Mason followed Lucky’s instructions, and the case unlocked. Inside was a small arsenal, including two concealable white vests in protective packaging. Lucky handed one to Mason.

  “Put that on under your shirt.”

  “You planning on getting shot at?”

  “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. We never do a protection job without a vest. Unless you’re Ace and think you don’t need one, but then you get to be yelled at by King, so it’s better to wear the vest.”

  “Got it.” Mason stood and removed his jacket, then draped it over the armchair next to the case. His tie and shirt followed, leaving him in his white tank undershirt. He lifted his gaze and found Lucky staring at his arm. He flexed his bicep, and Lucky moved his eyes to Mason’s, arching one eyebrow. “What? There’s nothing wrong with admiring a fella. Come’ ere. I’ll give you a feel.”

  Lucky rolled his eyes and shoved the vest at him. “Put the vest on, Cowboy.”

  “Yes, sir.” He strapped himself into the lightweight vest. “Hey, this is real nice.” The Kings sure did have some nifty toys.

  Once they were dressed, their vests beneath their shirts, Lucky handed him a Glock tucked securely into a holster that his belt slipped through. A small radio was clipped to his belt, and a discreet earpiece went into his ear.

  Lucky headed for the door, and Mason followed. “We’ll check in with the rest of the team to make sure everyone can be heard okay, but for now, we’re meeting with Sienna and her agent, Ryan Mills. After, we can do a walkthrough.” He checked his watch. “We have three hours until Sienna is due at the signing. Until she’s secure, we don’t leave her side for anything. Sienna will be signing for four and a half hours with a half hour break after two hours. Then she’ll return to her room. When she’s signing, I’ll stand to her right, and you to her left. Tomorrow, fans who have purchased the photo package will be permitted to take pictures with her. We’ll stand as close to her as possible without being in the picture. Fans have been given a list of what they can and cannot do.” Lucky straightened and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He tapped away at it, and Mason’s phone vibrated. “I’ve sent the list to you. It’ll be up to us to enforce these rules.”

  Mason pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the list. It was straightforward. Nothing lewd, inappropriate, or offensive. There was a long list of examples which included no kissing. Sienna might be a celebrity in the public’s eye, but she was still an eighteen-year-old who deserved to be treated respectfully.

  Lucky greeted the two men standing guard outside Sienna’s door. “Good day, gentleman. I am Eduardo Morales from Four Kings Security, and this is my associate Mason Cooper. I’m going to reach into my pocket to pull out my ID.” They showed the guards their IDs and thanked them when they were let into the room.

  A tall blond man in a tailored suit greeted them, his smile wide. “Gentlemen, I’m Ryan Mills. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for helping us out. I know it was all very last minute. Please come in. Let me introduce you to—”

  “Who is it?” a gruff male voice called out from the bathroom. Whoever it was, Ryan was not a fan, judging by his less-than-thrilled expression.

  “It’s the gentlemen from Four Kings Security, Wyatt.”

  The bathroom door opened, and a very large, red-faced man in a brown suit stepped out.

  “Wyatt, we have one of the Kings here, as you requested, along with his associate. This is Eduardo Morales and Mason Cooper. Gentlemen, this is Sienna’s father, Wyatt Smith.”

  Wyatt held his hand out to Mason. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cooper. Thank you so much for being here.”

  “Happy to help, sir.” Mason frowned when Wyatt turned to Lucky and instead of shaking his hand, looked him over, his smile gone.

  “What experience do you have, Mr. Morales?”

  Lucky looked from Wyatt to Mason as if perhaps Mason understood. When Mason frowned, Lucky turned his attention back to Wyatt. “I’m sorry?”

  “Dad,” Sienna said, looking mortified for some reason.

  “No, I need to know you’re in safe hands.” Wyatt turned to Mason. “How long has he worked for you?”

  Why the hell would the guy assume Lucky worked for—oh. “Mr. Smith, I’m not—”

  “I know most people don’t ask these types of questions, and your company has a stellar reputation, but this is my daughter’s safety we’re talking about. Since it’s your company, I expect you know who your employees are. I just want your assurance that you’ve got the best with you.”

