Bollywood Bodyguard

by Lavinia Lewis

  Raj frowned. “Actually, that’s not true. Rahul wasn’t the only one who knew.”

  “Huh?” Brent stared at him in confusion.

  “You called Jack from the car on the way to my mother’s house, so he knew, too.”

  Brent rolled his eyes. “I was simply calling Jack to tell him I’d given the other guards the night off.”

  “Yes, but you did tell him where we were going.”

  “Well? Why don’t you question him?” Rahul snapped. “Raj, I’m leaving. I’m going to see if I can salvage something out of this mess. If you need me, I’ll be at home.”

  Raj watched his agent storm out of the room.

  Damn it, he was going to have some serious apologizing to do the next day when they had all calmed down.

  When he turned to Brent, the bodyguard was shaking his head.

  “No, it can’t be…”

  Raj was about to question Brent when he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in a number.

  As he held the phone to his ear, his eyebrows came together in a deep frown.

  “Jack. Meet me at the office in fifteen minutes. I don’t give a shit if you’re in bed, this is important. Fifteen minutes.”

  Brent disconnected the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

  He sighed and met Raj’s gaze. “I sincerely hope I’m wrong about this.”

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Brent slid the last letter back into the brown envelope and threw it into his desk drawer with the others.

  He leant forward on the desk and covered his face with his hands. He didn’t want to believe his friend had had anything to do with the threats Raj had been receiving, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Jack had never played by the rules and would think nothing of a few scare tactics if it meant furthering his career.

  The man was ruthless.

  Brent had always known that, but he had never figured Jack would go to these lengths. The timing was the only thing that didn’t add up. Raj had started receiving the letters before All-Star Security had been hired to do the job.

  “You’d better have a damn good reason for dragging my ass out of bed in the middle of the Goddamn night,” Jack fumed, storming into the small office and planting himself in the seat behind his desk.

  “And you can expect a serious dressing down from Jessie when you see her next, too.”

  Jesus, Brent hadn’t even considered Jessie.

  He stared at his friend for a long moment before speaking.

  “Why did you do it, Jack?”

  Jack frowned. “Do what?”

  He pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket and rolled it between his fingers.

  “All of it—the letters, the threats, exposing Raj to his mother and to the press.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I didn’t do shit.”

  “We could have made the business work. You didn’t need to go to these lengths.”

  Brent could feel his anger rising the more he looked at Jack. “Raj had nearly been killed! How the fuck could he justify that?”

  “You need to get your facts straight, my friend. I had nothing to do with this. Sure I’ve broken a few rules in the past, who hasn’t? But this?

  “This isn’t my style. I’m not a fucking murderer. I thought you knew me better than that.”

  Shit.

  Brent was so confused.

  Could he be wrong about Jack?

  Doubt started to creep into his mind. Jack had been right. He might often be underhanded when it came to business matters, but he couldn’t imagine his friend going to these lengths to further his career. He would never knowingly put someone in danger…would he?

  But who the hell else could it be? “You were the only person who knew where we were going tonight.”

  Brent needed Jack to confess so he left Rahul’s name out of the argument.

  “It wasn’t me,” Jack said very slowly. “Maybe the press followed you from Raj’s house, did you consider that? Or maybe it was that goddamn agent you keep talking shit about. Sounds like something he would do.”

  Brent sighed and lowered his gaze.

  Maybe Jack was right. But as much as he disliked Rahul, there had been truth in his eyes when they’d questioned him earlier. The more he thought about it, the more Brent believed that Rahul had had nothing to do with the threats. He had nothing to gain.

  Jack on the other hand…

  “Yeah, probably him,” Jack continued. “I’m sure he doesn’t like that he’s going to lose one of his biggest clients. He’s probably out for revenge. Why don’t you question him? I bet you’ll get the son of a bitch to confess everything.”

  Brent sighed, feeling the last of the fight leave his body. But there were still some things that didn’t add up.

  “Why didn’t you tell me Rahul had given you a list of names of people who had keys to the property? Did you even do anything with those names?”

  “Ah, yeah. It must have just slipped my mind. But I looked into the list and nobody jumped out as having any motive.”

  Brent frowned.

  Nothing slipped Jack’s mind. Ever.

  He was extremely sharp and faultless with regards to business matters.

  “What about the background checks?”

  Jack shrugged. “Nothing came of them either. I would have told you if I’d found anything.”

  Jesus.

  It looked as though Brent had been wrong again.

  He seemed to be making a habit of it.

  “I’m sorry for accusing you, Jack. I know it’s no excuse but it’s been a long day and my brain is frazzled. And Raj is starting to mean a lot to me so I fucking hate that someone is doing this to him. There has to be something we’re missing here.”

  Brent racked his brain.

  The fact remained that only Jack and Rahul had known about Brent and Raj’s whereabouts that evening.

  Rahul had sworn he hadn’t told anyone.

  “Did you tell anyone where we were going tonight?”

  “Just Jessie,” Jack said. “And do not even fucking think about accusing her. You were probably followed from Raj’s house.”

