Xavier

by Miranda P. Charles

  “Hey!” Xavier said to him when the other man left. “So you made it after all. I take it you got the guy already?”

  He nodded to his fellow IR initiate. “Aidan does want to talk to us about something new. He’ll be calling in about half an hour.”

  “Cool. We have time to check your progress on Obstacle X, then. You said you improved your time by eleven seconds when I wasn’t around to witness it.”

  “Yup. I daresay I’ll come really, really close to beating you this time.”

  “You’re on, bro,” Xavier said with a laugh. “Shall I go first while you continue to warm up?”

  “Sure.” Jaxon called up the timer on his watch and signalled for Xavier to start. He watched his friend go through the long and extremely challenging obstacle course while he stretched his muscles.

  “Two minutes, forty-two seconds,” he said as Xavier finished.

  Xavier made a face. “Not my fastest time, so I expect you to come a lot closer to that.”

  “We’ll see.” Jaxon waited until Xavier said go, then powered ahead.

  He completed the first four segments easily. His fitness, strength, endurance and speed had certainly improved considerably since hiring Xavier as a personal trainer a year and a half ago.

  They’d grown very close since then. People had even mistaken them for brothers twice before since they were both well-built with dark hair and dark-brown eyes. They were even the same age—thirty-three—and they both enjoyed pushing each other to greater heights with their workouts.

  But their tightest bond came from being Indie Rebels.

  When Xavier had asked for the Indie Rebels’ help, Jaxon had been the one tasked to explain to his buddy that to get the assistance of the IR team, Xavier had to become one of its agents. He’d been proud to tell Xavier exactly how much he owed the Indie Rebels. The team had saved his business from an underworld character who’d vandalised and trashed his and his top franchisees’ offices, jeopardising their livelihood. Now, he wouldn’t even consider becoming an inactive IR when he got to the point where he’d fully repaid the team in kind.

  The Indie Rebels’ work was too important. While they were unsanctioned and unwanted by law enforcement agencies, he believed they were needed, nonetheless. Too many criminals avoided police detection or capture. Often, it was due to police resources being too stretched. But sometimes, it was from sheer incompetence by the cops or total dishonesty by individuals.

  He grunted and held on tighter to the horizontal log he was dangling from, almost losing his grip. But he quickly got back on track and made it all the way to the end of the course without further problems.

  He raised his arms in triumph. That felt faster than the last time.

  “Two minutes, fifty-three seconds,” Xavier said. “Not bad at all.”

  His jubilation lessened. “That’s five seconds slower than my best time.”

  Xavier patted the pole he was standing next to. “I’m still the king of my own Obstacle X.”

  “It won’t be forever, bro,” he said with a laugh.

  “Oh, we missed the show,” a female voice said.

  Jaxon glanced at the newcomer and grinned. Holly Stirling, Xavier’s sister, stood by the room’s entrance together with Eve Marrin, Xavier’s fiancée and a fellow IR initiate.

  He still couldn’t get over the fact that the famous Holly Stirling could be so unrecognisable with a long blonde wig covering her dark, wavy hair and a pair of black-rimmed eyeglasses fitted over her eyes. But Jaxon was sure that fans of the superstar singer could easily spot her if they bothered to take a good look.

  “Can you guys do it again?” asked Eve cheekily.

  “How about you girls have a go?” Xavier asked, kissing Eve on the lips and Holly on the cheek. “You two look dressed up for it.”

  “Yes, I’ll have a go,” Holly said, starting to stretch. “But I can’t even get past the third segment. Maybe you should coach me, Jax.”

  “Am I not the trainer around here?” Xavier asked dryly. “He doesn’t even work for me.”

  Holly wrinkled her nose. “I think he’ll be more patient than you. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to have a phone meeting with that wedding planner Eve wanted to hire?”

  “Oh, is that now?”

  Jaxon hid his amusement at Xavier’s consternation.

  “Sorry. I thought you guys weren’t having a session today,” Eve said apologetically.

