While he worked, Kelly couldn’t stop thinking about how disappointed Jeb would be in him. He stretched his tight neck again and tried not to remember why he had put so much distance between himself and Bee. That kiss!
There weren’t many people who could throw him off-kilter, but Bee was one of them. His mouth went dry as the memory of her soft lips pressed to his made his entire body buzz. His gut clenched as the image of her hurt face flashed before his eyes. Shutting her down and denying them both the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done—but it was for the best.
Wasn’t it?
Chapter Two
Protected by the barrier and the wall of sound equipment, I allowed myself to relax enough to tackle the coding issues with Coby’s program. Shoulder-to-shoulder with one of my best friends and under Kelly’s watchful eye, I felt certain no one could touch me here. I still couldn’t believe how damn lucky I was that Coby had messaged me to let me know that the green-eyed bodyguard was keeping Faze in line tonight. I had a feeling my guardian angel was looking out for me.
The lights were slowly brightening around the club as a way to gently force patrons out the doors. Coby had switched to music that wasn’t very suitable for dancing as another clue that it was time to head home. I fished my cell phone from my pocket, swiped and unlocked the screen, and typed a quick message to test it in real-time.
“Well?” Coby bumped me with her hip. “Are you making any progress?”
“Yes. It’s a temporary fix but I’m making notes so I can go back in tomorrow and rewrite this section.”
“Dude, it’s not that big of a deal. We’re still in beta. Don’t stress over it.”
“It’s sort of my job to stress over these things. If I don’t, then I’m like an architect who designs houses without doors. Sure, it looks really pretty from the street, but there’s no way to get inside to see the really good stuff.”
Coby gave me that look she had perfected from knowing me since we were in gymnastics together as little girls. “You know it’s not a crime to take a day off, right?”
“Says the girl who has been living off energy drinks so she can finish her album and gear up for the festival season,” I countered with a raised eyebrow.
Coby snorted and picked up one of those energy drinks that the bar staff had been supplying her with all evening. She swirled her wrist and swished the liquid around in the sweating can. “Maybe we should have gone with Hadley after all.”
“The pictures from India are amazing,” I agreed a bit enviously. “But we agreed that we were going to branch out more this year. We were going to try new things as individuals.”
“Yet here we stand, hip to hip, at our favorite club doing what we’ve done every Friday night for the last year,” Coby replied with a laugh. “I think Hadley is the only one of us sticking to the plan.”
“That’s because she’s always been the bravest of us.” I didn’t have to mention that Hadley’s heart problems were a big part of that courage.
“Don’t look now,” she said conspiratorially, “but KC is heading this way.”
I didn’t dare look up from my laptop screen. After the way Kelly had picked me up earlier, there was no way in hell I could wipe the yearning look from my face. I needed his help and didn’t want to push him away again by making a jackass of myself.
“Bee.” He said my name in that rough, rumbling voice of his. My tummy trembled wildly. “We need to talk. Now.”
His gruff tone very nearly drew a yes, sir from my lips. Instead, I nodded and stepped around Coby. She surreptitiously reached out to give my hand a reassuring squeeze. Grateful for her support, I descended the stairs to the dance floor where Kelly awaited me.
When he held out his hand, I stared at it for a second before finally working up the nerve to place my palm against his. The rough heat of his fingers closing around mine blazed right up my arm and arced into my chest. I hated that every single touch affected me in this way, but I couldn’t stop my reaction to Kelly.
He led me to one of the tables along the far wall. Choosing one of the sleek silver chairs, I avoided the sticky spill on the tabletop and rested my hands on my lap. Kelly sat close to me, too close, and made it impossible for me to avoid eye contact when he slid his arm along the back of my chair. Trapped between the table and his bigger body, there was no escape.
“Aren’t you still on the clock?” I glanced at the small group of patrons hanging around the main floor.
“You let me worry about that.” Tapping my shoulder, he said, “I want you to start from the beginning of this mess. Don’t leave anything out. I need to know everything if I’m going to protect you. When did this start?”
Hearing Kelly say he was going to protect me eased the tight knot in my stomach. With a little sigh, I explained, “The first week of April, I had this weird feeling that I was being watched. I never saw anyone, but I had this creepy sensation following me around, you know? Then, the last week of April, the texts and phone calls started.”
“What kind of texts?”
“They described what I was wearing or what I had for lunch, and were filled with compliments. They were specific enough that I knew they were legit and not simply someone trying to mess with me.”
“Do you still have them? Dimitri keeps a couple of IT guys on the payroll at LSG.”
I shot him an amused smile. “Kelly, come on. It’s me you’re talking to, remember? Jeez—I have friends who work at the NSA! And anyway, the messages came from burner phones bought with cash. The signals bounced off different towers around the city,”
“Even so, I want our guys to look at the messages.” He rubbed his jaw. “When did this start to escalate?”
“Right before I sat for my finals, someone spoofed my LookIt page.”
“Spoof?”
