by S. Nelson
“It’s nice to see you again, sir,” my brother greeted, extending his hand.
“And you. And please call me Walter. None of this sir nonsense.” Walter smiled before turning his attention toward me, taking a step around the table to come closer, an action that was both polite in nature but also unnerving somehow. Maybe it was because I was a fan of multiple movies of his and was a bit star struck, or maybe my slight unease was because his presence was larger than life. Whatever it was, I didn’t have time to decipher any of it before he reached out to shake my hand. “You must be Owen’s brother.”
“Ford,” I offered, pumping his hand a couple times before breaking the connection.
He gave me a curt nod before returning to his seat, gesturing with the sweep of his arm for us to join him, which we readily accepted. Once situated, we placed our drink order with the waiter. I wanted to tell the guy to bring me some whiskey, but the voice in my head, the one struggling to remind me to be responsible, yelled at me to just have water. So that’s exactly what I ordered. I knew if I acted any way but reserved and professional, I’d never hear the end of it from my brother. And listening to him chastise me again, for the entire car ride home, especially, was the last thing I needed.
I leaned back in my chair and kept my gaze straight ahead, still not believing I was sitting directly across from Walter Dessoye. The first movie I’d seen of his, Star Gazer, was when I was just thirteen years old. A few buddies and I skipped school and snuck into a matinee at our local theatre, and since I was forbidden to see R-rated movies, I had to keep my excitement all to myself. I knew if I told Owen, he’d use it against me at some point and either blackmail me or just flat out tell our parents, to which I was sure I’d be grounded.
For as famous as the man was, he seemed down to earth, His attire was casual, a bit too casual for the type of restaurant he’d picked to meet us, but I had no doubt the place didn’t bat an eye when he showed up. Owen and I were dressed in slacks and dress shirts because we wanted to make a good impression. Well, Owen did. I couldn’t care less, but my brother had threatened me to ensure I dressed the part.
When the waiter returned and placed our drinks on the table, he fidgeted with his writing pad, his eyes glued to the famous customer before asking us what we wanted to eat. I declined, as did my brother, but Walter ordered some dish that contained sea urchin and cauliflower. The image of it alone enough for me to be thankful I’d just have my water.
“Has your brother filled you in on the job?” Walter asked, taking a slow sip of his drink, looking at me with something akin to amusement dancing behind his eyes. Or was I reading his expression all wrong?
“Not yet.”
“Oh.” He turned to look at Owen before glancing back in my direction. “Can you remove your sunglasses, son?” Him calling me son would’ve pissed me off had he not been at least thirty years my senior, his full head of dark-brown hair screaming the opposite. That, and he was Walter fucking Dessoye, after all.
Not a word left my lips as I removed the shades before placing them on top of the table. I waited for him to make some sort of remark about my different-colored eyes, because everyone always did, but instead, he gave me a slight nod before opening his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, however, a flurry of movements distracted him, and he rose from his chair before I realized what was going on.
“I thought maybe you were going to stand your ol’ man up again.” The airiness to his tone momentarily distracted me from a flutter of memories that came barreling into my overactive brain. With the mention of “ol’ man,” I remembered he had a daughter, possibly two. The one I definitely knew about was a diva socialite, at least that was what was always branded all over the tabloid news. Not that I intentionally sought out that type of information, but I’d catch it every now and again, whenever I flicked through the TV channels or logged onto the Internet.
I started to put two and two together, realizing why Owen hadn’t readily offered up the details of the job assignment. He knew if he told me who we’d be protecting, I would’ve told him to shove the job up his ass.
“Are you ever going to stop throwing that in my face?” A blonde-haired woman approached, but before she made eye contact with me, I put my shades back on. The last thing I wanted to do was draw her attention. Besides, my heart picked up its pace, and a flush crept up my neck. Not because the woman hugging Walter was gorgeous, because she was, but because I was furious with my brother for putting me in this situation. I’d naïvely thought this job was routine. Low profile. How stupid of me.
Leaning back in my chair, restraining myself from kicking Owen under the table, I watched the interaction between Walter and his daughter. For the life of me I couldn’t remember her name, but soon enough, I was sure we’d be introduced. He leaned in to kiss her cheek before holding her chair out for her. She adjusted her leopard-print jacket before accepting, dropping her huge purse on the chair beside her, and exhaling before finally looking at the two strangers at her father’s table.
She looked bored, flicking her poker-straight hair over her shoulder. “Who are they?”
“That’s why I asked you to lunch today. I thought it was the best time to introduce you to Owen and Ford Massey.” He parted his lips to continue speaking, but his daughter’s rudeness poured forth.
“Why?” Not a smile. Not a flicker of interest. Nothing but a look of contempt shot our way.
“I’ve told you and your sister that I have some concerns, and until those concerns are dealt with, I’ve hired someone to watch over the both of you. It’s just for a short time.” Her brows knitted seconds before her eyes widened, whipping her head to the side to stare dumbfounded at her father.
“You want us to deal with bodyguards?” Her question was laced with disdain, as if the mere notion of having to “deal” with someone watching over her was just beyond the scope of what was appropriate. “That’s why you wanted to have lunch. Out in public. So I wouldn’t make a scene.” She crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring the actions of a petulant child. “Isn’t it?” She raised her voice a level with the reiteration.
