“Whatever you’re having.”
Holly made a face. “Bryce and I are having tea.”
Argh. Holly knew he didn’t like tea. “Just beer then. Thank you.”
“I’ll make the tea, Holly,” Bryce said, walking towards the kitchen.
Holly waved Bryce away. “I got it. The water’s boiled and I just need to dunk the bags in. You guys sit down.”
Jaxon sat on the couch and sent Bryce a questioning look.
Reluctantly, Bryce took the armchair next to his seat.
He leaned close, glancing at Holly to ensure she was too busy in the kitchen to notice them whispering. “What are you doing here?”
“When you said you’re working late, I decided to come here to make sure Holly’s okay. How come you’re home?”
“I didn’t know that the report I wanted hasn’t been sent to me yet. No point in me working tonight with incomplete data. So are you worried about something? I’m surprised you came instead of just calling Holly.”
“Well, the police did say the kidnappers might target Holly next. That’s worrying.”
Jaxon nodded grimly. “It’s good you’re here. But Holly won’t open the gate for strangers, and she knows the button to press on the alarm system to call for security. She’s pretty safe here by herself.”
“Here’s your apple pie,” Holly said, approaching with two small plates.
“Thank you, Holly,” Bryce said, his smile wide. “Who’d ever think that the Holly Stirling would be serving me like this?”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not the queen.”
“Well, to some of your fans, you are royalty,” Bryce said with a laugh.
“Thanks, Hols,” Jaxon said, trying to catch Holly’s eye.
“No worries,” Holly said with a faint smile before going back to the kitchen.
Jaxon kept an impassive face, hiding the fact that it bothered him a hell of a lot that Holly and Bryce were interacting so easily. Obviously, the two had grown comfortable with each other.
And he’d definitely noticed the change in the way Holly acted towards him since he’d refused to kiss her at the gym two weeks ago. Or had it been when Bryce had entered the picture? He shook his head. “Hey, aren’t you having some dessert with us, Hols?”
“I already had some. I actually ate more than I should have.”
“Your Mum’s pies are the best,” Jaxon said, smiling at her.
“Can’t wait to taste this,” Bryce said, picking up his plate.
“Start,” Holly encouraged, carefully lifting a tray with a big teapot, two small cups, and a bottle of beer.
Jaxon stood to help her carry it, but Bryce beat him to it. He tried not to glare at his brother. Was Bryce trying to compete with him?
“This is nice,” Holly said, smiling at them as she took the other armchair. “Thanks for keeping me company tonight, guys.”
“Sure,” Jaxon murmured.
“Your safety is important,” Bryce said. “Don’t even hesitate to call me for a board game or two when you’re here alone. You know I don’t mind working all hours.”
“Hey, even you need to sleep,” Holly said with a chuckle. “But thank you. I appreciate that.”
Jaxon gulped down the jealousy that was burgeoning inside him.
“So, Jax,” Bryce said, sitting back casually. “What would you do if an intruder tried to get into the property?”
He looked at Bryce in surprise. Where the hell had that question come from? “I’ll press the call button on the alarm system and also call the police like we’ve told Holly to do.”
Bryce pursed his lips. “They might take ages to get here.”
“There’s a police station less than two kilometres away. Holly’s got their direct line. The detective sergeant there has also been advised that Holly’s hiding out here, and only he and another senior detective know that at this point.” That was a lie. Holly had been given Aidan’s number at the Indie Rebels’ control centre but had been told it was the police.
“That’s good,” Bryce said, looking thoughtful. “But it would be better if the both of you know self-defence and how to deal with armed persons. Have you done any such training?”
“I do know self-defence.” Jaxon was tempted to confirm he knew how to handle armed intruders, but he better steer clear of subjects that might raise eyebrows.
“Do you know self-defence, Holly?” Bryce queried.
“No. I can scream loudly, though,” Holly said with a laugh.
“I can teach you,” Bryce offered. “I think it’s important you know what to do if someone tries to grab you.”
