"Even so, I want our guys to look at the messages." He rubbed his jaw. "When did this start to escalate?"
"Right before I sat for my finals, someone spoofed my LookIt page."
"Spoof?"
"Copied," I clarified. "Someone created a copy of my blog but they filled it with some really filthy porn and other not so nice stuff. I caught it and took it down quickly, but it was a real pain in the ass, especially with that offer on the table."
The corners of his mouth turned down with irritation. "We'll talk about that later."
I bristled at his tone. "I've been wanting to talk to you about that for weeks."
"And we will talk about it," Kelly assured me, looking slightly chagrined, "but not until we've settled this. Now, what else has happened?"
"Three days ago, I began to find pictures."
"Find them where?"
"The first one was tucked under the windshield wipers of my car. I found another one slipped inside my backpack."
"Do you leave your backpack unattended?"
"Sometimes," I admitted reluctantly. "When I'm working, it's usually out of my sight."
"And you're blasting music and engrossed in your code," he said knowingly and with a little frown. "What sort of pictures have you received?"
Embarrassment turned my ears hot. Glancing away from him, I said, "They're of body parts."
"Body parts? You mean dead bodies?"
"No," I quickly disabused him of the notion that someone was sending me chilling or gory messages. "Um…I mean…like male body parts."
Anger etched harsh lines into Kelly's handsome face. "Do you still have them?"
"They're in my backpack."
"I'll get them. You shouldn't have to look at them again."
I decided not to tell him that those images were burned into my retinas for life. The vein in his temple was already throbbing.
"And what about tonight, Bee? Tell me what happened."
"I was working late—"
"At that coffee place you like?"
"Yeah. I stayed there until Ron closed up and then I rode my bike home to the—"
"You rode your bike that late at night?" Kelly interrupted, aghast. "Bee, you could have been hit by a car. You could have been grabbed by your stalker. You could have been—"
I held up my hand. "Yes, I know. Believe me. I know."
Kelly blew out a noisy breath. "So you get to your apartment and?"
"I found a gift box wrapped in a white bow and freaked out, Kelly. I ran out of there and made it a couple of blocks before I finally stopped. I thought about calling 9-1-1 but then I thought of you…" My voice trailed off as I decided not to tell him exactly what I'd been thinking. "I had a message from Coby and she said you were here so I grabbed a cab and sweet-talked Big V at the front door."
Kelly stunned me by rubbing his thumb against the spot where my neck curved into my shoulder. His searing touch sent my heartbeat into overdrive. "I'm sorry, Bee."
I blinked with confusion. "For what? You aren't the one stalking me."
"No, but I promised Jeb I'd look out for you. I haven't done that. I should have been here for you when this started, not running around Dubai."
"Kelly, you have to work. I'm sure Jeb didn't intend for you to shadow me around-the-clock."
"Whether he intended it or not, it's going to happen."
"What do you mean?"
His thumb traced the fabric of my shirt. "In the morning, I'm taking you to see Dimitri and Lev so they can assess your situation and make recommendations for a full-time detail. I'm not sure how much money is on the table for the LookIt deal but I'm going to assume it's enough to make you a huge target."
I met his questioning gaze and realized he was fishing for information. "It's a lot. Like—nine zeroes a lot."
Kelly's face slackened with surprise. Then, with a wide grin that made my heart swell, he said, "Bee, I'm so damn proud of you."
"Really?" It was the first time he'd ever said anything like that to me.
"Yes." He seemed incredulous that I would doubt him. "How many other people in the world have accomplished what you have and done it all before they're even twenty-three?"
"In my field? More than you'd imagine."
He playfully chucked my chin. "You don't have to be so humble."
Even though I had some freak harassing me, I couldn't stop the silly smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. It had been so long since we had shared a conversation like this, everything so easy and friendly.
As if realizing how good it was between us, Kelly let his fingertips drift along my jaw before inhaling a long breath. Sitting back, he said, "I'm going to wrap up here and then we'll go home."
"Home? My home?"
Kelly stood and fixed his gaze on me. I couldn't read his face. "No. Mine."
Without another word, he pivoted on his heel and left me staring after him. Of all the ways I'd ever imagined Kelly asking me to go home with him, this sure as hell wasn't one of them.
*
Kelly forced his mind to the task at hand. Filling out shift reports for LSG wasn't the way he wanted to end this night but it had to be done before he could get Bee out of here.
Big V sauntered up to the bar, leaned over and snatched a bottle of water from the icy compartment there. "What happened up in the VIP?"
"Same shit, different night," Kelly replied while tapping away at his phone screen. Tomorrow, he would visit LSG headquarters to fill out the long shift report but tonight the company only required some quick notes. He glanced at Big V and asked, "How did that third basemen get by you at the door? I thought he was on your never-again list?"
"He is," Big V growled. Then, with frustration in his voice, he gestured with a jerk of his chin toward the far side of the club's main dance floor. "The FNG was getting a taste of the door tonight. Obviously he needs some retraining."
Kelly glanced at the FNG—fucking new guy—in question. "He one of Lev's new hires?"
Big V nodded. "He's all right. He's still learning the ropes out front."