  “Sir, Mr. Morales is—”

  “Listen, how you run your company is up to you, but I need to know everything is on the up and up. I know how things here in Florida work.”

  Jesus fuck. Was the guy even going to let him finish a damn sentence? Wyatt was really starting to piss him off, especially now that Mason knew why the man assumed Lucky worked for him.

  “Is he qualified?” Wyatt asked.

  Mason stared at him. Was this guy serious? That had to be the dumbest question he’d ever heard. He’d just said Four Kings had a stellar reputation. Why would he ask if an employee of said company would be qualified? Before Mason could respond, and no doubt stick his foot in it, Lucky spoke up.

  “That’s his way of asking if I am an illegal immigrant,” Lucky offered, and a growl rose up from Mason’s chest as he balled his hands into fists at his sides. Lucky put a hand to Mason’s bicep. “Easy, Cowboy.”

  Wyatt put his hands up. “It’s a perfectly valid question.”

  Ryan took Lucky’s hand in his, his face doing a great impression of a tomato. “Oh my God, I am so sorry, Mr. Morales.”

  “Why are you apologizing?” Wyatt asked. Realization seemed to dawn on him, and his eyes went huge. He moved his gaze to Mason.

  “Yeah, I’m not a King,” Mason drawled. He pointed at Lucky. “He is. I work for him.”

  Wyatt fidgeted with his tie. “I, uh, I apologize, Mr. Morales. I’m just looking out for my daughter.”

  Mason had to give Lucky credit. He was a much bigger man than Mason would have been. His smile was friendly, and he tipped his head in acceptance of Wyatt’s apology.

  “Of course. Maybe next time, you are not so quick to judge a man, you know?”

  “Right. Again, my apologies,” Wyatt said, his skin flushed from his neck to his ears.

  “Please, call me Lucky.” He held his hand out to Wyatt, who shook it.

  Wyatt cleared his throat and showed them over to the couch—because of course they had a couch. “I admit, I didn’t pay much attention to the photos, but the packet I received from your office says you fellas were in the military.”

  “Yes, sir. Special Forces.”

  “Thank you for your service.”

  Lucky nodded before turning to Sienna with a bright smile. “Hello, Ms. Scott. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” They each shook her hand, greeting her warmly. She was a beautiful young lady with bright red hair and a shy smile. When Wyatt turned to speak with Ryan, Sienna leaned in to them, her voice quiet so the others wouldn’t hear.

  “I am so sorry about my dad. He’s really protective, and not at all good with people.”

  “Don’t worry about your father,” Lucky replied gently. “We’re here for you, okay?”

  Sienna nodded.

  “Now, it’s very important that you communicate with us. If you’re uncomfortable at any point. If you don’t feel well, are scared, or someone gives you a bad feeling, you need to tell us, okay? We’re here to help in any way we can.”

  “Thank you.” She toyed with the hem of her stylish tunic. Poor girl was all nerves.

  “Now, you’re going to pick a code word,” Lucky said. “Something easy for you to remember but that you wouldn’t normally say. This will be your signal to us that you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. If you say this word, Mason and I will escort you to somewhere private, yes?”

  “Okay.” Sienna worried her bottom lip with her teeth in thought. Her eyes went to Mason, and her cheeks turned pink. “Rodeo.”

  Lucky snickered.

  “Is that okay?” Sienna asked, uncertain.

  “It’s perfect,” Lucky replied, he tipped his head at Mason. “He’s a real cowboy, you know.”

  Sienna’s eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh, for reals? Like, an actual cowboy who rides horses on a ranch?”

  Mason chuckled. “Yeah, just like that.” He didn’t mention how he’d walked away from that life a long time ago and never looked back, or how he’d spent most of his adult life trying to atone for what he’d done. She didn’t need to know what he thought of himself every time he looked in the mirror or how he had to change his phone number every few months so his family wouldn’t try to contact him. How he used a UPS mailbox for everything instead of his actual address so his father wouldn’t show up on his doorstep. Sienna deserved to keep her storybook fantasy of what she believed him to be.

