Her Wilde Bodyguards (2 page)

Other than having an inch over his brother’s six four height, they looked so much alike. Same dark short hair. Same facial features. Behind the sunglasses, Kyle knew, were the same colored eyes as his. Blue. Though two years apart in age, Aaron being the elder, they could’ve been mistaken for twins.

“Empress suite? Excellent. This job fits how we’re dressed at least, don’t you think?”

Aaron didn’t take the bait. “We have a job to do. Keep your head in the game.”

His brother was so serious, quite the opposite of him.

“You know I will, bro.” He owed Aaron so much. “You know that Crystal Dream Hotel is quite nice, but I still prefer the Hotel Cactus back home.”

“Celebs don’t stay at the Cactus. They stay at places like this.” Aaron sighed. “I miss home sometimes, too.”

That was quite the confession from his brother, who kept his cards close to the vest most of the time. “I thought so. How about moving the headquarters to Wilde?”

Aaron shook his head. “Wilde is too far off the beaten track. SCSS stays in Los Angeles.”

“You’re the boss.”

“That could change. Your call. My offer is still on the table when you’re ready.”

“I’m not ready to own anything, bro.”

“Suit yourself. I would like us to be equal partners someday though.”

Another surprising confession.
Something was up with Aaron tonight, but he wasn’t about to ask what. “The new Hotel Cactus is something to behold. When we get a break, we should go home and take a look at it.”

“Maybe.”

After the Hotel Cactus in Wilde burned down, he’d been without a job. Maude Strong, who was like a mother to both he and Aaron, had offered to keep paying him until the hotel was rebuilt. He’d considered it, but deep down knew he needed a change. On his twenty-eighth birthday, he’d called Aaron and asked for a job.
God, that was nearly a year ago. Time sure moves fast.

Next month he’d be turning twenty-nine, and he was no closer to figuring out what he wanted to do with his life than before. Still, working for his brother was very rewarding.

“Did you read the file on this client, Kyle?”

“Yes. Gya Gaynor. Pop singer. You know I like country more than pop, but she is a very good singer. Her current song is topping the charts. Of course, you wouldn’t know since all you listen to is heavy metal or classical.”

“I’ll have you know I like all genres of music.”

“That’s news to me.” He couldn’t imagine Aaron liking anything but the two musical extremes. “It’s good to know you have a fun side, too.”

“I never said I had a fun side.” Aaron grinned slightly. “Did you read the whole file or just about her career?”

“I did. Gunshots last night in Dallas. Several death threats over the past few months. Possible stalker taking things to a dangerous level.”

“Very good. And our prime suspect is Vincent Scarpelli, a Chicago mob boss.”

“I read that part, too.” He respected his brother and all the accomplishments he’d achieved.

Aaron had left their hometown of Wilde, Nevada, shortly after Kyle had graduated from high school. Though he’d never moved back, the brothers had remained close, talking on the phone frequently.

Kyle didn’t begrudge his brother wanting to spread his wings. Their mother’s death had quite the impact on both of them. He was proud of Aaron, who had built a successful VIP protection agency in a very short time.

The elevator doors opened and a large hotel security guard stood in front of them. He was an older-looking gentlemen with silver hair and a broad smile. The engraved gold nameplate with “R. Reddeson” was pinned to his shirt. He had a Taser holstered to his side.

“Hello, fellas,” the guard said with a thick Texas accent. He extended his hand. “My name’s Robert, but everyone calls me Bobby.”

Kyle liked him right off the bat. The man was down to earth and warm. They shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Bobby. I’m Kyle.”

“How are ya’ll doing tonight?”

“Fine, Mr. Reddeson.” His brother stepped off the elevator. “I’m Aaron Strait.”

Stepping next to him, Kyle knew that Aaron’s no-nonsense demeanor often put off people, but clearly not Bobby.

The man seemed just as open and warm as could be. “I’m sure glad ya’ll are here. This girl is quite a lot to handle.”

