Code blue, p.7
Code Blue, page 7
Photos of me with him, escorting him to a van, out of a van, into a building, out of one. My hand on his back, him holding onto my arm.
London, Dublin, Paris, Munich, Prague, Rome, Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, Tokyo . . .
Then, because I was a complete masochist, apparently, I clicked on my name.
There were a lot of photos of me. With all the guys from the band over the last seven or eight years. A lot of earlier pictures of me escorting Maddox, but lately more of me with Jeremy. And the comments . . . A lot of comments.
Sexy Steve
Bodyguard babe
Steve ‘Ice Man’ Frost, the coldest bodyguard in Hollywood
Christ. Who thought up that shit?
I wasn’t cold, was I?
I mean, my work-face was usually stoic. I was watching every little thing, concentrating, focused. I wasn’t there to smile at the cameras.
I remembered this shit from when it was all about Maddox and Roscoe. All that social media noise was utter garbage.
Except for the people who put the fan in fanatical, unable to separate reality from fiction. For them, we were a few select individuals. Five guys in a band and their security or managers. That was it. They knew every detail about us.
But what were they to us?
They were a few hundred thousand strong. All the faces in all the crowds, in all the concerts in all the countries just blurred together. Nameless.
Madness.
I understood a fan’s excitement, and I would never belittle what a band like Atrous might mean to them. They wrote songs that fans connected with. They addressed issues that spoke directly to fans, that fans identified with. And that was a wonderful thing.
But to be fixated on them, to think they were entitled to them, to threaten them? That was something I could never understand.
Riko stuck his head in. “Hey boss. I’m off the clock until 3:00 a.m. Gonna catch some sleep. Jeremy’s in the front living room with Julio.”
I checked my watch and stood. It was four o’clock. “Shit. I lost track of time. Are Maddox and Roscoe still here?”
“No, they left a few hours ago.”
“God, I’m sorry.” I hadn’t even heard Julio arrive.
“It’s all good,” he said.
He went to his room and I walked out to the living room. Julio had brought his portable PT table. Jeremy was facedown on it with a towel across his ass, and Julio was standing on the far side, massaging the shoulder muscles. He lifted Jeremy’s arm and rotated it, making all the muscles in his back bulge and slide. Then he dug his thumb along some muscle over his shoulder blade that made Jeremy groan.
Damn.
“Oh, hi,” Julio said, seeing me. He thumbed another trench up Jeremy’s trapezius “Steve’s here.”
Jeremy didn’t lift his head but raised his arm a little. “Hmm.”
“Just wanted to let you know that Riko’s off and you got me,” I said. “But I’ll leave you two to it.”
Jeremy moaned something close to assent just as Julio tapped his shoulder. “Turn over for me,” he said.
And that was my cue to leave. Seeing Jeremy on the table with no more than a towel over his crotch was too much for me.
“How does your lower back feel now?” I heard Julio say as I went back to get my laptop.
I set up at the dining table instead of the couch tonight, thinking it might be more professional. I logged in to his security feed and quickly had the four security camera views on my screen. The front gates, the front door, the patio, and the back boundary fence.
I called Ivan, Jason, and Zoe, and they told me exactly what I wanted to hear. “Nothing to report, boss.”
We all knew any protection detail was 99 percent boring. But it was that one percent we needed to be prepared for at any second.
Jeremy came in from the living room, wearing only his swim shorts, walked to the couch, and fell face-first onto it. “Ugh.”
All I could see of Jeremy was one foot sticking out from the couch, and with a laugh, I met Julio as he got to the doorway. He had the table folded and his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Need a hand with anything?” I asked.
“No, I have it down to an art,” he said. “But thanks.”
“How’s the patient?” I asked.
“Fucking tired,” Jeremy mumbled into the couch cushion.
Julio smiled at me. “Which isn’t surprising, considering what he put his body through these last two months. Four or five months, if you include the practice they did before the tour.”