“Copied,” I clarified. “Someone created a copy of my blog, but they filled it with some really filthy porn and other not so nice stuff. I caught it and took it down quickly, but it was a real pain in the ass, especially with that offer on the table.”
The corners of his mouth turned down with irritation. “We’ll talk about that later.”
I bristled at his tone. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that for weeks.”
“And we will talk about it,” Kelly assured me, looking slightly chagrined, “but not until we’ve settled this. Now, what else has happened?”
“Three days ago, I began to find pictures.”
“Find them where?”
“The first one was tucked under the windshield wiper of my car. I found another one slipped inside my backpack.”
“Do you leave your backpack unattended?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted reluctantly. “When I’m working, it’s usually out of my sight.”
“And you’re blasting music and engrossed in your code,” he said knowingly and with a little frown. “What sort of pictures have you received?”
Embarrassment turned my ears hot. Glancing away from him, I said, “They’re of body parts.”
“Body parts? You mean dead bodies?”
“No,” I quickly disabused him of the notion that someone was sending me chilling or gory messages. “Um…I mean…like male body parts.”
Anger etched harsh lines into Kelly’s handsome face. “Do you still have them?”
“They’re in my backpack.”
“I’ll get them. You shouldn’t have to look at them again.”
I decided not to tell him that those images were burned into my retinas for life. The vein in his temple was already throbbing.
“And what about tonight, Bee? Tell me what happened.”
“I was working late—”
“At that coffee place you like?”
“Yeah. I stayed there until Ron closed up, and then I rode my bike home to the—”
“You rode your bike that late at night?” Kelly interrupted, aghast. “Bee, you could have been hit by a
car. You could have been grabbed by your stalker. You could have been—”
I held up my hand. “Yes, I know. Believe me. I know.”
Kelly blew out a noisy breath. “So you get to your apartment and?”
“I found a gift box wrapped in a white bow and freaked out, Kelly. I ran out of there and made it a couple of blocks before I finally stopped. I thought about calling 9-1-1, but then I thought of you…” I decided not to tell him exactly what I’d been thinking. “I had a message from Coby, and she said you were here, so I grabbed a cab and sweet-talked Big V at the front door.”
Kelly stunned me by rubbing his thumb against the spot where my neck curved into my shoulder. His searing touch sent my heartbeat into overdrive. “I’m sorry, Bee.”
I blinked with confusion. “For what? You aren’t the one stalking me.”
“No, but I promised Jeb I’d look out for you. I haven’t done that. I should have been here for you when this started, not running around Dubai.”
“Kelly, you have to work. I’m sure Jeb didn’t intend for you to shadow me around the clock.”
“Whether he intended it or not, it’s going to happen.”
“What do you mean?”
His thumb traced the fabric of my shirt. “In the morning, I’m taking you to see Dimitri and Lev so they can assess your situation and make recommendations for a full-time detail. I’m not sure how much money is on the table for the LookIt deal, but I’m going to assume it’s enough to make you a huge target.”
I met his questioning gaze and realized he was fishing for information. “It’s a lot. Like—nine zeroes a lot.”
Kelly’s face slackened with surprise. Then, with a wide grin that made my heart swell, he said, “Bee, I’m so damn proud of you.”
“Really?” It was the first time he’d ever said anything like that to me.
“Yes.” He seemed incredulous that I would doubt him. “How many other people in the world have accomplished what you have and done it all before they’re even twenty-three?”
“In my field? More than you’d imagine.”
He playfully chucked my chin. “You don’t have to be so humble.”
Even though I had some freak harassing me, I couldn’t stop the silly smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. It had been so long since we had shared a conversation like this, everything so easy and friendly.
As if realizing how good it was between us, Kelly let his fingertips drift along my jaw before inhaling a long breath. Sitting back, he said, “I’m going to wrap up here, and then we’ll go home.”
“Home? My home?”
Kelly stood and fixed his gaze on me. I couldn’t read his face. “No. Mine.”
Without another word, he pivoted on his heel and left me staring after him. Of all the ways I’d ever imagined Kelly asking me to go home with him, this sure as hell wasn’t one of them.
*
Kelly forced his mind to the task at hand. Filling out shift reports for LSG wasn’t the way he wanted to end this night, but it had to be done before he could get Bee out of here.
Big V sauntered up to the bar, leaned over, and snatched a bottle of water from the icy compartment there. “What happened up in the VIP?”
“Same shit, different night,” Kelly replied while tapping away at his phone screen. Tomorrow, he would visit LSG headquarters to fill out the long shift report, but tonight the company only required some quick notes. He glanced at Big V and asked, “How did that third baseman get by you at the door? I thought he was on your never-again list?”
“He is,” Big V growled. Then, with frustration in his voice, he gestured with a jerk of his chin toward the far side of the club’s main dance floor. “The FNG was getting a taste of the door tonight. Obviously he needs some retraining.”
Kelly glanced at the FNG—fucking new guy—in question. “He one of Lev’s new hires?”
Big V nodded. “He’s all right. He’s still learning the ropes out front.”
