by Sofia Grey
This earned another fiery glare, but Jack continued anyway. “So, if you wanna ask me any questions, now’s your chance. Anything at all.” He parked the car in a safe spot, killed the engine, and twisted to face her.
“Okay.” Her gaze skittered away, before locking back onto his. “Is there any chance you made a mistake about identifying this guy? Yanni?”
“It was him. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Her hands were clasped tight in her lap, and her knuckles showed white. Scared as shit but locking it down. He couldn’t help but be impressed.
“And what do you think he’ll do if he finds me? What kind of danger am I really in?” Her tone was brisk.
“I don’t know, but we’re working on it.”
“You and Tanner?”
“And our security firm, back home, in Houston. That’s where we’re based. Until then, I’m right by your side.” He shrugged and smiled, to put her at ease.
“Thank you, I guess.” She straightened her back, and her lips curved briefly in an almost-smile. “This wasn’t how I imagined this trip playing out.”
Him either. “Let’s get some dinner. I’m hungry. You must be too.”
Her stomach rumbled right on cue, and she laughed. It was brief, but glorious, the way her face lit up. “Starving. Let’s go.”
Back at the house, as promised, he stuck by her side through the remaining introductions and as dinner was served. The in-house cooking team were busy serving an assortment of grilled items from two giant BBQs, and an outside table groaned under the weight of salads, fruit, and bread options.
He knew the moment Juli realised who his celebrity employers were.
“Oh.” she gasped, hand to her mouth. “I thought I recognised you. You’re Event Horizon.” She stared in turn at Sylvie, Alex, and Mick. “But where’s Charlie Jones?”
Sylvie laughed, her eyes dancing with mischief. “He’s gone out this evening. I guess Jack didn’t drop any hints.”
“No. None at all.” Juli’s cheeks were pink. “I feel embarrassed at not recognising your husband earlier.”
AJ grinned and offered a beer to Sylvie, before frowning. “Not eating, babe? You still feel sick?”
“I’m fine. There’s no need to fuss.” She looked amused at his concern and took a sip of the drink, then turned to Juli. “When I met Alex—” She clapped a hand to her mouth. “Shit.” She spun on her toes and dashed into the house, Alex not far behind.
“Was it something I said?” asked Juli. “Is she okay?”
“I hope so,” said Jack. “Otherwise, there’s no concert tomorrow.” And that would be an additional complication to a hectic and constantly moving security plan. Another headache he could do without.
SATURDAY 13 JANUARY
Chapter Six
Daisy yawned when she entered the kitchen. Last night with Charlie was a dream come true. Watching the sun set on the beach was officially the most romantic thing she’d ever experienced, but that wasn’t where the evening ended. They’d gone on to a nearby motel and spent hours exploring each other’s bodies. It had been beyond amazing. She might even be walking bowlegged this morning.
Charlie was everything she wanted in a man, but with a sinking feeling, her gut knew nothing more could ever happen. If she wanted to have any chance of more time with him, she needed to paste a bright smile on her face when she saw him and pretend she was fine with this arrangement. He hated getting up early, so she was safe to grab some coffee and toast, and retreat to the sanctity of her room for a little longer.
The kitchen was busier than it should be, with Kate, Alex, and Sylvie clustered around the table.
“My god.” Alex’s tone was filled with awe. “Are you sure? We need to check. I’ll go. Right now.” He strode to the set of hooks where all the car keys hung and grabbed a set. “Where’s the nearest chemist?”
Daisy stared at him. He was in boxers and a T-shirt, his feet bare and his face alight with excitement.
Kate snorted with laughter. “Maybe put some clothes on first?”
“Huh?” He glanced down at himself. “Be right back,” he said and dashed out of the room.
Daisy’s need for coffee was high, but her curiosity was greater. “What did I miss?” she asked, her gaze pinging between Sylvie and Kate.
“I think I’m pregnant,” said Sylvie. “He’s gone to buy a test kit. Knowing Alex, he’ll buy a dozen, just to be sure.”
“Wow. Congratulations.” Sylvie might be her boss, but Daisy went with her instinct and gave her a hug. This was such exciting news.