Kelly shrugged and went back to his typing. "Lev has good instincts when it comes to new hires. Dimitri trusts his intuition and that's enough for me."
"What's the story with Bee?" Big V leaned his sizeable frame against the bar and sipped his water. In all the years Kelly had known Vincent Moretti, he had never seen the former Army sergeant drink anything harder. "She bailed out of that cab so fast I thought her ass was on fire."
Kelly frowned at the bouncer's description. "Did you notice anyone following her?"
"No. There were a line of cabs behind her but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Why?" He glanced at the DJ station where Bee chatted with Coby. "Is someone bothering her?"
Kelly nodded. "She thinks she has a stalker."
Big V ran his hand over his shaved head. "She thinks or she's sure?"
"She's been receiving harassing texts and photos. Someone was in her apartment."
Big V narrowed his eyes. "She call the cops?"
Kelly shook his head. "She came to me."
He wasn't sure why that fact made his stomach do funny little flips. There was something primal and satisfying about the knowledge that Bee had thought only of him when she was frightened and needed help. She'd sought his protection over any other.
"Is it personal or business?"
Kelly shrugged and tapped the screen of his phone to submit the short report to LSG headquarters. "Knowing her situation? It's could be both."
Big V finished off his water and tossed it into the recycling bin behind the bar. "You better watch your step, jarhead. Bee's going to be running around in Yuri's world soon. All that money? It's a powerful motivator for revenge and jealousy."
Kelly jerked forward as the sergeant whacked him a couple of times on the back. Big V's warning wasn't anything Kelly hadn't already been considering. With an offer worth a billion dollars or more on the table, Bee would have assholes crawling out of the
woodwork to harass or harm her.
The very thought of it made his stomach churn. He glanced around the night club and suddenly felt very exposed. He needed to get Bee out of here and stow her some place safe until arrangements for round-the-clock security could be made.
He had never been happier to be in between clients. Though he trusted every man on the duty roster at LSG, he wanted to oversee Bee's detail personally. Of course, the prospect of being in such close proximity to her day and night didn't bode well for his intention to avoid his inappropriate desire for her. Earlier, he had crossed the line by touching her neck and jaw but he hadn't been able to stop himself. It couldn't happen again.
Their gazes clashed across the mostly empty club. Bee shot him a bemused smile. Kelly lifted his hand and crooked two fingers in a come-hither motion. The gesture drew an irked expression from her but she did as he asked, gathering up her things and bidding Coby a quick farewell before crossing the club to join him at the bar.
With his hand at the small of her back, he escorted her out of Faze and into the warm, muggy night. He constantly scanned their surroundings. Bee seemed to sense that he wasn't interested in chitchat. She moved quickly to match his pace and stayed close to his side.
Despite the many years it had been since he had last been faced with accidentally stepping on an IED while on patrol, Kelly couldn't shake the constant vigilance he used when placing every step. In the parking garage where he had stowed his truck, he paid special attention to the shadowy areas. Anyone sick enough to send Bee pictures of his dick would be cowardly enough to try to ambush them.
"In you go," Kelly instructed after unlocking the passenger side door of his truck. He waited for Bee to be safely stowed inside before walking around the truck and taking his seat.
"Can we stop for something to eat on the way home? I forgot to have dinner."
"Sure." He backed out of the space and started following the winding path down to the ground floor. "It'll have to be a drive-thru."
"That's fine. When do I get to go home again?"
"In the morning," Kelly decided. "We'll go with backup—just in case."
"Do you really think this creep is going to be hanging around there still?"
Kelly shrugged. "I'm not taking any chances with you."
His cell phone started to buzz in his pocket. If it was ringing this late, it definitely wasn't something he could ignore. He dug his headset out his pocket and snapped it up to his ear. "Hello?"
"Kelly, get your ass down to Fitzy's." Finn sounded breathless and angry. "We've got problems of the Albanian variety."
"Shit." He glanced at Bee and wondered what the hell he was going to do with her. "I'll see you soon."
She waited until he had tucked his headset back into his pocket before asking, "What's wrong, Kelly?"
He eased into the turn lane and waited for the light to turn green. "That was Finn. It sounds like Pop has gotten himself into a tricky spot again."
"Gambling?"
Frustration and anger welled within him. Grip tightening on the wheel, he asked, "What else?"
Bee fidgeted nervously with the strap of her backpack. "Maybe you should just drop me off at hotel or something. I don't want to get in the way."
"You're not leaving my sight."
"But—"
"This isn’t up for discussion, Bee."
She huffed at him. "I'm starting to remember how infuriatingly stubborn you can be."
His lips slanted in a smile. "You sound like Jeb now."
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult."
"A compliment," he assured her. "Always a compliment."
"Should I stay in the truck?"
"Not a chance," Kelly said, unwilling to let her out of his sight for even as long as it took to extricate his father. "You'll come with me. Stay behind me but close. Don't say anything. Don't look anyone."
"May I breathe?"
Kelly shot her a look. "None of the smartass routine either."
She rolled her eyes and settled back against the seat. "I guess all that practice will go to waste."
He laughed. "Somehow I doubt that."
