Her former bodyguard had been great at stopping people from getting too close to her unless it was something she’d wanted. Too bad he’d had to resign. She’d gotten along well with him.
She texted her manager to let her know she’d be at her office in five minutes. Then she stood and whispered to the couple. “I’m going to Christine’s. I’ll come back here in thirty minutes.”
The couple nodded distractedly.
Her heart skipped when she found Jaxon sitting on a bench just outside Xavier’s office, looking at her.
“You leaving?” Jaxon asked.
“I’m going to my manager’s at Clarence Street. I’ll be back in about half an hour.”
Jaxon’s brows furrowed. “Want some company?”
She looked at him questioningly. “What do you mean?”
Jaxon shrugged. “I’m kinda bored waiting here for those two to finish. I wouldn’t mind a stroll with you.”
“In that?” She couldn’t help but smile as she looked pointedly at his muscular torso, clad only in a sleeveless shirt. Not to mention he was still wearing his short gym shorts.
Jaxon looked down at his attire. “Why not? It’s not a crime to walk around the city in this gear.”
“But you’ll attract so much attention from the ladies that they’ll then check me out,” she said teasingly, although she wasn’t joking. “I’m afraid my disguise can’t handle close scrutiny.”
“I can have a quick shower first, then get dressed.”
She smiled, her heart pinching. She knew now that this kind of offer was merely a friendly one. Perhaps, it was Jaxon’s way of testing that she wasn’t mad at him for his earlier rejection. “I’d love your company,” she said lightly and without any hint of flirtation, “but I have to go now to interview a guy who could be my new bodyguard. Thanks anyway. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
She hurried out, tempted to glance back just to see if Jaxon was watching her. But she refrained. If she caught him looking her way, then she might get her hopes up again. Why would she subject herself to another emotional roller-coaster ride?
As she walked to Christine’s office, she did allow herself to think about the man with whom she’d felt an incredible connection from the moment they’d met. It was hard to explain, but it wasn’t mere physical chemistry. Around Jaxon, she simply felt free from the pressures of expectation or obligation.
That was rare. Even some of her old friends were prone to making such a big fuss about her superstardom that she felt she’d be disappointing them if she didn’t live up to the rosy image they had of her. But not Jaxon. He treated her like a “regular” person, which she appreciated so much.
But the romantic feelings were all one-sided. A friend was all she was to him. She had to settle for that, even if it left her heart bereft.
She arrived at Christine’s office, and the receptionist sent her a professional smile. “Good afternoon. May I help—Oh, Holly, it’s you!”
She laughed. “Yup. Obviously, my wig is still perfectly in place.”
“It’s just so different from your normal hair, and those glasses do make your face look a bit different. Anyway, Christine’s in the meeting room with Bryce Green. She said feel free to walk in. Do you want your usual lemongrass and ginger tea?”
“Yes, please,” she said, then went into the meeting room. “Hi, guys.”
Christine got up to greet her with a kiss on the cheek while the man simply stood and smiled.
Wow, she hadn’t expected Bryce Green to be much younger than her previous bodyguard. He was probably only about thirty or so.
“Holly, this is Bryce Green.”
Holly took Bryce’s proffered hand. He kind of reminded her of Jaxon—perhaps because they had the same muscular build and were both good-looking. Bryce didn’t make her heart skip, though. “Good to meet you, Bryce.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stirling. I was reacquainting myself with Sydney and advised Mrs. Pan that I was around if she wanted to meet with me. I’m glad you’re here now too. I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions.”
Holly settled on a chair and motioned for Bryce to take a seat. “Why don’t we start with your experience and qualifications as a bodyguard?”
Bryce gave a detailed account of his previous work as one of the security officers employed to look after a group of private islands on the Whitsundays and elaborated on his bodyguard duties for the important people who’d stayed there.
She nodded, impressed. “So why did you leave that role for this job?”
“If you remember, there was a cyclone that hit the islands a few months ago. It affected a lot of the buildings, so not as many visitors can be accommodated until the works are finished. My job wasn’t stable anymore, so I started looking elsewhere. I applied for this position and fortunately got accepted. I’m also excited to be back in Sydney. I grew up here.”
“Which song of mine do you like best?”
Bryce turned red, and Holly bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. He wasn’t a fan, and she liked that. He needed the guy to be professional, not fawn on her like her very first bodyguard, whom she’d sacked after two months.
“I’m afraid I’m not into pop music, Miss Stirling. I’m more into heavy metal and rap.”
“That’s fine. So have you been fully briefed about what’s expected of you?”
“Yes. I’m used to being on call at all hours, so I don’t have a problem with that. I understand that my days off will be those times when you’re with family or other trusted people.”
“That’s right. You’ll know beforehand when I won’t be needing you so you can also make plans for your breaks. And just to be clear, I definitely won’t need a bodyguard when I’m at home since I have a very good alarm system there. All I expect is for you to be available to turn up for work within forty-five minutes of me calling.”
