by L. T. Marie
“Well, you’re in for a treat then. Since it seems you have to accompany me wherever I go, I’m sure you’ll love this movie.”
Damn, this wasn’t how she’d thought the rest of the afternoon would pan out. Jo needed a nap, not to go to a movie where the possibilities of an attack were endless. How was she going to protect her properly? She had no schematics of the theater. She hadn’t had time to check out possible evacuation routes, employee profiles, or the size of the theater in which Jo would be sitting. That was why she needed a detailed briefing every morning, not some spur-of-the-moment desire. She couldn’t work like this and be effective. She was about to stress the importance of pre-outing information, but the dark circles underneath Jo’s eyes made her reconsider. “Ms. West, are you sure you’re all right? You can go see this movie another time, you know.”
“I know. But I want to go now. I need some excitement and I’m not going to get that at home. Besides, I know I have nothing to worry about because I’ll have my protector with me the entire time. Right?”
Lee smiled. She couldn’t help it. “Try to get rid of me.”
Chapter Eight
Jo waited patiently while the theater cleared. She had enjoyed the action flick and adrenaline coursed through her veins, but her excitement had nothing to do with the movie and everything to do with the woman standing a few feet away scanning the room for potential danger.
Before the movie had started, Lee had been unusually talkative. She’d asked questions about the characters and plot and was more open than Jo had yet seen her. When the trailers began to roll, not only did the lights dim but Lee’s enthusiasm seemed to have faded along with them. She wanted to believe it was because Lee had been disappointed that their conversation had come to an end, but that couldn’t be right, could it? She’d be foolish to think that Lee’s willingness to talk was due to anything but filling the silence that had stretched between them. Still, Jo had found her charming and surprisingly funny.
As the movie progressed, she even noticed Lee’s formal nature and stiff posture begin to subside. But halfway through the movie when bombs started exploding and screams rattled the theater, the rigid posture had returned, along with the familiar tensing of her jaw. She wasn’t even sure if Lee was cognizant of her nervous habit, but it pained Jo to watch her struggle. At one point, she’d motioned Lee over in an attempt to get her to sit down by her, but Lee refused. She had placed her hand on Lee’s arm to get her to look at her in an effort to calm her, to soothe away whatever demons she had been fighting. The roped muscles had rippled beneath her hand but eventually quieted under her soothing caress. She had enjoyed how the tight muscles danced under her fingertips. Lee had moved away shortly afterward and never overtly acknowledged the contact, but she’d slightly quirked her lips.
They slowly made their way outside, the mass of people milling around making it hard for Jo to maneuver safely on her crutches. She braced herself against Lee a few times, more out of a desire to touch her than the need for balance. She leaned heavily on her crutches as they waited for their car beneath a brilliant sunset. Lee looked around and frowned before calling the driver, who was stuck in traffic. The temperature had cooled considerably, but not as much as Lee’s attitude. She was once again aloof and annoyingly controlled.
“So, what did you think of the movie?”
“It was good.”
“That’s your critical analysis?” Jo laughed. “A film critic you’re not.”
“Apparently not.”
Robot. “What did you think of Hugh Jackman? He’s pretty hot, huh?”
“He’s very good looking, yes.”
Jo wanted to grab Lee and shake her. She hated Lee’s bodyguard persona, one she took too fucking seriously. The controlled, only need-to-know, one-word answers were grating on what few nerves she had left. Once again it reminded her of the control people had over her life.
Getting information out of Lee was like picking a lock. She had to be precise with her questions and hope she asked the right ones to get Lee to open up. She did have one question she’d been wanting to ask since the small sex scene with the lead actor and his on-screen girlfriend. Lee’s face had been the picture of concentration during that time, and Jo didn’t think it had anything to do with the hunky Hugh Jackman. “And what about the woman who played his girlfriend?”
“Lynn Collins?”
“Ha! You were paying attention.”
The corners of Lee’s mouth turned up in a playful grin. “I always pay attention, especially when it matters.”
