Considering it was six in the morning, he wasn’t sure if Kade or Jasper was awake. Kade might be since he had two kids, but at least he knew Viktor was up and would be here soon.
Max dug around in the freezer and came up with some breakfast burritos. Thank God for Mason’s girlfriend, Jo. She kept these damn things stocked for Mase. He was starved, and these would do. He threw the last of them in the microwave for a few minutes then into the oven to brown. He hated eating microwaved burritos. They got soggy.
He was just pouring a cup of coffee when he saw the security monitor in the kitchen come to life. Viktor, followed by Jasper, came in the front doors.
“Kitchen,” he hollered when he heard their voices. He took two more mugs out of the cabinet and poured them both a cup.
“Fuck, it’s early.” Viktor ran a hand through his hair and sniffed. “What’s that deliciousness I smell?”
“Mase’s burritos.”
“Don’t let him catch you eating those.” Jasper reached into the fridge and pulled out a gallon of milk. He added some to his coffee and passed it to Viktor. “He about flipped last time he came in and there were none left, bitching that he didn’t even get one.”
“Oops.” Max pulled them out of the oven. “I put the last of them in for us.”
Jasper laughed and took a sip of the milk-heavy coffee. Angel, Kade’s wife, only drank real milk in her coffee. She’d converted almost the entire security firm to her way of thinking. Even Max. Using any kind of other creamer tasted…less. He was never one for any of those flavored creamers, anyway.
Viktor handed out paper towels, and they each took two of the burritos and sat down at the small kitchen table to eat.
“Tell me about this client and her demands.” Viktor closed his eyes when he took the first bite. “Where the hell does Jo get these? I can’t find them.”
“A small grocery store close to her and Mason’s apartment. That’s what she told Sloane, at least. I have her on the hunt for them.”
Sloane was Jasper’s future wife. They still hadn’t set a date, though.
“Her name is Shayna Moore…”
“The soap star?” Jasper paused in stuffing his mouth to gape at him.
“You know who a soap star is?” Viktor arched a brow in question.
“Yes. Sisters, remember? And Sloane watches her too.”
“She’s got a stalker who broke into her apartment, and she’s freaking out. There have been threats made through the mail the studio receives as well. She didn’t know about those until yesterday when the execs had to come clean to the police.”
“The life of a celebrity,” Viktor muttered around the food in his mouth. “Fucking brilliant.”
“How did you get the call, though?” Jasper asked. “Doesn’t that usually go through Vik or Kade?”
“My sister is how I got the call. I’m going to murder her later.”
They both stared at him, the unspoken question as clear as dirt on a white truck.
“She and my sister are apparently good friends, and Desi recommended me. She woke me up at four in the fucking morning to be at the set by five.”
“How does your sister know Shayna Moore? Does she work on set with her?” Viktor took another drink of coffee then turned his entire focus on Max.
Letting people know his baby sister was a superstar was not something he did. Ever. But they were going to find out because of Shay.
“I’m not exactly sure how they met, per se, but it was probably when Desi was in New York performing.”
Again with the questioning expressions.
“My sister is Desiree.”
They both blinked at him, not understanding.
“The singer, Desiree.”
If he wasn’t in such a foul mood, he’d probably be laughing his ass off at their expressions. They looked at him, blinked, and then looked again.
Desiree was a beautiful African American woman whose mother had been as white as his, and her father, his stepfather, was as dark as night. He’d grown up calling the man Dad. His own father had died in a car crash when Max was a baby. Marcus Stevens was the only father he’d ever known.
It did make for some fun family photos with him, Desi, and Marcus. He was the odd man out with his dirty blond hair and bright green eyes.
“But…” Jasper closed his mouth, trying his best not to offend. “She’s…you’re…”
“Her father married my mother when she was two. Blood or not, she’s my sister.”
Viktor nodded. “Family isn’t about blood, anyway.”
And that was something Viktor knew all about. His wife, Sara, had been married to an abusive husband. Her daughter was now officially a Kincaid, and Viktor was as much the girl’s father as Marcus was his.
“Tell me about these demands Ms. Moore has insisted upon.”
“She wants me to act as a bodyguard.”
Viktor frowned. “You’re not a bodyguard, though.”
“I tried to explain that to her. I told her once we figured out who her stalker was, that’s when I would come into play. I find people. I don’t guard them.”
“But she’s insisting?”
Max nodded. “She’s apparently had some run-ins with the media, and she’s afraid someone might sell her secrets to the press.”
“We would never…” Jasper started, but Max held up a hand to stop him.
“I know. I tried to assure her of that too, but she trusts my sister, who trusts me, so…”
Viktor sighed heavily. “This is not how we normally do things.”
“I told her that even if you and Kade agreed, I wouldn’t do it if she didn’t allow one of our actual bodyguards to be there as well. Someone who will know what they’re doing and might see something I don’t.”
“Which is why you texted me at the ass crack of dawn,” Jasper surmised.
“Were you asleep?”
“No.” A hint of a blush washed over the man’s face, and Max couldn’t resist teasing him.
“Sloane awake too?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Early morning…”
Jasper slapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t be saying shit like that about my girlfriend.”
“You don’t know what I was going to say.”
“No, but I know you.”
Max laughed. Jasper did know him a little too well. He was the jokester of their group. Always had been, even back in their unit in the Marines.
“Fine, I’ll keep my sugar comments to myself.”
Viktor cleared his throat to get their attention before the bickering could commence. “Are you comfortable acting as a bodyguard?”
“I can take a man down if I have to. You know that.”
Viktor nodded. “You got the same training I did. I’m not questioning your instincts, Max. I’m asking you if you’re comfortable doing it. It’s a lot more responsibility than you ever wanted to take on.”
Max sighed heavily. When he’d agreed to come onto KSI, he’d specifically asked Viktor to keep him away from bodyguard cases. He really didn’t want that responsibility.
“I don’t think I have a choice. There’s a credible threat here, and if I refuse to do what she’s asked, she won’t take any help at all. I’d feel like shit if something happens to her because of me. And let’s not even talk about the fit my sister would pitch if her friend got hurt.”