A Guarded Love Read online

Chapter 7

  Landon was disappointed in himself. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kristin. Why was he attracted to her when she obviously didn’t like him? But there was something about her that kept pulling at him. Was it her talent? She was one of the most talented pianists he’d ever seen.

  No, that couldn’t be it. There were a lot of talented people out there and Landon didn’t give them a second thought. Something about her seemed vulnerable. The confusion frustrated him, and he wanted to be able to stop thinking about her.

  A call on Landon’s cell phone distracted him. It was the guard at the front of his property who informed him that his cousin, Ava, was heading to the house. That was great news. It was always an adventure when she came around. Being two years older than Landon, she was always the ringleader of their fun—climbing trees, playing kick the can, pirates, or being spies. It was sure to be a good time. They spent most of their holidays together and many weekends at their grandparent’s home. Ava had always been his best friend growing up. Then she went off to college and he started touring and they weren’t able to spend as much time together, but they tried to block out time whenever he was home.

  “Where have you been?” She put down two boxes on the kitchen counter and turned to look at him with her hand on her hip. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

  “Sorry. I saw that you called. I forgot to call you back.”

  Ava walked over to him. “Are you okay? You look so serious.”

  “I’m good.” Landon tried to smile. “I was in Sacramento taking care of a problem.”

  “That’s a long drive. What kind of problem? Are you having trouble with a fan again?”

  “It’s not exactly a fan. The paparazzi are stirring up trouble.”

  “Is this serious?”

  “No. I don’t think so. It’s more annoying and frustrating.”

  “You’re not taking care of this yourself, are you?” Ava folded her arms over her chest.

  “Nope. I got people.”

  “Good. I can’t have you distracted when I have work for you to do.” Ava started looking through one of the boxes.

  Landon loved that Ava could give it back. She was more of a sister than a cousin. Landon sighed. “What project do you have now?”

  “Don’t act like you don’t love the errands that I give you.”

  Laughing out loud, he said, “What’s the errand?”

  They both turned when they heard the front door open.

  “Hello. Is anyone home?” Austin asked.

  “Hi, Austin. We’re in the kitchen.” Ava answered.

  Austin came in and looked at the boxes. “What’s going on in here?”

  Landon leaned back on the kitchen chair. “Probably family history papers. I’m getting another assignment.”

  “Oh. I wonder what it is this time. Hey, do you have any chips? I’m starved.” As he walked to the pantry, he stopped by the boxes and started going through them.

  Landon looked at Austin. “That sounds good. I want some too.”

  “Hey, be careful with those things. They’re old.” Ava pulled Austin’s arm out of the box.

  “I wished my family cared about family history like you two.”

  “You don’t have to wait for your family. You could do it yourself.” Ava raised an eyebrow.

  “My family would think it was weird. They’d give me grief.”

  Ava pulled a chair out and sat down. “They don’t understand what it’s all about. Family history helps you connect to the past because it affects the future. It also helps you to understand yourself. You can keep their memories alive, plus you can learn about health concerns that might have been passed down to you.”

  Austin nodded.

  “What assignment do you have for me?” Landon leaned forward. He was a little worried about what his task might be. Last time, he was asked to meet some distant family members who had a one-of-a-kind document that they made copies of and wanted to give to Ava. They were afraid to mail it because they didn’t want it lost or stolen. Once they realized that Landon was related to them, they became starstruck and fawning. Landon hated that. It was a very long three hours that he didn’t want to repeat.

  “What’s your travel schedule?”

  “We won’t be traveling for a while because we’ll be back in the studio recording.”

  Austin interrupted. “We do have the Country Christmas Jamboree the first week of December.”

  “Great! What city?”

  “Let me look.” Landon looked at the calendar on his phone. “It looks like it’s in Little Rock, Arkansas.”

  Ava went to one of the boxes and pulled out a big journal. Looking through the pages, she pointed to something. “Ah, ha! We do have family from there. It looks like there is an old church where some of our family got married. I’d like a picture of that and some family headstones.”

  “Okay. Send me the information and I’ll do my best.” A calmness washed over him. This would be an easy job to complete.

  Ava came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulder and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  Austin leaned against the counter and put his hands in his pockets. “It looks like we have another adventure.”

  “Looks like it.” Landon grinned.

  “But I think you’ve been having an adventure without me.” Austin stared at Landon with a smirk. “I saw the pictures. Wasn’t that the girl from karaoke?”

  “Yes.” He felt like someone punched him in the chest. He didn’t want to explain everything to Ava. Landon wanted this to be over. The less people that knew about this, the better.

  “What’s going on?” Ava turned around to face Landon.

  Landon ran his hand through his hair. “Austin and I went to karaoke two days ago. Someone took a picture of this girl and me. They probably sold it and now the reporters are camping out at her student housing.”

  “Is Rob handling it?” Austin’s eyes changed from lighthearted to serious.

  “Yes. But I gave my number to Lexi so I could contact her for the concert tickets and now she’s calling me for help. I feel bad that this happened, so I don’t mind helping.” In fact, it was kind of uncomfortable to help strangers and let them into his home, especially when he didn’t know their backgrounds. He felt vulnerable, but at the same time, he knew he had to help.

