After finishing work, Marlene got up to stretch her legs. She picked up her phone to check her social media accounts. It was fun to see how many followers she had. Despite her fame, it amazed her how many fans liked to interact with her. She was careful to keep it professional, as she’d heard too many horror stories.
A photo had gone viral, and the threads had exploded with comments. It was all very alarming, so Marlene looked closer. Scanning further, she was stunned. There was a picture of her brother Andrew, one that had been published in the news following his death.
Since she was a celebrity, even the most private parts of her life were open to scrutiny. It had been even more horrible at the time, as she’d been so raw with grief. Now the picture had circulated again, for no reason she knew of.
It seemed that someone was intent on reminding her about what had happened—as if there was any chance she’d forget. But the comments weren’t like the ones before. There was a different tone to them, hurtful and unfeeling.
Marlene stared at the screen. Andrew could have been saved. He was allowed to die. The thought of such a thing, the mere idea that his premature death might have been avoided, upset her. Surely, whoever had written those cruel statements had made them up.
Was the person trying to hurt her? Marlene had no idea why. Then she saw, written in bold letters: YOU ARE MINE MARLENE. YOU BELONG TO ME. YOUR BODYGUARD WILL SOON BE GONE.
Marlene’s pulse pounded, and she felt faint. That had to be Buckner. Anxiety riddled her stomach. Had something happened to Garrett? He hadn’t returned yet, and she feared the worst.
She prayed that Garrett was okay. This was all because of her. Yet Marlene still didn’t know what Buckner wanted with her. He didn’t fit the profile of an average stalker. He had some sort of vendetta, but she didn’t have a clue what it was.
Buckner’s obsession was dangerous. But at that moment, it wasn’t her life Marlene was worried about. She rushed outside and looked around for Wyatt. He was talking to one of the other guards. As Marlene rushed toward him, he looked up and frowned. “What is it?”
She handed over the phone. “Look at this message,” she said breathlessly. “It’s Buckner. It has to be. He’s after Garrett.”
Wyatt’s expression was all business. He scrolled on her phone, reading the messages, and looking at the photo. “He’s trying to intimidate you. It’s pure harassment. We’re not going to buy into his scare tactics.”
Wyatt held her phone in one hand, while he made a call on his own. She held her breath. “Garrett, are you at the office? Oh, really. Okay, can’t wait to hear about it. Yeah, I’m calling because Buckner has been busy on social media. Wait until you see what he’s up to.” Then he clicked off.
“He’s not hurt? Is he still downtown?”
“Buckner’s all hot air. Garrett is fine, and he’s on his way back. We can show him this stuff as soon as he gets here.” Wyatt handed her phone back to her. “He’ll be here shortly, so don’t worry.”
Marlene went back inside, with Wyatt right behind her. The threatening comments had rattled her, but Garrett hadn’t been injured or worse. Marlene could breathe again. The social media attack had been a reminder that a dark threat still loomed over her, and that her pursuer was getting impatient.
When Garrett walked in, he looked angry. “Let me see what we’ve got,” he said, and Marlene handed over her phone. He read the malicious comments, then looked at her. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head. “It was alarming, but Wyatt was here. I didn’t know what to think. I thought that something might have happened to you.”
Wyatt looked at her too. “Believe me, Garrett is not an easy target. This fool doesn’t know who he’s messing with.”
Garrett sat in a chair. “I need to get my hands on this guy.”
“I don’t understand,” Marlene said. “My brother died in action. Why won’t this lunatic let it go? What’s the point in reopening the wound?” She noticed a look cloud Garrett’s features, but wasn’t sure what she’d seen. It was likely that he was as upset as she was. Using her brother’s death to terrorize her was a heartless act.
Garrett let out a long sigh. “Buckner’s been busy today. I ran into him earlier.”
Marlene’s eyes widened. “You what?”
Wyatt didn’t comment.
