Once we got back to my house, Troy helped me pack, and I called Mom to let her know what was going on. Up until this point, I’d kept her and Dad out of most of it, but they needed to be updated. They wouldn’t hesitate to let me stay with them. I knew that much, and I felt fairly safe knowing Robert didn’t have my parents’ address. Maybe it was overkill to leave, but it was better to be cautious than wish I’d made a different decision later on.
“I’m just sad I’ll be an hour away from you,” I said to Troy as we stood by my car.
He caressed the side of my face and leaned in to kiss me. “I’ll still drive out to see you every day. I won’t let something like this keep us apart. Plus, I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Are you sure you can do that? I know you’re busy being the new manager.”
He smiled. “I’ll always find time to see you. You can count on that.”
***
The days passed slowly and by the end of the week, I was feeling antsy. I wanted to be back in my own home. I loved hanging out with Mom and Dad, and they were happy to have me, but I longed to sleep in my own bed and wake up in my own house.
I’d taken a few jobs but turned down some of the bigger ones. I hated doing that, but with everything going on, I wasn’t comfortable being in front of a large audience right now.
My phone dinged with a text, and my stomach clenched when I saw it was from Robert. Hey, beautiful. Didn’t hear back from you yesterday. Lunch today? My treat.
He’d been texting me almost every day, asking if I could meet for lunch. I didn’t even answer him the previous day, so I knew I should probably say something. I typed out a quick reply. Sorry, meeting with my mom today. I thought about that for a second before sending it and then erased it. He didn’t need to know I was in the Orange County area. I would much rather keep him in the dark concerning my whereabouts. I typed out a new response. I’ll text you when I’m free. Sorry, it’s just been crazy lately.
About ten minutes passed and then a new text came through. I bet you find time for Troy. I’ve been the best friend you have and this is how you treat me?
Not good. Not good. Not good.
How did one respond to something like that? I wanted to tell him to get lost, but Troy was right. If he was behind everything, it was better not to spook him and have him run off. If that happened, I would never feel safe knowing he was out there and could show up at any time. Sighing, I gave the best response I could think of. I’m sorry you see it that way. I’m not trying to hurt you.
Him: But you are hurting me.
Me: That’s not my intention.
He sent me a crying emoji, and I left it at that. No need to respond further. He was attempting to pull at my heartstrings, but I wasn’t taking the bait this time. I hoped Detective Marlow was on his game because this was getting harder and harder. I needed closure soon.
Later that day, I got a call from Sheryl Allen asking me to come in for a second interview to be the host of Country Star. She said they were able to get additional funding and wanted to move filming up to next month.
“To confirm, are you available during that time?” she asked.
I hesitated. What if everything was still up in the air a month from now? Being in the limelight might be a bad idea. But on the other hand, if I took the job, I’d have the money to pay for bodyguard services, and this was a once in a lifetime chance I couldn’t turn down. It would open up so many doors for me.
“Yes, I’m available, and I’m very interested in this opportunity.”
“Excellent. Mark and I would like to meet with you tomorrow at ten in the morning.”
“I’ll be there.”
***
The next day Troy called me on my drive back to Los Angeles, and I spoke to him on the Bluetooth in my vehicle. “I have a good feeling about this. When I spoke to Sheryl Allen yesterday, she sounded really positive.”
“I’m praying you get it,” Troy said. “You’ve been through so much in the last few years. It’s time for some positive things to come your way.”
“There are plenty of positives in my life. In fact, I can think of one right now.” I smiled and knew he was probably smiling on the other end. “Finding love again is better than any job offer. Just saying...” We hadn’t said we loved each other yet, but “finding love” just kind of slipped out before I had a chance to think it through.
“Oh, so you love me, do you?” There was amusement in his tone, but I could tell he was serious at the same time.
“Is that a problem, Mr. Littman?”
“Why go all formal on me? What happened to calling me Troy?”
“Are you going to answer every question with a question, Troy?”
He was silent for several moments, and when he spoke again, there wasn’t a trace of amusement in his voice this time. “I love you too. I wanted to be the one to tell you first, but I guess it doesn’t matter who says it first, as long as we both feel the same way.”
“I’m sorry, did I steal your big moment?” I chuckled, knowing he wouldn’t mind a little teasing.
“The only thing you stole is my heart.”
He said it so earnestly that warmth filled me and my insides melted. He was quickly becoming one of the most important people in my life, and if things continued this way, I wouldn’t be surprised if we headed towards marriage. Not that I wanted to get ahead of myself, but Troy was amazing and I could see a future with him.
I would continue to pursue my goal of being a country star, but in the end, finding love and having a family meant more to me than anything else, besides my relationship with God, of course. I moistened my lips and smiled again. “You stole my heart as well.”
“We’ll definitely talk more about this subject,” he said, “but I have to get back to work. Will is calling me.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go.”
“Contact me after the interview.”
“I will.”