Kelly shrugged and went back to his typing. “Lev has good instincts when it comes to new hires. Dimitri trusts his intuition, and that’s enough for me.”
“What’s the story with Bee?” Big V leaned his sizeable frame against the bar and sipped his water. In all the years Kelly had known Vincent Moretti, he had never seen the former Army sergeant drink anything harder. “She bailed out of that cab so fast I thought her ass was on fire.”
Kelly frowned at the bouncer’s description. “Did you notice anyone following her?”
“No. There were a line of cabs behind her, but I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Why?” He glanced at the DJ station where Bee chatted with Coby. “Is someone bothering her?”
Kelly nodded. “She thinks she has a stalker.”
Big V ran his hand over his shaved head. “She thinks, or she’s sure?”
“She’s been receiving harassing texts and photos. Someone was in her apartment.”
Big V narrowed his eyes. “She call the cops?”
Kelly shook his head. “She came to me.”
He wasn’t sure why that fact made his stomach do funny little flips. There was something primal and satisfying about the knowledge that Bee had thought only of him when she was frightened and needed help. She’d sought his protection over any other.
“Is it personal or business?”
Kelly shrugged and tapped the screen of his phone to submit the short report to LSG headquarters. “Knowing her situation? It could be both.”
Big V finished off his water and tossed it into the recycling bin behind the bar. “You better watch your step, jarhead. Bee’s going to be running around in Yuri’s world soon. All that money? It’s a powerful motivator for revenge and jealousy.”
Kelly jerked forward as the sergeant whacked him a couple of times on the back. Big V’s warning wasn’t anything Kelly hadn’t already been considering. With an offer worth a billion dollars or more on the table, Bee would have assholes crawling out of the woodwork to harass or harm her.
The very thought of it made his stomach churn. He glanced around the night club and suddenly felt very exposed. He needed to get Bee out of here and stow her some place safe until arrangements for round-the-clock security could be made.
He had never been happier to be in between clients. Though he trusted every man on the duty roster at LSG, he wanted to oversee Bee’s detail personally. Of course, the prospect of being in such close proximity to her day and night didn’t bode well for his intention to avoid his inappropriate desire for her. Earlier, he had crossed the line by touching her neck and jaw, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. It couldn’t happen again.
Their gazes clashed across the mostly empty club. Bee shot him a bemused smile. Kelly lifted his hand and crooked two fingers in a come-hither motion. The gesture drew an irked expression from her, but she did as he asked, gathering up her things and bidding Coby a quick farewell before crossing the club to join him at the bar.
With his hand at the small of her back, he escorted her out of Faze and into the warm, muggy night. He constantly scanned their surroundings. Bee seemed to sense that he wasn’t interested in chitchat. She moved quickly to match his pace and stayed close to his side.
Despite the many years it had been since he had last been faced with accidentally stepping on an IED while on patrol, Kelly couldn’t shake the constant vigilance he used when placing every step. In the parking garage where he had stowed his truck, he paid special attention to the shadowy areas. Anyone sick enough to send Bee pictures of his dick would be cowardly enough to try to ambush them.
“In you go,” Kelly instructed after unlocking the passenger side door of his truck. He waited for Bee to be safely tucked inside before walking around the truck and taking his seat.
“Can we stop for something to eat on the way home? I forgot to have dinner.”
“Sure.” He backed out of the space and started following the winding path down to the ground floor. “It’ll have to be a drive-thru
.”
“That’s fine. When do I get to go home again?”
“In the morning,” Kelly decided. “We’ll go with backup—just in case.”
“Do you really think this creep is going to be hanging around there still?”
Kelly shrugged. “I’m not taking any chances with you.”
His cell phone started to buzz in his pocket. If it was ringing this late, it definitely wasn’t something he could ignore. He dug his headset out his pocket and snapped it up to his ear. “Hello?”
“Kelly, get your ass down to Fitzy’s.” Finn sounded breathless and angry. “We’ve got problems of the Albanian variety.”
“Shit.” He glanced at Bee and wondered what the hell he was going to do with her. “I’ll see you soon.”
She waited until he had tucked his headset back into his pocket before asking, “What’s wrong, Kelly?”
He eased into the turn lane and waited for the light to turn green. “That was Finn. It sounds like Pop has gotten himself into a tricky spot again.”
“Gambling?”
Frustration and anger welled within him. Grip tightening on the wheel, he asked, “What else?”
Bee fidgeted nervously with the strap of her backpack. “Maybe you should just drop me off at hotel or something. I don’t want to get in the way.”
“You’re not leaving my sight.”
“But—”
“This isn’t up for discussion, Bee.”
She huffed at him. “I’m starting to remember how infuriatingly stubborn you can be.”
His lips slanted in a smile. “You sound like Jeb now.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”
“A compliment,” he assured her. “Always a compliment.”
“Should I stay in the truck?”
“Not a chance,” Kelly said, unwilling to let her out of his sight for even as long as it took to extricate his father. “You’ll come with me. Stay behind me but close. Don’t say anything. Don’t look at anyone.”
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