“Maybe spending the day in the pool with Maddox wasn’t a great idea,” I said.
“Hey, Steve,” Jeremy said. He was still facedown on the couch but he extended his arm to produce a middle finger.
I chuckled, and Julio gave a nod. “Well, at least he’s eating properly,” Julio said. “He needs to eat more regularly.”
God, did everyone know about that but me?
“So I found out.”
“Aww,” Jeremy whined. “My two dads are so cute.”
“Hey, Jeremy,” I said. He looked over his shoulder at me, so I gave him the middle finger right back.
He laughed and buried his face back into the cushion. “You’re making dinner.”
I rolled my eyes and Julio grinned. “Jeremy, I’ll see you next week.”
“Can’t wait,” he mumbled. “More relaxing massage, less torture next time.”
I saw Julio out and locked the front door behind him. I walked past Jeremy who was still facedown on the couch and went back to my laptop. I watched Julio drive out, and as soon as the gate was closed behind him, I sighed.
Now it was just me and Jeremy again.
I went into the kitchen and cut up an apple and peeled an orange, threw a few crackers on the plate, grabbed a bottle of water, and took them to Jeremy. “Here you go,” I said, sliding it all onto the coffee table in front of him.
Jeremy stared at it. “Is that for me?”
“Uh, yeah. Who else would it be for?”
He sat up and drew himself to the edge of the couch. “You didn’t have to do that. But thank you. I am kinda hungry.”
His blond curls were a bit of a mess after all the salt water and then a physical therapy session. He was still shirtless and he was a little sun-kissed.
I tried to remember a time when he was more beautiful than he was in that moment. Not even in designer suits and expensive jewelry.
Nope. A pair of old swim shorts and tousled hair was worth more than any label.
“You okay?” he asked, somehow managing to eat, smile, and talk at the same time. “You staring for any reason?”
Shit.
“No, sorry. Just thinking . . .”
“Oh good,” he said, shoving in another piece of apple. “So was I.” Then he shook his head. “This apple is so good. And the orange. That’s so easy. Why haven’t I been doing this for years?”
I shook my head. “I have no clue. Actually, I had no idea you didn’t have food in your house.”
He shrugged it off. “Been busy . . . for a decade.”
I smiled at him. “Is that what you were thinking of?”
“Huh?”
“I said I was just thinking, and you said so were you.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I was thinking—” He took a sip of his water and smirked at me. “—that you could teach me some of your MMA moves.”
I stared. “Uh . . . what?”
“Some self-defense, but also just so I can beat the shit out of the guys when they need it.”
“I will not teach you anything so you can beat up your bandmates.”
He laughed and threw a slice of apple into his mouth. “Then just teach me.”
Before I could answer or before I could think of a dozen reasons why that was a terrible idea, my phone rang.
It was Neil Ambrose.
I clicked Answer. “Steve speaking.”
“Yeah, Steve. I have some news,” he said. “Just spoke to our guy at the feds. They have a person of interest in for questioning.”
CHAPTER SIX
Jeremy was expected at HQ at 9:00 a.m. to view the promotional footage of the Code Red tour, and we drove in relative silence. Actually, Jeremy had been quiet since my phone call with Ambrose. Hearing the news that a person of interest had been found had affected him. I thought he’d be happy with the development, but that didn’t appear to be the case.
When I’d told him last night, he’d made a face and nodded slowly, making an excuse to go to bed early. And this morning, he’d only picked at his breakfast.
He’d barely said five words to me all morning. It put me on edge.
Riko was in the front seat and I was in the back next to Jeremy.
“ETA, five minutes, boss,” Riko called out.
“Thanks.” I turned to Jeremy and waited for him to look at me. When he didn’t, I knocked his knee with mine. “Hey,” I said.
He met my eyes and gave me a fake smile. “Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Sure.”
I smiled. “You know, after a decade of being in the spotlight and being asked all kinds of questions, I’d have thought you could lie better than that.”