“Thanks, I think. The timing sucks. We’ve another three months of touring, and that’s going to be fun if I’m throwing up every day.”
Daisy thought back to the tour schedule. “After that though, you’ve got a break planned for six months, so it might work out fine.”
As expected, Alex soon returned with a bagful of different test kits, and before long, Daisy heard him whooping with joy. It was exciting news, for sure. Chances of her snoozing in her room were slim now, so she headed to the kitchen for a top up of coffee.
Alex and Sylvie were celebrating on the deck outside, chattering with their friends. He was so happy, it made Daisy’s heart turn to mush. That was what she really wanted—a man to love her like Alex loved Sylvie. Charlie couldn’t offer that, and he’d made it plain, but she still hoped. Could she be the woman to tame All-Night Charlie?
It was as though she conjured him out of her thoughts. Charlie appeared, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes sleep filled. He yawned, and then flashed her a smile. “Hey. I’d kill for a coffee right now, if you’re making some.” He ambled to her side, snuck an arm around her waist, and stole a quick kiss. “What the fuck is going on outside? It’s early for a party.”
“Sylvie’s pregnant. Alex is thrilled.”
Charlie grunted. “How about that?” He sounded amused, and Daisy glanced at him before turning her attention back to the coffee pot. She added a couple extra spoonfuls. God knew she needed the caffeine jolt today, after only four hours’ sleep.
“I’m getting some breakfast. Do you want any?” Daisy imagined her Mum speaking in her ear. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. If Daisy could entice Charlie to love her by cooking alone, she’d sign up for advanced classes in a heartbeat.
“Uh huh.” His attention on his phone, Charlie lifted it to his ear. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice like gravel.
Who would be calling him so early? Daisy focused on stirring the jug of coffee, and locating milk, sugar, and mugs. She wouldn’t listen to his conversation.
“Fuck,” he said in such a pained tone that Daisy couldn’t help looking at him and trying to catch his gaze. He ignored her. “Yeah, I will.” He paused.
Daisy stilled, hardly breathing. She couldn’t hear anything of the caller but she strained to listen, just in case.
“I won’t let you down,” he said and ended the call. He stared at his phone for the longest moment, and Daisy’s heart stuttered.
“What’s happened?” she asked.
He didn’t reply. Didn’t even look at her. It was serious.
“Charlie? Are you okay?”
“That was my mum. My father’s dead.”
*
Daisy looked stricken, but Charlie had no words. His head buzzed, like with a bad hangover, and he struggled to focus on what she was saying. Her mouth opened and closed, but he didn’t hear the words. He needed space. Somewhere to sit and think about this.
“Gotta go,” he mumbled, and sidestepped her when she approached him, her arms open wide.
His bedroom offered sanctuary, and he sank onto his bed with a thump. Fuck. His father was gone. Finally. Charlie needed to get his sorry ass back to Manchester for the funeral. He wondered for years how he’d feel when this happened, but the reality had yet to sink in.
A knock at the door heralded Daisy. She didn’t wait for him to reply—just walked right in and came to crouch in
front of him. Moisture gleamed in her eyes. Christ. Was she crying for him?
“Charlie,” she said, reaching for his hands. It was easier not to resist. “I can’t imagine how you feel.”
“I feel good. I’m glad, Daisy.”
“You’re glad?” She searched his face. “Was he ill? In pain?”
“He was a bastard. He made my mum’s life a misery. I hated him.”
She made a strange little noise and lifted one hand to her mouth, but Charlie was on a roll now. “He was always out drinking or sponging off other women, and then yelling at my mum. I don’t understand why she stayed with him. I told her over and over, she should leave. Go find somewhere new to live. It wasn’t as though I couldn’t afford it. But she stayed. All those years, I’d lie in bed and listen to her crying on the other side of the wall.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
He’d never told anyone else, apart from AJ, who’d seen for himself the monumental fuckup that was Charlie’s life at home. Why did he tell Daisy? Fuck, if he knew.
Charlie cocked his head to one side and gazed at her. “You had a nice childhood. Didn’t you, Daisy?”