  “See,” Lucky said, interrupting Mason’s bleak thoughts. “You have a big, strong cowboy protecting you. You got this.”

  Sienna’s smile was dazzling as she nodded enthusiastically, but then Lucky seemed to have that effect on people.

  They confirmed the time they’d be back, then left to do their walkthrough. Before Mason knew it, they were in the elevator heading to Sienna’s room to pick her up. Lucky put his fist out to Mason.

  “Show time, Cowboy. We got this.”

  With a chuckle, Mason fist-bumped him. “We got this.”

  The elevator doors opened on their floor, and everything went to shit.

  Chapter 7

  “What the fuck?”

  Mason stared at the throng of people squished into the hallway ahead of them. Lucky’s phone rang, and he quickly picked up, his expression grim as he listened to the panicked voice on the other end.

  “Ryan, you need to calm down because I can’t—what?” Lucky stilled, his body rigid as if he were standing at attention. There were few times Mason had seen Lucky’s demeanor change in that manner, and it tended to involve the acknowledgment of a threat. His body suddenly relaxed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. After a deep breath, which he released slowly, he was once again centered and calm. “Okay. I’m going to clear a path. When I knock on the door, both of you be ready. If I see Wyatt, we’re going to have a problem. He is to stay away from Sienna until the signing is over. Understand? Now get ready. We’re going to be making a quick exit.” Lucky hung up and turned to Mason.

  “What the hell happened?”

  The dozens of fans crowding the hallway were getting rowdy, especially with the ones in front trying to push past the two security guys guarding Sienna’s room. What a clusterfuck.

  “Wyatt decided he wasn’t in the mood for room service and went downstairs to eat in one of the very public, very full restaurants. Someone recognized him, followed him up without him knowing, then called their friends, who called their friends, and now this. Hold the elevator. I’m going to get Sienna.” Lucky stepped out and shouted, “Holy shit, it’s the hot dude from Aquaman!”

  It was like something out of a horror movie. Dozens of heads whirled around at the same time before a cacophony of shrieks and screams exploded in the hall. A stampede en masse promptly followed.

  Lucky thrust a finger to his left. “He ran around the corner. I think he’s heading for the stairs!”

  The horde charged, a mixture of teenagers and adults. Mason had never seen anything like it. He’d worked plenty of crowd control jobs over the years as law enforcement, but most of the time, folks had been secured behind barriers or lines of security. Here, they were running wild with no one to corral them.

  “Works every time.” Lucky grinned before his smile slipped away. “Let me know if anyone starts heading back this way.”

  “Where the hell is the rest of Sienna’s security?”

  “Downstairs trying to stop the rest of Sienna’s fans from coming up, which means we’re getting off on the first floor and taking the stairs down to conference level. Ryan’s making arrangements to get Sienna’s hotel room and ours swapped with rooms on a different floor. It’s going to cost them a hell of a lot of money to make it work, but they have no choice. I’ll be right back.” Lucky took off for Sienna’s room while Mason held the elevator door open. A heartbeat later, Lucky emerged with his arm around Sienna as they hurried toward the elevator, Ryan and the two guards in tow.

  “Sienna!”

  The war cry had been sounded, and soon several fans were running for the elevator, but Lucky got everyone inside and the door closed before anyone reached them.

  “That was intense.” Sienna looked unsettled, and Mason couldn’t blame her. Large crowds were unpredictable, and no matter how innocent the reason for the gathering, all it took was one asshole and the whole thing could turn ugly.

  They reached the first floor, and when the elevator opened, Lucky stuck his head out. With the coast clear, he motioned for them to follow. As per Lucky’s instructions, he walked ahead of them and Mason stuck close to Sienna, with Ryan close to her other side and Sienna’s two guards behind them. The floor was silent, and thankfully they made it to the stairwell without incident. Lucky went first, opening the door and checking things out before he signaled for Mason to follow with Sienna. They quickly made their way down the stairs, past the lobby level, and down to the conference level below.