“Really? And…what did you think of her?”
Lee appeared to be considering her next words carefully. “She’s…hot too.”
“That, she is.” Jo smiled. Awesome. Another door expertly opened. Since she seemed to be on a roll today she opted for a little more prying. “I’m glad you enjoyed the movie. Speaking of enjoying, are you enjoying your position as a glorified babysitter? It’s been a little over two weeks since you took on the guardian-angel role.”
“I wouldn’t call it babysitting,” Lee said, removing her jacket. “And trust me, I’m no angel. Cold?”
“A little,” Jo said as Lee placed the jacket around her shoulders. “Thanks. So what would you call yourself, exactly?”
“An employee,” Lee said simply. “I’m like any other person. I wake up, go to work, go home.”
Jo wanted to say Lee was far from someone who held a mundane job where they blended into the background like some drone working in the hive for the queen bee. But the more she thought about it, the more she understood Lee’s assessment. Tory was the queen bee calling the shots, and Lee was a drone who buzzed around the house, only used when called upon. The thought saddened her. “That simple, huh?” Jo inhaled slowly, finding comfort in Lee’s familiar scent of amber and spice.
“Yes.”
“Do you have a family?”
“No.”
“A lover?”
Lee stared at her intently. “No.”
Jo swallowed hard, chancing one more question. “You seemed to have found Lynn Collins attractive. So, if you had a choice, blondes or brunettes?”
Jo couldn’t see Lee’s eyes behind the dark sunglasses, but the tension in her body had returned, along with the slight twitch of her jaw. The switch appeared to have been flipped. The barriers that had been briefly lowered between them had once again returned to their full and original position.
The Lincoln Town Car pulled in front of the theater, drawing a few curious stares. Lee held the door open for Jo, but she refused to get in until Lee answered her question. “Waiting.”
Lee removed her dark sunglasses, holding Jo’s gaze unerringly. “Blondes. Always blondes.”
*
Lee focused her attention on the passing scenery to keep her eyes and mind occupied. Jo hadn’t said a word since they’d left the theater. Swearing inwardly, she wanted to blame her restlessness on her PTSD, but that excuse was wearing thin. What ailed her had nothing to do with her medical condition.
Damn! How could one touch in a crowded theater make her reexamine all her priorities? She knew her job and did it well. But for one moment when Jo had touched her, she’d forgotten all about those priorities. Forgotten the reasons why she had been there with Jo in the first place. All she had been aware of was what had passed between them. Something she was unfamiliar with, a sense that someone could actually understand her suffering. But that was crazy. Jo couldn’t understand her. She’d never been to war, never seen people blown to pieces in front of her, people she’d once called friends. There was nothing sexual in the touch, yet she couldn’t help responding to it.
The more she thought about it, the more her skin tingled, rippled, with an undercurrent of arousal she hadn’t experienced in a long time. As Jo’s scent wafted over her, she picked up on the distinct mixture of warm sand and sea air. The familiar fragrance reminded her of a tropical beach and she imagined being stretched out on a towel on the sand, no one ar
ound except Jo, the sun coloring Jo’s pale skin a warm bronze. She closed her eyes, picturing Jo lying between her legs, teasing her clit as the sounds of her cries became lost among the roaring of the ocean and the shrieks of the gulls overhead. Jo took her between those full lips and sucked—Christ!
Lee jumped when Jo placed a hand on her arm. This was exactly why she had to keep a professional distance. Jo was inquisitive by nature. She liked to touch and tried at every opportunity to worm her way into Lee’s orderly life. She couldn’t chance feeling anything more for Jo, especially since that touch from her earlier had her all stirred up.
“Hey, everything okay?” Jo asked as the car pulled up in front of the house.
“Everything’s fine, Ms. West. Hold on. Let me go around to your side.” Lee walked around to open Jo’s door just as Tory jogged down the steps to meet them.
“Hey, honey,” Tory said as Lee assisted her out of the car. She kissed Jo’s cheek. “How you holding up?”