I ended the call, feeling higher than I had in a long time. Even with all the stress in my life, I had to cherish a moment like this. It was an unexpected blessing, and I was truly thankful. I was reminded of Romans 8:28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
In the midst of all the bad, the Lord brought Troy into my life, and I was starting to see how He was working it out for good. I had no idea what the future held. Whether I would get the job hosting Country Star or not. Whether Troy and I would make it to the finish line and say “I do.”
And I didn’t know if I’d ever find out who attacked me both times…and who killed Daniel. God knew it all, and it was up to Him to reveal that information or not.
But I prayed as I did every day. Lord, please bring me justice. Please make the wicked accountable for what they’ve done—whoever they are—so they can’t hurt anyone else.
I had a slight headache and didn’t have any Tylenol, so I made a quick stop at a grocery store to pick some up, along with a bottle of water. The headache wasn’t horrible, but I didn’t want it to get worse during the interview. As I was walking back to my car, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and Leo, the guy who’d wanted a second date with me, stood a good distance away, but there was no doubt in my mind that it was him. A chill raced down my spine, and, for a moment, I shuddered and allowed my mind to wander. What if he’d been behind the attack after the concert?
I ruffled through my purse in an attempt to find my pepper spray, but it wasn’t there. Realizing what had happened, I wanted to kick myself. I’d gone on a walk through my parents’ neighborhood, and I’d taken the pepper spray with me. When I returned to their house, I set it on a shelf by the door instead of putting it back in my purse.
Without another thought, I ran in the direction of my car, wanting to get away from him. Something about that guy scared the dickens out of me.
“Kayla, stop!” He jogged after me and even though I was running pr
etty fast, he caught up and grabbed my arm, spinning me around.
“Let me go!” I shrugged out of his grasp, feeling almost hysterical.
He released me and stepped back, appearing shocked. “Why are you acting like this? I would never hurt you.”
“Look, I told you I don’t want to go out with you again. Just please… Leave me alone.”
He held his hands up in the air and took another step back. “I thought the problem was that you had an overeager bodyguard, but it’s true. You think I’m some kind of psycho or something.”
“No, I don’t think that…” Yes, I did, but I wouldn’t say it out loud and make things worse.
“Fine. You don’t want to see me again… I get it. Thought we had a connection but guess I was wrong.” The corners of his mouth drooped down. “Don’t look so freaked out. I’m not going to do anything. You won’t be hearing from me again.” With that, he turned around and walked away, and I was left gaping after him.
He was actually leaving. Which meant… he probably wasn’t the psycho I thought he was. Perhaps I’d misjudged him. If he’d wanted to hurt me, he could have, but he’d just walked away. And there was one other important thing… He didn’t have a scar right above his jaw, and the guy who attacked me did.
My feet were a little unsteady as I walked the remaining distance to my car. I took the Tylenol and pulled out of the parking lot. At least Leo hadn’t done anything threatening besides run after me. Thank you, Lord, for protecting me. I’m glad he didn’t push the issue.
Once I arrived at the studio, I put my phone on silent mode so I wouldn’t be disturbed, and, thankfully, all traces of my headache vanished. I was able to perk up and forget about the incident with Leo. Sheryl and Mark gave me a tour and talked about their plans for future episodes, giving more detailed information this time around. All during that time, I sensed God’s hand on me. I sensed His favor. I didn’t know what the outcome would be, but I trusted Him with my life and knew His will was perfect, however it turned out.
“We’d like to be completely upfront and honest with you,” Mark said. “We narrowed it down to you and Tyler Grant.”
I quickly sucked in a breath. “Wow. Tyler Grant.” There was no way I could compete against a man of his popularity. He was a country singer whose songs had already reached the top forty several times, and I was a nobody. Why were they even considering me?
Sheryl cleared her throat. “But we recently found out he won’t be available during part of the filming, and we must get started right away so we don’t lose our additional funding.”
Oh. That was why they were still considering me. “I see.”
“In the end, we decided that we wanted to offer the job to both of you. If you accept, you’ll host the show when Tyler’s not available, and when he is, you’ll both have a part to play.”
I nodded eagerly, feeling relieved they still wanted me. Plus, working with Tyler Grant would be amazing. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a better scenario than this.
They talked me through the schedule of shows and what would be required, along with the dates I would have to travel. We discussed logistics for about forty minutes and then Mark smiled.
“So, what do you say? Do you still want the job?”
“Yes!” I squealed without a moment’s hesitation. I was so excited I wanted to jump up and down, but I restrained myself so I didn’t appear like an overeager teenager. Initially, the idea of hosting Country Star didn’t appear to be the right path, but now… Now it felt like the only path. The best one. I couldn’t wait to get started.
“Wonderful,” Sheryl said. “Let’s pull out the paperwork.”
We finished an hour and a half later, and when I turned off silent mode on my phone, I saw there was a missed call from Detective Marlow and a voicemail. My heart thumped in my chest as I played it back.