  “That poor girl. I’m sure she doesn’t even know how to deal with this.” Ava sat there shaking her head.

  “I’m surprised it’s lasted this long. But another picture surfaced yesterday.”

  “I know. I saw it.” Austin made his way to the food pantry and opened the door. He stood there looking at all his choices.

  Landon liked that Austin felt comfortable in his home enough to look for food.

  Leaning closer, Ava asked, “What was the picture about?”

  Landon felt himself slumping in his chair. “It showed the girls getting into my car as I tried to get them away from the photographers and reporters.”

  “Oh, boy. The reporters will have a field day with that.” Ava patted his hand.

  “Hopefully, Rob has this under control.” Austin grabbed chips and salsa and joined them at the table. “You guys want some?”

  Ava nodded.

  Landon grabbed some chips.

  “What are you going to do on your break?” Ava looked at Austin.

  “I’m going to head home to Texas tomorrow morning. My brother has some high school football games and I don’t want to miss them.” Austin spoke with his mouth full.

  “That sounds fun.” Ava smiled. “Well, I’d better go. I have tons of errands to do.” Ava hugged Austin. “Tell your family hi from me.”

  “I will.” Austin held the hug a little longer. Ava laughed.

  Then she hugged Landon. “Good luck with this girl problem. I’ll text you the family history information.”

  “Thanks.”

  Both guys watched her leave.

  “Hey, let’s pla
y some video games.” Austin picked up his food and carried it to the console. Landon followed.

  Landon was having a hard time concentrating. The lack of energy was coming on strong and his thoughts were filled with the worst-case scenarios and self-blame. Staying home would have been a better option than going to karaoke. No matter how much prep work he put in, the result was always the same: miserable. Landon didn’t like this side of fame.

  Chapter 8

  Kristin watched as Rob walked in with two other members of security, all carrying bags of groceries. This was definitely more items than were on the list. Crossing her arms, she opened her mouth to let them know, but then she thought better of it. Lexi and Kristin helped put the groceries away. This had to cost so much. How would she be able to pay for this? Not only was she being harassed by the paparazzi, now she was going into debt because she couldn’t afford all the groceries that were purchased. “How much did all of this cost, so we can pay you back?”

  “It was paid for by Landon. He doesn’t want to be repaid. Let me introduce you. This is Steve and Tina. And these are the girls we’re helping: Kristin and Lexi.”

  Lexi’s eye’s twinkled. “Thanks for picking up groceries. I’m sure that’s not how you wanted to spend your day, but we do appreciate it.”

  Steve looked pleased. “It wasn’t a problem. We even added some goodies for you that weren’t on the list. Landon said it was okay, so don’t worry about it.”

  Kristin immediately liked Steve. He was kind and easy going with an outdoorsy kind of look. He was the polar opposite of Rob. Tina was tall and lean, not saying much and keeping herself at a distance.

  Rob’s voice broke through her thoughts. “We calculated that it will take you nine minutes to get to the Union building. Let’s sit on the couch and go over the route.”

  Tina and Steve stood by the door. They probably helped devise the route, so they didn’t need to see it. While Rob was explaining everything to Kristin, she noticed that Tina slipped out the door. No goodbye or anything. She was just gone.

  Once Kristin answered the questions to Rob’s satisfaction, she was ready to go.

  Rob stood. “Lexi, Steve here will be your bodyguard.”

  “Great! I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.”

  “I know how long it takes for girls to get ready. I have sisters. Do you mind if I watch TV while I wait?”

  “Here’s the remote.” Lexi tossed it to him. “Thanks for understanding.”

  Kristin stood by the couch. “Have you two worked together for a long time?” she asked Steve.

  “About five years. There are twelve of us who all served in the military. Once we got out of the service, people have been hiring us for various jobs. With all our different personalities and skill sets, we work well together, and we get the job done right.” He settled into the couch and started going through the channels.

  Kristin thought it all seemed excessive for some pictures. What kind of specialist was needed to help with this situation? As she watched Steve, she wondered if he’d ever killed someone. He looked so relaxed as the couch engulfed him. He seemed so carefree, but curiosity was consuming her. Is Steve a killer? “What’s your skill set?”

  “I can tell you, my pretty, but then I’d have to kill you,” said Steve, smiling. Rob chuckled.

  Kristin gasped. “Really?”

  “No, not really. I can keep a secret. I wouldn’t tell you anything that I wasn’t supposed to. But I can talk about my job here. I’m the computer geek of the squad.”

  Lexi entered the front room, ready for work.

  “Let’s get you to work safely,” Steve said, holding his arm out to Lexi. She blushed and took hold of it.

  Kristin watched Lexi leave and wondered if Steve would be able to protect her. Being a computer geek wasn’t exactly a big, muscular, strong bodyguard type. She guessed he hadn’t even killed anyone. Not that she wanted him to kill anyone, but she wanted to know that he was capable of it, if the situation called for that. “Well, it looks like she’ll have fun with Steve.” Protection would be better than having fun.

  “He’ll take care of her.” Rob didn’t even look up from his computer.

