Into the Fury (BOSS, Inc. #1)(64)

“Yeah, I got something to add. Mr. Carlyle expects you men to keep the women safe. Do whatever it takes to make sure that happens. That’s what you get paid for. You see something, you handle it. That’s why we’re here. We don’t need the f*ckin’ cops doing our job for us.” He flicked Ethan a challenging glance.

Ethan kept his mouth shut. If Beau wanted to get one of his men killed, all they had to do was follow his advice.

“If there’s nothing else,” Ethan said, “you’re dismissed. My guys, I want one more word.” The other men filed away, along with Gallagher and Desmond.

“You remember what I said earlier?” Ethan said.

“Yes, sir,” they agreed in unison.

“We call for backup,” Joe said, clarifying Ethan’s orders. “And keep the guy in sight till the cops get here.”

“That’s right. Keep your eyes open. Look for anything out of the ordinary. We’ve got a lot more to worry about than just this one guy. They still haven’t found the guy who murdered Delilah Larsen in Seattle. Stay sharp and stay safe. For now, that’s all.”

The men dispersed. They had a lot to do to secure the building before rehearsal started at noon.





It was late, dusk setting over the landscape by the time rehearsal was over. Val sat in the bus next to Meg, Izzy, Carmen, and the first batch of models heading back to the Four Seasons Hotel, where the tour was staying in Atlanta. Ethan and Dirk accompanied them, Dirk riding in front, Ethan in the rear. Bick and Beau, the dynamic duo, as Meg had dubbed them, were on the second bus, which followed a few blocks behind.

Val was just calming down, her nerves settling after her performance onstage. It was always that way, even during rehearsal. It took a moment to realize the muffled ringing in the bottom of her purse was someone calling on her cell.

Hurriedly digging out her phone, she checked the caller ID but didn’t recognize the number. “This is Val.”

“Valentine, it’s Jason. I gather you’ve all arrived safely.”

The smooth male voice sent a fresh wave of nerves sliding through her. “Hello, Mr. Stern.”

“Jason . . . please. Surely we’re past formalities at this point, aren’t we?”

Not really, Val thought. “Of course . . . Jason.”

“That’s better. Now that you’re here in Atlanta and settled in, we need to discuss your schedule for the next two days. Will supper work for you?”

She didn’t want to go. She had an uneasy feeling about Jason Stern. But she worked for La Belle, which made Stern one of her bosses. She could only put him off so long. “Yes, I suppose I can make supper work.”

“Good. I’m staying at the St. Regis. I’ll send a car to pick you up . . . say quarter to eight?”

She flicked a glance at Ethan, who was watching from his seat a few feet away. “All right.”

Satisfaction surfaced in Jason’s voice. “Then it’s settled. I look forward to seeing you tonight.” The call ended and Val stuck the phone back into her purse.

Meg nudged her shoulder. “That sounded a lot like a date, girlfriend. I thought you and Ethan were . . . involved.”

“We’re not involved. Well, not exactly. And it isn’t a date. Jason Stern wants to discuss my interview schedule as spokesperson for David Klein.”

Meg laughed. “That’s what he’s calling it? A discussion? Everyone knows what a hound dog that man is. Whatever you do, don’t let him get you alone.”

Val flicked a glance at Ethan, glad he couldn’t hear the conversation. “He’s taking me to supper tonight at the St. Regis. I should be safe enough there, don’t you think?”

“My guess? It’ll be supper in his suite, followed by him pressing you to join him in bed. And I mean pressing. Jason Stern is not the kind of guy who takes no for an answer.”

Worry filtered through her. Apparently, Ethan was right. “Has he come onto you that way?”

Meg shook her head, shifting her silky flyaway red hair across her shoulders. “Not me. Jason prefers blondes.” Meg leaned closer. “Izzy told me he was seeing Delilah before she was killed. Now that Dee’s out of the picture, he’s looking for someone new.”

Val’s interest sharpened. “Wow, Stern was the guy she was seeing? Do the police know they were having an affair?”

“They know. Izzy says they investigated any involvement Jason might have had in the murder, but he was completely cleared. Paul Boudreau leaned on his friends at the police department to keep Stern’s name out of the papers.”

“I knew she was seeing someone. I didn’t know it was Stern.”

“Izzy and Dee were friendly. According to Izzy, Dee gloried in the attention Stern paid her. He was extremely wealthy, president of the company and all that. And in fairness, Jason is a very attractive man, at least on the surface.”

“He’s handsome enough, I guess, but there’s something a little too slick about him.”

“I guess Delilah didn’t see it. Add to that, he gave her very expensive jewelry. She said owning the diamonds gave her a sense of security. You know, something to hang on to when her days as a model were over.”

“Well, if Stern is looking for a replacement, he’s looking in the wrong direction. I don’t need his brand of security.”