Page 40 of Her Ruthless Protector

“One newbie got kicked out of the Navy for putting n-b acid into a Seahawk engine as a joke. Serious as fuck, it was a combination smell of goat, vomit, gym socks, and baby shit. It took six months for that putrid smell to evaporate and the only person who could fly that bird had a neurological condition that meant he was immune to bad smells. He couldn’t have any passengers because they’d just end up tossing their cookies. Tell me that whoever deployed the stink bombs just did it in the open air.”

“Yeah, we found four buckets with the foulness wafting out of them. I paid four guys one hundred rials a piece to dispose of that stench. But we can’t possibly have any kind of rehearsal there today, and the reporters are due to arrive at noon. They are going to have to pass the main stage on the way to the press box. They are going to get a noseful.”

“You’re going to have to cordon off a different route for them to get to the press box,” A.J. said calmly. “Find some rope and posts and get it done. I have a brand-spanking new computer program that has set up everybody’s rehearsal times at the stages—it should allow me to quickly rearrange things.” She peered over her shoulder at Kane. He nodded.

“Alistair’s already cordoned off the main stage area according to the stench line.”

“Good man,” A.J. nodded. “Also, I’ll make sure you’re reimbursed for the money.”

“Thanks, A.J.”

“Look, I’ve got to go meet with Amber. She was first up on the main stage today, so I get to go break the good news.”

“It could have been worse,” Chet said with a big grin.

“Don’t even say it,” A.J. shook her head. “If those stink bombs had gone off when she had been rehearsing, it would have been worse than World War Three.”

“I would have paid money to have seen it. Hell, I would have paid my entire bonus if I could have videotaped it,” Chet laughed. “See you soon,” he said as he left.

A.J. shut the door.

“Is she as bad as she sounds?” Kane asked.

“Worse. So much worse. She takes the term Prima Dona to a whole new level. I pray she doesn’t win, but I’m pretty sure she’s going to.”

“Do you think that somebody feels the same and is targeting Amber?” Kane asked.

“That was part of what I was doing last night. I was backtracking all of the scheduling to see who was set to rehearse on the stage that had the lights fall. Amber wasn’t one of the acts.”

Kane gave her a slow grin, then gently glided his hands up and around her neck so that his thumbs were tracing her collar bones and he was looking deep into her eyes. “Lady, every damn time I think it’s your body that gets me all hot and bothered, your intelligence bites me in the ass and I get hard,” he rasped.

“Ah hell Kane. Now I’m going to be all melty when I see Amber. You’re not being fair.”

“Think of me—I’m supposed to go to the airport and deal with dumbass computer programmers who don’t hold a candle to you. I’m going to end up losing my shit on them, and it’s going to be your fault.”

A.J. so wanted a kiss, but she was late. Way late. Way, way late.

“Will I see you tonight?”

“I don’t know, Aurora, will you?”

She shrugged out of his grasp. “Come on, get your ass moving. I’ve got to lock my trailer or one bitchy SEAL will be up my ass for my crappy security protocols.”

“Damn right.”

* * *

Damn it,she hated phony over-the-top tears, they made her skin crawl and brought up too many bad memories. Amber was sitting there with her three assistants, her manager, her costume designer, her publicist, her make-up artist and some woman with no title except for sycophant, and she was crying up a phony storm.

“They are all out to get me, and it’s your fault. You’ve set me up,” she wailed.

A.J. kept a calm smile plastered on her face and continued to lean casually against the counter in Amber’s luxurious trailer.

“Amber, you can’t tax yourself this way. Think of your golden vocal chords,” the woman with the pink hair said.

Really?

“Dawn and dusk are my glory hours. They shine the perfect light and bring harmony to my craft. You’ve ruined my time to shine,” Amber warbled.