“Calm down, Cara.” That’s right. Her name is Cara. Walter attempted to place his hand on her shoulder, but she moved away before he made contact. “It’s for your own safety. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you or Emily.”
“What about Mom? Did you hire someone to hover over her every move?” Her quick temper tantrum had me shaking my head, my annoyance with the way she treated her father pissing me off. Here he was trying to protect his family, and she reacted like this? It appeared as if her reputation had been well deserved.
“I’ve made arrangements so that your mother doesn’t go anywhere without me.” When he saw she was going to make another argument, he interrupted. “I can’t watch over all three of you. I wish I could. Hell, I wish I could lock you up so that I know you’ll be safe, but I can’t push it that far.” Something told me he would do just that if permitted. “This is happening, honey. You may as well get on board and not make this any harder than it has to be.” His tone switched from apologetic to stern, the straightening of Cara’s posture indicative of someone who knew she’d lost the fight.
“Fine. But they better not get in my way.” She stood abruptly, grabbed her purse and hurried away from the table without another word.
“Please excuse me for one moment,” Walter said before rushing after his daughter. If I peered to my left, I could see the two of them out on the sidewalk, her arms flying all around her while he stood firm. I couldn’t help but take her in, appreciative of the way her fitted black dress hugged her curves, but I quickly chastised myself for my thoughts.
Her father looked like he was having a hell of a time dealing with her, shaking his head in response to whatever she said. A moment later, she threw her hands in the air, turned on her heel and walked away.
“Let’s go,” I growled, rising from my seat and heading toward the exit. Owen
was right behind me, but before I could yell at him, I approached Walter, feeling bad for the guy that he had to deal with such an ungrateful daughter. Didn’t she know how lucky she was to have someone who cared about her enough to go to any lengths to make sure she was safe?
“I’m sorry about all that.” He looked embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it,” Owen spoke up. “It’s understandable she’d be upset.” My brother tried to justify her behavior, which the guy seemed to appreciate.
“Well, I suppose you now know what the job is.” His statement was directed toward me. I nodded. “So, how does this work? Do you decide who watches who, or do you take turns?”
“To make it easier, we’ll assign ourselves to each of your daughters.” I held my breath while Owen continued to talk. “That way we know who we’re responsible for at all times.”
“Can I make a request, then?”
“Sure.”
My lungs seized up because I had an odd feeling I wasn’t going to like what he was going to say.
“Ford.” Here it fucking comes. “Can you be the one to watch over Cara?”
My pent-up breath rushed from my mouth in one quick exhale. I silently counted to three before I answered. “Sure.”
“And I’m assuming you have weapons.”
“Of course,” Owen responded, flicking his gaze to me briefly when I remained silent.
“Good. Now that that’s settled, come by the house tomorrow around noon, and I’ll show you both where you’ll be staying.” He looked at Owen when he said, “I’ll email you the address.” As we shook hands and Walter walked away, my brain tried to register his parting words. For some reason, my comprehension was delayed, but then it hit me full force that not only was I going to be assigned to a pain-in-the-ass diva, but we apparently were also going to be living on site and for God knew how fucking long.
Owen refused to look at me after the guy left, a telltale sign he knew I’d be pissed off. While we waited for the valet to bring his car around, I hauled off and punched him on the arm. Hard.
“What the hell!” He rubbed at the affected area.
“I’m going to kill you.” The menace in my voice was enough to make him take a step to the side.
* * *
Cara
“But I don’t understand why I have to have someone watching every move I make, Mom. It’s not fair,” I grumbled, slapping the top of the kitchen island in frustration. I’d had less than twenty-four hours to come to grips with what my father wanted. I knew he had his rules, especially when we were growing up, enforcing curfews and spending budgets, etc., but nothing so invasive as to what he shoved down my throat this time. I was going to be twenty-five years old in three weeks, far too old to have to listen to my daddy like some teenager.
“It’s for your own safety, sweetheart.” My mom rounded the island and came to stand next to me, pulling me close. With her hands on my shoulders, she smiled, erasing some of my rising temper. “Don’t fight your dad on this one, Cara. He loves you. We both do. And until he finds out exactly what’s going on, we want you and your sister to be safe. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.” Tears filled her eyes, her chin beginning to quiver. “Please just go along with this.” One lone tear escaped and traveled down her cheek. “Please.”
There had been three previous threats against my family over the years, but nothing ever came of them. For a short time, after each one, Emily and I had to adhere to a strict curfew until my dad was satisfied we were no longer in harm’s way. All of our after-school activities were closely monitored, and we weren’t allowed to go anywhere without one of my parents, even to our friends’ houses. Looking back, they were doing what they thought was best in order to protect us, but I’d felt trapped, a circumstance I never wanted to experience again.
I hated seeing my mother upset, so with gritted teeth and a steely posture, I gave in. “Fine.” Gone was the glassiness in my mom’s eyes, the water receding as soon as I uttered my compliance. Oh, she’s good. Guilt will get me every time.
