretty bad luck, but Kelsey was more worried about what would happen to Robbie if she put keeping her secret above ensuring her own safety.

“Hi, Adrien?” Robbie said into the phone. “Yeah, it’s Robbie. … Yes, things are fine. We’re at the mall. … No, she’s fine.” She sighed. “Anyway, can you come pick us up?”

There was a pause, and Kelsey held her breath. Had she overestimated Adrien’s kindness?

“Thanks,” Robbie said. “Yeah… uh, we’re sort of in the family bathroom on the second floor. Just take the elevator by the north parking lot and you’ll end up right by it.” Robbie’s face winced, and Kelsey could hear that Adrien’s voice was raised. “No, nothing in particular is wrong. We just can’t… leave the bathroom.”

Kelsey watched Robbie pull the phone away from her ear, grimacing at what must have been Adrien ranting. Then she said good-bye and hung up the phone.

“Phew, he was pretty pissed, but he’s coming,” Robbie said. “Should be here in about five minutes.”

Kelsey nodded. “Pissed?” She hoped she hadn’t interrupted something. He’d already done enough for her; she didn’t want to cause more issues.

They spent a tense five minutes in the bathroom, Robbie bantering to try and lighten the mood, and then her phone buzzed with a message.

She looked down and nodded. “He’s here.” She stepped toward the locked door. “Adrien, you out there?”

“Yes,” a muffled, annoyed voice retorted. “So come out and tell me why you’re locked in the bathroom. It’s ridiculous.”

“Is anyone else out there?”

A pause and then, “No. Why?”

His tone was terse, and Kelsey winced. Was he mad that they’d dragged him down here? Was he working? She sort of didn’t want to go out and face him, but she didn’t want to stay in a bathroom either.

“Okay, we’re coming out,” Robbie said, stepping in front of Kelsey just in case and cracking the door open.

Looking over Robbie’s shoulder, Kelsey could see Adrien’s nonplussed face. His arms were folded, showing off buff muscles in a light-blue dress shirt. He was wearing a tie and dress slacks as well.

“Sorry,” Kelsey said, walking out behind Robbie. “Did we interrupt a meeting?”

“Just a staff meeting,” Adrien said, sending Robbie an annoyed glare. “I had to make something up to leave so Citrine wasn’t suspicious. I hate secrets.”

Robbie flinched. “I’m sorry. But—”

“I know, I know,” he said grumpily. “But I’m not happy you put the two of you in danger, and I think I deserve to know a bit more about the situation.” He looked Kelsey over as she came up to walk alongside him toward the elevator. “Are you both okay? What happened?”

“It’s not mine to tell,” Kelsey said shyly, holding her bags.

He looked over at them and then reached out a hand impatiently.

He wanted them? She stared at him in confusion.

“Let me carry those for you,” he said. He also gestured to Robbie. “I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t.”

Kelsey reluctantly handed him the bags, but Robbie shook her head.

“I’m fine, thanks,” she said. “I can carry my own bags.” Her spine was a little too straight as they took the elevator down to the parking garage.

Adrien was quiet, but she could almost feel him stewing. The only thing she knew for sure was she was glad he’d come for them.

It was nice to have someone to depend on, and now that she was seeing him as simply another employee, there was less distance between them.

Kissing had helped with that as well.

“Robbie, you go ahead and get in the car,” Adrien said. “I need to ask Kelsey something.”

Robbie gave Kelsey a curious look but then got in, taking the bags from Adrien to situate them in the trunk.

Of course Adrien would drive a Mercedes.

Maybe they weren’t so even after all.

He looked at her awkwardly, dark hair lifting in the wind blowing through the garage, silver eyes grayer than usual due to the lighting. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me tonight,” he said awkwardly.

She stared at the handsome man in front of her in shock. “What?”

“I’d like to take you out to dinner. And whatever else you’d like.”

“Why?”

He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. “Because I want to court you in earnest,” he blurted out, looking frustrated, more with himself than with her.

“Oh,” she said blankly. She’d never been asked out like this. It would be fancy. She’d thought even if something did happen between them, it would happen at the club. Just hanging out casually.

Was he really saying someone like him wanted to pursue something serious with someone like her?

“But… we’re from totally different backgrounds, and you don’t know anything about me.”

“That seems like something that can be fixed over dinner,” he replied flatly. “Besides, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. We can start as friends. As for the difference in our backgrounds, that doesn’t matter to me. What matters more is your values. You stand up for your friends. You’re honest. You work hard. What do I care about your past?” He looked her square in the eyes, sending a shiver down her back. “I want to be your future.”

Holy shit. Holy shit! Things like this didn’t happen.

But there was something so honest and genuine in his eyes. And life had been so ridiculously unfair against her up to this point. Why couldn’t it make sense to be ridiculously fair in her favor for a while?

She took a deep breath. “Okay. I’d like that.”

A small smile quirked the corner of his lips, and his eyes seemed to light up, telling her she’d made the right decision. “Good. After the last appointment tonight, I’ll pick you up at your room.”

“Okay,” she said nervously, getting in the car as he opened the door for her.

“What was that all about?” Robbie asked, leaning forward.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me why you were locked in a bathroom,” Adrien retorted.

And that was that.

But Kelsey couldn’t help being a little worried about the whole Robbie situation on the way back.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t come up again.