“I’m fine,” she croaked through dry lips. “Did you have to wake me up?”
Houston gaped at her. “You’re kidding, right? Even you don’t sleep this late.”
She rolled over, palming her hands under her cheek. “Why? What time is it?”
“Almost seven.”
“God!” Titania groaned. “Please tell me you did not wake me up at seven in the morning. You’re nuts.”
“No, Tani. Try seven at night. You’ve been out cold all day. The phone didn’t wake you up, and I’ve been beating the hell out of your door for ten minutes.”
She wrinkled her nose, trying to surmise if he was joking or not. His sarcasm was a little thick.
“I’m sorry, Houston,” she murmured, awake but barely. “I swear I never heard the phone.” Her brow furrowed. “After we stopped at the hospital, we stayed up kind of late. I think I fell asleep on him.” She giggled. “In fact, I know I did.” Memories of his warm shoulder were returning.
Houston shook her. “Tani, what is with you?”
“Houston?” Laney interjected. “I think you’re going overboard again. He obviously isn’t here now.”
“I know.” He relented. “Tani, I promised Laney I’d take her out tonight. Are you going to be all right by yourself?”
“Sure. Is there a shelf somewhere?” she asked him bitterly.
“Tani, that isn’t fair.” She felt his annoyance and wasn’t surprised when he tried to argue. “I’m supposed to take care of you. Your mother—”
“Isn’t here.” She sat up, giving up on getting more sleep. She brushed her hair from her face. “Look, Houston, I’m sorry, but you have to realize I’m not the sixteen-year-old, scared-of-her-own-shadow girl you met. I know how to protect myself, how to form barriers, and I hate the fact that since Diego has shown up, you’ve not only gotten more restrictive with me, but that you hate him.”
“And you refuse to take precautions. You can’t keep this up, Tani. Don’t you realize that?”
She glared at him. “And what do you think I’m going to do? Wear a sandwich sign proclaiming my identity as I walk around town?” She lifted her knees and dropped her head. “Just go, Houston. I want to shower. I promise to behave.” She was tired of fighting over this with him. He would never accept that she was a grown woman, rather than a helpless child.
His hand gentled, brushing at her hair before resting on her head. “Tani. I love you. You know I do. I’m not trying to restrict you, but think about this. You’ve had all sorts of trouble in the last two weeks. You’ve lost weight—don’t tell me you haven’t. I just want to make sure you stay in one piece, angel.”
Her voice was muffled by the blanket. “I know. I just need to be alone. Go ahead. Have fun. I’ll be fine.”
“She means it,” Laney said, tugging at Houston’s arm.
“Now you’re cross-examining me?” she asked tightly. First Houston, now Laney. What was she, five again?
“No!” Laney exclaimed. Laney sat on the bed next to her. “Tani. Regardless of Houston’s opinion, I’ve seen Diego with you. The last thing he would allow is for something to happen to you.” She found Titania’s hand, holding it. “I’ll admit, when I first met him, he scared me. I thought you were in way over your head, but not now.”
“What changed your mind?” she asked, ignoring the scowl Houston aimed at his wife.
“The way he looks at you. The way he walks with you. Like you’re the only thing on this planet that matters.”
“I should be. That’s what I pay him for. Why else would he act like that?”
Laney shrugged her shoulders.
“If you girls are done with this little gossip swap,” Houston said.
“What is the deal, Houston?” Tani swept her gaze to his and realized he was dressed in more than jeans and that Laney wore a nice gown. “Oh, hell. I’m sorry. I completely forgot. Happy anniversary.” She gave him a sheepish smile.
“Forgiven. Now we are leaving.” He looped Laney’s hand into his own. “We’ll see you later.”
“I won’t have hurt feelings if you don’t,” she called. Houston winked broadly and closed the door behind them.
Awake but not by choice, she took a leisurely shower, feeling restless. After sleeping all day, she felt energized after all but falling over last night. She was probably catching a bug, something that would put her out of commission for weeks. Not something she had time for. She still wasn’t hungry, and that was definitely worrying her more.
After her shower, she drank a bottle of water and made herself drink half a bottle of juice. The thought of food made her stomach hurt too much. She
was
getting sick, she thought with a strong touch of disgust. Just great. Half a tour to finish, and she was coming down with God knew what. She prayed it wasn’t something worse.
Looking at her clock, she knew Diego would be arriving soon. With the hotel only a few blocks from the San Francisco Wharf, escaping for a few minutes was a lure in itself. She made a promise to not be out too long. She just needed to feel normal again, human, and not trapped. She stuffed some money and her card key into a front pocket and left her room.
Light stabbed her eyes the second she walked outside the building. She blinked heavily, tears streaming down her face. Their sensitivity was new and sudden.
Probably part of whatever else this is messing with me.
Out of necessity, a little booth with tourist trap written all over it was the first place she found. She played and posed, picking out a pair after several minutes. Her eyes were still sensitive to glare, but at least she could walk with her eyes open.
She strolled along the sidewalk and laughed to herself when no one even looked sideways at her. “Told them so,” she muttered. “Like anyone would care. I’m not that big a deal.” She purposely didn’t meet any gazes, keeping to herself. A tourist out enjoying the sunset. It wasn’t hard to blend in, either. It was gradual when it happened, when she let the angst and tension fade to relax.
