Tangled Like Us (Like Us 4)

I don’t think that’s true.

He wavers, like he’s considering outrunning me.

I stake him with a harsher glare. “You touch her property, and I’ll escort you to your car. I’m not going to be nice about it.” A threat hardens my voice.

He scuttles back, tripping over his untied shoelace. He drops the roses. “Sorr-so-sorry,” he stammers, abandoning the flowers in the street and jogging to his car.

One down. Many more to go.

Comms ring in my ear. “Akara to Thatcher, what’s the level of the threats?”

I stare down a white guy whose jeans are unzipped, his cagey eyes darting left and right, an envelope and box of chocolates in hand, and I click my mic. “Same as yesterday—” I almost say over at the tail end, and I cut myself off before I do. Military comms are much different than security’s radio protocols. It was a hard transition at first.

But so was civilian life, and I jumped straight into security after my four-year tour ended.

I pick up more SFO comms chatter, and I listen while I motion to other middle-aged suitors to get the fuck out.

What I hear:

“Buncha skeevy fucks,” Donnelly says, South Philly lilt thicker than mine.

Oscar sounds in. “At this rate of motherfucking deception, we’re gonna need eyes on Grandmother Calloway.”

“I’m sure she’d love your eyes on her, Oliveira,” Farrow says next, his voice naturally rough and amusement audible.

Oscar laughs. “Maybe we should send you, Redford. You’d probably kill her before she hits ninety.”

I grit my molars, forcing down the urge to tell them to shut up over comms.

Before joining Omega, I was always an Epsilon bodyguard. Since SFE works with minors, the differences between the two forces are night and day. SFE has more rules to protect the kids, and Omega has more freedoms working with adults.

But my biggest irritation is the radio. Omega uses comms like a gossip network or complaint hotline. It was fucking painful during the FanCon. Banks and I say that it’s 104.1 Call-In-Your-Bullshit channel.

And look, I’ve got complaints.

A list fucking ten feet high. I’m concerned, like Oscar is, that someone in the families was able to pull this stunt. It’s why we weren’t tipped about the ad before it went into print.

I’m concerned that these fuckbags aren’t going to ever get the message. Responding to that ad in the first place takes some guts, and it’s been unnerving Jane all week.

But I’m not airing this shit on comms, and right now—I can’t worry about any of that.

I send seven more suitors packing, clearing out the small crowd. Except for paparazzi. Can’t do anything about that.

“Excuse me!” a suitor shouts, closer to where paparazzi are setting up tripods. He keeps his shined loafers off the curb, an inch from where I’d yell at him.

Only two strides later, I block him and scrutinize his features. Quick assessment: slicked-back dirt-brown hair, tailored suit, angular face, maybe early-thirties.

He looks like he made a wrong turn and ended up here instead of PHLX.

“You’re in the wrong area, sir,” I tell him. “Walnut Street is that way.” I point in the direction, further in Center City where the Philly Stock Exchange is located.

He opens his mouth, but then gets distracted. He takes out his phone, screen lit with an incoming call.

I keep an eye on him but also survey the area.

Where’s my guy? I quickly scan for the temp bodyguard. He’s one fucking block down. Chatting with a mom and a daughter, who are probably bartering, tempting, bribing him—doing something they shouldn’t—just to see the famous ones.

Come on.

He shouldn’t have left his sector.

I’ll deal with that later. Hand-holding temp bodyguards is routine, but this early and with Jane at the crux, I wish that the temp were Farrow right now.

“Actually”—the clean-cut guy pockets his phone—“I need to talk to Jane.” He says her name like he personally knows her.

He’s not the first guy to try to pull this. He won’t be the last.

Jane gave me an extensive list of her known acquaintances when I first joined her detail. I have pictures. Names. I’ve even combed through her yearbooks multiple times in the past ten months, just to refresh my memory.

This guy is no one.

I start, “You can’t see Jane—”

He steps forward to combat me.

I put out a warning hand, and he stops.

“My name is Gavin Reece.”

Not familiar. “You need to keep your feet off my fucking curb,” I say like a grumpy old man.

He lets out a disbelieving noise. “It’s not your curb. Sidewalks are a public right-of-way, so you’re blocking my access—”

“You have access right there.” I extend an arm down the street. The law is so gray that it allows paparazzi to plant their asses in front of the townhouses. Even though homeowners own the land up to the house and to the curb.

Gavin sighs. “Look, we’re off on the wrong foot here.”

“I’m not debating you. I’m not your fucking transport or access to see Jane. If you want to approach her house or stand here and disturb the peace, you’re going to eat asphalt.”

Akara is in my ear again. “Second batch of temps should be here soon.” Which means I can go take a shower.

I’m still staring this guy down, but I feel for the wire on my chest and then click my mic. “Solid copy.”

Gavin reaches into his suit jacket.

I’m rigid. Could be a gun. Disarming hecklers is also routine. I’m not armed right now. Didn’t grab my gun, barely tied my pants. Six years on the job, and I haven’t had to use it that often. There aren’t many situations where a gun is necessary.

He pulls out an envelope. “Jane will want to hear this. So if you can’t help me contact her, then please direct me to someone who can.”

My gaze is stern. I’m not your fucking friend . “She did three months of meet and greets. You missed your chance.”

“That was before the ad.”

He means before he knew what she was looking for.

Confirmed suitor.

Which means he’s looking to what…date her…coerce her…fuck her?

Fuck him.

Jane isn’t someone you can casually call up for a quick word. This year, she ranked in the Top 20 Most Instagram Followers in the world. Her mom ranked at 8. Her aunts ranked at 4 and 11.

This isn’t a girl you can email or DM or even cannon blast. She has the tech team, three forces of bodyguards, along with temp guards, and a wall of assistants, publicists, and managers.

He wants to meet Jane. Good luck. She’s an American princess. Take a fucking number and wait forever. Because I’m never letting it happen.

She’s my responsibly.

My duty.

He can go shove his dick in an exhaust pipe.

“What’s in the envelope?” a cameraman asks, swinging his Canon lens to Gavin.

This prick glares back at me. “My resume.” He tries to hand it to me.

I don’t move. “Leave or I’ll drag you off the fucking property.”

“I’m not on it—”

I take one strong step towards Gavin, and he shuffles back in a hurry. “Okayokay.” He raises his hands. All fake bravado.

He walks backwards to his red Bugatti. “I’m supposed to be with Jane Cobalt.” He speaks into the camera. “Everything she listed in that ad, I have. Every single thing.”

Everything in that ad—I don’t have.

What does any of that matter?

My body tenses, and I study the perimeter.

I’ve got a job to do.

7

THATCHER MORETTI

Steam rises in security’s small townhouse bathroom. Hot water soaks my hair, beads of liquid dripping off my eyelashes, and I press a firm left hand against the tiled shower wall. My right hand grips and strokes my long, hard length.

Should be taking a cold shower, but denying myself a release is a worse idea. I’m used to long-stints without sex, even before I became a bodyguard. But I can’t go that long without shooting a load. On deployments, jerking off in a quiet porta shitter was the highlight of some days.