Adrian's eyes widen. "How do we know it was a hit?"
"It seems my car was returned to the work car park on Friday night. The keys were on the passenger seat."
"My god," Adrian whispers as he slumps into the chair. "We also have another problem." He pulls his newspaper from under his arm. He opens it and shows me the front page, a huge picture of Natasha with the heading 'Joshua Stanton secretly marries his sex therapist'.
I angrily snatch the paper from him. It is a picture of Natasha and Max crossing the road out the front of the hospital. Natasha is laughing and looking gorgeous and Max has his hand in the small of her back guiding her across the street. The story reads:
Joshua Stanton the infamous wealthy LA playboy has secretly married his Australian sex therapist. They met in Sydney on his recent stay after she treated him for his sex addiction. Natasha Stanton has rushed to his side from Australia after he took a cocaine overdose over the weekend. The handsome playboy who formerly dated Heidi Mills and Vanessa Shortland…
I stop reading the dribble in front of me. "The fucking paparazzi, they just make this shit up," I snap. "This is just perfect, at a time when I need her to be in disguise she's on the front of the fucking paper." I put my head into my hands. "What am I going to do? She has been through enough. I don't want her frightened," I sigh.
"What's with the nightmares?" Adrian asks.
"She's been having the same recurring dream where she is tied up and forced to watch me get bashed to death and then they gang rape her."
"Gang rape. Christ," Adrian gasps.
"Let's not forget that they kill Ben," Cameron snaps.
I nod and Adrian screws up his face. "You don't want to tell her?"
I shake my head. "Not yet. She's been through enough."
Ben walks through the door.
"Where's Tash?" I snap.
"Talking to your mother. She's safe. Relax."
"Ben, I want the security doubled around Joshua and Natasha. Natasha is to have four bodyguards with her at all times," Adrian asserts.
This is why I love this man, he's a micromanager. He takes control of any situation and has the ability to make important decisions quickly. I smile, feeling better just having him here.
I look at Ben. "I want Max taken off guarding Natasha. You swap with him and I only want trusted long-term staff with her."
"Why? Max is the best bodyguard we have. He is more qualified than me. Why can't he guard Natasha?" Ben frowns.
"He just can't," I snap.
"Fuck off. Are you jealous?" Cameron spits.
I narrow my eyes at him. "Did you know that he has been staying in the house with Natasha? I am paying him to guard her, not cut my fucking grass."
Ben bites his lip to stifle his smile.
"Yeah, this is hilarious Ben … you ass," I spit.
My phone rings and Cameron picks it up, glances at the screen and hands it to me, the name Amelie on the screen. I push reject and Cameron shakes his head.
"Have you had that conversation yet?" he asks.
I shake my head. "No, I haven't had time."
"How's that going to go?"
"How do you fucking reckon?" I snap.
Adrian shakes his head. "You, Stanton, are a tosser. You're jealous of her bodyguard, when you are the one who makes her have one. And now that she actually needs one, you want to take the best man off the job because you're insecure."
"I am not insecure. He's just too … familiar."
"He's twenty years older than her. Grow up," Adrian replies flatly.
The door opens and Natasha breezes in. Her warm smile cuts through me. What if something happens to her because of me? I couldn't bear it. She sits next to me on the bed.
"What did the police want?" she asks.
"Umm … nothing. They were inquiring where I got the drugs from the other night."
Her eyes hold mine. She knows I'm lying but is staying silent while the others are in the room.
"Tash, Ben will be swapping with Max to guard you," I mutter.
She frowns as I pick up her hand and hold it in mine.
She looks nervously at Ben. "Ben, I don't mean to be rude, but I would rather stay with Max. I am only comfortable with Max."
Ben and Cameron both smirk at me. I narrow my eyes at them.
"Then Max can stay with you, baby, that's ok," Adrian interjects. "Now that you are in the States, Tash, you need more protection that's all. There is a nasty story in the paper today about you and you will be followed by photographers. They are really pushy. You cannot go anywhere without protection."
"What kind of story?" Her eyes widen as Adrian hands her the paper. She slumps into the chair to read it.
A nurse enters the room. "Nurse, please let the doctor know I am checking out this afternoon."
"Joshua," Natasha snaps. "Your treatment."
"Tash, I need to go home." She frowns at me.
"I am going to find the doctor." Cameron stands and leaves the room.
"Josh, I want you to do this drug rehab-it's really important."
"I know, presh. I promise I will continue the treatment from home." My eyes flick nervously to Ben. "The pap has access to me in here, baby. We are safer in a more protected environment."
She rolls her eyes. "I think you are being a bit of a drama queen, Josh."
"It is safer at Joshua's house, Natasha. I will go and make arrangements for the transfer," says Ben as he leaves the room.