Chapter 31

**Artemis**


After the dress fitting I head back to work per Blue’s request, but damn if I’m not confused as hell. I thought there was something between us for a minute there, but she changed. Rhea sensed it too because she asked me what was wrong but I didn’t have an answer for her. I suppose if Blue needs space for whatever reason then I should give it to her.

She hasn’t contacted me for hours, so I decided to dive into work. By four o’clock I know I won’t be going back to the hotel tonight. I need the extra time to go over every inch of this code and sleep isn’t going to help me. I need my mind sharp and that only happens for me when I don’t give it time to reset. Is it healthy? Absolutely not but it’s my system and it helped me build this company, so I’ll keep doing it.

Abigail came in at four thirty to ask if I needed dinner sent up. I took her up on the offer but asked her to have it delivered around seven. I want to work another few hours without distraction. Or that was the plan until my phone rings and pulls me out of the head space I’d been in since the early afternoon. I don’t check who’s calling and keep my eyes focused on my computer when I answer the call.

“Hello?” I ask absentmindedly.

“Mr. Rhodes, we have a…situation.” Bryant’s words echo in my ears like it’s coming from a loud speaker.

“What is it?”

“Miss blue received a package. We scanned it for weapons or explosive and found none but when she opened it…”

“What? For fucks sake finish a sentence!”

“She looked terrified and as pale as a ghost.”

“What was in the package?”

“A teddy bear.” He says and I’m immediately confused.

“A teddy bear? That’s it?”

“Yes sir, but it looks old and there are sections of it that are burned and discolored.”

Odd but I’m not sure why it would freak Blue out.

“Is Blue, okay?”

“She’s sitting on the couch but she hasn’t said a word and is looking off in the distance like we aren’t here. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I thought I would let you know.”

Shit. That sounds a lot like the panic attack she had the other night.

“I’ll be there in thirty.” I hang up and start gathering my stuff.

My phone rings and I answer again without checking the caller ID.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing brother. I wanted to see if you wanted to come out tonight?”

“Not tonight. Blue needs me.”

“What happened?” His carefree voice turns serious in a split second.

“I don’t know yet. I’m heading back to the hotel to find out.”

“Shit. She’s been hit hard with shit in short amount of time.”

He’s not wrong. “I know but I don’t know if this is related to our engagement. She got a destroyed teddy bear shipped to her.”

He’ silent for a minute but I don’t expect him to say anything. What could someone say about something like that? It’s weird.

“Destroyed toys are not usually a good thing, but why would someone mail it to her? Unless it means something.”

I’m not sure what he means but if it scared Blue then maybe he’s right and it means something.

“I have to go.” I tell him after a long silence.

“Of course. Let me know if everything is okay. I’m here for you brother.”

“Thanks.” I hang up before he becomes too emotional.

I rush to the hotel not giving a damn about traffic laws. Blue’s safety is going to give me an ulcer at this rate. No wonder her foster mother named her Blue. It’s not just because she looked sad, it was because bad things happen to her way too much.

Here I thought she would be the solution to my problems but it’s like fate brought her to me because she had no one. So how long am I going to let my head get in the way? I can’t deny the way I feel drawn to her, but does she feel the same?

Is it normal to just ask a girl if she’s into you? I’ve never cared since relationships never interested me. Most of the time the women I was with I couldn’t even stand to have a conversation with. I guess maybe because then I wouldn’t have an urge to stick around after being with them. I don’t feel that way with Blue. I don’t want this to be a contract marriage anymore.

Would she consider being more? Fuck this is stupid.
I finally make it to the hotel and curse under my breath when I see several people gathering nearby. Shit, they found us. Why are they so fascinated by this? My sister didn’t get this kind of attention when she got engaged. So, what the fuck?

Thankfully they don’t notice me drive by as I head for the underground garage. The valet takes my keys and I make sure to warn him about the crazy people stalking me and Blue. He assured me that they will make sure no one invades our privacy. I heard him on his radio letting his manager know as well. I’m able to get to the elevators with no one stopping me, even the manager and I go straight up to our floor. When I step off the elevator Dane is posted outside.

“Mr. Rhodes.” He says when I reach the door. “I’m watching for anyone else in case the people with who left the package comes back.”

“Good.”

He opens the door for me, and I can see Blue sitting on one of the couches. I walk over to her and when she hears my footsteps, she turns to look my way. Her eyes fill with tears and before I can close the distance between us she is on her feet and coming to me. I wrap my arms around her the second she is close enough for me to touch and she starts crying. I look past her to see Bryant sitting opposite of where she had been sitting. I tilt my head toward the door, and he takes my hint to leave us alone. Once Blue and I are alone I try to direct her back to the couch but she won’t budge. I let her control the situation and just hold her.

I’m shocked that she would look for comfort from me since she seemed annoyed earlier.

“What happened?” I ask her softly. “What does the bear mean Blue?”

She tightens her arms around me and breathes in deep before titling her head back to look up at me.

“It was my brothers.”

Brother?

“The brother who died?” I ask because that’s the only brother I remember her mentioning.

“Yeah. It got left behind and I kept it under my pillow for a long time. When I was taken away from that foster home I was thirteen and wasn’t allowed more than a small trash bag of stuff to take with me. I wanted to take it but my foster mother snatched it away before I could pack it. They kept it this whole time.”

“Who would send it to you?”

She drops her eyes away from mine.

“Blue?”

She pulls away from me and walks back over to the couch. I follow her and take the seat next to her and wait.

“Last night when I got sick…the story on the news. Those people who hurt all those kids…they were the same foster parents I stayed with and the ones responsible for my foster brother’s death.”

Holy shit.

“You think they might have sent the bear to you? Why? Aren’t they hiding out? How did they know where you were?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’ve been on the news so they would know I’m Seattle but I don’t know how they would know we’re staying in this hotel.”

“I saw people hanging around out front. Someone must have posted about us staying here. We need to move out of here tonight.”

“And go where? They were all waiting outside your house.”

“I know a place. Our family owns a floating house that hasn’t been used in a long time, but only our family knows about it.”

“Really? That sounds kind of cool. I have to admit that I’m not sure if I get sea sick or not.”

I shake my head and try not to laugh. Even in this situation she knows how to lighten the mood, but I don’t think she is trying to. It’s her quirky side peaking out.

“We’ll pick up some nausea medicine on the way. Bryant!”

The guys open the door and walk in together. “We’re moving again. I need you two to play our decoy.”

Dane smirks. “You got it. Let’s go Bry.”

Bryant waits for a nod from me before following his partner out.

“Grab your things Blue, we’re out of here.”