Chapter 96

Layla frowned, surprised by the news.

I’ve been cruising the California coastline for the past week. Lucas walked her down the stairs, but not before one of the men seated at the table across the way cleared their path. When she turned her head, she saw the other two falling into step behind them. One of them was talking into one of those security earpieces she had only previously seen worn in films, and the men backed into the dancers to impose a barrier around her and Lucas and ensure their smooth passage across the crowded dance floor.

"Are those men bouncers?" she asked.

"My security team."

"Why do you need a security team?" Layla inquired nervously.

Protection. I’ve had a security presence in my life since childhood, 'Lucas confided evenly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. My mother and her sister were Greek heiresses. Sadly, my aunt was kidnapped and held for ransom as a teenager.’

"Good grief," Layla whispered in the comparative quiet of the club foyer. Was she