“I don’t lie.”
“You tell people what they want to hear. And I don’t want that. I want you to tell me if something’s wrong. I can react better if I know how you’re feeling, okay?”
He grunted but stopped short of rolling his eyes.
So he was going with the silent treatment.
“I thought you’d be happy with the person of interest being brought in by the feds.”
His gaze shot to mine before he went back to looking out the window. But he was holding his phone too tight, his knuckles white. “Yeah, I am. I guess.”
“Jeremy,” I whispered. There was no way Riko or the driver could hear me. Jeremy looked at me, his eyes guarded. “You’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, I know,” he mumbled. “It just makes it real, I guess.”
I wanted to say it was always real but figured he didn’t want to hear that.
He rolled his eyes. “You can say it was always real. I know you want to.”
I chuckled. “Am I that easy to read?”
He almost smiled but he settled on a sigh instead. “We deal with this shit all the time. Why is this one any different?”
I looked him right in the eye and told him the truth. “Because it’s you. This person is fixated on you and we’re not going to let them get anywhere near you. So you’re stuck with me as a housemate until the threat is over, sorry.”
His blue eyes met mine. “I actually don’t mind having you around. Apart from the whole cooking thing you’re insisting I do. Do people really do that every day?”
I smiled at that. “If you think the cooking is bad, just wait until I show you what the cleaning up is like.”
He chuckled and it made my heart happy to see him smile. “Oh, I think it’s in one of my contracts that I can’t do that. No cleanup of any kind. It’s against company policy.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, my contract clearly states that all parties must contribute equally. Cooking and cleaning up is compulsory, and it doesn’t matter if you’re one of the most famous singers in the world. You’ll do your share.”
He laughed quietly, and of course, he ignored the famous part. “Your contract?”
“Yep.”
“I’d need to see that to verify, otherwise I’m calling bullshit.”
“Oh, I have a copy right here,” I said, reaching into my jeans pocket and pulling out my middle finger.
Jeremy laughed, his mood much better now.
“ETA, thirty seconds,” Riko called out.
“Copy that,” I replied.
Jeremy was watching me, a smile at his lips. “Did you seriously just say ‘copy that’ like a freaking marine?”
I didn’t give him the snarky reply I wanted to. Given he was now joking with me, he was definitely feeling better about things after he’d admitted his stalker had started feeling a little too real.
The van slowed and went through the first set of gates and then a second set, where Sayed, our driver, had to show ID at a boom gate. This was part of the increased security Mr. Kim had installed at the Krüper building offices after the Roscoe and Maddox incident in New York. Platinum had its own level in the basement for parking with its own gates, and in the elevators, only approved keycards could access any of the floors Platinum owned.
As the van slowed down at the elevators, I reached over and patted Jeremy’s knee. “Don’t worry about the case or the feds. The authorities will handle it.” Which was a lot easier said than done, I was well aware. “You just do what you normally do, and let us worry about the rest. Okay?”
Jeremy gave me that half-smirk that made my heart knock against my ribs. “Copy that.”
Before I could snarl at him, Riko opened the van door. “All clear.”
I exited the van and stood opposite Riko, waiting for Jeremy to get out. I walked with him to the elevator and pressed the button, ignoring the smirk he was wearing. The doors opened. The elevator was empty, so I held out my hand, gesturing for him to step in.
Jeremy looked at my hand. “Thought you wanted to hold hands there for a second.”
I followed him in and Riko followed me. I stood at the back with Jeremy. Riko stood in front of us, facing the door.
“Holding hands is an extra charge,” I said. “I’d need to run it past Ambrose.”
Jeremy chuckled. “Copy that.”
I sighed. “Sarcasm is also an extra charge.”
He grinned. “It’s not really sarcasm though, is it? What’s the going rate for general smart assery? Double? Triple?”
“Zero. You just get Ivan instead of me.”