Holly’s brows furrowed. “I just might take you up on that. Sometimes I do get scared that I might get approached by a so-called fan, then find out later they’re one of the kidnappers.”
“Then how about we schedule a time for our training?” Bryce said, his face breaking into a bright smile. “We can do it in here or out the back.”
Jaxon suppressed a sigh. Damn it. He didn’t want Bryce that close to Holly. And what if Bryce noticed the small cameras in the backyard?
“Looking forward to it,” Holly said excitedly.
Bryce grinned. “Good.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t mind improving my self-defence skills too,” Jaxon blurted, ensuring he broke the eye contact of those two. “Can I join you guys sometimes, even if I only watch? Like you said, it’s a critical thing, especially with Holly staying here.”
“Sure,” Bryce said, the smile staying on his lips but leaving his eyes. “We’d probably do it during the afternoon, though, so you’d be at work.”
“Oh. Well, we’ll see. If you can let me know when you plan to do it, I’m sure I’ll find some time to join you every now and again.”
“Really? Aren’t you Mr. Workaholic?” Holly asked dryly.
“I always find time for something important.”
Holly sighed. “Jax, I’m not gonna be here forever. Please don’t rearrange your plans for me. I know you worry that something might happen to me while I’m staying here in your house, but my safety is not your responsibility.”
“Yes,” Bryce chimed in. “And now I know that you work late a lot, I’ll make sure that I keep Holly company during nights like this. She’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, Bryce,” Holly murmured.
“My pleasure,” Bryce said.
Holly stated she didn’t want another conversation regarding her safety and Anna’s kidnapping and switched the topic to something lighter. She entertained them with some of her funnier experiences with other celebrities.
Jaxon laughed with them, but his chest kept on compressing. It killed him that Holly and Bryce were growing close. He hoped they weren’t starting to fall for each other. That would be an absolute nightmare.
“Anyone for a game of Monopoly?” Holly asked, grabbing the box from under the coffee table.
“Sure,” Bryce said eagerly.
Jaxon put up a happy face as they played. A couple of hours later, Holly won the game.
“Want to play Jenga next?” Bryce asked.
What? When the hell was Bryce going home? Was his brother hoping he’d leave first?
No way. Jaxon would stay and pretend he was enjoying himself for as long as necessary.
“Well, I better go,” Bryce said half an hour later.
Finally!
“Thanks again for coming, guys,” Holly said. “I really appreciate you not only keeping me company, but entertaining me.”
Jaxon suppressed a sigh. Obviously, Holly wanted him to leave too. He hid his phone on the side of the couch and walked to the door with Bryce. “Thanks for the dessert, Hols. Tell your mum her apple pie was great, as always.”
“I will.”
Bryce gave Holly a big smile. “I don’t mind coming here again when Jaxon’s not around. It’s my job to keep you safe, although this doesn’t feel like work.”
“Okay, thanks. I do feel much safer tonight.”
“Bye, Ho
ls. Good night,” Jaxon said, wanting to have the last word. He had to plan to be home much earlier from here on in, so Bryce wouldn’t have an excuse to come again at this hour.
He waved goodbye to Holly and walked down with Bryce. “I have to move my car so you can get out.”
Bryce surveyed the position of the vehicles. “Looks like you blocked me in.”
“Well, I wasn’t sure who this car belonged to when I got here. I was just making sure no one could make a quick getaway.”
Bryce laughed. “You’re not so bad with security, after all.
He chuckled. If only his brother knew the resources he had access to with the Indie Rebels.
“Hey,” Bryce said hesitantly. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about Holly’s dating life. I’m reluctant to ask her such a personal question, but it’s important for me to know for security purposes. Do you know if she’s dating someone?”
Jaxon lifted a brow. “I’m not sure. You know how it is with celebrities. They tend to be extra cautious with their relationships.”
“So she could be seeing someone secretly?”
“It’s possible. Hey, what about you? Dating someone?”