She believed no one noticed her at all until her feet hit the wharf. Someone was watching her. Their intense gaze felt like a weighted blanket. She covertly searched from behind the tinted lenses of the sunglasses. That was when she remembered Diego’s warning. Like
now
was a good time to remember it, when she was probably already in trouble. Tani hadn’t tried to purposely forget. Between Houston and her exhaustion, she barely remembered to brush her teeth this evening. She shook her head, keeping her gaze lowered when she couldn’t find anything that told her who it was watching her, hearing the berating Houston was going to give her over this. The feeling of being watched didn’t go away as she walked either.
She should know better by now than to purposely thumb her nose at Houston. Not watching where she walked, with her thoughts racing around Diego and Houston, she smacked right into a solid chest. She gasped, stepping back in mortification, her cheeks burning. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Neither was I,” the man said. “My apologies to you.” His piercing gaze narrowed. “Do I know you?”
Titania was quick to deny it. “No, I’m sure we’ve never met.” She took another step back, swallowing once. The urge to slam up walls was powerful. There was too much going on around her on the wharf. The cacophony of sound and nuances made it too difficult to define where the threat came from. The sense of being watched was still there. She fought back the shiver.
“They say a friend is simply a stranger you haven’t met yet,” he said, a smile touching briefly on his lips. It didn’t reach his hawk-like gaze. He held out his hand. “I am Tenorio. Albert Tenorio. My friends call me Ten.”
“Tani.” Her hand vanished in his larger palm. She purposely kept her thoughts blank. His touch made her skin crawl. He had been the one watching her. She was positive of it.
“Unusual name,” he coaxed, relinquishing her hand with dragging slowness. She felt his deep curiosity and was thankful when he let her go. She didn’t offer her full name. She rarely did in public. “I think I do know you,” he said, tucking his chin into cupped fingers, staring at her.
She wanted to turn and walk away. When he spoke again, she knew she was out of luck.
“Now I know!” he crowed between them. “Titania Alcott. The singer.”
She let her gaze drop. “I try to stay low-key to avoid getting mobbed. I like a normal life,” she explained with a touch of warning.
“I can understand that. I’m well known in New York myself. Hard to walk around Manhattan anymore.” He gestured to an empty railing to the side of the causeway walk. The bark of sea lions came from below the spot he was indicating. “Please, just a moment of your time. I would love an autograph if I’m not being too presumptuous.”
She hesitated. He was, but she would never say it. Her mother had raised her better than that. She looked around at the throng of people in motion around her. They would be in plain sight and not too far from a glowing street lamp. “All right, but just a few minutes.”
Albert turned, strolling casually. He put his hands into his pants pockets. “I’d heard you were very kind.”
He leaned against the rails on a hip, leaving gapped space between them, and she breathed a little more easily. “If you have something,” she hinted, wanting to leave this man far behind and soon.
“I do,” he said as if drawn from his thoughts. He patted a shirt pocket. “Ah, yes, here we go.”
She accepted the business card and his pen. “Do I make it to you?”
“That would be generous of you.” His smile was easy. It didn’t blend with the threatening aura he exuded.
She tried to dismiss the edge of danger surrounding this man. Maybe it was just his nature, not aimed at her. He was probably just a very sharp-minded business shark.
“Do you have a date in town?” he asked, striking a simple conversation.
“Last night. I’ll be leaving soon.” She scribbled out her name with a quick bit to Ten, as he liked to be called, she thought with a hidden grimace. He could think he was one, but not for her. She feared that was just what she had walked into. Literally.
His fingers captured hers when she offered the card back. “I understand you have an incredible following for your concerts.”
A frisson of warning slid into awareness. This was not a random encounter, and this man was not a fan. Her first reactions had been on the money. A gentle tug did not get her fingers back. Her mistake was giving him the benefit of a single doubt. Fear crawled upward, wrapping around her spine to chill her.
“So does Celine Dion,” she replied, keeping her own expression and her thoughts blank. She couldn’t let him know she knew what was going on. That she was trembling with fear.
He cupped her captured hand within both of his. “I believe you are even better. I have heard your music,” he said, his tone dropping, his dark gaze boring into hers.
She found herself drawn into them, his fingers holding her tighter, pulling her closer still. Pressure built in waves beneath her temples. He was murmuring quiet words, something that was so quiet, it didn’t even seem as though there was sound, but some part of her knew what he was saying. She was trapped, listening. It felt like she was sinking…
“Titania, there you are.”
She snapped around, blinking, dazed, yet relief immediately filled her at the interruption. Diego’s expression was merciless when he focused right at the man holding her captive.
“Would you mind releasing her?” There was nothing in his voice or his expression that gave the threat away. It literally vibrated from his entire being.
“My apologies,” Ten was quick to say. He faced Diego and offered his hand. “Albert Tenorio. Ten, if you like.”
He ignored the offered hand, staring unblinking into the other man’s gaze. “If you will excuse us,” he said. He curved a protective arm around her shoulders and led her away from the railing without any further discussion.
She followed without question, still feeling the other man’s disturbing gaze on her until they had walked a distance into the milling crowd.