She might understand his actions a little better now, but that didn’t mean she could forgive him.
Of course, the night she’d left, he hadn’t listened about the guy in the crowd who’d looked suspicious, and nothing had actually happened. It was possible, even if she didn’t want to admit it, that there hadn’t been any danger. She’d overreacted because her feelings for Rex had made her fearful and jumpy.
“Can I get the check please?” she asked the waiter. She’d eaten part of her sandwich but couldn’t stomach the rest. She needed to get away from Rex, his image, his voice, all of it.
“I’m sure you’ll all remember the name Lacey and the other reason I was on a bunch of magazine covers with her,” Rex continued.
Lacey paused at her name and stared at the TV. What would he say? That she’d left him suddenly and she was the cause of his outburst? That was at least partly true. Todd didn’t know his head from his ass and more than likely couldn’t manage the crowd that followed Rex. If she’d been there, that photographer never would’ve gotten close enough to bother him.
Rex cleared his throat. “She wasn’t my assistant. Lacey was my bodyguard.” There was a pause while the crowd gasped and tried to digest the information. “She was the best in the business. And she was mine.” At his last words, he looked directly into the camera as if he was speaking to her alone. He’d claimed her as his a few times, each time annoying her with his possessiveness, but she ached with emptiness now that she wasn’t his anymore.
And did he actually call her out as a bodyguard on national TV?
There went any chance she had of remaining anonymous while providing security. From now on, anytime she worked, she’d have to be in a full disguise. Hell, she’d probably even need to go by a fake name.
But why was he talking about her on TV anyway? What part did she have in his interview? Why had he admitted he needed a bodyguard—a petite, female bodyguard—when he’d been dead set on keeping that a secret? None of this made sense.
“Not long before this incident, Lacey left me. Over our time together, we’d grown pretty close. She was one of the only people I could really talk to, be myself with.” He sighed.
She bit her lower lip, a sudden flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
“When Rowan died, I lost a piece of myself. When Lacey came into my life, I suddenly felt whole again. Unfortunately, it took until she was gone for me to realize that, and now that I have, I’m afraid it’s too late to tell her.”
“Whoa,” she said. Was he telling the truth or giving people a good show?
“Since Lacey left, I haven’t been myself. When that photographer stuck his camera in my face, asking questions about her and comparing her absence to my brother’s death, I lost my mind. I wasn’t ready to talk about her, or why she left. I definitely wasn’t ready to admit my feelings for her, not even to myself. I reacted poorly from a place of pain—pain from losing my brother and pain from losing the woman I’d unexpectedly fallen in love with.”
“What did he just say?” Lacey asked out loud. No one answered. She pointed at the overhead monitor and yelled. “What did he just say?”
“That he’s in love with that Lacey girl,” said a guy from a few tables over.
“Holy shit. That’s what I thought.” Her head spun as she tried to focus her thoughts. He loved her? For real?
Something inside her chest loosened. That feeling wasn’t only hurt over him not believing in her ability to do her job, it was hurt because despite everything, she’d fallen in love with him too. He constantly filled her thoughts and made her feel things she didn’t want to admit to feeling. He’d stolen her heart and she’d squashed those feelings down as deep as she could. Until now.
Yes, there were things that he’d done to piss her off, like trying to protect her instead of letting her protect him. But that hadn’t stopped her from falling in love with the man he was when they were alone. The man who shared his innermost thoughts and feelings with her. The man who looked at her like she was the only person in the world.
Did he still feel the same way about her work? He’d been honest with the world about who she really was. He’d called her the best. Did he mean that?
“Did I just hear correctly that Rex Randall, Hollywood’s favorite bachelor, isn’t single anymore?” the interviewer asked. “If that’s true, a million hearts are breaking across America tonight.”
“Technically I’m still single because I was stupid and let her get away. Regardless, I’m off the market. My heart belongs to Lacey, whether she wants it or not.”
The crowd murmured as the camera swept over them, showing face after face of adoring fans falling even more in love with Rex now that he’d shown his romantic side.
Lacey’s breath caught in her throat.
A face in the crowd didn’t fit. Male, at least forty. He looked remarkably like the guy from the premiere only without the mustache. That was easy enough to change if needed. Dressed in a dark top and camo pants with too many pockets, he looked out of place. If she wasn’t mistaken, she saw something in his hand too.
Lacey dialed Gabe’s number. Rex never took his phone on stage with him so there was no point in trying him.
“Lacey! Nice to hear from you again,” Gabe said.
“I’m watching the show and you have to get him out of there. It’s not safe.”
“What are you talking about?”
She threw a few bills down on the table. Walking as quickly as she could through the terminal, she tried not to draw attention to herself. The last thing she needed was a security scare to lockdown the airport.
“There’s a guy in the audience that doesn’t fit. You need to get Rex off that stage. Now!” Her voice spiked an octave despite her best efforts to stay calm.