“Yes.” She sounded faint. “I love my family.”
He nodded. He guessed that. Daisy had a beautiful innocence to her. She’d never been touched by darkness. Well, not until Charlie came into her life.
“I bet you had birthday parties at home, with jelly and cake and silly games. You went pony-riding and on picnics. You believed in Santa and the Tooth Fairy, and Christmas was always wonderful. Am I right?” he said.
“How do you know all that?”
“Because your family loved you. My father hated me, but Mum never said anything. I couldn’t wait to get the fuck away from them. I’m only going for the funeral and to check Mum’s okay. And yeah—to see for myself that he’s finally out of my life.” He paused. Wished he had a strong drink in his hand, or some weed to smoke. “Children become their parents. That’s what I’ll turn into. That’s what I am now. A selfish son of a bitch who doesn’t give a shit about anyone.”
A fat tear trickled down Daisy’s cheek, and she brushed it away with her fingertips. “Don’t say that about yourself. That’s not you.”
Had he gone too far?
Charlie gazed at her. “We fucked, Daisy. That’s all. Doesn’t mean you know me.” He made his tone cold and mocking. It was best she saw him clearly now, before she got any ideas. Before he did anything stupid. “I’d like you to go now. I need to make some calls.”
He congratulated himself on keeping it together. It really was for the best. He couldn’t watch her leave his room, though. Part of him wanted to go after Daisy and apologise for his harsh words, but he didn’t move. Instead, he focused on the next steps that needed to be taken. He phoned his ruthlessly-efficient PA and told her he needed flights back to Manchester tonight, as soon after the concert finished as possible. Then he dug out his carryon bag and started packing. He’d be away a few days. He didn’t need much.
He had to be back for the Christchurch gig, but that was a week away. It was doable. After all, he didn’t intend to spend any time at home, beyond attending the funeral. He’d stay with his mum, rather than booking a hotel, and he could make sure she was okay. In her shoes, he’d be doing cartwheels now, but for whatever fucked-up reason, Mum had loved his dad.
It was another reminder that love made people weak. Charlie didn’t plan to ever give his heart away.
Next to knock and walk in was AJ. Did no one understand the concept of privacy?
“Mate,” said AJ. “Daisy told me. I’m sorry, dude. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He was. He would be. “I’ll go after the gig tonight. I’ll be back for the next one.”
“I’ll come with you. You don’t want to be alone at a time like this.”
“Nah.” Charlie shrugged away the offer. “I want to do this by myself. Thanks anyway.”
AJ looked as though he were about to insist, but Charlie spoke before his friend could. “And congrats, dude. I heard about Sylvie. This is where you need to be. With her.”
“Thanks. But, you were there for me when I lost my folks.”
“That was a whole different ballgame. Your dad was solid. Nothing like the piece of shit that fathered me. And your mum was amazing. You had a great family.”
“Thanks,” AJ repeated. He stuck his hands in his pockets and gazed at Charlie. “I want to apologise for being an ass last night. I could have handled that conversation better.”
Huh? Oh, yeah. The keep away from Daisy lecture felt like a lifetime ago.
Charlie shrugged. “You don’t need to stress. Daisy knows what a bastard I am. I don’t think she wants anything to do with me now.” The words felt ugly on his tongue. He so needed a drink.
*
A combination of jetlag and anxiety ensured Juli slept badly, waking at the slightest noise. By the time morning rolled around, she was exhausted. She took a quick shower, dressed, tied her hair in a braid, and set out to find the kitchen. The fragrant smell of coffee enticed her, but as she entered the room, she realised there was some kind of celebration outside, on the deck.
Everyone was gathered around Alex and Sylvie. And was that a bottle of champagne on the table? For breakfast? Juli had never met any rock stars before. Maybe this was normal for them.
Thank all the gods, there was a jug of hot coffee on the counter. Juli poured herself a mug full. She took a cautious sip. Strong but not bitter. Perfect with a spoonful of sugar and plenty of milk. The ideal wakeup brew.
