“You think I care about proof?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Cedric said with a shrug.
“You’re right it doesn’t. From now on, if you see Ji-Su, you turn around and walk the other way. I won’t warn you again.”
With Ji-Su protectively tucked against his side, Raul moved to walk past Cedric and leave.
“You got here in time to save your little pet,” Cedric whispered just loud enough for Raul’s vampire hearing to pick up. “Better keep him close because next time he might not be so lucky.”
At the threat to Ji-Su, Raul saw red. He stopped and turned back to Cedric. “There’s not going to be a next time,” he furiously growled. Quicker than anyone could blink, he grabbed Cedric by the throat and started to squeeze.
Chaos immediately erupted in the lobby. Cedric’s people rushed forward to try and defend him. Raul’s guards jumped in front of them to hold them back. The hotel desk attendant shouted for security in a panic. Guests screamed and ran. And Ji-Su grabbed onto Raul’s arm, trying to pull him away from Cedric.
“Raul, don’t! Please take me home!Please.”
Raul took his eyes off Cedric long enough to glance at Ji-Su. His eyes were wide with fear as he desperately pleaded for him to let go of Cedric.
The urge to destroy Cedric and his need to protect Ji-Su warred within Raul. Protecting Ji-Su won of course. Right now his top priority was to get Ji-Su away from Cedric. With extreme reluctance, he let go of Cedric’s throat and shoved him back.
Ji-Su took his hand and lead him out of the lobby, walking quickly as Cedric gasped and coughed behind them.
“See you later, Ji-Su,” Cedric called out.
Raul tensed but didn’t stop or respond. He kept moving forward, helping Ji-Su into his truck and then going around to get in the driver’s seat. They pulled out of the parking lot with a screech of tires, his guards following behind them.
He would deal with Cedric later. Paying him off hadn’t worked. Warnings hadn’t worked. A beating hadn’t worked. There weren’t too many options left. In the meantime, Ji-Su was now going to be under round the clock guard. He wasn’t letting Cedric get that close to him again.
Chapter 37
When they arrived home, Raul wanted to go straight upstairs with Ji-Su to finish what they’d started in the hotel room. But first he had to make plans for Ji-Su’s safety. Besides, he could see that Ji-Su was still a little rattled from the incident with Cedric. And to be honest, he needed to cool down from his anger. Now wasn’t the time for sexual intimacy.
He cupped Ji-Su’s face, gently brushing a thumb across his cheek. “Why don’t you go up to our room and take a hot bath? I’m sure that will make you feel better.”
Ji-Su shook his head. “I’m fine. Really.”
“But a hot bath would still feel nice, right?”
Ji-Su thought for a moment before he answered. “It would. Will you join me?”
“I have some business to attend to first.”
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Raul assured him. “I need to talk to the staff about a few things. As soon as I’m done, I’ll join you upstairs.”
“Okay.”
Raul leaned down to kiss him then gave him a gentle push toward the stairs. When Ji-Su was half way up, he stopped and looked over his shoulder.
“Don’t take too long. I haven’t forgotten what you said you were going to do to me tonight.”
“I haven’t either,” Raul said with a smile.
Ji-Su went the rest of the way up the stairs. Once he’d disappeared down the hall, Raul asked Gloria and Burke to meet him in his office.
Raul sat down in his chair and looked at his mayordoma and head guard. “It’s clear that Cedric is stalking Ji-Su. If he had found him alone at that hotel...” His stomach lurched at the thought of what Cedric might have done to a defenseless Ji-Su.
“I’m glad that didn’t happen,” Gloria said with a worried frown.