“Mr. Reddeson, where is Ms. Gaynor’s room?”

“I’ll show you. Follow me.”

As they walked to the singer’s room, Kyle looked up and down the palatial hallway. The marble floors and plush artwork screamed of excess. “Is this the only elevator to this floor, Bobby?” If SCSS landed this job, he and Aaron would need to assess every entrance and exit more thoroughly, and why not begin now?

“Just the one elevator comes to this floor and you need a key, too. There are two stairways used for emergencies near the end of each hallway. If anyone opens them an alarm sounds.”

“How many officers are assigned to Ms. Gaynor’s protection detail while she is at your hotel, Mr. Reddeson?” Aaron did like keeping things professional. Casual was never his norm.

“Me and Will right now. When we get off duty, two other officers will take our place.” Bobby stopped at a set of double doors. “Miss Gaynor is with her agent now, who seems to be the only one she gets along with. I’d rather be back in my hometown of Sweetwater wrestling a rattlesnake than have to spend any more time with this little diva. Brace yourselves, fellas. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The man shrugged and pushed the doorbell.

After a few seconds, the door opened.

An attractive woman wearing a soft blue dress stood in front of them. She looked to be in her late forties, and had a warm regal air about her. “Hello?”

“You have guests, Ms. Parker.” Bobby smiled.

Kyle knew instantly the kind hotel security guard was smitten with the woman.

“Good evening, gentlemen.” She smiled shyly at Bobby.

“I’m Aaron Strait and this is my brother, Kyle, Ms. Parker.”

“We’ve been expecting you. I’m Stephanie Parker, Miss Gaynor’s agent and business manager. Won’t you please come in?”

“Ms. Parker, would there be anything else?” Bobby asked.

“No thank you, Mr. Reddeson. We’re all set here.”

“If you need anything, anything at all. I’ll be right outside.”

“Thank you so much. We will let you know.” Ms. Parker closed the door and led them into the main room of the suite.

“Quite the place you have here.” Kyle had seen luxurious rooms before, but this topped them all.

The lavish space was sleek, with two entire walls of glass that looked out over the twinkling lights of the Houston skyline. Even at this late hour, he could see the Texas metropolis was alive with people. A large gray crystal chandelier hung over a pair of white leather sofas. The walls were decorated with modern art.

Scanning the room to access any issues they might have securing it should they land this job, he spotted Gya Gaynor. She stood on the other side of one of the walls of glass on a balcony that wrapped around the entire suite.

My God, she’s more beautiful than her pictures.
Long blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders. She wore a dark blue top with straps that allowed him to see her delicate arms. Her breasts were full and deliciously inviting to the eyes. He loved her shape, which had just the right curves he liked on a woman.

The stunning singer turned around, fixing her beautiful brown eyes on him. She was clearly unhappy with this meeting.

“Please, have a seat.” Stephanie motioned to the sofas. “I’ll get Gya.”

“Absolutely.” Aaron sat down, placing the file he’d brought on the coffee table.

Kyle took a seat on the sofa opposite him, so he could continue looking at their prospective client.

Stephanie walked out onto the balcony, shutting the glass door behind her.

He couldn’t look away from Gya, mesmerized by her every move.

She turned to Stephanie, placing her hands on her hips.

Although he could not hear, it was clear they were arguing.

Kyle turned his attention back to his brother. “This might all be a bust, bro. The little diva doesn’t want us here.”

“She’s in danger. Sometimes you have to deal with things even when you don’t want to. You and I both know that first hand.”

Kyle’s mind drifted back to the tragedy that he and Aaron had shared. “Yes, we do.”

“Ms. Parker is the one who called us in. She’s the one who will convince Ms. Gaynor how much she needs us. We’ll get the job.” Aaron pointed to the two doors that led to the bedrooms. “I’m betting they each have exits to the balcony. One of us will need to be stationed out there.”