“On my way out this morning, I nearly ran the guy down. I’m sure he was heading here.” Garrett proceeded to tell them about chasing the guy for miles, but losing him. “It really ticks me off. I nearly had him. If I had gotten my hands on him, I’d have squeezed the life out of him. He’d have been in no shape to post pictures or type any comments.”
“Shit, you were so close,” Wyatt said. “My car is fast, but not that fast.”
“I couldn’t even get close enough to shoot the son of a bitch,” Garrett said. “By the time I realized it was him, he’d already taken off. I had a visual, but was too far back to even shoot a tire out. I had no stable shooting position, and Buckner was definitely not a motionless target.”
“Hell, in a situation like that it would be pure luck to hit a moving target at any kind of distance,” Wyatt said.
“I couldn’t risk it. There were other cars around, and some pedestrians crossing the street,” Garrett said. “But this game isn’t over, and Buckner will get what’s coming to him. It will only be worse for him the longer he avoids me.”
Wyatt leaned forward. “What did you find out at the office?”
Garrett threw up his hands. “They’re close. It’s only a matter of time. They’ll find this guy.” He sighed. “I’m tired of waiting, and I’m not a patient man to start with.”
Wyatt stood up. “Well, I’ll check in with you later. I’ve got some stuff to do. But I’ll stay available, just in case.”
After his teammate left, Garrett turned to her. “Travis ran the plate on the motorcycle. It was a dead end, like I thought it would be. The vehicle isn’t registered to Buckner, but they’re checking it out anyway.”
“Buckner is vicious. It worries me. What will he do next?”
Garrett came over and put his arm around her. “He’s getting careless. He came out in the open today, and got a little too bold. It was nearly his undoing. The guy blusters and threatens, but he’s a coward. We’ll find him. I’m sure of it.”
Marlene rested her head on Garrett’s shoulder. It was a comfort to have him so close. She wanted to tell him so, and to tell him so much more. Now was not the time, but maybe soon. The crisis had escalated, but she had faith that it would resolve before too much longer.
The question was how it would end, and whether they’d be able to escape harm. Marlene hoped they would, but so much had happened. She was rattled, and didn’t know what to expect—but she didn’t say that to Garrett.
Chapter 21
The following week on the set, morale was high. The filming would soon be finished, and the director seemed pleased with the result. Post-production would take another six months or so, before the Christmas release. Marlene congratulated her costar, other members of the cast, and spoke with Nicholas. He’d been an amazing director to work with, and she hoped to do so again.
That week there hadn’t been any more incidents with Buckner, but there was no doubt in Marlene’s mind that there would be. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that the man had gone away. The situation annoyed as well as frightened her.
Marlene felt violated, because the guy had the ability to dramatically affect her life. Now that she was doing so well, and had overcome the recent challenges in her career, it was aggravating that she hadn’t been able to slip from the maniac’s grasp.
On one of the last days, Marlene had a chance to talk with Anna about the premier. It wasn’t too early to plan what to wear, since creating a unique design took time. “My designer is working on my dress, but it’s in the beginning stages,” Marlene said.
Anna sat on the sofa in the dressing room, with her legs crossed, drinking mineral water. “W
hat do you have in mind?”
“I’d love to have a dress like I saw once; sheer fabric covered the arms and draped down to the floor. Red silk in a floral pattern concealed the important areas, so the dress wasn’t entirely see-through.” Marlene wrinkled her nose. “But it had a long train that dragged on the floor, like a wedding dress sort of thing. I’m sure I’d trip over it and embarrass myself.”
“No kidding. But it sounds beautiful.”
“The dress can’t be too weird, or overly sexy, either. I don’t want everyone staring at my cleavage while I’m trying to talk.”
Anna swung her ponytail over her shoulder. “Yes, that is so irritating.”
“So I need something classy, yet stunning. I want to stand out, yet not have the audience snickering about some odd aspect of my dress,” Marlene said.
Anna shrugged. “That sounds simple enough.”
“Uh huh, well, we’ll see what he comes up with. So what about you? What kind of dress are you going to wear?”