“I’m not with him,” Gabe said. “I’ll try to get through to Todd.”
“You didn’t replace Todd? What the hell, Gabe?”
“Rex didn’t want to worry about it. This is his last appearance for a while.”
“Where are they filming?”
“I’ll text you the address.”
“Call Todd or the studio or someone, but make sure Rex gets the message to get out of there. I’m on my way.” Lacey burst out into the cool night air and hailed a taxi. As she climbed into the back, her phone chimed, and she read out the address to the driver. “As fast as you can. A life depends on it.”
The taxi driver laughed as he slowly pulled out into traffic. “Lady, you think this is a movie?”
“I wish it was.” Lacey met the man’s gaze in the rearview mirror and gave him her most intimidating stare. “Don’t make me take your car. Drive. Fast.”
She was pushed against the back of the seat as the guy stepped on the gas and they shot forward. Closing her eyes, she focused on the task ahead. She had no idea of the layout of the studio or what would be going on when she got there. Whatever she found, she’d deal with it.
And she’d protect Rex, no matter the cost—to her career, or to herself.
18
Rex couldn’t ignore the sensation that something was wrong. The interviewer asked questions he didn’t really want to answer, but that wasn’t what bothered him. Discomfort from answering difficult questions was something he was used to. This feeling, whatever it was, felt completely different.
“Let’s take a quick break. Next, we’ll get some questions from the audience.”
As the cameramen signaled that they were on break, Rex motioned for Todd to come over. The guy took twice as long as necessary to cross the short distance between them. “Everything okay in the audience?”
“Yep.”
“Are you sure? I feel like something’s off. Have you seen anything unusual in the crowd?”
“Nope.” Todd barely even moved his head.
How could Todd know if the audience was okay if he wasn’t scanning them? Wasn’t that part of his job? That’s what Lacey always did. Maybe she did her job differently, but then
her way definitely seemed better. Rex never once worried about what was going on around him when she was on duty. He’d only had to glance her way and he’d get the reassurance he needed, since she’d be constantly watching, evaluating. Todd looked like he was half asleep.
“Keep a closer eye on the crowd.”
“Okay.” Todd wandered back to his post.
Rex took a few deep breaths and let them out slowly, forcing his shoulders to relax. There was no reason to be on edge. Everything was fine. His emotions were running a little high after talking about Rowan and Lacey. That’s all it was.
“We’re back and talking to Rex Randall.” The audience clapped as prompted. “Rex, can you tell us more about why you needed a bodyguard to begin with? That seems highly out of character for a guy who plays the tough hero all the time. Are you saying your tough guy thing is really all an act?”
“Well, some of it is an act, being that I’m an actor,” he said with a forced laugh. “But even I need a security person watching my back lately.”
“Didn’t you have security before?”
“No, Lacey was my first. I never needed a bodyguard before, but lately that’s all changed. With this new movie, everyone has an opinion of it and some opinions are more concerning than others.”
“Are you saying you’ve received threats because of your involvement on Even Blue Bleeds Red?”
“Sadly, yes. Someone out there doesn’t want this movie released. But a lot of people worked hard to make this movie and it deserves to be on the big screen.”
“Absolutely,” the interviewer said, sounding surprised and supportive at the same time. “Art often draws an unpopular opinion. That doesn’t mean it needs to be silenced.”
Instead of clapping as prompted, the audience suddenly shrieked and began moving around in their seats as if trying to get away from something. The cameras turned to film the audience, interrupting Rex and the interviewer.
As Rex watched, his worry and suspicion amplifying exponentially with every passing second, Todd lumbered out toward the crowd. Rex perched on the edge of his seat waiting, desperately trying to look like none of this bothered him. He followed Todd’s movements with his eyes until suddenly his bodyguard was simply gone. Vanished. One second Todd was talking to the audience and the next everyone surged forward, and he disappeared.
Oh shit. Where the hell was Todd?
“This is unfortunate timing after the threats you were telling us about, isn’t it?” the interviewer chuckled, sounding nervous.
“I’m not worried.” Rex didn’t think the words sounded convincing, but it was the best performance he could muster at the moment. The truth was, he was damn worried. This wasn’t normal for a studio audience and Todd still hadn’t resurfaced. Rex had no idea what to do. Should he sit tight and wait this out? Or should he take the opportunity to exit the stage while everyone else seemed concerned about whatever was happening in the audience?
Lacey would’ve known what to do.
A scream from the audience echoed through the stage. In an instant, it went from a controlled situation to complete chaos. More shrieks and yells sounded along with the noise of chairs falling over as people moved away from the source of the scuffle.
That’s when Rex heard the real cause of the problem.
Someone in the crowd shouted, “He’s got a gun!”
Lacey threw some bills through the divider window in the taxi as it came to a screeching halt near the entrance to the studio, then raced out of the car. A security guard got up from his seat, raising his hands toward her.
