“No! Get off me!”
It was Raj.
Raj’s plea was like a red rag to a bull.
Brent growled loudly, flung open the door and marched inside. Raj was lying on the bed, arms flailing as he tried to buck off Lucas, who had him pinned down with one arm, trying to undo the button on Raj’s pants with his free hand.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Brent demanded.
Lucas froze and looked over his shoulder at Brent. His eyes became as wide as saucers and he cleared his throat nervously, removing his hand from Raj’s crotch. He was clearly surprised by the interruption and it sobered him.
“Brent… Help,” Raj pleaded.
Brent crossed the room in three long paces, grabbed hold of Lucas’s arm and tugged him off Raj then threw him aside as if he weighed no more than a rag doll.
It was only then that he got a good look at Raj’s face.
Raj’s forehead was covered in sweat, his hair in disarray. Blood was smeared around his mouth, still trickling out from a cut on his lip.
Brent didn’t think before he reacted.
He turned, grabbed Lucas and threw a punch that landed square between the man’s eyes. Lucas yelped and crumpled to the floor, his hand flying up to hold his nose. Brent was only vaguely aware of Lucas’s cries of outrage and threats of legal action. He thought he heard Rahul mention a counter-suit for sexual assault but he couldn’t be certain.
His gaze and all of his attention were fixed solely on Raj.
“You okay?” he asked, reaching his hand down and ghosting his fingers along Raj’s cheek.
He touched Raj as though he were made of glass, and, as he stroked, he both saw and felt the tension leave Raj’s body.
Raj gave a slow nod of his head and his mouth curved up into a half smile.
His gaze didn’t falter from Brent’s for a single second, and the warmth and trust that shone in Raj’s eyes made Brent’s breath hitch.
“Thank you,” Raj whispered. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t…”
“It’s okay. You’re safe.”
Brent wanted to say more. He wanted to reach out and pull Raj into his arms, but first he had to deal with the piece of shit who was still arguing his case with Rahul. He’d never liked the son of a bitch and now he knew why.
Fucker.
He turned and stalked toward Lucas, pulling back his shoulders and puffing out his chest to make himself more intimidating.
“The game is up, Lucas,” he bit out.
Lucas stopped ranting and turned to meet his gaze. “What?”
“Your attempt to blackmail Raj. The notes, the threats—they’re gonna stop, now, or we will take them to the police and you won’t only be facing charges of assault and attempted rape, you’ll be looking at blackmail and stalking charges, too.”
Brent heard Raj gasp from his place on the bed.
Lucas’s mouth opened and closed a few times, his eyes wide with something bordering on panic.
“What?” he squeaked.
Brent nodded. “If we get another letter, another threat—just one—your sorry ass is going to prison.”
Lucas’s head swiveled back and forth between him and Rahul. Throughout Brent’s cautions Rahul had remained quiet, but the last statement made him turn and meet Brent’s gaze, his face grave.
“Despite what just happened here, those are hefty accusations, Mr. Hawthorne. Are you certain it was him? Do you have proof?”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” Lucas shouted. “Blackmail? Threats? I haven’t done anything of the sort!”
Brent loomed over Lucas menacingly. “Why don’t you just fucking admit it and save us all some time here?”
Lucas’s cheeks darkened and he fisted his hands at his sides. “I am not admitting anything. I don’t have the first clue what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit!”
“Brent…”
Brent felt Raj’s hand on his arm and he turned to meet his gaze.
“I don’t think it was Lucas that sent the notes.”
Brent huffed out a frustrated breath and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re not falling for this line of crap, surely?”
“Think about it for a second. Before the benefit last week it had been months before the last time I’d seen Lucas, six at least. The letters only started arriving a few weeks ago. It couldn’t have been him. I think you’re letting what happened here tonight cloud your judgment.”
Brent’s shoulders slumped in resignation. He hated to admit it, but Raj was right. What possible reason could Lucas have for sending the notes? It didn’t add up. But that didn’t change the fact that the person that had sent the letters was here in the house tonight.
He turned to Rahul.
“Get him out of my sight,” he said, nodding in Lucas’s direction.
Rahul looked to Raj as though waiting for his confirmation. Raj sighed wearily and nodded his agreement.
“You heard him, Rahul. I want him gone.”
“But Raj… Be reasonable,” Lucas pleaded. “This is all just a misunderstanding. We were just having a little fun.”
Brent was ready to swing for Lucas again but Raj swept past him and stopped in front of the obnoxious Brit, inches away from his face.
“Fun! Is that what you’d call it? You tried to force yourself on me! That is not what I call having fucking fun! Leave, Lucas. I never want to see you here again. Understand?”
Brent was surprised by the vehemence behind Raj’s words. He half expected Lucas to apologize, or at the very least show some sort of remorse for his actions, but he should have known better.
Lucas puffed out his chest and lifted his nose in the air.
“Fine. The party was a little tedious, anyway.” Lucas turned on his heel and headed for the hall.
“Rahul? Please see Mr. Wade to the door.” Raj said.