“I’m going with a weirdly designed, overly sexy, backless dress with a plunging neckline, so all eyeballs are glued to my breasts.”
Marlene burst out laughing, along with Anna. “You’ll be on the front page. No one will stop talking about your dress.”
“Yep, that’s the idea.” Anna grinned. “But then, we both know I wouldn’t have the guts.” She swigged her drink. “Hey, is Garrett going with you?”
“It depends,” Marlene said, and gave her friend a brief update of recent events.
“Geez, this Buckner guy doesn’t quit.” Anna frowned. “Should I be worried?”
“I hope not, since I have Garrett to protect me. But there’s no way to predict the outcome.” The mention of her bodyguard shifted Marlene’s focus. “I have to tell you, though, that I feel more than just professional fondness for him.”
“Talk to me,” Anna said with renewed interest. “I told you he was irresistible.”
“I confess…I’m really in love with Garrett.”
“When did this happen?”
“It’s been happening for a while. I just couldn’t deal with it. But I can’t deny how I feel.” Marlene sighed. “Yet with all that’s been going on, there’s been no chance to discuss the future.”
“And does Garrett feel the same way you do?”
“That’s the thing. I don’t know for sure. He hasn’t said he loves me.”
Anna pointed a finger at her. “I’m sure he does. I’ve seen how he looks at you.” She leaned forward. “He’s trained to be professional, and you’re a client. You might have to be the first to say it. You have to tell him that you love him.”
“I want to,” Marlene said. “But it has to be the right time.”
“Well, don’t wait too long.” Anna stood up. “He might take off, thinking that he’s saving you from God knows what, or some macho thing like that. And you don’t want to lose him…not Garrett.” She put her hand on the door handle. “So I’ll see you at the press conference on Friday, then?”
“Of course, we can give each other support. Those things are always unnerving.” Marlene hugged her friend goodbye.
It was routine to allow the media onto the set after filming, so they could interview the cast and the director. They’d also photograph the set and see clips of the movie before release. Marlene had been the center of attention before, and would be this time too. There were already rumors about her winning an award for her performance.
*****
That evening, Marlene had the pleasure of going out to dinner, instead of staying home. She had cause to celebrate, and Garrett didn’t voice too much objection. After all, the phones were secure now, and he’d made sure there were no trackers on the limo. He had his team covering, so they wouldn’t be followed.
Marlene didn’t think about all of that. She just wanted to go out and have a good time. Garrett was firm about dining at a restaurant inside a major hotel. That made access for any attacker more difficult. It was more secure than the bistro with the sidewalk patio had been.
The Ritz-Carlton was a good choice, and met with Garrett’s approval. An evening out meant dressing up, so Marlene wore a silver cocktail dress, but kept the jewelry to a minimum. There was no sense in attracting trouble, or the eye of potential thieves.
She wasn’t sneaking out in disguise, so would be recognized. But Garrett assured her that he wouldn’t allow fans to interrupt their evening, and the hotel had a policy against paparazzi. It was the best she could hope for.
They stopped at the bar for a drink before dinner, or Marlene did, anyway. Garrett ordered a non-alcoholic beer, and sipped it while she had a glass of champagne. She was on a high from finishing the film, and looking across at her date made her feel even better.
Garrett wore a slate-gray shirt, open at the neck, underneath a charcoal blazer. He had a thin silver chain around his throat, adding to his sex appeal. His hair had been trimmed shorter and was attractively spiked, making her want to run her fingers through it. “If you ever get tired of the protection business,” Marlene said, “you could be a model.”
The lusty look in Garrett’s eyes sent a twinge of pleasure straight to her core. “I don’t see that happening. I only wear this stuff for you.”
“Speaking of which…at the premiere you’ll need to dress appropriately. So be prepared to wear a designer suit. You have plenty of time to have one tailored for you.”
Garrett sipped his drink, and Marlene focused on his kissable lips. “I could see that one coming.” He leaned back in the chair. “So you’re done filming?”
