“Tatum?”
I turned to find Sam holding the phone receiver out toward me.
“It’s Miss Quinn.”
“Quinn?” I asked before remembering that Paige’s best friend was named Quinn. “She’s calling for me?”
He nodded, and I reached over to accept the phone he offered me.
“Hello?”
“Oh, good,” a woman’s voice said. “You really are in town. Don’t move, I’m coming to get you.” Then she hung up.
A little numb with surprise, I handed the phone back to Sam. “She’s bossy.”
Sam laughed. “That she is, sir. But it suits her.”
I glanced outside where Colin had stood and noticed he was no longer there. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I braced myself for what was to come.
• • •
Quinn arrived shortly after hanging up in my ear.
I blew out an exasperated breath as she exited her ridiculously overpriced car, her blond hair blowing in the breeze. Being a young actress in Hollywood sure had its perks. The paparazzi that had gathered again attempted to swarm and attack her, but she maneuvered through them with ease, appearing completely unaffected by their presence. It was as if they didn’t even exist to her as she refused to acknowledge them or even look their way.
Bursting through the double doors like a hurricane, she raised her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes at me. “Tatum?”
“Quinn?”
“Hi, Sam,” she said before giving the man a hug, and I watched as the older man practically turned to goo in her arms.
“How’d you know I was here?” I asked as she faced me and placed a hand on her hip.
“I get any media alerts about Paige sent to my phone. And I was already close by, so I figured why not come here and see what you’re all about.”
“All right then,” I said, my tone hesitant.
She narrowed her eyes on me. “You hit Colin.” It wasn’t a question.
I shrugged. “Allegedly.”
She grabbed my hand and inspected my knuckles. “Allegedly, my ass. Sam, I’m stealing him for a bit. Make sure his car stays here, and don’t tell Paige I have him. Promise?”
Sam frowned before slowly nodding his head.
“Say you promise, Sam. You can’t tell Paige.”
“I promise,” he reluctantly agreed, his gaze pinging between the two of us.
I shrugged at his unasked question. I had no idea what Quinn was up to any more than he did.
“Unless she kidnaps and murders me,” I told Sam with a grin. “Then definitely tell Paige, okay?”
“You’re too cute to murder.” Quinn gave me a slight smile. “Now hurry, before she gets back from wherever she went.” She turned toward the door and started walking.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed in her wake. The woman was like a force of nature.
“To my place.”
Quinn drove like a crazed lunatic, swerving in and out of traffic as the paparazzi trailed behind us. How celebrities lived this way seemed utterly insane to me. When you viewed a chase like this onscreen, it didn’t seem entirely real, as if it were a movie. But actually being chased like this felt pretty damn real. And it was terrifying.
“This is crazy,” I said as I glanced back at the cars following dangerously close behind us.
“Don’t look at them. Ugh, Tatum, open the glove compartment.” She pointed, and I did as she asked. “There’s a pair of sunglasses in there. Put them on.”
“Damn. You really are bossy.”
“Nice to meet you too.” She glanced over and smiled, then turned her gaze back to the road.
I stared out at the ocean scenery whipping past us as Quinn drove. It was beautiful. Mesmerized by the waves crashing against the shore, I immediately saw the appeal of living here, especially if you got to see this view every day.
“I’m mad at you,” she announced, but I had figured as much.
“I know.”
“Do you even want to know why?”
“I’m pretty sure I already do,” I said, figuring it had to do with the way I left Paige.
“Then how come you’re in LA?”
Her tone wasn’t entirely friendly, but I assumed it could be much, much worse. Something told me that Quinn was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.
“I’m sure you can figure that out,” I teased gently, hoping to lighten the mood and sway her toward my side, even if just a little.
“Well, it’s about time you showed up. I mean, seriously, how long were you planning on going without talking to her? Not even a single text? Who does that?”
I burst out laughing. “Bossy and direct. I don’t have any excuse other than the fact that I’m a complete idiot.”
“We can both agree on that. Hold on,” she warned before turning the wheel sharply to the right. We cruised through a residential neighborhood and pulled up to a house unlike anything I’d ever seen before in my life.
The large iron gates swung open as she pulled her car inside, then ground to a halt before shutting with a groan when she pressed a button on her rearview mirror.
“This is your house?” I asked.
“Mine and Ryson’s,” she said offhandedly, as if I should know who she referred to.
I followed her inside as reporters gathered outside the gate, shouting our names as cameras click away.
“Babe, that you?” a guy’s voice shouted from somewhere deeper in the house.
“No. It’s a robber,” Quinn called out with a giggle as I followed behind her, unsure where we were headed.
“Do you have him?”
I stumbled to a halt as Ryson rounded the corner, his face instantly familiar, and I wanted to smack myself for not realizing who Quinn had been referring to. Immediately, I sized him up, unsure of what was about to happen. He stood about an inch or so taller than me, but we had a similar build. If he threw the first punch, I was fairly certain I’d be able to get the next one in.
He extended his hand toward me and I automatically reached for it; a gentleman never shies away from a handshake, no matter what.
I sucked in a deep breath as we both squeezed hard enough to break the other’s fingers if we truly wanted, which made us both break out into a fit of laughter as we pulled apart. I stood there, shaking out my already swollen hand as Ryson glanced at it, noticing the bruising around the knuckles.
“You need ice,” he said with a chuckle.
“What the hell are you two laughing at?” Quinn stomped her foot, and we both straightened up.
“I’m Ryson. It’s nice to meet you, man. It’s about time you got your Southern ass out here.” He cocked a grin at me as he pulled open the freezer and tossed me an ice pack. “Beer?”
“Definitely. After the way this one drives.” I jerked my thumb in Quinn’s direction, and she snarled at me.
“Tell me about it,” he joked. “We don’t let her out of the house much.” When she smacked his head in response, he shot back, “Woman! Don’t hit me.”
“Don’t call me a bad driver. You know how hard it is to drive on PCH with those assholes trailing me like hunters,” she said with a little pout, and he leaned down to kiss the top of her nose.
I shifted my weight, feeling a little uncomfortable at the PDA since we’d all just met.
Ryson pulled two bottles of beer from the fridge and popped the tops, handing me one.
I took a swig and swallowed it hard. “Thanks.”
“No problem. What happened to your hand?”
“Colin.”
“Did you hit him?” he asked, and I nodded. “I’ve always wanted to hit him. I’m so jealous.” He smacked me on the back, and I almost choked on my beer. “What’d he do?”
“Said something shitty about Paige.”
Quinn sneered. “I hate him so much.”
“Did you tell him why you kidnapped him?” Ryson brought the conversation back on track.
“I haven’t told him yet.” Quinn tried to glare at me, but I could tell she was already warming up to me. I was convinced that her boyfriend accepting me so easily might have something to do with it.