Rahul nodded sharply and turned to follow Lucas.
“Wait,” Brent said before Rahul was out of the door. “The party is over. Tell the guests to leave.”
Rahul’s eyes grew black with fury. “That is out of the question. The party just started!”
“It’s already out of hand,” Brent argued. “People are drunk. And they’re messing around near the pool. If someone falls in or if there’s an accident, are you going to cover the lawsuit?”
“The party is over, Rahul,” Raj agreed. “Tell everyone to go home.”
“But what about Sanjay Patel? You need to speak with him. I’ve set up an interview and he’s wait—”
“I’m not interested,” Raj interrupted. “I want everyone to leave.”
Brent didn’t need to be a genius to realize Rahul was grinding his teeth between his tightly set lips. He didn’t even reply, just turned on his heel to follow Lucas out into the hall. Brent closed the door behind him then turned to face Raj.
“Are you all right?”
Raj nodded. “I am now.”
Brent crossed the room and took Raj’s face in his hand. “Your lip is bleeding. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Raj nodded and followed Brent into the bathroom. When they entered the room, Brent put down the toilet seat and motioned for Raj to sit down on it. He looked around the neat and orderly room. “Is there a first aid kit in here somewhere?”
“Yes, in the cupboard, near the sink.”
Brent found what he was looking for and opened the small box. He retrieved a bottle of antiseptic lotion and poured some onto a square of lint. He stood in front of Raj and lifted the cotton pad.
“This is going to hurt,” he warned.
Raj frowned but nodded. “It’s okay…just do it.”
Brent gently brushed the cloth along Raj’s bottom lip, removing the fresh blood. He knew the exact moment he touched the cut because Raj winced and tensed his shoulders.
“What happened back there?” he finally allowed himself to ask.
Raj sighed. “I spilled a drink
on my shirt so I came upstairs to change. Lucas followed me. He came on to me and, when I refused him, he got aggressive, wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Brent felt sick.
If he hadn’t got to Raj in time, God only knows what might have happened.
“I should never have left your side. I should never have told Jaideep to watch you. I should have done it myself.”
“This is not your fault, Brent. You can’t watch over me every minute of the day. There are going to be times when you aren’t with me. There’s nothing we can do about that.”
Brent swiped the pad over Raj’s chin, cleaning off the blood that had dried there. He knew he couldn’t be with Raj all the time, but he was supposed to be guarding him tonight at the party. He’d failed…and failed fucking majorly.
He knew one thing for certain—he would never let anything like that happen again.
Raj cupped Brent’s cheek. “Hey, look at me.”
With much effort, Brent raised his eyes.
“This is not your fault.”
“Don’t you understand? This is my fault. This is exactly the reason I didn’t want anything to happen between us in the first place.
“If I hadn’t been angry at you and jealous of your easy banter with Lucas earlier, I would never have left your side. I would have been guarding you as I should have been and this never would have happened.”
“Don’t say that, and don’t say you’re sorry about what happened between us, please.”
Brent shrugged. “It’s the truth. How am I meant to protect you properly when you’re all I can think about, all I can see? I’m supposed to be looking out for potential threats, but I missed a huge fucking threat tonight, didn’t I?”
“That’s not true. You couldn’t have known.”
Brent shrugged. “There was another letter.” He threw the cotton pad he’d been using in the trash can near the sink then washed his hands.
“What do you mean, another letter? It was left here, at the party tonight?”
Brent nodded. “It was attached to the office door.”
“And no one saw anything?”
“No.”
“What did it say?”
“Same as the others, only this one mentioned the party and there was a warning. Basically there was another threat on your life, a warning not to be alone tonight.
“That’s the reason I was so worried when I couldn’t find you. The person that has been blackmailing you was here in the house and we still haven’t got the first fucking clue who it is.
“And then with that idiot Lucas doing what he did. If I hadn’t found you…”
“But you did. I’m glad you came looking for me.”
Brent shrugged. “It’s my job.”
Raj peered up at Brent through lowered lashes. “Is that the only reason you care?”
Brent’s stomach felt heavy. He did not want to be having this conversation right now. “Not the only reason, no. I was worried about you, naturally. Just because I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be together, that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you or that I want anything bad to happen to you.
“That’s the last thing I want.”
Raj reached up and cupped Brent’s cheek. “I wish that you’d change your mind about us.”
Bent couldn’t help but lean into the touch. He allowed Raj’s fingers to caress his skin for a few moments, delighting in the way it made him feel, before he pulled back, putting a little distance between them. He could not let this happen again. Tonight was a prime example of why a relationship of any kind would not work.
“I’m sorry. I really am, but while you’re still in the limelight, and I’m still your bodyguard, there can’t ever be anything between us.”
Raj sighed and lowered his gaze. “If that’s how you feel, I guess there’s nothing left to say.”
Brent nodded. “I need to check that the guests are leaving and speak to the other bodyguards to see if anyone saw anything suspicious. Lock the door when I leave.”