“Yes, I’m not expecting any more retakes. Nicholas released us, so it looks good.” Marlene tasted her champagne, liking the dryness and the sensation of the bubbles on her tongue. “I don’t want to be overly confident, but there has been talk of awards.”
“It’s a good movie. I can tell, even though I’ve only seen it in pieces.”
“I agree, and I think it will be a hit at the box office.”
“Plus you’re the star,” Garrett said, his blue eyes sparkling in the candlelight. “You did a great job; you should be proud.”
“It was very rewarding,” Marlene said. “I’m crossing my fingers. There’s a chance I’ll receive an award, which would do wonders for my career.” She smiled. “And for my ego.”
In the darkened room, Marlene couldn’t take her eyes off Garrett. He was so handsome and such a gentleman. It was no wonder that he’d stolen her heart. She drank her champagne, enjoying his company, and they talked about trivial things.
When they finished their drinks, Garrett took her up to Wolfgang Puck’s for dinner. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, the hotel’s restaurant had panoramic skyline views. Tinted blue windows wrapped around the dining room, giving a sky-blue hue to the city’s vista. The lights on all the tall buildings glittered against the dark evening.
It wasn’t Marlene’s first time at the restaurant. “I think you’ll enjoy what the chef does here.” After being seated at a table by the window, they studied their menus. “The halibut is good; I’ve had that before. But I’m in the mood to try something different.”
When Marlene looked up, Garrett had already put his menu aside and was watching her. Despite knowing him intimately, his gaze made her as nervous as a schoolgirl. The waiter came by and Marlene ordered the Japanese black cod. Garrett chose the beef tenderloin.
She ordered white wine, a label she recognized, and Garrett switched to soda water with lime. Then they gazed out at the view. “The city looks amazing from here, doesn’t it?”
“It does, and I like being up high.”
Marlene thought about how many times he must have jumped from helicopters, so certainly heights didn’t freak him out. And from the top floor of the hotel, the view of the city was breathtaking. She twirled her wine glass, then glanced at Garrett.
He looked awfully good under the soft lights. Of course, he looked good in any lighting. Marlene stared out the window for a moment. W
here was this going? There was no disputing that this was a romantic date, bodyguard or not.
Yet Garrett held back. He didn’t hold her hand, or better yet, lean over to kiss her. Marlene wished he would, but understood why he hadn’t. He wasn’t pushing her into anything; they hadn’t made any commitment. And she wasn’t certain of his feelings.
It was one thing to sleep together, but that didn’t mean that Garrett wanted to spend his life with her. Or even continue to see her once the danger had passed—provided she came through it safely.
He was congenial and polite, but not more than that. Certainly Buckner was a concern. That was one explanation for Garrett’s mood. Sneaking out for a dinner one evening and ignoring the threat didn’t mean it had gone away.
Garrett seemed a bit reserved, and that might be why. Yet his eyes gave away what was in his heart. When he looked over at her, Marlene sensed a deep emotion that remained unspoken. She nearly blurted out how much she loved him, but the words locked up in her throat.
Marlene loved him too much to hear that he didn’t feel the same, or to face the reality that they were so wrong for each other. Just for this evening, she’d forget about circumstances and be grateful for the time she had with him.
At the end of the meal, any feeling of awkwardness vanished when Garrett took charge. He’d gotten a room for the night. “I know how stressful all of this has been for you,” he said, taking her hand. “A night away will be good.”
In the elevator, Garrett put his arm around her and held her close. Marlene’s pulse raced, then she leaned against him, feeling his strength and his warmth. The scent of his maleness ignited her desire and the rest of the world seemed to drop away.
When the door to their suite clicked shut, Garrett lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Light filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow over the room. He lowered her to the bed and placed his palms on her cheeks.
Leaning down, Garrett kissed her ravenously, and Marlene wrapped her arms around his waist. When he released her, and she gazed into his eyes, her heart swelled with emotion. “Garrett…I…”
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