Bryce chuckled. “I broke up with a girlfriend five months ago. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t feel obliged to stay at the Whitsundays anymore. You?”
“Nothing serious. Too busy with work.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t made a play for Holly.”
“What makes you say that?”
Bryce shrugged. “She’s single and attractive…”
“I hope you’re not thinking of making a play for her,” he said lightly. “It would be unprofessional.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t want to jeopardise my job,” Bryce said with a laugh. “If anything were to happen, Holly would have to initiate it.”
Jaxon tried not to glare at his brother. He didn’t like that answer.
“Anyway, thanks for tonight.” Bryce got into his car. “Glad we were able to spend some time together.”
“Sure. Maybe next time, we could try meeting with Mum—without Joseph knowing, of course.”
“Yeah, that’ll be good.”
Jaxon got out of Bryce’s way and moved his car into the garage. Then he went to his downstairs apartment and checked the CCTV screen in the study nook.
Bryce was just stopping next to the pole with the button that opened the gate. To Jaxon’s surprise, his brother appeared to take a picture of the pole before pressing the button. What the hell?
He opened the IR app and called the control centre.
Aidan answered. “I saw him take a picture.”
“Yeah. Is someone going to follow him?”
“Unfortunately, no. But I’ll try to track him with CCTVs all around the area.”
Jaxon raked his fingers through his hair. He wished he could shadow Bryce, but he needed to stay for Holly.
“I’ll let you know if he does anything suspicious.”
“Thanks. And, Aidan, don’t you ever go home?”
Aidan chuckled. “I am home.”
“Oh, you have the cameras set up there?”
“Yep. In a secret room. Your calls are forwarded to my phone.”
“So do we actually have a main control centre?”
“Yes, and this is nothing compared to what we have there. But a handful of us have this set-up at our houses. It’s just easier.”
“Wow. It would have cost a fortune to build multiple mini-control centres.”
“Our founder likes spending money on the team.”
“You’ve met him, right?”
“Yes. He’s a top guy.”
“Is he a public figure?”
“You’ll meet him soon, Jax,” Aidan said with a laugh.
“I’m dying of curiosity,” he said dryly.
“So what happened with Bryce there?”
Jaxon exhaled heavily. “He’s planting seeds in Holly’s mind that it’s good for him to keep her company here while I’m not around. He even offered to teach her self-defence. He’s ingratiating himself with her. He needs to get sacked.”
“No. He’s our only lead at the moment. We need him to do what he intends to do while making sure Holly’s not hurt. Otherwise, we’ll be going blind. It would be riskier for Holly, Anna and all the other women if we don’t catch the kidnappers. Right now, Bryce could be our only hope to identify them.”
Jaxon pressed his lips. He hated that it had to be this way, but he agreed it was for the best. That was why he had to be on his toes.
“Somehow,” Aidan said, “we have to prevent Bryce from being alone with Holly when there’s no one else around. Driving her around is fine. As long as we know Holly’s schedule, we’re always ready to pounce if he takes her anywhere he shouldn’t. But how can we stop Holly from inviting Bryce there when she’s alone?”
An idea popped into Jaxon’s head, and before he could consider its merits, he was blurting it out. “I could tell Holly I’m jealous of Bryce.”
Aidan was silent for a moment. “I know Holly has a crush on you. Xavier said she’s very obvious about it, so it’s worth a try. But for it to work, you’ll need to be convincing. Holly’s your friend. She might hate you in the end if she finds out you were lying to her about your feelings.”
He smiled. “Holly’s an attractive woman. I won’t even have to act.”
“Hm. So have you always been attracted to her?”
“Um…yeah. But like I said, I don’t want to date non-IRs.”
“Well, that’s still the best option we have so far. I trust you’d know how to manage the repercussions?”
Jaxon gulped. He certainly hoped so. “Yes, so I’ll put this plan in motion. And let me tell Xavier about this.”