Raj nodded but he didn’t reply or look at Brent as he walked to the door.
They both knew that this couldn’t work, but even though he knew that he was doing the right thing, Brent couldn’t help but wish for a different outcome. He couldn’t help but hope that there was a chance for them after all—however small.
Chapter Twenty Three
Brent’s gaze shifted over the enthusiastic crowd as Raj made his way along the red carpet.
The fans that had turned up to catch a glimpse of the actors before they went inside the theatre to watch the premiere had come out in force. They jostled for a place at the front of the barriers as the actors walked the carpet, stopping to sign autographs and chat to reporters about the new release. Brent had worked premieres in London, but the vivid colors of saris and pajamas brought to life by the glorious sunshine outdid anything he had seen before.
He was mesmerized by Raj as he gracefully worked his way around the crowd, and from the looks on the reporters’ faces after they stole a few moments with him, he wasn’t the only one.
Raj had charisma in spades.
It was so easy to be charmed by him.
Brent smiled to himself.
He should know.
Even though Raj appeared perfectly at ease in his surroundings, there was a stiffness in his shoulders and at times his smile fell, to be replaced by tightly set lips. Brent might not have known Raj for very long, but he knew him well enough to recognize that he was nervous, even though Raj was an actor and he covered his emotions expertly.
Brent doubted anyone else present had noticed that Raj was ill at ease.
He must have been to dozens of these events in the past, so Brent doubted his anxiety came from the schmoozing that was expected of him, or the fact that he was surrounded by fans.
Was Raj worried about the stalker?
Was he afraid the guy would show up here and make another attempt on his life?
Gita Singh, the film’s leading lady, and the rest of the cast followed closely behind Raj. Brent couldn’t see anyone he would deem suspicious, but he kept close to the actor, just in case. After Jaideep’s fuck-ups, Brent would see to it that nothing of the sort happened to Raj again, even if he had to guard him every damn minute of the day.
Brent tried to keep his mind off what had happened between them, but even though he’d made it perfectly clear to Raj where they stood, his thoughts kept wandering back to the time they’d been together. Brent had reacted badly when Raj’s mother had turned up, he knew that now, but it had probably been for the best. The near disaster with Lucas only proved that he’d been right to end their relationship before it became too difficult to do so. The closer they became, the harder it would be for Brent to walk away. Besides, Brent was too old to be sneaking around, pretending that he and Raj had nothing more than an employer-employee relationship.
He refused to hide in the same damn closet that Raj was firmly entrenched in.
Brent shook his head, trying to clear it.
It wasn’t the time to be thinking such thoughts.
He had to concentrate on Raj’s safety.
That was all that mattered.
He moved his right hand up to cover his earpiece. “Jaideep, what’s the status?”
“It’s all clear this end, sir. No sign of trouble.”
As soon as Raj had finished his final interview and signed one last autograph, Brent ushered him through the door of the very grand theatre. Brent could see the tension leave Raj’s shoulders the moment he stepped inside.
“Relieved that part is over?”
Raj nodded. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
Brent chuckled. “I think I’ve got a pretty good idea but I doubt anyone else noticed. Are you worried about the stalker?”
Raj gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. The action was barely noticeable.
“A little.”
He peeped up at Brent through lowered lashes.
; It looked as though there was more he wanted to say but he remained quiet and Brent didn’t push.
“How long before the film starts?”
Raj checked his watch. “Another twenty minutes or so. You mind if I get a drink?”
Brent shrugged. “It’s your party.”
Raj led the way into the bar. It was a large room, with sumptuous furniture that would have looked at home in a stylish country club. Waiters swept around the room carrying trays full of champagne and small Indian pastries. Raj grabbed a glass from a passing waiter and they found a couple of empty seats in the corner of the busy room.
“I think we need to have another talk about where we left things between us.” Raj pinned Brent in place with an intense stare he felt deep in his bones.
Although he’d guarded Raj for the past few days, this was the first time they’d been alone together since the party. Brent had seen to that. He might regret the way he’d ended things, but what he’d said still stood.
“I don’t think there’s anything left to discuss. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but what happened between us shouldn’t have happened and it most definitely can’t happen again. I’m sorry.”
Raj frowned and took a sip from his champagne flute before lowering his gaze. “You can’t mean that.”
“Look, it’s not only your safety and not being able to do my job properly that concerns me. We’re not a good match, Raj. We want different things.”
Raj frowned. “What is it you want, exactly?”
Brent shifted his gaze around the room.
What did he want?
In an ideal world he wanted a life Rajkumar Khan, he knew that.
But he wanted an out and proud Raj—not the scared, closeted man that sat in front of him. As badly as he wanted the man, he knew he couldn’t compromise on that. But his biggest fear was handing over Raj’s safety to another bodyguard. Jaideep was a prime example of how easily mistakes could be made.
Jesus.
When had his life become so fucking complicated?
“We’re not in the right place to discuss this. We can talk about it later.”
Raj took another sip of his champagne and nodded. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Bollywood Bodyguard Page 10