I leaned back against the cushions and squeezed my eyes shut. “That’s not an option, Celina. If I bail on the show at the last minute, I’ll burn all my bridges in the television industry.”
“And that would mean giving up your dream of getting a show of your own,” she sighed.
“Exactly.”
“Then you’ll just have to get some security.”
“It’s not that simple. The network isn’t going to want to spend the extra money without a solid reason to do so,” I explained.
“If they won’t do anything about it, then I’ll call Carissa. Vaughn’s got to know someone who can help.”
Celina and Carissa had gone to boarding school together for years, so I knew her well. But I’d only met her husband Vaughnonce when they were in London for their wedding about two years ago. I’d flown out and made their cake, but I’d had to deliver it the morning before the ceremony because I’d needed to be in LA the next day to appear as a contestant on the show I’d gone on to win. “Don’t bother him with this. He barely knows me.”
“Too late. I just texted Carissa, and I already have little bubbles showing me she’s typing her response.”
“Celina,” I groaned.
“She said that she’d get Vaughn on it right away, and she’ll make sure he has someone at your hotel by tomorrow morning. What time do you need to head to the studio?”
I banged the back of my head against the cushions before I answered. Resistance was futile when Celina was like this. “Seven.”
“Don’t leave until he gets there.”
I wouldn’t. Not because I didn’t want to. I did. But I knew I’d never hear the end of it from my sister if the muscle Vaughn sent to help me had to track me down. I sometimes wondered if she forgot that I was the older sister, not her.
2
GAIGE
Idug my cell phone out of my pocket as I deboarded the plane. I’d planned to check for messages and emails as I walked through the airport, but the phone started ringing before it was even in my hand. Glancing at the screen, I chuckled to myself. It was almost as though my best friend had a tracker on me and knew it was the perfect time to call.
“I need your help.” It wasn’t unusual for Vaughn to skip over the hellos and get straight to the point. He’d been like that ever since we met during boot camp in the Army. You never had to doubt where you stood with him, and it was one of the reasons our friendship was so solid. That and all of the years I’d spent at his side on missions. The bond between a sniper and his flanker tended to be tight, and we were no exception. Considering the number of kills I’d helped Vaughn make, it was no wonder.
“What do you need?” It went without saying that I’d help, regardless of his answer.
“I need you to fly out to LA. Tonight if possible. First thing tomorrow morning at the latest. I can charter a plane for you if it comes down to it.”
“I like a nice charter as much as the next guy—”
“More,” he corrected.
“That’s fair,” I chuckled, thinking about the first time I’d flown anything other than commercial. Vaughn and I had only been a year post-separation from the Army. We’d been on our way home from our fifth operation for a private contractor. We’d been successful in a difficult mission, and our employer was thrilled with the payday we’d netted them and hired the jet to give us a taste of what we could have by working with them more in the future. We’d enjoyed the fuck out of the flight; eating good food and polishing off a bottle of expensive whiskey. But it hadn’t changed our minds. We didn’t take any more assignments with the company and set up shop on our own. It paid off in a big way, and now we could both afford our own private planes if we wanted them. “But a plane won’t be needed since I’m within easy driving distance.”
“You aren’t in Atlanta?” Since I’d just had dinner with him and his family two nights ago, his surprised tone was understandable.
“Nah, I landed in Vegas about thirty minutes ago.”
“Something for Brecken?” he guessed incorrectly, mentioning the man whose team had saved my ass on a mission to Somalia that had gone FUBAR. He’d gotten out of the military, too, and we’d both worked with him in the private sector. It’d become less frequent for Vaughn since he’d met Carissa, though.
“This trip is for pleasure, not business.”
“Shit, man. Sorry,” he groaned. “I hate to ruin your vacation when it’s been too fucking long since you’ve taken a trip just for fun. Hell, the last one barely even counted since you could only spare forty-eight hours in London for my wedding.”
Little did he know that if I’d gone with my instincts, I wouldn’t have been there at all. A few minutes after I’d landed, I’d bumped into a blonde who was hurrying towards her gate.I’d seen plenty of attractive women in my life, but I’d never had such a strong reaction to one before. The feel of her hands on my chest as she steadied herself had my cock pressing against my zipper. My heart raced when startled green eyes met mine. She apologized and said something about rushing so she didn’t miss her plane. I wanted to convince her to stay, but my words froze in my throat. And then she was gone. The opportunity missed. Thinking about it made my voice rough as I joked with Vaughn. “What did you want me to do? Stay for the honeymoon? I saw you both at breakfast the morning after the ceremony. It didn’t look like you needed any help with your—”
“Shut the fuck up,” he growled.
I laughed as I walked past the car rental counter. Using the same company when I traveled had its perks, including the fact that I didn’t have to check in with anyone. I glanced at the electronic screen directly behind the counter, located my name and the parking spot number where my rental car was waiting for me, and headed out the door. “Sorry, man. It’s too much damn fun to rile you up. All those years, nothing ever made you lose your cool, but one little mention of anything related to Carissa and you’re guaranteed to go off.”