Jeremy laughed. “Ouch.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened on our floor. We said hello to the reception staff as we walked in. “Maddox and Wes got here a few minutes ago. Blake and Luke will be here in five,” I explained.
“How do you know that?” Jeremy asked.
I held up my phone. “I know where everyone is.”
We arrived at the lounge and Maddox and Wes were at the coffee machine. Ryan walked in, iPad in hand, at the same time we did. “Oh good, you’re here,” Ryan said to Jeremy. “We need to go through some concepts for the photoshoot . . .” Ryan stopped and frowned. “You look tired.”
“Good morning to you too, Ryan,” Jeremy said far too cheerfully. “Looking like something the cat dragged in yourself. Do you have a fixated stalker crazy person trying to kill you too, or is that just me?”
Ryan looked rightfully admonished. “Sorry. I just . . . I didn’t think.”
No, you didn’t think.
I looked at Maddox and Wes. “He barely touched his breakfast. He’ll need to eat something.”
Jeremy sighed. “For fuck’s sake, Steve.”
Maddox laughed and wiped at a fake tear. “You two sound like my parents.”
Jeremy shoved him. “Fuck off, dickbag.”
“And he’s not to leave this building without me,” I added.
“Will you belt the piss out of him if he does?” Maddox asked with an excited smile.
“Out of Jeremy? No, of course not,” I replied flatly. “But I absolutely would have a little chat with anyone who helps him escape.”
Jeremy snorted. “I’m going to assume it wouldn’t be a pleasant chat.”
“Not for them, no.” Then I turned to Ryan. “Is Ambrose in?”
“Haven’t seen him, but I presume he’s here somewhere.”
I gave him a nod, then mine and Ryan’s phones beeped at the same time. The text was from Ambrose.
My office. Ten minutes.
This could only be an update on the person the feds had brought in for questioning, surely.
My gaze cut to Jeremy and he was staring at me. He clearly could guess what the message was about. “Will let you know as soon as we know,” I told him.
That worried look was back, but he gave a nod. “Copy that.”
I couldn’t even be mad.
“Is it news on the stalker?” Wes asked.
“The feds brought someone in for questioning last night,” Maddox said. Obviously, Roscoe had told him.
Amber walked in, determined. Angry even.
“Meeting with Ambrose,” Ryan said.
“Haven’t you seen the shitshow circus breaking news flash?” she asked.
A cold hand of dread squeezed my belly.
Ryan shook his head. “No . . .”
She held out her phone. “Whoever they hauled in for questioning was just let go,” she said, a look of disdain on her face. “And someone they knew posted all about it on fucking Twitter.”
“What?” Jeremy asked quietly. “Posted about what?”
Maddox was already looking at his phone. He clearly found something in half a second because he looked at Jeremy, his face a little pale.
“Jeremy Dalton stalker.” Maddox shook his head and kept reading. “It’s trending. FBI involved, crazy fans, Atrous stalker, save Jeremy.” Then Maddox looked at Ryan and Amber. “How the fuck did this happen?”
Jeremy ran his hand through his hair. “Well, this is just great.”
I wanted to go to him. I wanted to give his shoulder a squeeze, I wanted to reassure him, hold him.
Instead, Maddox put his arm around Jeremy and looked him right in the eye. “They’ll get this figured out. In the meantime, we’ll just do our thing, right?”
As much as I wished I could have done that, I was glad he had Maddox. If anyone would understand what Jeremy was going through, it was his best friend.
Jeremy’s eyes met mine and I gave him a nod. I didn’t have to tell Maddox not to leave his side—he wasn’t leaving him alone for a second today.
“Give me a few minutes,” I said, “and I’ll tell you what we know.”
Jeremy tried to smile, but it was brief. Though there was gratitude in his eyes.
Ryan, Amber and I took the elevator to the top floor. “This is exactly what we wanted to avoid,” Amber said. She was pissed, and rightfully so.