  “I finished early with my previous appointment, so I have time, after all,” Jaxon answered. “But you can drag your fiancé to the meeting. I don’t mind.”

  “Aw, thanks. We shouldn’t take long. I just want to make sure he’ll be happy with this wedding planner too.”

  “You know I trust your judgement, babe,” Xavier said. “But if you want me in the meeting…”

  Eve sent her man a sweet smile. “I do.”

  Xavier took Eve’s hand and headed to the office. “We won’t be long.”

  Jaxon stifled a sigh. Xavier was lucky to be engaged to a fellow Indie Rebel. His buddy didn’t have to contend with the complications of hiding something from his significant other.

  Not that Jaxon was on the market right now for a serious relationship, but he did want to settle down with someone special one day.

  Unfortunately, with IRs being on the hit list of several powerful crime syndicates, he had to strictly abide by the team’s most important rule—that they could only reveal their Indie Rebel identity to another Indie Rebel. The safety of all IR agents depended on that incontestable directive.

  “So, Jax,” Holly said. “I’m so looking forward to your housewarming.”

  He smiled. “Me too. It’s going to be a small party, but it should be fun.”

  “Xavier said you’ve asked him to design an obstacle course for the backyard. Have you decided to move to Avalon, then?”

  “Nah. My city pad is too convenient. No way I’d want to deal with horrendous peak hour traffic every single day if I lived in Avalon. I’ve actually decided to list it on Airbnb instead of going for a long-term rental. That way, I could choose to go there for a break whenever I want.”

  “Good idea.” Holly stretched her legs. “So, while Xave’s busy, would you watch me and give me tips on this obstacle thing?”

  “Obstacle thing? Don’t let Xavier hear you say that about his beloved Obstacle X.”

  “Then don’t tell! I’m envious of Eve getting past the pull-up ladder. By the time I get there, my arm muscles are already so tired that I have a hard time just hanging on. Say…” Holly sent him a coy smile. “Maybe you can hold me up when I’m about to slip.”

  “That’s cheating,” he said with a chuckle.

  Despite his promise never to encourage Holly’s flirting, he couldn’t stop his wide grin. Holly was fun to be with. And to be honest, he was flattered by her clear interest in him, which had been obvious from the moment they’d met six months ago.

  Who wouldn’t be flattered? Not only was this woman one of the most talented people in the world, she was also hot.

  And amazing.

  And breathtaking.

  But Holly was a superstar. No doubt he’d be dragged into the limelight if he went out with her, and the last thing he wanted was for the media to poke around his life. There were certain things about him and his family he didn’t want anyone to discover.

  By the same token, it would be disastrous for Holly if she ended up with a boyfriend with such an “interesting” background. He couldn’t stomach the thought of subjecting her to the kind of scrutiny she was bound to get if his family secrets were dug up.

  “So what say you?” Holly asked, positioning herself at the start of the course.

  He scratched his head. “How about I watch you, like you suggested?”

  “Great!” Holly said with a grin as she gingerly stepped on the first segment.

  Jaxon allowed his eyes to feast on Holly. God, she really was hot, and he better close his mouth lest she noticed him drooling
. Good thing he could pretend he was merely following her progress.

  What if… just what if… she was only after some fun? That was entirely possible. According to some reports, Holly was a bit of a playgirl, enjoying dalliances with some of the most successful and eligible men in the world.

  Not that he thought any less of her. Holly was a kind-hearted, sweet, generous and considerate person, and not wanting to settle down was a choice she was entitled to make.

  So… what if they hooked-up?

  He shook his head. No, he should get that thought right out of his mind. It had the potential to ruin friendships, including his with Xavier if things went pear-shaped.

  Besides, and most critical of all, Holly wasn’t an Indie Rebel. Dating her would never work, whatever the circumstance.

  Holly let out a little cry, appearing to lose her balance on the rope walk. He rushed to her, even though the heavily cushioned floor would have kept her from getting hurt.

  But she recovered, pumping her fists in the air she successfully completed the segment.