  “We definitely weren’t followed. I would have noticed. The press were tipped off. Besides, it’s too much of a coincidence that Raj’s mother received a letter right before we got there and then the press just happened to show up to catch us together outside?

  “No. Whoever is responsible sent the letter and tipped off the press.”

  Jack shrugged and took another puff of his cigar.

  “I’d have words with Rahul. He’s the most likely suspect. He has access to Raj’s house so it would have been easy for him to leave the notes and pull the wires from the camera…and he has motive.

  “He’s homophobic for a start and if that isn’t a big enough reason then there’s the fact he’ll be losing Raj’s business soon. Revenge is a powerful motivator, as you well know.”

  Brent sighed.

  He still didn’t believe it.

  “I know everything points to him but Raj trusts him and, after speaking to him, I have to say I believe him, too. He had nothing to do with any of this.”

  “You could be mistaken.”

  “Yes, but on this occasion I don’t think I am. He’s clean, Jack.”

  “I wouldn’t rule him out yet. Question him again. He might just crack. It’s surprising what men will say when they’re put under pressure. In the end, the truth will out.”

  Brent nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

  Brent let Jack’s words wash over him again, trying to see if there could be some truth in them. He replayed them in his head until something Jack had said practically slapped him across the face.

  He froze and a shiver ran the length of his body.

  Oh god, no. “Wait, what did you just say?”

  “I said to question that damn agent again. It had to have been him.”

/>   Brent shook his head.

  He reached into his drawer and pulled out the white envelope. He got up, crossed the room and threw it onto Jack’s desk. Jack raised his eyebrows as he studied the envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “Read it.”

  Jack rolled his eyes and pulled the contents out of the envelope. He looked at the picture first, his eyebrows raised then he tossed it onto the desk. He made a big show of unfolding the letter and scanning its contents.

  Brent was tired of the games. “It says, ‘In the end, the truth will out’. Does that sound familiar to you, Jack?”

  Jack’s face paled.

  He took a puff of his cigar, threw the letter onto the desk and stared at Brent, unmoving. Brent didn’t need any more proof.

  Son of a bitch.

  It had been Jack all along…his best fucking friend.

  Jack’s eyes darkened and his face hardened until he was almost unrecognizable. He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

  “You should be thanking me. I got us the job, didn’t I? And there’ll be plenty more where this one came from, just you wait and see.”

  Brent lunged over the desk and grabbed Jack by his collar. “You fucking prick. Raj was nearly killed!”

  Jack’s struggled ineffectually to remove Brent’s hands. “He never would have got hurt. The man I paid was told only to scare Raj, not run him over. For fuck’s sake, what do you take me for?”

  Brent let go of Jack and began to pace the room. He had to get his anger under control before he did something to Jack he’d regret.

  “How did you do it? The letters started before we got the job. How did you know Raj would hire us?”

  Jack smoothed down his shirt and his mouth curved up into a smug grin. Brent had to fight with himself not to use his fist to wipe the smirk from the arrogant fucker’s face.

  “That part was easy. I know someone at the golf club who is good friends with Rahul Kapoor. Over drinks one afternoon he told me about the trouble Raj’s previous bodyguards got themselves into.

  “I did a little favor for him and in return he promised to recommend our agency to Rahul, said the man trusted his opinion and that, once he’d told Rahul about us and gave him a glowing fucking report, we were as good as hired.

  “That’s when I came up with the idea of the threatening letters. I figured if Rahul feared Raj was under threat, he’d be forced to take on a new agency sooner rather than later.”

  Brent sat down heavily in his chair and stared at Jack.

  They’d been close friends for just over three years but it seemed Brent didn’t know the man sitting in front of him at all.

  “What about the camera outside Raj’s house and the letter on the door? How did you manage to do all that?”

  Jack’s grin broadened. “Everyone has their price. Raj has this young houseboy, Aakash, working for him. It didn’t take much money to get him to pull the wires from the camera before he left work that day. He came back when you were at the benefit and pinned the letter to the door. Planted the one during the party, too, and the others.”

  Now that Jack had started to divulge the truth, it seemed there was no stopping him, and his words came out in a rush.

  “The kid has a family to support, a very large family by all accounts. Who do you think I got to write the letters for me in the first place? I knew you’d recognize my writing and I had to have someone on the inside.

  “It was easy to get him to do what I wanted when I waved some cash in front of his nose. People are predictable. Most of them would sell their own mothers if the price was right.”

  “The letters threatened to expose Raj’s sexuality right from the beginning. How did you know about that? Did Rahul tell his friend or did that come from Aakash, too?”

  “The kid, of course. He started babbling about all of Raj’s little secrets as soon as I showed him the money.”

  “And the press, Raj’s mother? Tell me, what was the point of that?” Brent was trying extremely hard to get a hold of his anger, even though he wanted to fucking kill Jack for everything he’d put Raj through.