“The freaking paparazzi are gonna be all over this,” Ryan mumbled. “It’s gonna be a circus.”
London, Dublin, Paris, Munich, Prague, Rome, Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, Tokyo . . .
Then, because I was a complete masochist, apparently, I clicked on my name.
There were a lot of photos of me. With all the guys from the band over the last seven or eight years. A lot of earlier pictures of me escorting Maddox, but lately more of me with Jeremy. And the comments . . . A lot of comments.
Sexy Steve
Bodyguard babe
Steve ‘Ice Man’ Frost, the coldest bodyguard in Hollywood
Christ. Who thought up that shit?
I wasn’t cold, was I?
I mean, my work-face was usually stoic. I was watching every little thing, concentrating, focused. I wasn’t there to smile at the cameras.
I remembered this shit from when it was all about Maddox and Roscoe. All that social media noise was utter garbage.
Except for the people who put the fan in fanatical, unable to separate reality from fiction. For them, we were a few select individuals. Five guys in a band and their security or managers. That was it. They knew every detail about us.
But what were they to us?
They were a few hundred thousand strong. All the faces in all the crowds, in all the concerts in all the countries just blurred together. Nameless.
Madness.
I understood a fan’s excitement, and I would never belittle what a band like Atrous might mean to them. They wrote songs that fans connected with. They addressed issues that spoke directly to fans, that fans identified with. And that was a wonderful thing.
But to be fixated on them, to think they were entitled to them, to threaten them? That was something I could never understand.
Riko stuck his head in. “Hey boss. I’m off the clock until 3:00 a.m. Gonna catch some sleep. Jeremy’s in the front living room with Julio.”
I checked my watch and stood. It was four o’clock. “Shit. I lost track of time. Are Maddox and Roscoe still here?”
“No, they left a few hours ago.”
“God, I’m sorry.” I hadn’t even heard Julio arrive.
“It’s all good,” he said.
He went to his room and I walked out to the living room. Julio had brought his portable PT table. Jeremy was facedown on it with a towel across his ass, and Julio was standing on the far side, massaging the shoulder muscles. He lifted Jeremy’s arm and rotated it, making all the muscles in his back bulge and slide. Then he dug his thumb along some muscle over his shoulder blade that made Jeremy groan.
Damn.
“Oh, hi,” Julio said, seeing me. He thumbed another trench up Jeremy’s trapezius “Steve’s here.”
Jeremy didn’t lift his head but raised his arm a little. “Hmm.”
“Just wanted to let you know that Riko’s off and you got me,” I said. “But I’ll leave you two to it.”
Jeremy moaned something close to assent just as Julio tapped his shoulder. “Turn over for me,” he said.
And that was my cue to leave. Seeing Jeremy on the table with no more than a towel over his crotch was too much for me.
“How does your lower back feel now?” I heard Julio say as I went back to get my laptop.
I set up at the dining table instead of the couch tonight, thinking it might be more professional. I logged in to his security feed and quickly had the four security camera views on my screen. The front gates, the front door, the patio, and the back boundary fence.
I called Ivan, Jason, and Zoe, and they told me exactly what I wanted to hear. “Nothing to report, boss.”
We all knew any protection detail was 99 percent boring. But it was that one percent we needed to be prepared for at any second.
Jeremy came in from the living room, wearing only his swim shorts, walked to the couch, and fell face-first onto it. “Ugh.”
All I could see of Jeremy was one foot sticking out from the couch, and with a laugh, I met Julio as he got to the doorway. He had the table folded and his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Need a hand with anything?” I asked.
“No, I have it down to an art,” he said. “But thanks.”
“How’s the patient?” I asked.
“Fucking tired,” Jeremy mumbled into the couch cushion.
Julio smiled at me. “Which isn’t surprising, considering what he put his body through these last two months. Four or five months, if you include the practice they did before the tour.”
“Maybe spending the day in the pool with Maddox wasn’t a great idea,” I said.
