First Watch

The job is high-profile.
The danger is real.
The attachment is the one thing neither of them can afford.

Griffin Hale is elite close protection—trained to read danger before it explodes and stop threats before they reach his principal. One catastrophic failure cost him his career, his confidence, and his place in the industry. When he’s offered a high-visibility assignment protecting Rune, the lead vocalist of one of the biggest K-pop groups in the world, Griffin takes it knowing the margin for error is razor-thin.

Rune lives under constant surveillance. Every movement scheduled. Every interaction managed. Fame has taught him how to disappear in plain sight—and how dangerous it is to want anything unscripted. Griffin is supposed to be another professional barrier between Rune and the world.
Instead, protection becomes physical from the start. Redirecting through crowds. Shared rooms. Hands at Rune’s back when things turn wrong. Trust forms fast under pressure, and the attraction that follows is impossible to separate from the job.
Then the danger turns real. A lighting failure leaves people seriously injured. An encounter among a crowd of ardent fans nearly turns deadly. Someone is testing access, timing, and control—and Griffin is certain this isn’t coincidence.
As the tour escalates toward Seattle, Griffin believes the threat is violent—and he may be right. The deeper he digs, the clearer it becomes that the greatest danger may be coming from inside the system meant to keep Rune safe.

Protecting Rune means confronting the failure that destroyed Griffin’s career.
Loving him means refusing to let him be managed into silence.