As Kelly merged onto the interstate, he couldn't shake the feeling that Bee's problems with the stalker were about to be the least of his worries.
Chapter Three
I wasn't sure what to expect as Kelly pulled into the parking lot of the rundown bar. His father's gambling addiction was well known and a constant source of trouble for their family.
A group of men at the far end of the lot caught my eye. Judging by the tense set of Kelly's jaw, he had noticed them as well. He killed the engine and unbuckled his seat belt. He leaned toward me, the alluring scent of his cologne filling my nose, and punched the button on the glove compartment.
My eyes widened when he retrieved a handgun and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans after checking to see if it was loaded and the safety in place. He flipped the bottom of his blazer over it. The dangerously sexy glint to his eyes sent a swarm of butterflies through my belly. There was something so incredibly enticing about his cool, commanding nature.
"Do you think you're going to need that?"
"No, but it never hurts to be prepared." Kelly flicked his fingers. "Let's go. Remember what I told you."
I glanced at the rowdy group that awaited us. "You won't hear a peep out of me."
Kelly reached out and tugged my ponytail. His teasing smile set me at ease. "I'll believe that when I see it."
We climbed out of the truck but I hesitated, uncertain if this was the sort of neighborhood where I wanted to leave thousands of dollars of computer equipment unattended even for a few minutes. I grabbed my backpack and put it on while crossing the parking lot.
As we neared the arguing group, I spotted Kelly's older brothers, Finn and Jack, standing on either side of their father. They were facing off with a group of nine men who looked like big trouble. Mob trouble, if I had to guess.
"Kelly!" The man I assumed to be the leader of the group greeted my crush with a surprising smile. "I heard you were back in town."
"Besian." Kelly pushed me behind him and gave my hip a gentle pat. I didn't dare move from the spot. Jack, Kelly's oldest brother, glanced my way with some irritation. Feeling uncomfortable, I dropped my gaze to the pavement and tried to make myself as unnoticeable as possible. Intruding on this extremely private family matter was the absolute last way I wanted to spend my Friday night.
When Kelly shifted to the side, I finally got a good look at his dad and Finn. Both had busted up faces and hands. I winced as his father wiped at the blood seeping from his nose. Reaching back, I tugged on the zipper of a pouch on my backpack and retrieved a travel-sized package of tissues. I held it out to him and caught his attention.
His bleary-eyed gaze told me that he was drunk as a skunk again. When he recognized me, his red eyes widened with surprise. "Hey, kiddo."
"Hi, Mr. Connolly." Not taking offense to the kiddo remark, I pressed the tissues into his hand and gestured to my nose.
"Thanks." He fumbled with the package while Kelly took another step toward the man called Besian.
"I thought you were a fan of discretion, Besian." Kelly gestured to their very public surroundings. "What happened to keeping your business low profile?"
"What happened to men honoring their debts?" Besian neatly turned the question around on Kelly. "It's all about honor and loyalty with me."
"Sending five knee-breakers to a bar to attack two men is honorable?" Jack snarled angrily. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Kelly now.
"Nick was given ample opportunities to settle his debt. Let's not forget that your brother threw the first punch."
I glanced at Finn and then the group of gangsters. Finn might have lost his leg in war but he was still quite a beast when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Five of the other group had battered faces. I counted four black eyes and two cracked noses. Honestly, I couldn't believe no one had called the cops for a br
awl like the one that must have taken place here.
"Look, Kelly," the man said in his thickly accented English, "I let this account ride for a few months because your father was always a good customer for Afrim. When I took over Afrim's action after his murder, I kept the rates the same for the old-timers, but your dad has abused that privilege with his late and missed payments."
Kelly glanced at Jack. I couldn't tell what the two brothers were thinking but they seemed to be able to read each other's minds. Jack gave the tiniest nod. With tired resignation, Kelly began negotiating. "How do we bring his account current?"
I watched the way Kelly's older brothers deferred to him in this situation. Clearly Kelly had some sort of relationship with these bad guys. I wondered if Besian was someone he had met during his time as Yuri's private guard or from his friendship with Vivian Kalasnikov.
Vivian and my friend Hadley ran in some of the same artist circles so I was aware of the up-and-coming painter. That husband of hers was rumored to be the Russian mob boss of Houston but I wasn't sure if there was any truth to that. Considering the tight spot Kelly's dad was in having friends in very interesting places might be useful.
"The time for bringing the account current is over," Besian replied with a slash of his hand. "I want the full balance paid by the end of the month."
"What's the damage?"
"Five hundred."
Both Jack and Finn stiffened with shock while Kelly made a choking sound. "Five hundred large?"
Besian gestured to the wall of muscle behind him. "You think I'd send this crew out for anything less?"
Jack whirled on their old man. "How the hell did you piss away half a million dollars?"
Nick dabbed at his still oozing nose. Rather indignant, he snapped, "It's not like it happened all in one night. I had a couple of bad runs. Tack on the interest and late fees…" He shrugged. "It adds up quick."
"Bad runs?" Jack looked like he was about to blow a freaking pupil and have a massive stroke. "Where the hell did you get the cash for the markers?"