by Cat Johnson
Actually, that was a good idea. Roger couldn’t stop her from going outside if she had her watchdog with her.
“So what are the plans for this morning?” he asked.
He laid the phone on the table in the vacant spot where the gun had been and she was reminded once more what kind of heat this man was packing.
“We have to be to the movie lot by nine.”
He dipped his head. “All right. That’s easy enough. It’s a seven-minute drive. Accounting for morning traffic, we should head down to the car no later than eight-forty-five. Though earlier would be preferable.”
How the hell?
Nope, she wasn’t even going to question how he knew the exact amount of time to the minute it would take to drive to the set. She’d already concluded the reason. This man was obviously an obsessive-compulsive maniac.
But her stalker probably had the same character traits. He or she would have to have, to be able to track her movements, to be able to take those pictures and then know how to deliver them directly to her without being detected.
Fine. If it took one whacko to catch another one, she’d deal with it and him, and his gun, and his smart-ass comments, and all the rest.
She’d also use him to her own advantage. “I want to go for a run.”
Not at this very moment, but shortly. She was still having trouble getting moving and as far as she knew, it was still dark outside those blackout curtains he had drawn so tightly.
A crease formed in his brow. “Um, let’s table that for now.”
“What?” She thought for sure he’d be all over it. Mr. I-Jog-Ten-Miles-Before-Sunrise wasn’t into taking a run? She narrowed her eyes. “Did Roger get to you?”
He shook his head. “No, he didn’t say anything about it. I need to check out the area first. Plan a secure route. Assess any areas that might pose a problem. Minimize the chance of a threat.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. It was becoming apparent that everything was going to be like a full-scale mission with this guy, requiring planning to the tiniest detail.
She let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine.”
“I’m sure this hotel has a gym you can use.”
“I hate running on a treadmill.” It came out a bit whiny.
She raised her eyes to his, expecting to see him looking amused that she had sounded like a child. Instead, she was surprised to see what looked like understanding in his expression.
“Me too. I’ll talk about it with Jon and see what I can do. We might be able to get a run in later today. Maybe at the studio lot, if nothing else. That’ll be easier to secure than the streets outside the hotel. Bring your running gear with you, okay?”
Hating that he’d actually come up with a viable and even creative solution to her problem, because she really did not want to like this guy, Sierra nodded. “Okay.”
His lips tipped up in a smile. “Good. See? A little communication is all it takes to keep us both happy.”
That cocky assumption on his part had any charitable feelings she’d had toward him fleeing. “Oh believe me, Mr. Mann, I’m not happy about any of this.”
“I’m well aware of that, Ms. Cox, but my job is to keep you safe, not to make you happy. Besides, I’m sure you have people on your payroll for that.”
His self-aggrandizing made her want to knock the smirk right off his face with one well placed slap. He’d probably only laugh at her losing control. She had to remain as cold and unaffected as he did.
“Just so we understand each other, the sooner we find who sent me those pictures, the better. Because I’ll be more than happy to get you and your GAPS friends off my payroll.”
“On that point, ma’am, we’re in total agreement.” His cell phone vibrated, stealing the thunder of any retort she might have been able to come up with before the distraction. He glanced at the screen and then up at her. “We’re about to have company. You staying like that, or would you like to go and change?”
He cocked up one brow as he waited for her answer. That in itself was enough to decide for her. “This is my hotel room and I’ll dress any way I please.”
“All right.” Smiling he moved to the door and unlocked the deadbolt and the security lock, before twisting the handle.
Two men, not quite but nearly equal to her guard in size and bulk, entered through the open door. They moved in sync, like they’d been trained to do so.
One let out a long slow whistle as he looked around the room, barely glancing at her, but seeming more intrigued with the flat screen television.
“Nice digs. When’s my turn for a shift?” The first man asked in a Southern drawl so thick she would have assumed it was fake if this had been a movie set.
But no, sadly, this was her life, not a film.
“When I say it’s your shift.” Rick shook hands with him, and then with the other man. “What are you two doing here?”
“Jon was having trouble finding what you needed, but I was able to, let’s say procure the item you asked for.” The second man spoke with an accent as heavy as the first.
Rick let out a low belly chuckle over whatever meaning he heard behind the words that she didn’t hear. His gaze cut to her. “Sierra Cox, this is Brody Cassidy and his brother Chris. Chris works for GAPS.”
Brothers. That explained it. Now that she looked at the two more closely, they resembled each other in more than just speech. They were also similar in their looks, and not just the hard toned bodies all three were sporting.
Muscles must be a requirement to get hired at this Goon Angel Power Squad. Amused at her new meaning for his GAPS acronym, Sierra tucked it away for future use.
The one named Chris tipped his head in her direction. “Nice to meet you.”
Brody glanced up from pawing through the black bag he’d set on the side table long enough to say, “Ma’am.” He turned his attention back to a device in his hand. “Let me show you how this one operates before we go.”
The three huddled over the object and Sierra was left to watch and wonder what the hell was going on.
CHAPTER 9
“Thanks for driving this over.”
