Viktor nodded. “Just checking. I’m good with it if you are.” His eyes swept to Jasper. “You have any pending assignments?”
His gaze flickered to Viktor. Max knew Jasper had suffered a few bad spots the last two years, especially when it came to guarding Kade’s wife. He was, however, the best KSI had. Better than Cole. Even if he still didn’t quite trust his instincts. The rest of the team trusted him, though.
“You just finished up the last job I had you scheduled for. Then you were supposed to be off for your two-week rotation. Up to you if you want to take a new job or not.”
“Sloane would never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t take the job. She loves Shayna. Records that damn soap every single day.”
What was it with women and soap operas? His own mother had loved her afternoon soaps. His grandmother too. Max had no clue what the appeal was. Drama, drama, drama…and then the same drama on a different day. Exhausting.
“It’s settled, then. Jasper, why don’t you head on down to the studio and shadow her while Max and I do a few things and get our forensic team to the apartment?”
“Security at the studio is nonexistent.” He still couldn’t fucking believe that shit.
“I remember. Jasper, make sure to stay close, but don’t make her nervous. I’ll call the head of the studio and let them know you’re coming.”
“I’ll text the woman and make sure she’s expecting him too. I wouldn’t put it past her to have him thrown off set.”
“She’s that skittish?” Viktor drained his coffee and set the mug down.
Jasper snorted. “You go through a divorce with one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood, and you’d be skittish too. The press crucified her.”
Max frowned, not liking that at all.
“What do you mean?”
“It became her fault that her bastard ex cheated on her with multiple women. She was the reason he was addicted to heroin and had to go to rehab. When she miscarried, that was her fault as well, even though the TMZ video clearly showed him shoving her away from him. She tripped and fell down the stairs. She has every right to be wary.”
Max and Viktor both eyed him like he was some alien from another planet.
“Sloane keeps up with that shit.” He threw his hands up in a what-am-I-supposed-to-do kind of way. “She tells me about every single piece of gossip she comes across.”
“So, you’re telling me your wife is going to possibly try to weasel an introduction?”
He’d meant it as a joke, but Viktor didn’t take it that way. His gaze sharpened, and Jasper’s facial features cleared of laughter and embarrassment.
“If she wanted one, she wouldn’t get it. This is my job, not a damn social circle.”
Viktor nodded, and something in Max eased, not even realizing until that moment even he was afraid Sloane might weasel said invite from Jasper and put Shay at risk. Jasper loved his girlfriend, and if it came down to a choice between Sloane or Shay, Sloane would be who he saved. Not that one man in KSI would fault him.
“You motherfucking motherfuckers!”
Mason Kincaid stood glaring at them from the door, his eyes centered on the scraps of burritos currently on their paper plates.
“Tell me you didn’t eat them all.”
“What, these were yours?” Max asked innocently as he shoved another bite in his mouth.
“You know damn well they’re mine, Sheridan.”
He stalked forward and looked in the trash then stabbed his finger at them accusingly. “That was a new bag!”
“Community food, my friend, community food.”
“Community food, my ass.” Mason shoved a hand through his hair. “It’s too fucking early for this shit.”
“What are you doing here?” Jasper grinned and took a bite out of his remaining burrito.
“Viktor called and woke my ass up earlier.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and stomped over to the table, muttering about people being raised in fucking barns. “Something about an emergency client. I’m assuming it’s the same one Max texted me about?”
“Shayna Moore.”
“Why do I know that fucking name?” Mason cocked his head.
“She’s a soap star,” Max supplied.
“No, that’s not it…wait…” Mason’s eyes widened. “Wasn’t she married to Duncan Kane?”
“The same.” Jasper finished his burrito and took a swig of coffee. “Fuck, those things are delicious.”
“You keep rubbing it in, and you’ll see what happens when you can’t get into the electronic locks on your car.”
Jasper’s face paled. Mase was as vindictive as Conner Kincaid, the scariest fucker Max had ever met. Conner was Viktor’s twin, but there was a darkness in the man that screamed “fuck off or you won’t walk away whole.”
Jasper stood and threw his trash away. “I think I should be heading to the studio.”
Mase glared at his back as the fucker retreated.
Max snorted. Mason didn’t scare him. He was as skilled at computers as the kid. Max just didn’t advertise that little fact.
“We need to get over to her apartment and check her security system. I’ve already messaged Tobin to get his team up and head over there. Police almost always miss shit.” Viktor yawned. “Kade will email her the standard contract with the fees added in for her demands.”
“If Cole’s not busy, send him to the studio to talk with security. Find out what’s really been going on, and see if they were stupid enough to hand over all the hate mail.”
Viktor nodded at his suggestion, and the three of them locked up and headed to the high rise apartment that belonged to one very paranoid soap opera star.
It wasn’t until Shay filmed her last scene of the day that she looked around for the bodyguard she knew was surely close by. She saw no one different, though. Nothing looked out of place. Max told her someone named Jasper would be shadowing her, so he had to be here.
Somewhere.
Maybe snapping photos of her that he could sell.
Stop.
Max said no one at his firm would do that.
But what if…
No.
She had to trust that he spoke the truth.
Shay felt him before she saw him. It hit her in the chest, and she turned her head in slow motion. He was leaning against her trailer talking to a man who looked just as built as Max. The elusive Jasper, maybe?
Max waved her over, and she forced a fake smile.
“Shayna, meet Jasper Watkins. He’s the best we have when it comes to guarding people. Cole will be filling in for him when he can’t be here.”
“Cole?”
“Cole is ex-police. Jasper was in my unit in the Marines.”
Oh. She’d forgotten Desi told her Max was a soldier. Maybe he could vouch for Jasper because he knew the man very well. Military men and women formed close ties. Duncan had researched the life of a soldier for one of his films while they were still married. He’d talked to several actual men from both the Army and the Air Force. She’d been right there, listening to the war stories and the tales of bonds forged in hellholes.
“Thank you for your service.” The words were automatic, but Shayna truly appreciated the men and women of the military. They did a thankless job for way less pay than they deserved.