Secrets and Shadows

by L. T. Marie

  “Would you please follow me,” Marilyn said, escorting Lee to the first door on the left. “Have a seat. Miss West will be with you shortly. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, thank you, ma’am. And if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stand.”

  “Of course.”

  Lee paced in a tight line, another nervous habit she’d picked up since returning from war. Looking around her, she studied the eccentrically furnished office. Two uncomfortable-looking high-back chairs sat in front of a gas fireplace to her left. An antique mahogany desk to her right sat on top of a snow-white rug. Awards covered the entire far wall, everything from the group’s most recently won Grammys to the newest edition, Record of the Year. The office was devoid of any style or personal touches, and as she was about to go look for Marilyn to see what was taking so long, in walked the lead singer of Total Femme, Tory West.

  “Lee, nice to meet you. I’m Tory.”

  Lee returned the handshake firmly. “Ma’am, it’s a pleasure.”

  Tory’s laugh was deep and hearty. “All you ex-military types are the same. I’ve worked with enough of you to know.”

  “Ma’am?”

  “My name is Tory, and just to clarify, if you call my sister Jolene ma’am, no amount of military training will prepare you for the verbal assault you’ll get.”

  Lee kept her expression neutral. She didn’t care what others thought of her, nor was she being paid to win a popularity contest. Truthfully, she didn’t plan to be seen much at all. Her job was to stand in the shadows and protect when necessary, and that’s what she planned to do. “I’ll try and remember that. Thanks for the warning.”

  “No problem.” Tory sat behind her desk and motioned for Lee to sit opposite her. “Gary tells me that you’re the best at what you do. Is that true?”

  The question was simple enough, but how could she answer it honestly? She’d been the best at one time, but her job duties in the service had differed somewhat from those required of a full-time babysitter for some rich woman’s sister. What she’d never tell Tory West was that she was terrified of being responsible for another person’s life again. In the service, she had been required to give the right orders to keep her men alive. The last order she’d given had killed them all. But, all in all, she didn’t know too many people with her skills, and this job would give her something to focus on other than the screams that twisted her dreams and the smell of burning flesh that haunted her days, so she answered the only way she could. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good.” Tory nodded. “Because I need the best, Lee. My sister’s protection means everything to me. Has Gary filled you in on all the details?”

  “Yes, he has. But may I ask if she’s more willing to accept the protection since he and I last talked?”

  “No.” Tory sounded exasperated. “But she also doesn’t understand what’s good for her. Since I do, and she’s in no position to fight me right now, I talked her into one bodyguard, and you’re it.”

  Lee nodded, even though she still didn’t like the situation. “Did Gary also explain my stipulations?”

  “Yes. And I have to tell you, I’m not used to being told what I will and won’t do, especially in my own home.”

  “I understand that, but you have to trust me to know what’s best for your sister’s protection.”

  “And that means…”

  “It means that since she lives in this house, I expect certain things to be done that might interfere with your life too. You have to understand that the measures I take will keep you safe as well, but as long as we agree that I have her best interest in mind, I’m sure it won’t be too much of a problem, considering you told me that her protection means everything.”

  “You do get to the point,” Tory said, apparently considering Lee’s words. “Anything I should know about now?”

  “No, ma’am. I’ll give Gary a list when I speak to him.”

  “Very well. Then before we go over the financial details, I’d like you to meet my sister.”

  “Of course.”

  Following Tory West, Lee ascended the ornate spiral staircase and used the time to study the woman guiding her. The superstar looked nothing like the person on the album and magazine covers that Gary had shared with her yesterday. In fact, with her long blond hair and Armani business suit, she looked more like she spent her days as a CEO for a multi-million-dollar corporation than as the lead singer for an all-female leather band. Her initial assessment of the singer had been correct. Tory West’s stage persona was entirely a façade.

  They arrived at the second-story landing, making a left to travel in the opposite direction of the multi-level library. They stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hallway and Tory knocked.