“Whoa there, Miss. This is a private studio, not the mall,” he said, blocking her way into the building.
“I’m Rex Randall’s bodyguard. I have reason to believe he’s in this building and in danger,” she said as she rushed forward.
“I need to see your identification.”
She held up the security clearance card she’d used for all of Rex’s other appearances, thankful that she’d been unable to part with it.
The guard took a quick look at her card then buzzed her through. “Last door on the left,” he called as she ran inside.
She would’ve been able to find the studio even without the guard’s directions. All she had to do was follow the sudden sound of screaming.
Worry and fear sank in her stomach like lead. Todd might be a bodyguard, but there was no way he had the training to protect Rex in a fluid situation like this one. The muscles in her legs burned as she sprinted down the hallway.
Throwing herself through the doorway, she quickly assessed the area. The noise inside the studio was deafening as people screamed, chairs clattered, and an emergency siren blared to life. Audience members fled in every direction, unsure where to go.
“This way,” she yelled as loud as she could, motioning to the doorway she’d come in. The more bodies she could move out of the way, the better.
As people started moving out of the room, she scanned the rest of the audience. Rex still sat on the interviewer’s sofa. He looked stunned, but alert.
In the audience someone shouted Rex’s name. Her gaze landed squarely on the guy she’d been suspicious of. He raised his hand and pointed something toward the stage—a gun.
There was no time to think. No time to hesitate.
Lacey’s legs moved on autopilot, propelling her toward Rex. As she drew closer, she distantly heard screams about a gun coming from the area of the crowd but didn’t acknowledge them. She had one concern and one goal—Rex. He stood as he saw her approaching.
Without slowing, she slammed into him with open arms, tackling him and sending them both flying over the back of the sofa. The sounds of gunshots echoed in the room and the stuffing in the cushion next to Rex exploded. Another shot sent splinters of wood and foam padding raining down on them as they landed on the floor with a bone-jarring thud.
Lacey peered at Rex. There were a million commands she knew she should be giving him to get them both out of this situation unscathed, but she could vocalize none. Being in Rex’s arms again made the world beyond the sofa blur into oblivion.
“Lacey,” he whispered. “Did you just save me from a bullet?”
“A few bullets, I think.”
He took her head in his hands and kissed her, as if their kiss was the only thing they needed to survive.
She pulled away after a long second. “Now maybe isn’t the best time to make out.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Saving your ass.” She straddled his hips, crouching on the balls of her feet, ready to pounce into action.
His hands stroked up her thighs. “I missed your ass. I missed you.”
“Really not the time, Rex.”
A dull thump sounded in the sofa and more bits of material rained down on them. Fear flashed in his eyes and she knew he must see the same in hers. Making up and making out would both have to wait. First, they had to survive.
“If we stay here, we die,” she said, glancing over the back of the couch to assess where the shooter was. The audience had thinned out, but the shooter was still fighting his way toward them. In another few minutes he’d be on the stage. “We have to move. Follow me and stay low.”
Lacey crawled off of Rex and crouched behind the sofa. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Rex had listened to her order and was close behind, also on his knees. When she reached the edge of the sofa, she peeked around it. The guy was closer to the stage. Soon he’d be on them and they’d be officially screwed. She had nothing to protect them with but her hands. Since she’d been about to get on a plane, she’d had to lock up her guns for transport. That wouldn’t stop her from protecting Rex.
On the side of the stage, there was another door marked as an exit. If they could make it there, they’d stand a chance of getting away. Between them and the door was an expanse of open stage that felt miles too big. They’d be exposed the second they darted out from behind the couch.
“Now what?” Rex asked.
“Yep. Tell me when.”
A bullet chipped the floor about two feet in front of her. “Now would be fantastic. Remember to run and don’t stop.”
Rex nodded then grabbed the vase and heaved it in the direction Lacey told him. Seconds after it left his hands, a huge smash vibrated the floor. Lacey took off running with Rex right behind her.
Gunshots popped in the air. Bullets hit all around them, sending little bits of debris everywhere, but so far none had come close to hitting them. Whoever was after Rex was a terrible shot.
She reached the door and pulled it open, motioning for Rex to keep going. The guy gained on them faster than she’d expected, and she had no choice but to turn and fight. “Get to the parking lot. I’m right behind you.”
“No. I’m not going without you!” Rex shouted.
“I told you to go. Listen to me.”
Lacey slammed the door closed between her and Rex, then turned to face their attacker. He had his gun drawn. She dodged left, behind a stage prop and waited for him to come around the side. When he did, she grabbed his wrist and twisted her whole body, wrenching his arm. The assailant screamed, making her ears ring, but she held strong. The gun went off one more time before falling to the ground.
Dropping his now useless arm, she turned back and punched him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. His face turned red as he struggled for breath. Still he swung with his good arm. She ducked a fraction of a second too late and his fist clipped the top of her head. It hurt but wasn’t enough to make her dizzy.
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 121