“We’re twenty floors up. Who’s going to climb that?”

“Someone who really wants to hurt Gya.”

Kyle nodded, knowing his brother was right. “Got it. I’ll take the balcony position.”

Through the glass, he could hear the conversation had escalated to yelling. He was even catching a few words with “no” being the most repeated one. Bobby had obviously been right about Gya Gaynor. She was a little diva. His Dom side came out roaring.
God, I’d love to tame her.

He watched Stephanie grab Gya’s hand. Something in the singer’s eyes changed, and he sensed that under all the bratty behavior was a feminine softness that he found so appealing. The two walked into the room, leaving the balcony and arguments behind.

He and Aaron stood.

“Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Gya Gaynor, your new client.”

“Let’s get to the details, please.” Gya moved quickly to one of the chairs by the fireplace. It was clear she wanted to sit alone. “Tell me what you two men in black are going to do to make Stephanie feel better.”

Kyle could sense the invisible walls that Gya had built around her. Those barriers were definitely ancient. She clearly wanted to keep people at a distance. What had happened to this gorgeous creature to cause her to shut herself off? There was a reason that she acted the way she did, though unknown to him at the moment. Now that SCSS had landed the job, he would take the time to find out the facts and truth about Gya Gaynor.

“I made some calls to Dallas PD about the shot fired at your concert.” Aaron opened the file he’d prepared on Gya. “No one has been arrested and they have no viable leads. Whoever fired at you, Miss Gaynor, is still on the loose.”

“You have the job, Mr. Strait. Please cut the sales pitch.” Gya folded her arms over her chest in a clear act of defiance, which only made her look even more gorgeous. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on, though clearly quite the bratty diva. “Stephanie has convinced me that you are needed, but I want to make sure we’re getting our money’s worth out of SCSS. Tell me what you and your brother can do for me that local officers aren’t already doing.”

Stephanie leaned forward. “Gya, don’t be rude. These men are here to help.”

“I’m not being rude. I have a right to know what I’m paying for.”

He saw Kyle smile. It didn’t take a mind reader to realize his brother was attracted to Gya, too. No wonder. Despite her sour attitude, she was stunning. “My team of investigators is already checking every possible lead to identify the shooter. We already have a short list, which includes some pretty shady characters. I know you are aware of Vincent Scarpelli. He’s just one of several of your fans that needs to be checked out thoroughly.”

“We’ve read the message boards on your fan page, Gya.” Kyle pointed to the dossier. “We need to dig into the people who posted some of the more delusional sounding ones. Seems you have quite a number of possible stalkers.”

“I’m famous. All of us have stalkers, Mr. Strait. Just ask Selena, Taylor, or Uma.”

“Maybe so, Miss Gaynor, but this isn’t something to take lightly.” Kyle was being too soft with her. “Please call me Kyle.”

Gya rolled her eyes, making Aaron want to flip her over his knee and paddle her ass.

It’s time for this little diva to get the message.
He stood, gathering up the dossier. “Perhaps this isn’t the job for us. It’s clear you do not have confidence in SCSS’s abilities. I’m sorry about that.” He turned to her agent. “I can suggest some other agencies that—”

“Hold on.” Gya jumped up to her feet. “I didn’t say that. I’m sure you are quite capable.”

“Are you sure?” He loved the fire in her eyes and the red in her cheeks. “Because if we do this you will do exactly what I say when I say it. There will be no questions or arguments.”

“I thought I was the client, not the other way around.”

“You are the client. If you’re not willing to do what I know is best, then it’s time for us to go. If I stay, it’s my job to keep you safe. So let me repeat how this will go down. You will do what I say without pushing back, complaining, or trying to get your way. I know what’s best. Always. Am I clear?”

“Very.” Her eyes held defiance but her arms fell to her side, a sign she was beginning to surrender.

He knew he hadn’t won the war with her but he had won the battle.
For now.
“You’ll be getting twenty-four hour protection from two of my agents.”