  “Jo, it’s me. I brought company.”

  “Come in.”

  The first thing Lee noticed when entering Jolene West’s bedroom was the king-sized bed engulfing the woman lying in its center, surrounded by thick pillows and covered with a plush down comforter. All it took was a quick glance to determine that even with the injuries to Jolene’s face, she was attractive. Even though the lacerations helped her tell them apart, Lee would be able to tell instantly who was who just by their demeanor. Where Tory radiated a calm and controlled nature, the energy vibrating from her sister was equivalent to a firecracker on the verge of exploding. Jolene had her arms folded across her chest, her body tense and her mouth set in a hard frown. From the look of contempt on the young woman’s face, she wasn’t happy to see Lee and didn’t have a problem expressing her displeasure.

  Tory sat next to Jolene on the bed and motioned Lee closer. “Jo, this is Lee Winters. Lee, this is my sister, Jolene West.”

  Jo stared at the new bodyguard, soaking in the appearance of the tall, dark-eyed woman with the wavy brown hair. Lee Winters wasn’t anything like the rest of Tory’s shadows, but then again she wouldn’t be, since all of Tory’s bodyguards were men. Lee wore a plain black T-shirt stretched tight over her muscled chest, displaying a soft swell of breasts. Her arms were well sculpted and her triceps bulged against the taut material. She could almost discern Lee’s six-pack abs through the cotton of her shirt. Her black Levi’s were form-fitting and showed every muscle in her thighs. The disheveled haircut made her look a lot younger than her thirty-two years, a fact she knew from the resume Tory had given her. Her eyes were as dark as fine coffee beans and just as potent. A thick red scar resembling a dragon’s tail coiled around her arm and disappeared into her sleeve. But what completely made Jo’s heart speed up a few pleasant notches were the black Tony Lama boots, complete with silver tips. Man, she’d always been a sucker for nice cowboy boots.

  “Ma’am,” Lee said, extending her hand.

  Jo couldn’t tell if it was the unexpected softness of Lee Winter’s hand or the fact that she’d just called her ma’am that caused her to recoil, but she was instantly irritated. “Let’s get something straight. That ma’am crap stops right now. No need for formality. The name’s Jo.”

  Lee nodded, her expression never wavering. “I’ll consider it.”

  “The hell you will.” Jo couldn’t believe the woman’s nerve. She’d die before she allowed Lee to follow her around calling her ma’am or Ms. West all day. She’d feel like she was in some kind of sick S-and-M game. She turned to face Tory, who apparently found the exchange amusing. “Tory, I don’t think—”

  “Thank you, Lee,” Tory said, expertly cutting Jo off. “I’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lee said, but her focus never wavered from Jo. “See you tomorrow morning.”

  “Are you crazy?” Jo said as Lee exited. “I can’t work with…with that!”

  “That?”

  “Yes…that!” Jo said, pointing at the door. “She’s like a damn robot. You need to find me someone else.” Jo threw the covers off and attempted to stand, but grimaced as the crippling pain shot down her leg and she fell back onto the bed.

>   “Jo, don’t.”

  “Damn it. Let me go!”

  Lee raced back through the door. “Is everything all right?”

  “Fine. Just fucking great!” Jo grunted, slapping Tory’s hands away.

  Jo collapsed back into the pillows and saw Lee scrutinizing her every move. Lee had an intense look on her face, and even though Tory was there with them, that intensity was focused solely on her. She’d never been in a room with anyone who blatantly ignored Tory. The thought intrigued her.

  Studying Lee closely, Jo could see why Gary had picked her for the job. A daunting presence at almost six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a trim waist, Lee was the picture of strength and conviction. Her stiff posture and piercing dark eyes made her look like someone who was ready for battle, who could take on an army with her bare hands. But something in her steady gaze brought Jo up short. Was it curiosity or something else? “I thought you’d left?”