  Jaxon applauded her success. “Now, conquer that pull-up ladder!”

  Holly took a deep breath, shaking her arms and legs briefly, before making a leap to grab the horizontal bar. Then she did an air-jump and brought the bar past the first barrier. She also got past the next barrier, and the next, albeit starting to struggle. She was breathing hard as she dangled.

  “Good work, keep going.” He clapped harder.

  “I think I’m going to slip.”

  “Hold tight. You can do this.”

  Holly tried a couple of times to move forward, but she wasn’t pushing up high enough to get the bar past the obstruction. Then she let out a little squeal and dropped to the floor.

  To Jaxon’s horror, Holly’s blonde wig slipped off, snagged by the bracelet she wore on her right wrist.

  Holly gasped, diving flat to the cushioned ground to hide her face.

  He went to her aid, looking around. Fortunately, they were the only ones in the Obstacle X room, as it was still booked for his personal one-on-one training with Xavier.

  But a glass window on one side exposed them to the others working out on the main gym floor. If any of those people glanced their way, Jaxon was sure they’d instantly recognise the famous Holly Stirling.

  He positioned himself between Holly and the window and dropped to his knees.

  “It’s caught in this charm,” Holly said in frustration as she tried to detangle her hair piece from her bracelet.

  “Let me do it.”

  Holly lay on her back and held up her wrist to him.

  He hunched over so Holly wouldn’t have to hold the wig up too obviously, and started to loosen the offending strands from around the diamond-encrusted sun-shaped charm.

  “Thanks,” Holly said, smiling at him. “If people find out my disguise, I won’t be able to come in here without being followed.”

  “Without being mobbed, you mean,” he said, frowning in concentration at his task. He didn’t want to ruin her bracelet by yanking against the sun charm too hard.

  “Look at those two,” Holly said with a sigh, nodding in the direction of Xavier’s office. “They’re so oblivious to what’s going on here.”

  “Well, it’s the window behind me that I’m worried about.” Jaxon glanced back. Two ladies on treadmills were already looking their way, brows furrowed. He ignored them, hoping they wouldn’t think help was needed.

  Holly detangled the last of the strands, and the wig was free. She shifted to sit on her legs. “Now I have to put this back on without attracting attention.”

  “Just make sure you stay low. Some people are already watching.” He moved closer to her, ensuring his torso shielded her face from prying eyes.

  Holly started giggling.

  “What?”

  “You’re sitting up straight and I’m hunched down here facing your front. If someone’s looking, they’ll be wondering what we’re doing.”

  His lips twitched. “Maybe you shouldn’t be crouching too low.”

  “But they’ll see my face. Now, don’t move.” Holly ducked down farther to don the wig, her head getting closer to his lap.

  He inhaled sharply, heat rushing to his groin.

  Damn. This position was too hot, even if what Holly was doing was entirely innocent.

  He glanced at Xavier. His friend wouldn’t be happy to see him and Holly in a certain pose on his gym floor that could be mistaken for something else. But neither Xavier nor Eve was looking their way, with the couple lost in their own world as they spoke with their wedding planner.

  Jaxon checked the women on the treadmills. They were now whispering to each other and frowning at him.

  Shit.

  “You better hurry in case someone reports us for public indecency.” He was grateful, though, that the snoopy ladies provided a distraction for his dick. It was threatening to get embarrassingly hard.

  Holly’s shoulders shook with laughter as she adjusted her wig.

  “I’m glad you find this funny,” he said dryly, looking back at the women outside to help himself cool right down. “Your brother will kill me if someone complains to him about us.”

  “I’ll stick up for you. I’ll tell him you’re my knight in shining armour.” Holly sat up, smoothing the blonde locks with her hands. “Is this good?”

  He carefully pulled out a couple of strands that had gotten caught under the netting and stroked her hair in place.

  “Thanks,” Holly breathed, her lovely brown eyes suddenly wide, her lips parted, and her face tilting up.