Bryce nodded. “I’ll try to be as unobtrusive as I can, Miss Stirling. I can only imagine that someone like you would want some normality every now and then, so I’ll stay in the background, unseen, unless I decide that’s not safe for you. I’ll do my best to keep you comfortable and happy, as long as we both understand that when your safety is threatened, I won’t care what you want. I’ll do what I have to do to keep you safe. But hopefully, those times would be few and far between.”
Holly glanced at Christine, who was nodding in approval.
Well, Holly was starting to like Bryce too. She couldn’t think of a reason why she shouldn’t hire him. And she bet her family would approve as well.
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “Let’s get the paperwork completed and you can start.”
“Excellent,” Christine said. “We can get that organised right now. I take it you can start straight away, Bryce?”
“Yes. I do already have plans for tonight, but I can cancel that if need be.”
“Please don’t,” Holly said. “Why don’t you start next week? I don’t have anything planned this week but to visit family and friends, and just chill out at home. Enjoy another week off before you start work again.”
“It’s no trouble starting straight away.”
“I insist,” she said with a smile. Truth was, she wanted to enjoy being a regular person, able to go anywhere she pleased without anyone spoiling her fun.
“Thank you, Miss Stirling,” Bryce said reluctantly. “But if you need me before next week, please let me know.”
“Just call me Holly. Actually, do you have plans right after this meeting? I’d like about half an hour of your time.”
“Of course.”
“I’d like you to meet my brother. He wanted to also interview you, but he was busy. Do you mind coming with me to his gym right now?”
“Sure, no problem.”
Holly waited until Christine completed the paperwork with Bryce, including a Non-Disclosure Agreement, then she and Bryce walked back to A to X Fitness.
“Hey, notice how no one’s bothering m
e?” she asked with a grin.
Bryce chuckled. “Well, it’s that blonde hair, no doubt. The glasses help too.”
“See how I don’t need a bodyguard when I’m not actually working or stepping out as a celeb?”
“Yes. So in cases like this, I can totally disappear in the background and you won’t even notice I’m around.”
“Or you can do other things. I’m happy to give you the time off.”
“Sure. We’ll see, okay? I might agree once I’ve assessed you really won’t need me.”
Holly smiled. She could tell she’d enjoy working with Bryce.
“Here we are,” she announced, walking into A to X Fitness. Her brows rose when she found Xavier standing outside his office, arms crossed and a forced smile on his face.
She hid a sigh. She bet Xavier would be guessing that the man with her was her new security guy. No doubt he’d be annoyed that she hadn’t sought his opinion as to Bryce’s suitability. Seriously, sometimes her brother was too cautious.
“Hey, Xave. I’d like you to meet my new bodyguard, Bryce Green. Bryce, this is my brother Xavier.”
Xavier shook Bryce’s hand. “Good to meet you, Bryce. I’d like to speak with you, but do you mind giving me and Holly a couple of minutes, please?”
Holly suppressed an eye roll and nodded at Bryce.
“Sure. I’ll wait here,” said her bodyguard.
She followed Xavier into his office, glancing around to look for Jaxon. But she couldn’t see him. Had he left?
“Hey,” Eve said, sitting in Xavier’s chair behind the desk.
Holly smiled. “Hey, can you tell your fiancé he’s being overbearing?”
Eve chuckled.
Xavier closed his office door as well as all the window blinds.
“I can feel an interrogation coming,” Holly joked.
“So you’ve hired him?” Xavier asked.
“Yes. I’m happy with his personality,” she said blithely as she sat on a chair.
“His personality isn’t the important thing, Hols.”
“I know. But Smith Security—one of the best around, as you well know—approves of him enough to hire him and assign him to me. I’ve already given my final tick of approval.”
Xavier let out a heavy breath.
“Come on. Why are you being so overprotective? There are no threats to my safety right now. In fact, I don’t see why I need a regular bodyguard when I can hire one during public events.”
Xavier sat in the chair next to hers and leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs. “Have you spoken to Anna Sanders lately?”
Holly frowned at the abrupt change in topic. “No. The last time I spoke to her was when the three of us had dinner with her and Bill two weeks ago. Why?”
“Eve and I tried to ring her earlier about the song she planned to sing during our reception. But we got Bill and…” Xavier ran a hand over his face.
Holly sat up straight. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s missing, Hols. The police are treating it as kidnapping, but they’re keeping it under wraps as they haven’t heard from anyone yet.”
Holly stared at her brother, her mouth hanging.
“And…” Xavier gulped. “Apparently, the police received an anonymous message that said Australian female celebrities will start disappearing if they don’t wake up to their sins.”
She shivered, the hairs on her arms standing. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Don’t know, but I don’t like the sounds of it. Bill said the police will probably contact you soon to make sure you’re aware of this threat since you’re one of the biggest stars around. Eve might be a target too since she’s a popular TV presenter.”
“I’m many rungs below Holly,” Eve said. “And I doubt I’m considered a celebrity.”
“I’m worried about the two of you,” Xavier insisted.
Holly gave the couple a wan smile, shock slowly gripping her. “Good thing I’ve got a new bodyguard, huh? Maybe you should hire one too,” she said to Eve.
