by L. T. Marie
“Lee, what took you so long?” Gary said. “I expected your call about ten seconds earlier.”
“What the hell, Gary? How come I wasn’t told about a press conference, and how did this bastard get that information?” Lee jumped on her Yamaha, firing up the powerful engine.
“I didn’t know about it until about ten minutes before it happened. I knew the girls were rehearsing this morning, but the press conference was a last-minute idea by Tory. As for the other issue, I’m damn well gonna find out.”
“You better. I’m headed over to the West home now. Keep me apprised of whatever intel you get in the next few hours. I want everything you have on this jerk-off reporter, from what he eats for breakfast to his underwear size. As soon as I know Jo’s safe, I’ll call you back for an update.”
“Roger that.”
Lee peeled out of the parking lot, setting a speed record by arriving at the West home in five minutes flat. She ran up the front steps, nearly crashing into a hulk of a man as he pulled the door open.
“Staff Sergeant Winters,” he said, extending his large hand. “Corporal Simons.”
Who? Now what the fuck have you done, Tory? Lee took one step back, appraising the man who stood before her who had done everything but salute. “Simons, when were you hired?”
“This morning. I arrived at 0500.”
Damn it! The whole day was turning into a cluster fuck. “And what were your orders?”
“That I was to remain here to keep an eye on Jolene West until you returned.”
This was just fucking fantastic. Tory most likely got this Simons name from one of Gary’s list of available pre-screened bodyguards but didn’t tell Gary that she would be contacting him directly. To make matters worse, Tory had left this man in charge of Jo, without telling her. She immediately took stock of him. Six-six, two-fifty, give or take a few pounds, traditional military flat top. After the press conference and the Mayfield incident, she’d rip Gary a new one if he knew anything about this and didn’t notify her before arriving. Jo was her responsibility. She made the decisions regarding her protection. Not Tory. Not Gary.
It also didn’t go unnoticed that this new bodyguard had called her by her former title. A lot of information holes needed to be plugged today. If she found the source of the leakage, she’d make sure they thought twice about ever revealing confidences again. Simons wasn’t at fault. He’d only used the term out of respect, but Lee wasn’t feeling diplomatic after the morning’s events. “Simons, I am no longer employed by the United States military. If you wish to call me Lee or ma’am, that’s fine, but under no circumstances are you allowed to call me by my former rank. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, nearly standing at attention.
Lee glanced past Simons, noticing a contingent of maids and butlers. She’d received a list of Tory’s planned engagements from Gary just yesterday but couldn’t recall seeing anything listed for today. A large banquet table was being set with flowers and fine china, and the kitchen staff had to have tripled in size. “Simons, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry?”
“What are all these people doing here, Simons? I wasn’t aware of a party this evening.” Jesus, this fucking day just keeps getting better and better.
“Oh, sorry. I almost forgot.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her a guest list. “Ms. West told me to give you this.”
Lee unfolded the sheet of paper, her anger tripling as she read the guest list for the surprise tour-launch party. Simons was there to keep an eye on the caterers until Tory returned from the studio. “God damn it!” Lee pressed her fingers to her temple to stop the headache forming behind her eyes. “How many people knew about this?”
“Not sure, ma’am.” He shrugged. “But according to Dan Powers, Tory West’s primary bodyguard, it’s not unusual for Ms. West to do things last minute.”
Unfortunately, Lee was becoming quickly schooled in this adverse fact. “Fanfuckintastic!” She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “Where is Jolene West now?”
“I assume she’s still asleep in her room. Haven’t seen her since I arrived.”
“You assume?” Lee glared at the ex-soldier as he took one step back. She’d had enough of incompetence for one day. “You assume! Didn’t anyone ever tell you in the service that assumptions are the mother of all fuck-ups?”
“I…yes…”
“Have. You. Seen. Her?”
“No, ma’am.”
Lee angrily pushed past him, taking the stairs two at a time. When she arrived at Jo’s door, it took all her control not to burst into the room. She knocked but received no answer. “Ms. West, may I speak with you?” She pushed the door open to peek through the crack she created. “Ms. West?”
At first glance, Lee didn’t notice anything out of place. There were no signs of a struggle. Clothes were neatly folded on the rumpled bed. A half-eaten bagel sat on a plate by the bed next to an empty bottle of water. Damn it, where is she?
Lee listened for a moment but still didn’t hear anything. She glanced at the bathroom and wondered if Jo had fallen and knocked herself out or something. She decided to check, but before she could move, Jo opened the bathroom door and emerged totally naked from the shower, dripping from head to toe with steam rising off her flushed skin. The smell of plumeria and coconut quickly assaulted Lee’s senses.
Jo moved across the room and was within inches of the bed before she screamed and jumped back, losing her grip on the crutches and crashing onto the bed below.
Lee’s feet had to have been glued to the floor because why else couldn’t she move? She was glad Jo had fallen onto the bed, because even if she could have reacted, reaching for a naked Jolene West would have been a problem on so many levels.
“What the hell?” Jo quickly yanked a bed sheet over her body. “What are you doing in here?”
