Page 84 of Scandal
His eyes jerk back, wide with shock. “I said apologize.”
“Jesus, fuck.” His voice is laced with pain. “I’m sorry, all right?”
“To her.” I motion to Mercury, who’s standing next to me with her arms crossed, looking surprisingly pleased.
“I’m sorry,” he says, with a little less enthusiasm. But I’ll take it.
“Whatever,” Mercury says in the same tone he used moments earlier. I chuckle, finally letting go of the actor’s arm. He shakes it out, his eyes darting around to see if anyone noticed.
They did, and I’m sure something will make the morning headlines, but I don’t care.
No one talks to Mercury like that. No one.
“Guess the rumors aren’t true,” he mutters to his assistant as they start to walk away.
“I never thought they were,” he replies softly, but I can still hear him. “Did you see their interview on theMorning Star? The way they looked at each other? You can’t fake that.”
“Whatever,” he says. “I’m done here.” The assistant scurries off to catch up with him. Poor kid.
Mercury looks up at me, and I’m once again struck by how beautiful she is. The strapless black gown is a striking contrast to her creamy skin. Her dark hair is pulled back into an elegant bun, and a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings, loaned to her by my mother, adorns her ears.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she says.
“Yes, I did,” I answer adamantly. “I’ve dealt with assholes like him my whole career. Men who sit on imaginary thrones,thinking the world revolves around them. Sometimes you have to give them a little reminder that it doesn’t.”
“Why do I detect a hint of remorse in your voice?”
I take her hand and press a tender kiss to the center of her palm. “Because sometimes I worry that if Mitch hadn’t done what he did, I would have eventually become one of those soulless monsters, someone who doesn’t care who I hurt as long as I get what I want.”
It’s something that has plagued me since we let him go. His downfall was a wake-up call for all of us in the band. After Zander came on board, we all cleaned up our acts. No more casual drug use, and partying dropped significantly. We looked out for each other.
Or so I thought.
Her smile is warm as she melts into my side, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I don’t think that’s possible,” she says. “There’s too much goodness in you.”
I fucking hope she’s right, because as they usher us into the theater, my only thought is how can I keep her here? How can I make her mine?
Considering she has a whole life and family waiting for her in LA, none of those thoughts feel remotely…good.
“I hate to admit it,” Mercury whispers into my ear as we leave the theater. “But the movie wasn’t terrible.”
I nod in agreement. “Graham Sinclair is an awful human being but a decent actor.”
“Kind of makes me hate him a little more.”
I snort out a laugh.
We exit through the double doors just as a couple approaches us. “Mr. Knight,” the man calls out, but our security detail heads him off before he can get close.
I’m about to usher Mercury away, but then I see the little girl clinging to his arm, staring up at me. She’s wearing a poofy pink dress covered in glitter, and her hair is in ringlets.
She’s adorable.
“It’s all right, Travis,” I say. “You can let them through. We’ve all been through security.” With this many high-profile attendees, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more bodyguards than guests.
Travis gives the little family an appraising glare. He’s a big bloke. I’m fairly certain he was cast in a walk-on role in a popular Viking show filmed in the Highlands just for his size alone. “All right,” he finally relents.
He motions them over, and a look of relief washes over the father’s face almost immediately. “Thank you, sir. We won’t take up much of your time. I know you’re a busy man. But my wee Sarah here is such a big fan, and when I found out you would be attending the premiere, I told her she could accompany us on the small chance she could catch a glimpse of her favorite singer.”