  “Stay here.” Lucky disappeared through the exit door and returned not long after. “Everyone is still crowded outside the elevator. We’ll need to make a run for the doors to the staff entrance. From there we can take the back way into the dressing room behind the conference hall.” He turned his attention to the two guards. “Mason will walk on Sienna’s right, one of you walk in front of him, the other behind. We want to block their view of her as much as possible.” The guards nodded, and Lucky smiled at Sienna. “We got this, yes?”

  Sienna nodded somewhat hesitantly.

  “No, no, no.” Lucky placed his hands on her shoulders and bent down so they were eye to eye. “You are a confident, independent, powerful woman. Those people are here to see you because your talent speaks to them. You’re an artist. You’ve worked very hard, and now everyone sees how amazing you are. Repeat after me. I am a confident, independent, powerful woman.”

  Sienna took in a deep breath and released it slowly. “I am a confident, independent, powerful woman.”

  “Yes, good. You keep repeating that in your head, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Now. Do you got this?”

  “Yes,” Sienna said firmly, her expression determined. “I am a confident, independent, powerful woman. Let’s do this.”

  “That’s it!” Lucky turned and glanced at Mason over his shoulder. “Ready, Cowboy?”

  “You bet.”

  Lucky opened the door, and they moved together as quickly as possible without drawing attention to themselves, the guards staying close to Mason. Thankfully, the elevators were at an angle, meaning as soon as they cleared the exit and made it to the hallway, their view was obstructed. With everyone else in line outside the main conference hall, it meant they made it to the back doors without anyone seeing them. As soon as Sienna was in her dressing room, she and Ryan let out a sigh of relief. Lucky informed the rest of the security team, who were now on their way to the signing area, while the two guards with them remained outside the dressing room door.

  The dressing room was cozy but nice. Sienna took a seat on the black velvet couch on one end while Ryan grabbed a bottle of water from the large bucket of ice on the black coffee table. He handed one to her before taking one for himself, then took a seat beside her. The room was what one would expect a backstage dressing room to look like, though maybe not as fancy as in some places. It had the essentials, though—a big plush couch, a clothing rack against the far wall next to a tall three-panel divider that served as a changing room if needed, a large framed mirror, and a few vases with flowers. The decor had a white, purple, black, and silver color scheme. Mason stood to one side of the dressing room door when they received word the event manager was outside. After clearing her credentials with Ryan, they let her in. She took a seat on the couch with Ryan and Sienna, and while they talked, Lucky came over to stand by the door with Mason.

  “You’re doing great, Cowboy.”

  Mason felt a little tickle of pleasure at Lucky’s approval. He hadn’t been seeking it, but now that he had it, he’d hold on to it. “Thanks.”

  “When it’s time, we’ll accompany her out to the booth. You’ll stand to her right, and I’ll stand to her left. They may take pictures with her while she sits at the table, but they may not come around the table. Either way, we’ll have guys on each end of the table to ensure that.”

  “Got it.”

  “Lucky?” Sienna called over, and Lucky placed a palm to Mason’s back, giving it a rub, then a sweet pat before he left, leaving Mason wanting more of his touch. When King said they’d be working together, Mason had expected to find himself in King’s office within the first few hours. A small part of him felt guilty for believing Lucky would find a way to get Mason off his back. That Lucky wouldn’t be able to look past whatever was going on between them to work with Mason, but he’d been very wrong. Lucky was a professional. It was obvious now that when he was on the job, he was focused on the task at hand and everything else came second.

  Their time together in the surveillance truck popped into his head, but he quickly brushed it aside. The pressure between them had been building. It was bound to explode, and it had, but it was out of their system now. They could move on. Like you moved on that night when you had phone sex? Okay, that was… hot, so fucking hot. No. That was a one-off. The whole truck incident had thrown them off their game. It wouldn’t happen again.