Aidan snorted. “I intend to leave that to you. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Jaxon hung up, taking deep breaths. Suddenly, he was nervous. After rejecting Holly’s cute and tempting advances, was he really now going to woo her? What about all his misgivings about being with Holly?
Luckily, with the ongoing threat to her safety, it wouldn’t be a problem to persuade Holly to keep their dates a secret—if he didn’t end up getting a taste of his own medicine, that was.
He paced the full length of his living room, racking his brains for alternatives. But the more he thought about it, the more he saw this plan as the quickest and most effective way to keep Holly safe from his own brother. He could only hope Holly liked him enough—still—to make this work.
His heart pounded hard as he made his way to the upstairs front door. He had to admit, it felt like he was finally walking towards a dream he’d thought could never be.
Chapter 6
Holly walked out of the ensuite bathroom and frowned. Was someone knocking? She hurried to don her dressing gown and checked. Her heart banged in her chest at seeing Jaxon through the window.
“Hey,” she said as she opened the door for him.
Jaxon’s eyes widened at her attire before his gaze met hers. “Uh, hey. Sorry, but I think I left my phone in here.”
“Oh, okay.” She stepped back to let him enter and looked down at her outfit. She wasn’t showing anything she wasn’t supposed to, but the dressing gown was a tad on the short side, and her cleavage was exposed more than intended.
She tugged at the belt to cover more boobs, but just slightly. Surely Jaxon would have seen her wear sexier clothing than this during her concerts.
Come to think of it, had he been to any of her shows? He’d never mentioned it, and she’d never asked.
“Ah, here it is,” Jaxon said, plucking his phone from the corner of the sofa.
“I didn’t notice you left it there.”
Jaxon faced her, taking a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you… are you…” Jaxon shook his head as if to clear it. “What do you think of Bryce?”
Her brows rose in surprise. “What do I think of Bryce?”<
br />
“Yeah.”
“I like him,” she said with a shrug. “He’s easy-going but good at what he does. He’s flexible. He’s not as annoying as my previous bodyguard. Why?”
“I just noticed that the two of you seem very comfortable with each other after only a couple of weeks of working together.”
“That’s not a bad thing, is it?” What on earth was Jaxon getting at?
Jaxon rubbed his jaw, blinking rapidly. “Well, no. I’m just…”
She frowned, then a thought burst brightly in her mind.
Oh my God! Is he jealous?
She pressed her lips firmly together to stop the smile that wanted to break out. “What exactly is the problem with me liking Bryce? He’s a really nice guy, don’t you think? And he’s someone who makes me feel safe and secure. I feel good when I’m in his company. Know what I mean?”
Jaxon’s brows furrowed, his lips curling into a semi-pout.
And she was finding it hard to breathe.
“When you say you like him…” Jaxon said tentatively. “Do you mean generally or romantically?”
She crossed her arms. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she tried to shush down her excitement. She had to keep in mind that this man had disappointed her—rejected her—several times before. She shouldn’t be so quick to jump to the conclusion that he was jealous.
“Well,” she drawled, “I like him generally. But now that you’ve mentioned romantically… Like I said, he’s a nice guy. Wouldn’t be hard to fall for him, I reckon. Why do you ask? Did he say something to you about me?”
Jaxon walked towards her until he was only inches away. “No. I just wanted to know.”
She gulped at his proximity. “Why?”
“’Cause I’m jealous,” Jaxon whispered, touching her face.
Her breathing shallowed. She was right! “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means I want to be the one to get closer to you.”
She gaped at him, excitement bubbling up. But past hurt clung to her heart, stopping her from launching herself at him. “What made you change your mind? Last time I checked, you weren’t interested.”
Jaxon dropped his arms to his sides, his shoulders drooping. “You have no idea how attracted I am to you. But I know that if we start something, there’s no going back. If we hurt each other, not only would we have ruined our friendship, it would also affect my bond with your brother.”
Jaxon: The Assignment: Indie Rebels, Book 2 Page 6