Page 11 of Max

“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.

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