“No problem. Brody wanted to show you how to use the device so we told Jon we’d run it over.”
“But it’s like an hour drive.”
“More like forty-five minutes with Brody here driving.” Chris tipped his head toward his brother.
Brody’s brows shot high. “I learned how to drive from you.”
Chris wobbled his head, but didn’t deny it. “Anyway, we’re fixin’ to head over to the airfield to take my plane up as long as we’re in the area. So we got that fun today, in addition to the introduction to Miss Hot Pants of the Year.”
“Technically, I think the title was sexiest woman of the year.” Brody corrected his brother while all Rick could do was worry she was going to hear them and flip out.
“Keep it down. She’s right there.”
Chris raised a brow. “All the way across a room bigger than my house.”
Brody let out a snort. “I know. Right? I really don’t get paid enough. I get shot at with automatic weapons and RPGs and don’t make probably an eighth of what she gets for getting shot with a camera.”
“Speaking of, I need your opinion on something.” Happy to move the conversation into safer territory, Rick raised his voice a bit now they’d be talking about something Sierra would be able to hear.
“Sure thing. Shoot.” Chris grinned at his own little joke.
Rick groaned at pun. “Anyway, she wants to go out for a run. What do you guys think?”
“Go for a run out there?” Chris hooked a thumb toward the window. “Hell. No.”
Rick knew it would be risky, but he didn’t expect such an adamant response from Chris.
Brody shook his head. “I gotta agree. I wouldn’t let her do it.”
“Even if I scope it out in advance and go with her?” Rick asked.
“Nope. Not even then.” Brody swung his head one more
time.
The discussion had Sierra moving closer. She frowned. “Why not?”
Chris moved to the window and parted the curtains with one finger. “Because if it was me, I’d set up my hide on one of the higher floors of that tall building across the street. From there, I could have a bead on you from the moment you stepped outside, and up and down the street for a mile.”
“Yup.” Brody came up behind them. “And if he’s set up on the rooftop, of course he’ll be more exposed but he’ll also have a view of both side streets and an even better shot.”
“A better shot with his camera, you mean?” Sierra asked.
“Uh, yeah. That’s what I meant. With his camera.” Brody’s eyes shifted to aim a sideways glance at Rick.
Sierra seemed to accept the lie at face value, even though it was so obviously not what Brody had meant.
It was a damn good thing she didn’t know Chris was speaking as a veteran ST6 sniper and Brody as an active DEVGRU operative who currently held the kill record among the men in his unit.
Sometimes ignorance was bliss.
Rick didn’t need Sierra scared out of her mind that he, Chris and Brody were talking about this stalker possibly carrying a gun rather than a camera. Being photographed without her knowledge had freaked her out enough.
As long as Rick and GAPS were on the job, she wouldn’t need to know any of those things, or how much danger she might really be in.
He drew in a deep breath. “Okay, Ms. Cox here has a job to get to so let’s sweep the bathroom and bedroom first so she can get ready.”
“All righty. The bedroom it is.” Chris grinned, acting his usual foolish self.
What Chris seemed to forget was that now Rick had a way to keep him in line. “Behave or I’ll tell Darci on you.”
“Oh, that reminds me. Darci wants an autograph. You wanna ask Miss Sierra or should I?” Chris asked.
Rick rolled his eyes at the ridiculous request.
Enemy surveillance and snipers were all things he had been trained to deal with, but this job came with a whole other set of challenges. He’d battled sandstorms and heat, cold and snow, enemy fighters and warlords, but he’d be damned if he knew how to fight fame the likes of Sierra Cox’s.
“Rick. You coming?” Brody’s summons from the doorway of the bedroom knocked Rick out of his own head.
“Yeah. I’m coming.” He paused by Sierra, standing in her pajamas, clutching her coffee mug and looking less than happy to have her privacy invaded further. “I’m sorry about this, but I’ll feel a lot better after we sweep those rooms.”
Her lips formed a tight line but she nodded her agreement.
That was probably all he could hope to get while there were three men, who were strangers to her, pawing through her bedroom and bathroom.
He decided to throw her a bone. “We’ll take that run at the lot today. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” She didn’t even reward him with a smile.
Oh well. He’d tried.
“Fucking hell.” The sound of Chris cussing in the next room had Rick running to catch up to them.
Tripping to a stop in the doorway between the bedroom and the bathroom, he saw Brody standing on the edge of the bathtub. The device he held up above his head was lit up like a damn string of Christmas tree lights.
Rick didn’t need to ask what was wrong. He could figure that out all on his own. Brody had detected something in the ceiling tile. Something Rick had missed during his manual sweep last night.
Brody handed off the device to Chris and pressed against the ceiling tile with both palms. A few seconds later, he had the tile free of the supports. Tile in hand, Brody stepped down.
Both Chris and Rick moved in closer and they all saw what the device had detected.
“Pin hole camera stuck right in the damn acoustic tile.” Brody grasped it between two fingers and squinted at it. “Looks like it’s got a microphone built in too.”
“Eyes and ears. He is one serious mother fucker.” Chris shook his head.