“If it wasn’t for my bodyguard, I don’t think I’d be holding anything up,” Jo said as Lee grasped her waist until she adjusted the crutches safely under her arms.
“Do you need my help getting upstairs?” Tory asked.
“No, I’m okay. Just tired. Call me when dinner’s ready.”
“You bet.”
Jo disappeared into the house and Tory motioned for Lee to follow her into the office. Lee sat to the left of Tory’s manager, who didn’t look pleased.
“Lee, I asked you here because the group and I have finally decided to tour this summer,” Tory said. “I think you’re perfect for Jo and she appears to like you. I wanted to know if you’d be interested in traveling with us? I’m sure Jo will argue about accompanying the group, but I was hoping to plead my case with your help. What do you say? I could really use her there for backup.”
What do I say? I say you’re out of your mind, lady! She’s just been in a horrible accident and needs a nap after a few hours out. Didn’t you just see her? Six months on the road will kill her. “Ma’am, I don’t mind the work if she still wants me around.” Which I highly doubt after she recovers fully. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to encourage her in any way. It’s not my job to convince her to travel, just to make sure she’s safe.”
“My sister values your opinion, Lee, whether you believe that or not. I can tell. She trusts you and I want to make sure she stays safe. It goes without saying that she’ll want to stay here, but I feel that if I can persuade her to leave the country with us for a while, this business of the stalker will eventually fade and ultimately disappear. We’ll leave the situation behind us, and I’ll know Jo’s safe because she’ll be there with me. And of course, she’ll step in like she always does when I overbook.” Tory smiled, clearly convinced she was right.
Lee placed her hands into her trouser pockets to hide their trembling. Just mentioning the stalker and Jo in the same sentence made her want to run from the room and find Jo to make sure she was all right. This problem wasn’t going away, and Tory was a fool if she actually believed what she was saying. “Ms. West—”
“Tory.”
Lee conceded. “Ma’am, may I be blunt?”
“I expect nothing else from you, Lee.”
“I’m worried about your decision. Your sister is still not a hundred percent, and even if she agrees to travel, her physical condition will make it more difficult for me to protect her when she’s out in the open. She’s stubborn and refuses all help even when I offer.”
At this comment Tory didn’t even try to hide a smile. “Anything else?”
“Yes. As you know, I’m no expert, but if you leave before dealing with this potentially dangerous situation, you will only exacerbate the problem.”
Marilyn butted in. “Then what do you propose we do? This is wearing Tory down, and God only knows what being holed up for a lengthy period of time will do to Jo. They can’t hide here forever. The band needs to tour.”
That’s easy to answer if you’d both just take a second to look at her. Since Lee spent a lot of time studying Jo, she couldn’t ignore the shadows beneath Jo’s eyes that suggested she wasn’t sleeping. The pain medication obviously made her groggy and irritable. She barely ate. She wasn’t ready for anything strenuous. “My suggestion again would be to bring in the proper authorities to help find this lunatic before he acts out and hurts someone else. He’s already proved that he can be violent, and we don’t know what he has in store for another surprise. If you bring her out into the open before Gary has a chance to figure out his next move, she or someone else you know may get hurt.”
Tory sat stone-faced, obviously weighing the options. She leaned forward, her look of concentration turning to one of fierce determination. “I appreciate your candor, but we will proceed with the tour schedule as planned. I won’t have this maniac run our lives, and I don’t want the kind of press it would bring if we contacted the police. If you’d like to join us on the road we’ll be glad to have you. If not, I’ll make other arrangements for Jo’s security. Because I’m sure she’ll be with us.”
Over my dead body. Jo was her responsibility, and unless Jo personally dismissed her, Lee wasn’t going anywhere. Lee stood and looked down at Tory. “I’ll let you know my decision pending your sister’s choice.”