“Hey, Steve,” Jeremy said. He was still facedown on the couch but he extended his arm to produce a middle finger.
I chuckled, and Julio gave a nod. “Well, at least he’s eating properly,” Julio said. “He needs to eat more regularly.”
God, did everyone know about that but me?
“So I found out.”
“Aww,” Jeremy whined. “My two dads are so cute.”
“Hey, Jeremy,” I said. He looked over his shoulder at me, so I gave him the middle finger right back.
He laughed and buried his face back into the cushion. “You’re making dinner.”
I rolled my eyes and Julio grinned. “Jeremy, I’ll see you next week.”
“Can’t wait,” he mumbled. “More relaxing massage, less torture next time.”
I saw Julio out and locked the front door behind him. I walked past Jeremy who was still facedown on the couch and went back to my laptop. I watched Julio drive out, and as soon as the gate was closed behind him, I sighed.
Now it was just me and Jeremy again.
I went into the kitchen and cut up an apple and peeled an orange, threw a few crackers on the plate, grabbed a bottle of water, and took them to Jeremy. “Here you go,” I said, sliding it all onto the coffee table in front of him.
Jeremy stared at it. “Is that for me?”
“Uh, yeah. Who else would it be for?”
He sat up and drew himself to the edge of the couch. “You didn’t have to do that. But thank you. I am kinda hungry.”
His blond curls were a bit of a mess after all the salt water and then a physical therapy session. He was still shirtless and he was a little sun-kissed.
I tried to remember a time when he was more beautiful than he was in that moment. Not even in designer suits and expensive jewelry.
Nope. A pair of old swim shorts and tousled hair was worth more than any label.
“You okay?” he asked, somehow managing to eat, smile, and talk at the same time. “You staring for any reason?”
Shit.
“No, sorry. Just thinking . . .”
“Oh good,” he said, shoving in another piece of apple. “So was I.” Then he shook his head. “This apple is so good. And the orange. That’s so easy. Why haven’t I been doing this for years?”
I shook my head. “I have no clue. Actually, I had no idea you didn’t have food in your house.”
He shrugged it off. “Been busy . . . for a decade.”
I smiled at him. “Is that what you were thinking of?”
“Huh?”
“I said I was just thinking, and you said so were you.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I was thinking—” He took a sip of his water and smirked at me. “—that you could teach me some of your MMA moves.”
I stared. “Uh . . . what?”
“Some self-defense, but also just so I can beat the shit out of the guys when they need it.”
“I will not teach you anything so you can beat up your bandmates.”
He laughed and threw a slice of apple into his mouth. “Then just teach me.”
Before I could answer or before I could think of a dozen reasons why that was a terrible idea, my phone rang.
It was Neil Ambrose.
I clicked Answer. “Steve speaking.”
“Yeah, Steve. I have some news,” he said. “Just spoke to our guy at the feds. They have a person of interest in for questioning.”
CHAPTER SIX
Jeremy was expected at HQ at 9:00 a.m. to view the promotional footage of the Code Red tour, and we drove in relative silence. Actually, Jeremy had been quiet since my phone call with Ambrose. Hearing the news that a person of interest had been found had affected him. I thought he’d be happy with the development, but that didn’t appear to be the case.
When I’d told him last night, he’d made a face and nodded slowly, making an excuse to go to bed early. And this morning, he’d only picked at his breakfast.
He’d barely said five words to me all morning. It put me on edge.
Riko was in the front seat and I was in the back next to Jeremy.
“ETA, five minutes, boss,” Riko called out.
“Thanks.” I turned to Jeremy and waited for him to look at me. When he didn’t, I knocked his knee with mine. “Hey,” I said.
He met my eyes and gave me a fake smile. “Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Sure.”
I smiled. “You know, after a decade of being in the spotlight and being asked all kinds of questions, I’d have thought you could lie better than that.”
“I don’t lie.”