What would she do with herself today? She’d planned to explore Wellington, but was that still an option? Armed with her coffee and a Danish pastry from a large basket of baked goods, Juli headed outside. She’d sit on the sand to eat her breakfast. The idea of being sociable with almost-strangers first thing in the morning was not appealing. She needed to get her head together. Especially when those strangers were celebrities of the most major kind.
She left the group behind, went down a set of wooden steps that led directly onto the beach and walked a little way toward the sea. The tide was far out, sparkling and blue in the distance. She kicked off her flip flops and curled her toes into the golden sand. It was soft beneath her feet. Lovely. There were worse places to stay.
When Jordan told her of the tickets to watch Event Horizon, she never thought in a million years that he knew the band, let alone was a close friend of theirs. A silly smile broke unbidden across her face. Maybe this was all a crazy dream, and she’d wake to find herself on the tour bus.
“Hey, Juli.”
She turned to see Jack strolling toward her, a friendly smile on his face. A faded T-shirt clung to his chest in all the right places, and she knew that, if he turned around, his ass would be worth staring at, in those ragged-at-the-hem jeans.
He looked relaxed and well-rested, a hint of scruff giving him a super-sexy vibe. And in comparison, she felt as attractive as a wrung-out dishcloth. Gods. It was so unfair.
“You had breakfast yet?” he asked in a voice as delicious as his appearance. “There’s a buffet table with damn near everything you can imagine.”
Juli was used to calling the shots, not being caught on the back foot. She didn’t do vulnerable or needy.
She lifted up her hands, the coffee mug in one, the pastry in the other. “I’m fine. Thanks.”
“Are you a coffee or a tea person?” Without waiting for her answer, he dropped to a crouch, and then sat on the sand nearby. “I’m betting coffee. Strong and sweet, with a dash of cream?”
Sunglasses hid his eyes, and that was another thing that needled at her. She’d left hers indoors and had to squint into the brilliant sunlight. Hello, wrinkles.
“You never said your employers were celebrities.” Yep, that sounded as prickly as she felt.
“You never asked.” Jack shrugged. “So. The coffee thing. Am I right?”
“Milk, not cream. And quite milky, not just a dash. How long
have you worked for them?”
“Not long. We’re providing security for the tour, that’s all.”
“Not for AJ and Sizzle, though. You mean their little boy?”
“Yup. You gonna sit down, Juli? I’m getting a stiff neck, staring up at you.”
It was obvious he wasn’t going to leave her alone anytime soon, so she dropped to the sand with care, making sure her precious coffee didn’t spill in the process.
“That’s better,” he said. “You got any plans for the day? Apart from the concert later.”
“I was going to explore Wellington. I guess that’s out now, though?”
“Nah, that’s fine, as long as you don’t mind me going. I’m gonna stick with you until more of our security detail arrives.”
“I can cope with that.” Juli’s stupid heart beat a little faster at the idea of spending the day with him. It was a reaction she wanted to curb. She took a sip of her coffee and peeped at him over the mug. “I’m pretty sure you owe me a coffee anyway. You promised me one when we came down from the hill.” Was she flirting? That wasn’t normal behaviour. Must be something to do with lack of sleep.
“I sure did. Let me know when you wanna leave.”
Maybe the day would be better than she first thought.
*
Keeping Juli off Yanni’s radar was Jack’s goal for the day, and an unplanned excursion around the city would work just fine. They hid best in plain sight. As soon as the backup security detail arrived, he’d apply himself to finding Yanni, and that would be a full-time job.
This could be Jack’s last chance in a while to chill out. Hanging out with Juli would be no hardship, and he’d make the most of it.
The drive into the city took around twenty minutes, and he peppered her with questions while he drove. If he was to pose as a member of Jordan’s TM-Tech group, he should know what to expect in the scheduled meetings.
Juli spoke eagerly about the piece of tech she’d developed, code name Byzantium, the rigorous planning and testing, and the key points of difference from similar products. Her hands sketched shapes in the air as she talked, and Jack was fascinated. She had the ability to describe complex technologies in a way a layman could understand, and from the way her face lit up, this was totally her jam.