“I’m sorry,” Lee said, backing away slowly. “I knocked…but…you didn’t answer, and I thought…” Lee grasped blindly for the door behind her. It had to be there somewhere. She swallowed hard as Jo rose, wrapping the bed sheet around herself.
“You thought?” Jo asked, moving closer while balancing expertly on one crutch.
“I’m sorry,” Lee said, regaining her composure. “I shouldn’t have barged in. Please accept my apology. I should go.”
“Hold on.” Jo grabbed Lee’s forearm to stop her. “Stay. You obviously have a reason for being here. Can it wait until I get dressed?”
Lee nodded but kept her eyes focused on the far wall. She couldn’t look at the soft hand resting on her bare skin. It would undo her. “Of course. I’ll be right outside. Call me when you’re ready.”
“Nonsense. Sit.” Jo pushed Lee into the chair next to her bed. “This will only take a second.”
Lee wished she had the strength to look somewhere, anywhere, other than at Jo’s half-naked body as she moved into the walk-in closet to gather some clothes. Jo had an unbelievable figure—tight, round breasts and a subtle curve to her hips, even visible through the thin sheet. And just when she thought she’d regained all her composure, Jo dropped the sheet at the entrance to the closet, making Lee realize that no matter how honorable she was, nothing could make her take her eyes off the beautiful sight before her. Oh shit! Don’t react. Keep your cool, soldier.
“Okay, you were saying,” Jo said, stepping into a pair of boxers and tank top. Lee swallowed hard, unable to concentrate on anything but the form-fitting boxers and skimpy tank that outlined every one of those luscious curves.
Jesus, I’m not going to survive this!
“Like what you see?” Jo asked, clearly amused with Lee’s loss for words.
Lee nodded. It was all she could do.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jo grinned. “If you can’t answer that question, how about telling me why you’re here early?”
“I’m here…” Lee said hoarsely, clearing her throat. Thank God she was sitting down.
“As I was saying, your sister held a press conference today regarding Total Femme’s upcoming international tour.”
“What press conference?”
Lee sighed. “Believe me, it was as much of a surprise to me as to you. I’m sure your sister will update you when she returns, but with all the events she has planned, you’re going to need another bodyguard—”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“You heard me,” Jo said. “How much clearer do I need to be?”
“But, Ms. West, with the number of people invited to the party this evening—”
“Wait a minute. Party? What the hell! Here…tonight?”
Lee rubbed her eyes in frustration. Her job wasn’t to announce Tory West’s engagements. She resented the star for putting her in this position and for the first time understood how Jo must feel living with someone with Tory’s devil-may-give-a-shit attitude. No wonder Jo wanted to get away from all this. “When I arrived this morning, the staff was setting up for a tour-launch party. Yes, here. Tonight. I was told that most of the other members of the group would be present.”
“Where’s Tory? I need to talk with her. This is bullshit!”
“I have no idea.” Lee stood, happy to have regained some control. She was glad she wasn’t the only one irritated. “I need to discuss some details with Gary, but before I go, do you have any plans for today?”
“Nothing except maybe read my new book. Shit! Now I need to have yet another conversation with my sister, who still hasn’t learned she can’t make these kinds of decisions in this house without discussing them with me first.”
Ha! Welcome to my world. Now maybe you’ll understand that guarding you has been no picnic. “Just notify me if you decide to leave the house and I’ll be waiting.”
Jo grumbled something unintelligible as Lee left the room and dialed Gary’s number. She didn’t like surprises, no soldier did. Often they got people killed, and unfortunately, if Tory kept this up, they all might very well get an unwanted surprise that could eventually cost someone their life.
*
Lee sat in the small lobby of the San Francisco branch of Diamond Records waiting for Tory to arrive. She’d been summoned an hour ago and didn’t have to wait long for the clearly upset Total Femme star to enter, followed by Marilyn, Dan, and a small, balding man who looked like he’d pull his hair out if he had some to spare. Tory loomed over the man’s desk, yelling obscenities as he swiveled absently in his chair.
“What the hell, Larry?” Tory yelled, slamming her wig down on his desk. “I was supposed to answer a few harmless questions about touring. How did this creep get information about my mysterious letter writer? No one knows except the few people in this room and a couple of the bodyguards.”
“Tory, calm down,” Larry said, putting his hands up as if to avoid an assault. “Give me a second to think. And who the hell are you?” he asked, pointing to Lee.
Tory turned to Lee. “Hey, Lee, glad you could make it.”
“No problem, ma’am. But like I stated on the phone, I need to return to the house within the hour to accompany your sister on an outing.”
“Let’s make this quick then.” She introduced Lee to Larry Newman, Total Femme’s chief publicist. “Did you see the press conference?”
“Yes,” Lee said.
“Then you realize that we currently have a publicity nightmare on our hands. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing with requests for interviews—about Jo being injured, about the stalker. About…everything,” Larry said. Sweat stains at the armpits marred his expensive shirt, and he continually fiddled with a pen.
Lee didn’t know exactly how much Tory had told Larry about the situation, so her only indication that she’d heard him was a slight quirk of her eyebrow. She didn’t care for his unprofessional outbursts or his tone.