Good morning, Miss Keller. This is Detective Marlow. I wanted to give you a heads up that I spoke with Victor Moore, and we finally got to the bottom of why he gave a false alibi. Turns out he was hiding his involvement in illegal dog fighting in the Mojave Desert that particular night. Multiple witnesses can vouch that he was there, and he was able to show me a photo with a time stamp. As far as Robert Sunder, I haven’t gotten a hold of him yet. He hasn’t been to work all week, and he’s not answering his phone. Doesn’t appear that he’s been home either, but we’ll catch up to him one way or another. Call me if you have any questions.
My stomach clenched. The fact that Robert was nowhere to be found meant he knew something was up, and that wasn’t good. I needed to stay away from that man. And then Victor… He’d been involved in illegal dog fighting? No wonder his dog had been a menace. Victor mistreated the poor animal. My heart constricted, and I felt terrible for the pooch. He was no longer alive, but he must have suffered under Victor’s care.
If Victor thought Daniel killed his dog, would that have been a strong enough motive for him to hire someone to take him out? It seemed farfetched, but then again, if his dog had made him a lot of money, it might not be that unbelievable.
I planned on calling Detective Marlow back in a bit, but right now, I wanted to call Troy and let him know how the interview went.
He answered after the first ring. “How did it go?”
“Wonderful.” I walked out the door and headed in the direction of the parking lot. “They hired me!”
He inhaled a breath. “That’s awesome! Congratulations.”
“Thank you. It still seems surreal.” I told him the details of the interview and how they also wanted to hire Tyler Grant.
“I’m excited for you. This show will open up a lot of doors for you.”
“It absolutely will.” I pushed the phone up closer to my ear and walked a little slower as I continued in the direction of my vehicle. “Just think… Kayla Keller, a reality TV host. Can you believe it?”
“Yes, I can. You’re a very talented woman.”
“Aww… It means a lot coming from you.” I rounded a corner and seeing my car a few feet away, picked up the pace.
“Let’s celebrate,” Troy said. “Can I take you out for dinner tonight?”
“Yes. Can’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”
He chuckled. “I saw you two days ago. How much can you a miss a person after two days?”
“Apparently a lot. You’re starting to become one of those habits I can’t break.”
He laughed at that. “Am I a good habit or a bad one?”
“Definitely a good one.” I wiggled my eyebrows in a teasing gesture even though he wasn’t there to see it. I was at my car now and was about to hit the key fob to open the door when Troy’s next statement stopped me dead in my tracks.
“If I’m really lucky, you’ll make me a lifelong habit.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “What are you saying?”
There was a long pause, but I didn’t move a muscle. Just held still so I’d hear what he had to say.
“It’s too soon to propose, but let’s just say I see a future for us.” When I didn’t say anything, he cleared his throat. “Did I scare you off?”
“No, not at all. I’m just surprised. Pleasantly surprised. But I like the sound of that because I can see a future with you too.”
“Good. We can talk about it more this evening. Head back to your parents and I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Sounds perfect. I can’t wait.” We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call.
Someone cleared his throat, and I jumped at the sound. It came from the other side of a white van parked next to my car. I turned right as Robert rounded the van, his eyes flashing with anger as he walked over to me.
Oh, no. This was bad. Very, very bad.
Chapter 18
Kayla
Robert had been hiding behind that van, being a creeper and listening to my phone conversation. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a dark green long-sleeved t-shirt that hugged his slim physique and made him
appear almost emaciated. Had he not been eating properly?
His expression was like lightning crashing through the sky. Or maybe thunder. He was not happy at all.
A shiver went through me at the realization that I’d put too much trust in him all these years. I couldn’t look at him now without thinking how misguided I had been.
“Was that Troy you were talking to?” he asked.
I stared at him open-mouthed. He’d caught me completely off guard, and I didn’t know what to say. “Robert… How did you know I was here?”
“Answer the question. Were you just telling Troy you see a future with him?” There was venom in his voice, and it was like pure rage. He’d never spoken to me in that tone before. Ever. I hadn’t seen him this angry, especially at me. The hairs on my arms stood up and fear shot through me.
He wasn’t right in the head. That was the impression I had at the moment, and it was a strong one. A gut instinct. Still, I was so tired of allowing fear to rule my life that I stiffened my back and refused to give in to the emotion. He had no justification for being angry since I’d communicated where we stood, and I’d hidden nothing as far as my relationship with Troy. He knew we were dating, and he’d told me he was fine with it. Straightening, I rounded my shoulders and lifted my chin. “Yes, that was him, and we did talk about the future.”
“I’m very disappointed.”
That was an understatement considering the full-blown storm in his eyes right now. When I didn’t say anything in response, he continued. “I’ve proven myself over and over to you, and this is what I get. After Daniel died, who was there for you?” He bared his teeth in a way that was almost rat-like in nature. “I was.” He puffed out his chest in a false sense of pride. “Who wiped your tears and made sure you felt safe?” He pointed to himself, his hand shaking. “Me.”
Protected By The Bad Boy (Bad Boy Bodyguards Book 1) Page 15