Eve pointed her chin at her fiancé. “He’s gonna stick to me like glue and he’ll be better than a bodyguard. How about you stay with us while this is all happening? It’ll make us feel better, and we can have fun girls’ nights in as often as we want.”
“Thank you, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I don’t want to be the third wheel for an indefinite period, and you guys would want your space. Besides, you know I’m loving my alone time. I’ve had ten gruelling months for my North American tour that I’m still recovering from. As for Bryce, he’s well qualified to protect someone like me.”
“But we know nothing about this Bryce Green,” Xavier said. “What if he’s not as good as he claims to be?”
“First, he wouldn’t have been employed by Smith Security if he’s not good enough. Second, and you might not know this, but Terry Smith himself has instructed his staff to always assign the best bodyguard they have for me.”
“Why?”
“Because his daughter Kate is my backup singer. I fought for Kate even though the recording company was insisting on using one of their own. Terry’s very grateful for that, and they really do treat me very well as a client.”
“Well, I’d still rather we check out other bodyguards.”
“Xave,” Holly said patiently. “Who are you gonna call when we’re already working with the top provider of security personnel? I am not going to insult them by insinuating they haven’t done their job properly. They’ve been bending backwards for me, sending those extra security personnel at the last minute when heaps more people turned up than expected for my recent TV appearances.”
Xavier opened his mouth to answer, but she was quick to interrupt.
“I’m working with Bryce. If he doesn’t live up to expectations, then of course I’ll have him replaced. But not right now. There’s no good reason to.”
It took a long moment before Xavier nodded reluctantly.
“I have to go to work,” Eve said, checking her watch. “Please think about staying with us, Hols. It’ll make us feel better.”
Holly gave Eve a goodbye hug. “Thanks. But I’m sure I’ll be fine with my new bodyguard. It’s Anna we should be thinking about. In fact, I want to call Bill right now to check up on him.”
Eve let out a sigh. Then she kissed Xavier, who announced he was going to walk Eve to her car.
Holly watched the couple leave the office and did a double take as she caught sight of Jaxon walking towards the Obstacle X room. Ah, he was still here, after all. But her usual excitement at seeing him was now coupled with resigned sadness.
She turned her back to the door and forced her attention away from him while she retrieved her phone from her bag. Her heart thudded as she rang Bill. She hoped that whoever had kidnapped Anna hadn’t hurt her.
Why was someone after celebrities? And what sins were they supposed to wake up to?
Chapter 3
Jaxon held his breath as he approached the man inspecting Obstacle X. Thankfully, Xavier had put a “Private Session Only” sign by the room’s entrance to ensure he and Bryce had some privacy.
He’d followed Holly to her manager’s office, and he need not feign shock at seeing his brother here, because he couldn’t help the rounding of his eyes and the slackening of his jaw. Even his heart hadn’t slowed its rapid beating since seeing Bryce leave Christine’s office with Holly.
Jaxon hadn’t expected Holly to hire Bryce so quickly, but he wasn’t surprised either. Aidan had sent him and Xavier a copy of Bryce’s resume that the IR had managed to obtain. With stellar references from some well-known people, it was certainly impressive. On paper, Bryce was the perfect bodyguard for famous people.
From observing Bryce while he’d walked with Holly back to the gym, Bryce had indeed shown signs of being an experienced security detail. He appeared to have perfected the art of surveilling the surroundings without attracting attention to himself. He’d even looked relaxed and casual while walking alongs
ide a superstar like Holly, whom he’d just met.
Still, Bryce wasn’t that good. He’d failed to notice Jaxon trailing them.
To be fair, Jaxon was great at blending in the crowd. The Indie Rebels had taught him well. Now he had to apply some of his acting skills to make this look like a chance encounter.
He took a deep breath before calling out, “Excuse me.”
His brother turned around and stared at him as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Bryce?” he asked in an almost whisper.
Bryce blinked rapidly. “Jax?”
Jaxon exhaled heavily, unable to keep his eyes from misting.
Bryce looked around furtively, then approached. And—to Jaxon’s surprise and delight—drew him into his arms. “Jax. My God. I Googled you the other day, and I was just thinking what a coincidence that you work in this very building. I’ve been meaning to contact you, and here you are. I can’t believe this.”
Jaxon held Bryce tight, willing to keep the tears from falling. He hadn’t expected to feel this emotional. He pulled away to search his brother’s face. “So where have you been all these years? I’ve looked for you, you know.”
Bryce glanced around again. “Is this room private enough? I’m surprised it’s empty.”
“It’s booked for my one-on-one session with Xavier Stirling. I’m supposed to practise while I wait for him.”
“Oh, so you know Xavier well?”
“We’re friends.” He led Bryce to the benches on the far end of the room and stared at his brother. “We should be okay to talk here. Part of me’s afraid this is all a dream.”
“I know,” Bryce said with a sigh.
“So what are you doing here?”
“I’m a bodyguard, and my new client’s in there.” Bryce indicated Xavier’s office.
Jaxon pretended to be surprised. “Your client? Who? Holly Stirling?”
Jaxon_The Assignment Page 3