“Lee, you can relax,” Tory said. “Larry knows everything.”
Lee studied Tory in surprise. No doubt loving a soldier had given her an advantage over others when it came to reading one, because she looked away quickly. “If he knows everything,” Lee said, turning her attention back to Larry, “then he must also realize that you have more than just a publicity nightmare on your hands.”
“What is she talking about?” Tory shot a hard look in Larry’s direction.
“Tory,” he said in exasperation, “I explained to you earlier that I didn’t think this press conference was a good idea, remember?”
“Yeah, so? And I believe I told you that I pay you a lot of money to stop thinking about what’s best for my personal life and worry about my public one. The girls and I agreed that we had to announce this tour. You’re the one always telling me that publicity is good whether it’s positive or negative.”
“When am I ever going to get you to realize that you no longer have a private life? In fact, I believe you told me you had this argument with your sister a few days ago.”
“Leave Jo out of this and just tell me!”
“Ma’am, if I could explain?” Lee said, getting Tory to look at her. “You have just denied the stalker’s love for you on national television by telling the world he doesn’t exist. According to Gary’s source, someone with his personality won’t take that denial lightly.”
“Which means?”
“His delusions revolve around the idea that he’s in love with you and that you love him back. Denying his love alters his delusion, making him feel rejected and abandoned. He’s likely to lash out at the first opportunity.”
Tory paled and swayed. “Oh, my God.” Tory swayed, and Lee gripped her arm to steady her. “Where’s Jo? Someone call her. Make sure she’s okay—”
“Don’t worry. She’s in good hands. Gary and I will do everything we can to protect you and your sister.” Lee helped Tory into a chair. “But you need to understand that surprises like today are not going to help your situation. We always need to be aware of everything you’re planning so we can be prepared for these sort of instances when they occur.”
“Gary? Who the hell is this Gary?” Larry asked like the name left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Look…” Lee said. “One more word—”
“Lee,” Tory said, “I got this. Larry, you don’t need to know who he is. Just know he will do everything he can to help us clear up this mess without involving the authorities.”
“Not involve the authorities?” Larry asked, seeming incredulous. “Tory, you don’t have much of a choice after today. In fact, I can’t believe the cops aren’t breaking down my door after all this talk of a supposed stalker.”
“Neither can I, but that’s where you come in. Concentrate on the positives of the tour, and if anyone asks anything else about this subject say, ‘No comment.’ Advertise the tour, get in touch with the promoters, and keep Marilyn apprised of anything I need to know about, but I mean it, Larry…no one…I mean no one, is to mention this again. Got it? I’m sick of it.”
Larry slammed his glasses on the table and rubbed his eyes. “You’re the boss. But if we don’t find who leaked this information, I don’t know how effective I can be at damage control.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Lee said, rising with Tory. “Leave it up to me.”
Chapter Ten
The man screamed in rage while frantically assembling another letter. Tory had denied her love for him to the entire world, and for that it would cost her something extra. He would teach her a lesson and she’d realize her mistake. She’d looked so beautiful, so perfect in every way, until she opened her mouth and lied about them, about their love.
“What are you doing?” the Angry Man asked.
“Why do you care?”
“I care because you’re an idiot and whatever you have planned will never work.”
The man stared defiantly at his tormentor. “Of course it will work. You’ll see,” he said, sealing the envelope.
“I thought you were planning to meet her? Show her how charming you are.”
“I was, bu
t plans change. She changed things. She has to see.”
The Angry Man laughed hysterically. “You finally realize she’ll never come around. Am I right?”
The man bowed his head and whispered, “She will…eventually.”
“So why the new letter?”
“It’s a secret,” the man said, placing his finger to his lips.
“What secret! You tell me everything.”
The man returned his attention to the precious envelope, rotating the paper back and forth in front of his face. The excitement built between his legs, but he would save himself for Tory because nothing else could compare. “And look where it’s gotten me.”
He glanced down at the picture of Tory on the front page of the Times, ignoring the taunts in the background. “This time, my love, your denial means someone has to die. Then it’ll be me you turn to for comfort, and the world will know the truth. You’re mine.”
Chapter Eleven
Jo walked out of the dressing room and took stock of her appearance in the full-length mirror. Lee leaned against the wall in the empty hallway, one hand in her pocket and the other checking her BlackBerry. She hoped Lee would offer an opinion on the color and style of the dress she’d chosen for the evening and was about to ask when Lee looked up and pushed away from the wall, an expression of awe on her handsome face.
“You look beautiful.”
“Really?” Jo asked, self-consciously smoothing an imaginary wrinkle out of the satin material. “You don’t think it’s too much? I know with the cast and crutches I probably look ridiculous but…”
Lee continued to stare at her. “This really isn’t my expertise, Ms. West.”
Jo held her crutches tightly and looked away. How stupid of her to think Lee would offer an opinion. Lee was an employee, a hired hand. But what she’d seen in Lee’s eyes a few seconds ago had given her hope that, for once, Lee would look at her as more than a job. Obviously, she’d been wrong. The rebuff hurt. “Never mind. Forget I asked.” She turned to limp back to the dressing room.