  It was like Rob could read her mind. But she didn’t truly believe him. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Are you ready to leave?” Rob stood.

  Panic shot through her and she hoped it didn’t show on her face. “Yes.”

  “I’m going to leave first so that no one will be suspicious. You start on the route in seven minutes. Please watch the time. Don’t be early or late.”

  Kristin opened the door at the allotted time and had never been so scared in all her life. Being aware of her surroundings was her top priority. She hoped the guys involved in her protection were on their game today. Trying to look nonchalant was difficult; she kept looking over her shoulder. What should she do if she ran into Jessica before she got to the union building? She didn’t have the energy to decide. She would have to let Jessica make the first move and take it from there. Kristin entered the building alone and—being hyper-observant—she saw a man reading the paper, a guy standing near the front door listening to his iPod. In the auditorium, there were people going over the stage schedule. Were any of these people part of her security?

  Kristin made her way to the piano on the stage and waited for Jessica to arrive. Could she be wrong about Jessica taking the picture? She hoped so. The stage felt different today. It normally felt comfortable, like her second home. Today, it felt cold, like someone had broken into her sanctuary. Losing trust for someone she’d cared about was difficult. Kristin waited thirty minutes, but no Jessica. After waiting another fifteen minutes, she decided to text her. Jessica didn’t respond. Forty-five minutes passed, and she decided Jessica probably wouldn’t be coming. Kristin hoped she was okay and that she didn’t miss her appointment out of guilt. Kristin pulled out her phone and called Rob. “Hi. Jessica never showed. I guess I’m going to head home now.”

  “Okay. Make sure that you take the route we discussed. I’ll let everyone know you’re on your way.”

  “Thanks. I think Jessica didn’t show up because she feels guilty.”

  “It kind of looks that way.”

  Kristin started walking back home and decided to play a game to keep herself from having a meltdown. Her goal was to spot at least one of the security guys watching out for her. For all she knew, they could be snipers on the top of buildings with guns pointed at her right now, but she wasn’t going to dwell on that. Everyone looked so normal, it made the game more difficult. The distraction helped her make it home without too much anxiety. Knowing they were out there somewhere made her feel protected, even though she wasn’t sure she actually identified anyone.

  Home was her refuge. Before she opened the door, she took a deep breath and did a quick visual scan. Everything appeared to be okay. Kristin talked with Rob on the phone while she made her way through the rest of the apartment. Everything looked fine. She figured it would, since the apartment was being watched, but she could never be too cautious. Needing a break from the craziness, she decided to watch a comedy. It felt good to laugh.

  Feeling better, she started on her homework but realized that she left one of her composition books in the car. Kristin walked to the parking lot, took out her keys, and opened the door. What she saw next sent a cold chill throughout her entire body.

  Chapter 9

  Kristin stared at the note lying on the driver’s seat. She’d seen that handwriting before. With a trembling hand, she picked it up and started reading. “It’s time you stop ignoring me. You are not going to be with Landon.” Kristin reached for her phone, but it was back in the apartment. She jogged back to her place and quickly snagged the phone. She shook as she called Rob, completely forgetting the composition book. Rob was at her door in record time.

  Taking the note from her and studying it, he asked, “Do you have any idea who this could be?”

  Rubbing the back of her nec
k, she glanced at the note. “I think this could be my ex-boyfriend.”

  “How long have you two been broken up?”

  With her shoulders slumped, she staggered to the kitchen chair. Rob dragged a chair next to her. Unshed tears filled her eyes as she looked at him. “I broke up with him in May, just before I went out of the country.”

  “Why did you break up?” Rob looked at the note again.

  “He was too controlling.” Kristin noticed sympathy in Rob’s eyes.

  “How did he take it when you called off the relationship?”

  Tracing a pattern on the kitchen table and not looking at him, she answered, “He was furious, but I was leaving the next day—to Austria for the summer—so I didn’t care.”

  “Does he know you live here? Has he tried to contact you since you’ve been back?” Rob kept eye contact with Kristin.

  “I lived in this apartment with Lexi before I went to Europe, so he does know where I live. He called me yesterday after he saw the picture. He thinks I’m dating Landon.” Kristin knew she wasn’t telling the entire truth, but she didn’t want Rob to know about the bruise or Sam stalking her at the club.

  “Did you explain about the picture and that you’re not dating?”

  Kristin stiffened and she raised her voice. “No! It’s none of his business. He doesn’t have a right to know anything about me.”

  “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m trying to get a full understanding of what’s going here. Do you happen to have a picture of him?”

  “Yes, let me get it.” Kristin felt weary as she stood to go into the bedroom. She found the picture easily enough, but wished she had thrown it in the garbage. Sam needed to be out of her life, and she wanted nothing that reminded her of him.

  Taking the picture, Rob studied it. “What’s his name?”

  “Samuel Ackerman.”

  “Have you been to your car since yesterday?”

  “No. Today was the first time.”

  Tapping the picture on the table, Rob thought for a moment, and then looked at it again. “He must have done this early yesterday, before our team got involved. We have been watching this apartment and your car since we were assigned, and no one has been here since we got rid of the paparazzi.”