  “I was waiting for your sister at the other end of the hall when it sounded like you may have needed my assistance, but I was obviously mistaken. See you tomorrow.”

  Jo studied the retreating form, wondering what could have made Lee appear so uncomfortable. She couldn’t imagine what would make a woman of Lee’s caliber uneasy. “Who is this woman, Tor? And don’t tell me she’s just some average military grunt, because ever since you met Gary, I’ve met enough of them to know. I read her file. It had about as much information as my driver’s license.”

  “Gary made me promise—”

  “Save it. Tell me or she’s gone.”

  “All right. Supposedly she’s some type of retired army sergeant who was the only woman ever to be accepted into the Ranger program.”

  “A Ranger? What happened?”

  “All Gary would tell me was that she was injured in the line of duty and discharged before she had a chance to enter the program.”

  “That’s it? They just let her go?”

  “As far as I know.” Tory handed Jo two Percocet and a glass of water. “Now here, take this.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. Take it.”

  Jo swallowed the pills, sighing as she collapsed back into the pillows. “There’s more you’re not telling me.”

  The look in Tory’s eyes softened and she brushed a stray lock of hair out of Jo’s eyes. “She comes highly recommended. This isn’t some recruit fresh out of the service. She’s the best of the best. She can protect you and will at any cost, even to her own safety. Don’t you see,” Tory said, placing Jo’s hand over her heart, “I only want the best for you.”

  Jo nearly said “since when” but refrained. She appreciated all Tory was doing for her, but she couldn’t wait to heal so she could get out of this damn house and on with her life. “Fine. But like I said before, after I’m healed, I’m outta here.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jo shrugged. “Don’t get too carried away. GI Jane still might not make it through tomorrow. Oh, and by the way, if she calls me ma’am one more time, Ms. Rules and Regulations better understand the concept of retreat before I really go postal.”

  Tory laughed but Jo didn’t find the situation funny. If Lee Winters continued to infuriate her, all the training in the world wouldn’t protect Lee from her wrath.

  *

  The sun was just beginning to set as Lee stretched out on her reclining deck chair and listened to the sounds of the traffic below. A little more than a day ago, she’d stood here contemplating suicide. She hadn’t had a focus and saw no way out. Funny how much had changed in so little time.

  As she sat there, sipping her favorite tequila, she thought about her new job and the woman she’d promised to protect. Now she had a purpose, a duty. In the service, duty and honor had meant everything to her. She had sworn to protect, defend. She put up barriers so nothing got in the way of that duty and kept them up when she got out. She’d been shielding her own pain for a long time and knew all too well the demons she’d have to face if her walls came crumbling down. Her training helped keep those walls in place and assured her those barriers were always impenetrable, because without them, the remainder of her sanity would disperse like the desert sands that had begun the process. She knew plenty of people who had come back mentally less than whole, and they were the ones who had allowed their barriers to drop just long enough for the demons to escape and ravage what was left of their humanity.

  Having something to occupy her time definitely made her feel useful again. She had a reason to get up in the morning, to live. Something to look forward to instead of waking to the nightmares and reliving the collage of painful images throughout her waking moments. But more important, she could apply the skills she’d been trained to use. This job could be more than an opportunity to babysit. It was a chance to get a part of her life back on track, a way to dim the pain of losing the chance to be one of the army’s elite combat operatives, a dream that the same bomb that killed her men had shredded.

  Her thoughts drifted back to Jolene West. Jo, she corrected herself. The feisty blonde was a combination of fire and ice, a trait she found unusual, yet intriguing. She couldn’t see too many people getting the best of her, but since someone had, she would make sure it never happened again.