Chapter Nine
Lee returned from her morning run just as the predawn light poured bright streaks between the grayish clouds that marred the early morning sky. She felt strong, exhilarated. Shaking the rainwater and sweat out of her hair, she grabbed a towel and straddled her weight bench, intent on pushing her muscles to the limit. The weeks of working out regularly had started to pay off. What had begun as three miles a day with an hour of intense martial arts training had turned into an additional two miles a day plus an added hour of every other day upper and lower body lifting.
Since their visit to the theater a few weeks ago, Jo had become more mobile by the day, and it wouldn’t be much longer before she’d be able to move around without needing crutches. The scars on her face had healed nicely and the bruising had long since faded. Lee had hoped the stalker situation would have been resolved before Jo fully healed. They hadn’t received any more letters, though, or any reports of anyone unusual hanging around the house. Without more to go on, Gary and his friends were at a loss. She worried about what would happen once Jo decided she was strong enough to move out of her sister’s life. She most likely wouldn’t keep a bodyguard once she was out of Tory’s limelight.
She switched on the television, not paying much attention to the activity buzzing on the screen that marked the beginning of some type of press conference. She cranked up the volume and finished her last set of chest presses, leaving her only a half hour to eat breakfast and shower before returning to Jo’s. Moving into the kitchen, she quickly filled a blender with a banana, yogurt, protein powder, and ice. As she strained to hear the television over the sounds of crushed ice, she caught only snippets of the conversation regarding some kind of upcoming concert tour. Pouring her breakfast into a glass, she raised her head as a familiar name caught her attention. She leaned over the counter and stretched as far as her six-foot frame would allow, swiveling the television to face her. What the fuck?
Looking composed and confident, Tory West stood at a wooden podium in full costume and makeup, surrounded by three of the other band members. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Tory said. “The group and I are here today to publicly announce Total Femme’s international tour schedule. Our Leather and Lace Tour will cover six countries in twenty-four weeks. I’ll answer a few questions then turn the mic over to the other group members.”
“Oh, shit.” Lee had no idea a press conference was happening today and only hoped that Tory had been adequately prepared for any questions those blood-sucking reporters had in mind. Lord knows, they very rarely stayed on topic, and thankfully, from the looks of things, Jo didn’t seem to be there.
“First question?” Tory said as the crowd yelled
out her name. She pointed to a fifty-something reporter with a bad hairpiece and thinning mustache. “Go ahead.”
“Yes…thank you. I’m James Mayfield with the Tribune,” he said as the crowd quieted. “I was wondering if you’d give us a bit of insight into the man who has been sending you threatening letters. Do you or the police have any leads?”
Tory showed no signs of being rattled, but Lee felt like she’d been hit in the stomach with a lead pipe.
“Mr. Mayfield, I can’t answer your question because I have no idea what you’re talking about. Next question, please?”
Mayfield snickered at Tory’s attempt to downplay the situation, and a low murmur could be heard among the other reporters. “That’s not what I heard. In fact, a very reliable source told me this person has sent you dozens of letters. They also suggested that it wasn’t you in the limo the night of the car crash but your twin sister pretending to be you. Is that true and was she the intended target?”
“No, no, no!” Lee shouted at the television. This is exactly what she’d feared. “Come on, Tory. Keep cool.” Lee stood in front of the TV, trying hard not to punch something.
“Mr. Mayfield, I seriously doubt you know more than the police do. I made a statement after the accident from the hospital and I’m sticking to it. Now if anyone has any relevant questions regarding the tour, I will be happy to answer those at this time. Otherwise, I’ll hand the mic over to our bass player, Chance Dillingham.”
The crowd buzzed with excitement, and the words “stalker” and “conspiracy” were being thrown out at regular intervals. The media sharks smelled blood and were circling. In their frenzy they waited until they spotted a vulnerable spot to attack.
“Fuck,” Lee growled, knowing that whoever this Mayfield prick was, he’d just made her job ten times harder. “I’m gonna kill that asshole.” She grabbed her jacket and ran out the door, pressing one on her phone for speed dial.