She pulled me into a hug. “Thank you, honey. You’ve made me so happy knowing I can rest easy that someone will be watching out for you. That you’ll be sa—”
I cut her off, her flair for the dramatic outweighing my own. “Okay, I get it. You win.” She gave me a wink before releasing me.
The front door to the house I shared with my sister opened and closed, heavy footsteps sounding down the hallway telling me my father was here. And sure enough, he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen seconds later, looking from me to my mother and back again.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. She’s agreed to the security detail.” She practically sang her answer to my dad, walking up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, pecking his lips before whispering something in his ear. She was probably telling him how she mom-guilted me into agreeing to have strangers surround me all day long. The thought I wouldn’t have a private moment to myself irked me, riling up the inner temper tantrum I was going to throw if I didn’t get a hold of myself.
I’d been told I was a diva, a bitch, a spoiled brat, and everything else you could think of. None of those names came from my parents, but I saw the disapproving looks they threw my way from time to time, especially after seeing a picture or a headline in one of the many gossip magazines or plastered on the internet sites. I stopped trying to explain my actions. Most times those occurrences were blown way out of proportion just so they could make a sale. I wasn’t claiming I was innocent, but I wasn’t as bad as I was portrayed to be either. Most times, at least. Emily, on the other hand, was painted as the good sister slash daughter, her many volunteer projects evident she had her head on straight, unlike her twin sister.
“Have you told Emily about this?” I repeatedly tried to get in touch with her last night, but I couldn’t reach her. I leaned my hip against the edge of the counter and drummed my fingers on top of the marble. “Or are you going to surprise her with it like you did me?” I couldn’t keep the bitterness from my tone, no matter how much I tried. Okay, to be fair, I hadn’t given it my best effort.
“I just called her,” my dad responded. “She’s on her way home now.” As the last word left his mouth, the doorbell rang, which was odd since I wasn’t expecting anyone, and Emily wouldn’t ring the bell to her own place. My dad looked at me with a mixed expression of suspicion and worry before disappearing to answer the door. I heard him speaking to a man, then another voice sounded, and I had a sneaking suspicion the two men from the restaurant yesterday were standing just outside. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw two guys following my dad back into the kitchen, my mom stepping in front of me to greet our guests.
I snatched my phone from my purse and texted my sister.
Me: where are you?
Emily: I’m on my way home. Why? Where are you?
Me: I’m here with Mom and Dad. Hurry up.
Emily: Is everything ok?
Me: Just get here.
I tossed my phone back inside my purse, my attention now on the looming forms of our new bodyguards. They both had short cuts, but the taller of the two’s hair was a darker shade of brown. His lips were full, his bottom plumper than the top and he sported a fresh scruff, whereas the other guy was clean-shaven.
“Honey, these are the men I hired to watch Cara and Emily. Owen and Ford Massey.” He turned toward the men. “This is my wife, Diana.”
They all exchanged pleasantries, Owen stepping closer to my father in order to continue talking. I was curious as to what he was saying but not enough to interrupt and find out. I busied myself with looking through the fridge, even though I was only doing it to waste time. While I was turned away from the others, I had an uneasy feeling someone was staring at me. I should get used to that awareness since I was going to have my own shadow for a while. Regardless, something made me search out the cause for the goose bumps that had broken out all over my skin. When my eyes landed on Ford
, who stood a few feet from the others, I drew in a breath. I couldn’t tell if he was staring at me because of those damn shades, but my skin prickled with a touch of unease. I wasn’t creeped out, per se, but a strange feeling rolled through me nonetheless.
A car door slammed out front, then thirty seconds later I heard my sister walk into the foyer, calling out to me as soon as the door closed.
Owen had been blocking the entryway to the kitchen, moving to the side when Emily appeared, her eyes flitting from him to Ford to me then to our parents. She smiled nervously before uttering her hellos.
“Emily, there is something I want to talk to you about,” my dad started. He pointed to one of the bar stools. “Have a seat.”
“You better stand for this one,” I warned, rolling my eyes before I could stop myself.
“Okay….” She looked how I felt. Uneasy. Again, she peered at Owen and Ford before glancing back to our dad. At least Owen gave her a smile. Ford, on the other hand, appeared standoffish and broody, two qualities which admittedly would’ve normally intrigued me, but my inner voice told me to steer clear of him. As much as I could, given he’d apparently be invading our personal space from here on out.
“I’m not going to go into too much detail, but I’ve received a threat, and until I find out who is behind it, I’ve hired these men to watch over you and Cara.” My dad glanced at me quickly before returning his attention to Emily.
“What kind of threat?” she asked.
My dad reached out and rubbed her arm. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Well, if they threatened to torture and kill us, I think we have a right to know,” she suddenly blurted, lowering her voice once she saw my eyes widen. Emily was normally calm and reserved, even in sticky situations. So, to say I was surprised by her response was an understatement.
My dad’s expression morphed from shock to irritation to worry, all within the span of several seconds. “It’s nothing like that, but it was enough to make me want to do something extra to ensure your safety.” He turned toward the two men behind him. “Speaking of. Owen will be assigned to Emily and Ford will be watching over Cara.”