“You tell people what they want to hear. And I don’t want that. I want you to tell me if something’s wrong. I can react better if I know how you’re feeling, okay?”
He grunted but stopped short of rolling his eyes.
So he was going with the silent treatment.
“I thought you’d be happy with the person of interest being brought in by the feds.”
His gaze shot to mine before he went back to looking out the window. But he was holding his phone too tight, his knuckles white. “Yeah, I am. I guess.”
“Jeremy,” I whispered. There was no way Riko or the driver could hear me. Jeremy looked at me, his eyes guarded. “You’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, I know,” he mumbled. “It just makes it real, I guess.”
I wanted to say it was always real but figured he didn’t want to hear that.
He rolled his eyes. “You can say it was always real. I know you want to.”
I chuckled. “Am I that easy to read?”
He almost smiled but he settled on a sigh instead. “We deal with this shit all the time. Why is this one any different?”
I looked him right in the eye and told him the truth. “Because it’s you. This person is fixated on you and we’re not going to let them get anywhere near you. So you’re stuck with me as a housemate until the threat is over, sorry.”
His blue eyes met mine. “I actually don’t mind having you around. Apart from the whole cooking thing you’re insisting I do. Do people really do that every day?”
I smiled at that. “If you think the cooking is bad, just wait until I show you what the cleaning up is like.”
He chuckled and it made my heart happy to see him smile. “Oh, I think it’s in one of my contracts that I can’t do that. No cleanup of any kind. It’s against company policy.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, my contract clearly states that all parties must contribute equally. Cooking and cleaning up is compulsory, and it doesn’t matter if you’re one of the most famous singers in the world. You’ll do your share.”
He laughed quietly, and of course, he ignored the famous part. “Your contract?”
“Yep.”
“I’d need to see that to verify, otherwise I’m calling bullshit.”
“Oh, I have a copy right here,” I said, reaching into my jeans pocket and pulling out my middle finger.
Jeremy laughed, his mood much better now.
“ETA, thirty seconds,” Riko called out.
“Copy that,” I replied.
Jeremy was watching me, a smile at his lips. “Did you seriously just say ‘copy that’ like a freaking marine?”
I didn’t give him the snarky reply I wanted to. Given he was now joking with me, he was definitely feeling better about things after he’d admitted his stalker had started feeling a little too real.
The van slowed and went through the first set of gates and then a second set, where Sayed, our driver, had to show ID at a boom gate. This was part of the increased security Mr. Kim had installed at the Krüper building offices after the Roscoe and Maddox incident in New York. Platinum had its own level in the basement for parking with its own gates, and in the elevators, only approved keycards could access any of the floors Platinum owned.
As the van slowed down at the elevators, I reached over and patted Jeremy’s knee. “Don’t worry about the case or the feds. The authorities will handle it.” Which was a lot easier said than done, I was well aware. “You just do what you normally do, and let us worry about the rest. Okay?”
Jeremy gave me that half-smirk that made my heart knock against my ribs. “Copy that.”
Before I could snarl at him, Riko opened the van door. “All clear.”
I exited the van and stood opposite Riko, waiting for Jeremy to get out. I walked with him to the elevator and pressed the button, ignoring the smirk he was wearing. The doors opened. The elevator was empty, so I held out my hand, gesturing for him to step in.
Jeremy looked at my hand. “Thought you wanted to hold hands there for a second.”
I followed him in and Riko followed me. I stood at the back with Jeremy. Riko stood in front of us, facing the door.
“Holding hands is an extra charge,” I said. “I’d need to run it past Ambrose.”
Jeremy chuckled. “Copy that.”
I sighed. “Sarcasm is also an extra charge.”
He grinned. “It’s not really sarcasm though, is it? What’s the going rate for general smart assery? Double? Triple?”
“Zero. You just get Ivan instead of me.”
Jeremy laughed. “Ouch.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened on our floor. We said hello to the reception staff as we walked in. “Maddox and Wes got here a few minutes ago. Blake and Luke will be here in five,” I explained.