  Jack shrugged. “I figured the more afraid Raj was, the more bodyguards he’d want around him. I got someone I know to follow you guys around, get a few pictures.” Jack grinned. “Got some good ones, too, didn’t he? How the hell was I to know you’d start fucking Raj? Besides, I did you a favor by revealing his sexuality. I know how much you hate dating someone who isn’t out.”

  Brent was so angry he could barely see straight.

  Jack was behaving as though he’d performed a great service out of the kindness of his heart, but everything had been to meet his own greedy needs.

  “You had no right. You’ve done some things in the past I haven’t agreed with but I never saw this coming. I never thought you’d sink this low. We were friends, Jack.

  “I trusted you, for Christ’s sake. Well, not anymore. You’re not going to get the chance to do this to anyone else. When I tell Raj what you’ve done he’ll probably want to prosecute, and, quite frankly, I wouldn’t blame him if he does.”

  Jack’s eyes widened and, for the first time since Brent had known him, he looked afraid.

  “Now, come on, be reasonable. You don’t have to tell Raj a goddamn thing. Let’s forget about this whole business.

  “We’ve got a good thing going here. Think about how many clients we’ll get with all this publicity.”

  Brent’s mouth fell open. “You don’t honestly believe I’m going to continue working with you after this, do you? It’s over, Jack—the business and our friendship.”

  “This business is half mine!” Jack argued. “And I have no intention of ending it.”

  Brent narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to because I’m going to end it for you. How many clients do you think you’ll get when I get Rahul to spread the word about your scare tactics?

  “Not a single fucking person in Bollywood will come near you or this agency again.”

  “You fucking idiot!” Jack screeched. “You wouldn’t do that.”

  Brent leant forward in his chair and met Jack’s gaze, holding it with ease. “Watch me.”

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Brent buzzed Raj into his apartment, gazing nervously around the small space while he waited for the actor to ride the elevator up to his floor. He’d told Raj he needed to speak to him but he hadn’t told him what he’d discovered.

  That was something he needed to tell Raj to his face…but how could he do it?

  Jack hadn’t only been Brent’s business partner—he’d been his friend.

  Brent should have known what he’d been up to, but he’d had no clue. Would Raj believe that or would he think that Brent and Jack had been working together all along?

  The thought that Raj might not believe him made Brent feel sick to his stomach.

  The information he was about to give Raj could be the end of their relationship and that was unacceptable.

  Brent pulled in a shaky breath and crossed the room to open his apartment door. Raj smiled as he stepped inside, but the smile faltered when he caught the look on Brent’s face.

  “Hey. Your phone call had me worried.” Raj suddenly looked as nervous as Brent felt. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

  Everything was far from okay.

  Brent swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. It was hell looking at Raj when Brent wasn’t sure where he stood with him or whether they had a future together, so he quickly tore his gaze away and chewed on his bottom lip.

  “I have something you need to hear, and it’s not good news. You’d better come and sit down. Can I offer you something to drink?”

  Raj shook his head. “No, thanks, I’m fine. Why are you being so formal, Brent? What’s going on?”

  Brent sighed and massaged the back of his neck wearily.

  Where the hell should he begin?

  This was one big, fucked-up mess. He took a seat on the sofa and waited for Raj t
o do the same. Instead of sinking back into the soft scatter cushions as he’d done on his previous visit not more than four hours ago, Raj perched precariously on the edge, chewing nervously on his bottom lip, mirroring Brent.

  “It was Jack,” Brent said succinctly.

  There was no point dragging this out any longer than was necessary. Raj had to know the truth, and there was no way to sugar-coat it.

  “It was all Jack. Everything that has happened—it was all him. The notes, pictures, the camera at your house, the car at the studio, the press, your mother…all of it. It was all him.”

  Brent lowered his gaze while he waited for Raj to reply.

  The lump in his throat grew bigger, practically choking him and making it difficult for him to breathe. When Raj didn’t say anything, Brent looked up and met his gaze.

  “Okay,” Raj said, nodding. “Okay…”

  “I’m sorry, Raj, I really am. You have to know that. I wish more than anything that this was a mistake but it’s not. Jack confessed everything to me.”

  “I’m not sure I understand. Why would he do this? It doesn’t make any sense, and how did he do it? I started receiving the letters before we even hired your company.”

  “I know that. How did you find out about us?”

  Raj drew his eyebrows together as though he had to think about the question. “Rahul,” he said at last. “He said your agency was recommended to him by a friend.”

  Brent nodded. “Jack has made a lot of contacts since we came to Mumbai, some of them less respectable than others. Apparently, he has a friend at the golf club who knows Rahul and they are very good friends.

  “That’s how he found out you were in the market for a new bodyguard team. So he got this guy to recommend the agency to Rahul, knowing that Rahul trusted him. It was then that he came up with the plan of the blackmail notes. He figured you would be pressed to hire us if you thought your life was under threat.”

  Raj pursed his lips. “Okay, so that explains how he got Rahul to contact your company in the first place, but what of the pictures and the camera outside my front door. How did he manage all that before your agency started working for me?”