Chris had it right. This was no amateur stalker with a cell phone camera. At the sound of a gasp, Rick turned and saw Sierra standing in the doorway, white faced and shaking.
Rick was shaken by the discovery himself. He could only imagine how badly Sierra was. But he was the professional here. It was his job to stay cool and, more importantly, keep her calm.
“You all right?”
She certainly didn’t look all right. Rick took the coffee mug from her hand before she dropped it and put it on the vanity by the sink so he had two hands free to grip her arms. He steered her to the closed toilet seat and sat her down. The fact she let him, without argument, without even a smart comment, told him how shaken she truly was.
Squatting down in front of her brought them eye level, but she wasn’t looking at him. She was staring off into space, her eyes focused on nothing, as if her mind rejected the idea someone had been watching and listening in on some very private situations.
Rick heard Chris on his cell phone, speaking softly to, no doubt, Jon. He’d need to be updated on this discovery. They’d have to ramp up security. That someone had gotten into her bathroom showed they had free access to the room. Possibly an employee with a master key.
Brody left the room and came back a minute later with a tiny bottle of whisky. He cracked the top and poured the contents into the cup of coffee, then handed it to Rick. “Get her to drink that. She’s looking kinda shocky.”
Rick didn’t argue. The way she looked, trembling now like her blood had gone cold, a little liquor could only help. “Sierra. Drink this.”
She shook her head.
“One sip. Come on. It’ll make you feel better.” He brought the mug closer to her lips.
Finally, she reached up and cupped it. He covered her shaking hands with his steady ones and helped guide the mug to her mouth.
She swallowed and wrinkled her nose.
“Don’t tell me you’re not a drinker. Party girl like you.” Rick smiled when his comment had her eyes moving to shoot him a look from beneath lowered brows.
He preferred her pissed rather than the way she’d been just seconds ago.
Pocketing his phone, Chris moved closer to where Sierra sat with Rick in front of her. His gaze moved between the two. “Jon’s on his way over. We’re going to move you to another hotel.”
“Where?” she asked.
“That’s what we’re going to figure out when he gets here. In the meantime, he doesn’t think you should go to work today.” Chris’s suggestion stoked the fire in Sierra’s eyes.
She shook her head. “No. I’m going to work. Do you know how much it would cost the studio if I chose to just not show up for a day?”
Chris lifted his brow. “No, ma’am. I can’t say I do.”
“I’m going to work.” Her tone left no room for argument.
“All right.” Rick nodded. “We’ll sweep the area prior to your getting there. While you’re at work, we can move your stuff to the new hotel after it’s been swept and secured. Today will be just like any other day at work, except I’ll be there with you.”
She digested that for a minute. “Okay.”
Her easy agreement was a pleasant surprise. One hurdle cleared.
Rick glanced up at Chris. “You okay with postponing that flight of yours?”
“No problem.” Chris shifted his glance to Brody. “You feel like playing at being a GAPS employee for a little bit longer?”
Brody tipped his head. “Sure. It’s turning out to be more exciting than I’d anticipated.”
Chris let out a snort. “Ain’t that the truth.”
Rick drew in a steadying breath. He had to agree with Brody and Chris.
This was turning into one hell of an assignment.
CHAPTER 10
Once Sierra had gotten her legs to hold her weight and her hands to stop shaking long enough she could grip her cell phone, she called Roger. She didn’t give a crap that it was six in the mo
rning.
Even if it was the crack of dawn, she had a camera spying on her and, after the newest arrivals, nearly half a dozen men in her suite. She figured it was about time Roger got to share all the fun with her.
To his credit, he got to her room in just a few minutes, even though she could tell from his voice over the phone she’d woken him with her call.
After one of the two new arrivals opened the door at the sound of the knock, Roger came in, his concern evident from his expression.
He glanced in her direction, but paused to shake hands with the two men who’d introduced themselves as the founders of the company.
It was becoming difficult to keep all these guys and their names straight now that there were so many of them.
Looking at the security team now—all five standing together in a huddle on the other side of the room discussing her, no doubt—she came up with a new name for the company. GAPS could easily stand for Glorious Abs and Pecs from what she could see of the bulging muscles beneath their shirts.
She giggled at herself and wondered how much booze the one southern hottie had slipped into her coffee.
Finally, Roger broke away from the group and came over to her. His brow furrowed, he reached out to grab her hands. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m good.”
He frowned deeper. “I don’t know how you can be.”
“One of the hard bodies over there put whisky in my coffee to calm me down. Where did you find these guys, anyway? The local male strip club?”
Roger’s brows rose. “No. I told you, they’re from a security company that was very highly recommended to me.”
“I think they’re clones.”
“Why is that?”
“Look at them. Have you ever seen a group of men all in such good shape?”
“Yes.” Roger smiled. “You should come to my gym. Why do you think I belong there? It’s certainly not for the cardio class.”
“So you think they’re all gym rats?”
“Mm, no. We’re very near Virginia Beach.”
“So?”
“So, there are naval bases all around here. My guess is they’re all former Navy.”