“How do you know that?” Jeremy asked.
I held up my phone. “I know where everyone is.”
We arrived at the lounge and Maddox and Wes were at the coffee machine. Ryan walked in, iPad in hand, at the same time we did. “Oh good, you’re here,” Ryan said to Jeremy. “We need to go through some concepts for the photoshoot . . .” Ryan stopped and frowned. “You look tired.”
“Good morning to you too, Ryan,” Jeremy said far too cheerfully. “Looking like something the cat dragged in yourself. Do you have a fixated stalker crazy person trying to kill you too, or is that just me?”
Ryan looked rightfully admonished. “Sorry. I just . . . I didn’t think.”
No, you didn’t think.
I looked at Maddox and Wes. “He barely touched his breakfast. He’ll need to eat something.”
Jeremy sighed. “For fuck’s sake, Steve.”
Maddox laughed and wiped at a fake tear. “You two sound like my parents.”
Jeremy shoved him. “Fuck off, dickbag.”
“And he’s not to leave this building without me,” I added.
“Will you belt the piss out of him if he does?” Maddox asked with an excited smile.
“Out of Jeremy? No, of course not,” I replied flatly. “But I absolutely would have a little chat with anyone who helps him escape.”
Jeremy snorted. “I’m going to assume it wouldn’t be a pleasant chat.”
“Not for them, no.” Then I turned to Ryan. “Is Ambrose in?”
“Haven’t seen him, but I presume he’s here somewhere.”
I gave him a nod, then mine and Ryan’s phones beeped at the same time. The text was from Ambrose.
My office. Ten minutes.
This could only be an update on the person the feds had brought in for questioning, surely.
My gaze cut to Jeremy and he was staring at me. He clearly could guess what the message was about. “Will let you know as soon as we know,” I told him.
That worried look was back, but he gave a nod. “Copy that.”
I couldn’t even be mad.
“Is it news on the stalker?” Wes asked.
“The feds brought someone in for questioning last night,” Maddox said. Obviously, Roscoe had told him.
Amber walked in, determined. Angry even.
“Meeting with Ambrose,” Ryan said.
“Haven’t you seen the shitshow circus breaking news flash?” she asked.
A cold hand of dread squeezed my belly.
Ryan shook his head. “No . . .”
She held out her phone. “Whoever they hauled in for questioning was just let go,” she said, a look of disdain on her face. “And someone they knew posted all about it on fucking Twitter.”
“What?” Jeremy asked quietly. “Posted about what?”
Maddox was already looking at his phone. He clearly found something in half a second because he looked at Jeremy, his face a little pale.
“Jeremy Dalton stalker.” Maddox shook his head and kept reading. “It’s trending. FBI involved, crazy fans, Atrous stalker, save Jeremy.” Then Maddox looked at Ryan and Amber. “How the fuck did this happen?”
Jeremy ran his hand through his hair. “Well, this is just great.”
I wanted to go to him. I wanted to give his shoulder a squeeze, I wanted to reassure him, hold him.
Instead, Maddox put his arm around Jeremy and looked him right in the eye. “They’ll get this figured out. In the meantime, we’ll just do our thing, right?”
As much as I wished I could have done that, I was glad he had Maddox. If anyone would understand what Jeremy was going through, it was his best friend.
Jeremy’s eyes met mine and I gave him a nod. I didn’t have to tell Maddox not to leave his side—he wasn’t leaving him alone for a second today.
“Give me a few minutes,” I said, “and I’ll tell you what we know.”
Jeremy tried to smile, but it was brief. Though there was gratitude in his eyes.
Ryan, Amber and I took the elevator to the top floor. “This is exactly what we wanted to avoid,” Amber said. She was pissed, and rightfully so.
“The freaking paparazzi are gonna be all over this,” Ryan mumbled. “It’s gonna be a circus.”