  His breath hitched and his heart drummed fast. God, she really was beautiful—blonde or brunette. And he knew exactly what she was trying to say without words.

  But…he shouldn’t accept the invitation for a kiss he was dying to have.

  With much reluctance, he got to his feet and offered his hand. Guilt hit him at the flash of embarrassment on Holly’s face.

  Holly was quick to put on a smile, though, and she turned around so she wasn’t facing the window. “Those girls are still looking at us,” she murmured.

  “Short as my gym shorts are, I hope they now see that they’re still firmly in place.”

  Holly sighed. “I hope Xave and Eve won’t mind if I barge in there while they’re still on a phone call. I just don’t want people coming around here to talk to us—or tell us off.”

  “Well, you’re one of the bridesmaids…”

  “True.” Holly knocked softly on the window of Xavier’s office and gestured for permission to go in.

  Eve nodded with a grin.

  Jaxon went to his gym bag to grab his towel. He was sitting on a bench, drinking from his water bottle, when his phone rang. “Aidan.”

  “Hey. Is Xavier with you?”

  “He’s just on the phone with a wedding planner. Eve said they won’t be long.”

  “Good. I need to talk to you first.”

  “Okay.”

  “One of our IR agents who’s also a police detective said that Anna Sanders was reported missing by her boyfriend last night.”

  Jaxon frowned. “Anna Sanders, the singer?”

  “Yes. She’s a good friend of the Stirlings, I believe. Apparently, the boyfriend got home and she just wasn’t there.”

  Jaxon inhaled deeply. Anna’s loved ones would be beside themselves. He knew how that felt. “Any chance she just left her boyfriend?”

  “Not likely, especially when the police also got an anonymous note the day Anna disappeared. It said that top Australian female celebrities will start disappearing one by one unless they woke up to their sins. They didn’t know what it meant until they got the call from Anna’s boyfriend.”

  “Any idea who sent it?”

  “The cops have no clue, and we’re just about to start our investigations.”

  “Holly could be a target. And she doesn’t have a bodyguard at the moment. I think she’s still to interview the new one Smith Security wants to assign t
o her.”

  “Yes. I’m texting you his picture right now, and…we think he’s your brother.”

  Jaxon’s heartbeat spiked. “You found Bryce?”

  “Well, technically we didn’t find him. Xavier asked me to run a check on this person Smith Security hired to be Holly’s new bodyguard. I’m just as surprised that it’s him.”

  Jaxon quickly checked Aidan’s message, and his heart pounded harder as goosebumps formed all over his body. No wonder Aidan had identified Bryce immediately. Bryce only looked slightly older than the twenty-year-old guy in the ten-year-old photo that the Indie Rebels had managed to dig up when they had checked out Jaxon’s family history.

  “I can’t believe this,” he murmured, joy seeping in from this unexpected development. “So where has he been all this time?”

  “For the last five years, until two weeks ago, he worked for a company responsible for providing security to a group of privately owned islands on the Whitsundays. His job included keeping uninvited people away and playing bodyguard to the VIP guests when they travelled outside of the islands. He came back to Sydney two weeks ago, presumably because he was hired by Smith Security. Do you know that he changed his surname?”

  “No. To what?”

  “He’s now called Bryce Green, although he didn’t lodge it officially.”

  “When did he start using it?”

  “Not sure, but he’s been Bryce Green for at least five years. He must be using a fake ID to get away with it.”

  Jaxon rubbed his face. What the hell had Bryce been up to? “And now he’s here to work with Holly?”

  “Yes. If our sources are accurate, he only quit his previous job when Smith Security confirmed that he’d be working with Holly Stirling. Frankly, with this kidnapping threat, the timing’s too coincidental. We have to treat him as a suspicious individual at this point, especially with that change of name.”

  Jaxon inhaled deeply. The insinuation about his brother bothered him. “It’s entirely possible that Bryce could also have been set-up and blackmailed by that bastard stepfather of ours. If that’s the case, him changing his name is not surprising.”