“So you did watch that video,” said Ángel. “The one from the office. The morning after he was sick.”

Chandler dropped her eyes. “Only me,” she said. “The others haven’t seen it.”

“Okay.” He wondered how hard it was for her to keep that video from her team. She seemed to hate dishonesty.

“I’ve been in contact with your friend Marissa,” she added.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh, you have, have you? And what do you think? Gorgeous, right?”

It was a complete shot in the dark, intended mostly to annoy, but the way her entire face went as red as cherries told him that he’d hit a bull’s-eye.

He laughed. “She’s brilliant too. She just got out of a relationship, you know. She might need a shoulder to cry on.”

“Be serious!” Chandler snapped, her voice going up. “I got complacent. I forgot he was a monster.”

“He’s not a monster,” scoffed Ángel.

“He is.” Her face was white and passionate. “I was on his security team when he first arrived. I lived with him in his little condo in Atlanta. I remember how hard it was to be close to him all the time; constantly afraid that he’d try to touch me.” He could see a muscle jump in her jaw. “You and Lily both, you’re in total denial. I understand that. The only way you can bear to be around him every day—the only way you can bear what he does—is to pretend that he’s a man. But he’s not a man, any more than a python is a man.”

“He’s not a python!”

“You have no idea what motivates him or what his agenda is. Marissa asked me to look out for you. But you have to be smart, Ángel. Look out for yourself too.”

“You’re wrong.”

She just shook her head, pityingly. “I’m not wrong. But the point is—you’re the only one in the house who has to be alone with him, who has no one to turn to. Lily has John, but you don’t have anyone. Except now you have me. If you need to get away from here, you come to me.”

“I really don’t think—” stammered Ángel. “But thanks. Thank you. It’s good to know I’ve got a—” friend didn’t seem like the appropriate word “—an out. If I need one. But I really do think you’re wrong.”

She nodded shortly. “Right or wrong, remember this. I’m keeping constant watch on the camera that overlooks the pool,” she said. “It’s out of sight from both Oberon’s office and his bedroom, and I’ve looped his feeds of that camera so he won’t see anything there. If there’s an emergency, go there. Or put a message in front of that camera. I’ll see it, and he won’t. Got it?”

“Yeah.”