I shrug, my cheeks heating, though I don’t know why.
“Yeah,” Diesel cuts in, green eyes snapping, “you were giving off NFL vibes—not PBR ones.”
Mia’s face is a question as she silently mouthsPBR. Totally clueless. But what do I expect from a big city, Hollywood type?
“Bulls or bullets. All the same to me,” I grumble, never one for good one-liners.
The woman steps closer, face taut, listening.
Grayson’s eyes cut between us, settling on her flushed cheeks. “Sure you don’t want to get checked out by the paramedics?”
She shakes her head, raising her chin resolutely. “No one was injured,” she whispers, voice threaded with awe. Like she cares more about her audience than herself. Like she doesn’t fit the mold. She hugs herself, body still trembling. “And I’m fine. So, no.”
I fight the urge to pull her close, let my flesh eat her fear. But she’s my asset, for God’s sake. Can’t look soft in front of the crew, especially on my first job.
“Looks like you’re off the hook,” Hayes chimes in, quieter than the rest, eyes tracking the room. “No concussion means job security.”
Grayson’s jaw tenses, silently correcting Hayes.
“Your man saved me,” Mia cuts in, looking at Grayson like she expects him to do or say something. “Rough or not.”
I shift uneasily. Don’t need acknowledgment. Don’t need recognition. “Part of the job.”
“Any idea who might have it out for you?” Grayson asks, removing his Stetson and running his fingers through his hair.
She shrugs. Something about the gesture makes her look fragile, tiny. My eyes dart back to the men in suits, lingering around the edge of the backstage crowd like hungry lions.
Edwin steps forward again, slimy, slippery. The kind of man I despise. “Likely just a crazed fan. She gets lots of those, you know.”
“A stalker,” she says, lips pressing into a thin line. “I collect those the way some girls do handbags.”
He nods. “Fortunately, he’s in custody now. No one was hurt, and you can get back to what you do best.”
“No,” she says firmly.
Edwin’s mouth curves. “No’s not in the contract, Tiger.”
“I told you. I need a break. I need?—”
The air tightens. Even the suits stop moving.
She continues, “Not after a shooting at my concert. No, I won’t do another show until…”
“Until?” his eyes narrow, the pupils black and glistening.
“Until I have time to think things through. Think about what needs to change.”
“Wait, what?”
“What needs to change,” she hisses. “Like security. If my parents hadn’t…” Her voice falters. “If Lone Star Security hadn’t been here, I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened. And as for your security detail. They were supposed to have every entrance covered tonight. They had metal detectors. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Whoa. Hold up for a minute. Are you trying to blame this on me?” Edwin snaps.
My hands ball at my sides. Never cared much for men who intimidate women. I step forward.
“Ms. Love, Lone Star Security would be more than happy to provide temporary protection, if you’d like?” Grayson offers. “At least until all of this can be sorted out.”
Edwin’s face simmers.