  The photos Gary had provided of Jo didn’t do her beauty justice. She was much more captivating in person. Uneasiness settled over her as she pictured the damage done to Jo’s body. The cuts on Jo’s face were numerous but not deep, although a few would probably scar. Then there was the cast that had protruded from the sheets and the taped ribs she’d glimpsed when the two sisters were struggling. Jo’s accident might have left her temporarily incapacitated, but nothing seemed to have dampened her spirit. If she was going to protect Jo, she’d have to stay one step ahead of her and the person who’d tried to do her harm. Odds were that Jo would never have to worry about being attacked again because the stalker was only using Jo as a means to get to Tory. But fortunately for Jo, she didn’t play the odds or believe in luck.

  She reopened the folder on the West sisters, rereading every piece of information that Gary had provided. She would spend the next few days becoming familiar with her surroundings and Jo’s habits. The more she knew about Jo and the workings of the household, the easier it would be for her to do her job. Even the tiniest details could be critical if something were to happen. And if Jo was as unpredictable and hard-headed as she seemed, Lee would need to be prepared for just about anything.

  Before Lee left the house, Tory explained that Jo wouldn’t be able to go out much except for doctor’s appointments during the next few weeks. What she didn’t know and forgot to ask at the time was why. This was just one reason why working with civilians was difficult for her. According to a copy of Jo’s medical records that Gary had someone dig up, Jo’s injuries, although serious, weren’t life threatening. Her military experience had taught her that broken bones and concussions shouldn’t keep someone from going anywhere for weeks at a time. A few days maybe, but after their brief introduction that morning, she doubted much could keep Jo from doing anything she set her mind to. She hoped she would be granted a few days to get a feel for Jo and her routines. Not knowing anything about Jo made her edgy, but if the spirited blonde she met this morning became livelier as she healed, Lee’s skills would soon be tested in more ways than one.

  Jo still had weeks of recovery in store for her, and the thought of the pain she’d have to endure pulled at Lee’s heart, surprising her. She couldn’t remember a time she’d allowed herself to become emotionally involved with a job or a task that needed to be completed, and she couldn’t allow that to happen now. Experiencing emotions on a personal level bothered her because she didn’t know how to categorize them in her orderly life. No sense in worrying about it. It had never happened before, so it wouldn’t happen now.

  Studying the psychological profile on the stalker, she became increasingly irritated with the amount of vague information.

  Name: Unidentified Subject
>
  Age: Approx. twenty-five to thirty-five years old

  Sex: High Probability Male

  Race: High Probability Caucasian

  Profile: UNSUB most likely is a loner and has access to ample resources. He is knowledgeable and highly resourceful. Excellent at covering tracks. No prints left at crime scene or on letters. Subject is unstable and extremely volatile.

  Levels of Stalking:

  Behavioral analysis suggests UNSUB has progressed through four stages of stalker identity:

  Stage One: Attraction Phase

  Stalker has made contact by e-mail, texts, or phone calls. He has claimed his love for the victim and made his intentions for that love known. His attraction to the romantic interest probably occurred within a few minutes of first meeting. The attraction is completely physical, with disregard for all personality differences. The subject will usually have unrealistic fantasies about a relationship with the love interest and typically assigns unrealistic qualities to his object of affection. The beginnings of obsessive, controlling behaviors begin to manifest.

  As she rifled through the notes, she realized that the stalker had reached this phase approximately two months ago, when the letter-writing had first started. Whatever had triggered his psychotic break must have happened during this two-month period of time. She’d get Gary to look into all those possible avenues tomorrow, everything from events the Total Femme star had attended to parties thrown at the house. Someone close to her had to know this whack job, and they needed to find that person quickly before he caused any more harm.

  Stage Two: Anxious Phase

  Stalker begins to exhibit an escalation in controlling, obsessive behaviors. An illusion of intimacy is created by the afflicted person regardless of the other person’s true feelings. The need to stay in contact with their love interest by any means escalates, such as letters, texts, phone calls, etc. They begin to exhibit strong feelings of mistrust. Violent reactions, whether physical or verbal, are directed toward object of affection or oneself. This becomes worse as obsessive demands aren’t met.