Bodyguard: Target (36 page)

‘That’s a number-one
hit!’ declared Kay, hugging Ash as he joined them in the artists’ lounge
for the after-show party. She was beside herself with excitement. ‘We must get
you in the studio
as soon as we’re back. It’s all about the moment
– and you’ve captured it!’

Charley was equally overcome with
emotion. Still reeling from being serenaded to with her very own song, she walked
alongside Ash as if floating on air. For the first time in years, her heart felt
full – untroubled, complete, at peace.

But she wouldn’t get a moment
alone with Ash to thank him
for quite a while yet. Band members, road crew, invited
guests and media were all lined up to congratulate and compliment him. Ash beamed
and nodded his thanks, basking in the praise. After all the storms he’d
weathered, Charley felt he deserved his time in the sun.

Stepping away from the throng of
well-wishers, Charley spotted Jessie standing alone and apart from the others.
The
fan-club organizer had been quiet and withdrawn ever since Charley had accused her
of trying
to kill Ash. The two of them had not spoken a word to
each other since. Realizing there’d never be a good time to apologize with the
tour ending, this seemed like the best opportunity. Steeling herself, Charley went
over to the buffet table, picked up a plate and pretended to browse
the food on
offer. Oriental spring rolls, gourmet pizza slices, fancy sandwiches, chicken-satay
skewers and other delicacies all surrounded a massive tiered cake decorated with
candles and the word
INDESTRUCTIBLE
in icing.

‘Hi, Jessie,’ she said, as
lightly as she could.

Jessie ignored her.

‘Listen … I’m sorry
for what I said.’

Jessie shot her a hostile stare.
‘Oh, you’re sorry, are you? A little late for that.’

‘Please understand
–’

‘No, I understand all
right,’ Jessie snapped, rounding on her. ‘It’s not enough for you
to steal Ash’s heart. You have to break mine too.’

‘That wasn’t my
intention.’

‘Wasn’t it? You accused me,
of all people, of trying to kill Ash!’ she said, her mouth twisted into a
furious
snarl. ‘Ever since we met, you’ve wanted me off this tour. When
Ash was upset, you pushed me away. You hogged him to yourself.’ Charley saw
Jessie pick up a large knife from the buffet table. ‘You’re always
following him around, never letting him out of your sight. Wherever he goes, you go!
You’re like his shadow. The poor guy can’t even breathe without you at
his back. I don’t
know how he stands it.’

Charley took a step
away. ‘I said, I’m sorry. I was just doing my job.’

‘
Job?
Being Ash’s
girlfriend isn’t a job!’ exclaimed Jessie in outrage, waving the blade
in Charley’s face. ‘And from what I’ve seen you haven’t a
clue what PR is either. What I do for Ash is a proper publicity job. I’ve
slaved on his fan website night and day, built up his
following in this country from
nothing
. I’ve never asked for thanks. Never asked for anything. I
do this because of the love I carry in my heart for him. But still he loves you
more. He even writes a song for you!’

She thrust the tip of the knife
accusingly at her. Charley didn’t like where this was going and reached for
her mobile phone.

‘It doesn’t surprise me
you’ve had death threats,’ Jessie went on, still waving the gleaming
blade around. ‘You deserve all the hate you get online. I just wish I’d
written some of it. Cos that’s how I feel about you!’

As Jessie raised the knife, Charley
thrust her iStun into the girl’s gut. Jessie’s whole body convulsed and
jerked as three million volts of electricity coursed through her system.
The shock
was too much for her and she passed out, dropping to the carpet in a heap.

People were quick to notice and Ash came
dashing over with everyone else. ‘What’s happened to Jessie?’ he
asked.

Not wanting to make any more of a scene,
Charley quietly pocketed her phone and shrugged. ‘Jessie must have been
… overcome by your performance. She just fainted.’

‘Poor
Jessie,’ said Ash, as Big T knelt down beside the unconscious girl and tried
to revive her. ‘She was so looking forward to cutting the end-of-tour cake
with me.’

‘You stunned her for trying to cut
a cake!’ Jason exclaimed during her video call to Buddyguard HQ the next
morning from her hotel room on Sunset Boulevard. He laughed. ‘I got away
lightly
with a dislocated finger then.’

‘You won’t ever forgive me
for that, will you?’ said Charley, her cheeks reddening with shame at her
over-reaction in using the iStun – the fangirl might have been angry with her
but not to the point of murder.

‘Hey, I deserved that,’ said
Jason. Charley saw him glance round the briefing room, then lean closer to the
webcam. In a lowered
voice, he said, ‘Listen, I know we got off on the wrong
foot, Charley, and we haven’t exactly been best of friends, but I think
it’s time I gave you an apology.’

‘For what?’ asked
Charley.

‘For being an arse!’

Charley was rendered speechless by his
stark self-assessment.

‘I was …’ Jason seemed
to struggle for the right words, ‘
wrong
to assume just cos
you’re
a girl you’d be no good
as a bodyguard.
After seeing you in action on this operation – palm-striking guys,
resuscitating Principals and taking down not just one but
two
maniacs
– it’s obvious you’re more capable than any of us boys.’ He
smiled. ‘Can we start over?’

Charley realized how much Jason must
have swallowed his pride to admit this. And, despite their history, she
found it
easy to forgive and forget. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘And I’m
sorry for dislocating your finger.’

‘No worries, they still all
work.’ Jason wiggled his fingers in front of the camera. ‘Besides, it
was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so tough on you during
training.’

‘Yes, you should,’ Charley
said, to his surprise. ‘It was your fight-or-fail attitude that
pushed me to
go beyond my limits. I’ve a lot to thank you for. The fact you didn’t
make any allowances for me during training prepared me for the real world – a
world that makes no allowances whatsoever.’

‘Well, if I’d have known
that,’ said Jason, grinning, ‘I’d have been an even bigger
arse!’

Charley laughed. ‘No, you’re
big enough as it is.’

‘Thanks! And
you’re one
kick-ass bodyguard,’ he replied warmly. ‘I’m proud to be on your
team. Well … until I get my own team!’

‘Is that still happening?’
she asked. Having bonded with Jason at long last, the thought of splitting up the
original team saddened her.

Jason nodded. ‘As soon as you
return from this assignment.’ He glanced off-camera, then back at her.
‘Hey, the colonel
wants to speak to you.’

Jason left his seat
and Colonel Black’s craggy face appeared on her screen.

‘Outstanding work, Charley. It
seems your suspicions were right about Brandon and Gonzo,’ he said. ‘The
police have found evidence of coded text messages on the pap’s phone. They
contain times and locations that match the accidents and attacks on Ash.’

‘I knew it!’ said
Charley.

‘It certainly explains how Gonzo
popped up at every disaster on this tour,’ Colonel Black continued. ‘And
you’ve done well to keep Ash alive through it all. Operation Starstruck has
been an unexpectedly tough assignment. But, as you’ve discovered, fame is a
killer.’

Once known as the Riot House, the hotel
on Sunset Boulevard was a legend among rock stars. In the 1960s and 1970s, it held
the likes of The Doors, The Who and The Rolling Stones. Led Zeppelin
would rent as
many as six floors and stage motorcycle races in the hallways. The Who’s Keith
Moon threw a TV out of the window, setting a trend that John Bonham, Keith Richards
and countless other rock gods followed. Lemmy of Hawkwind wrote the classic track
‘Motorhead’ in the middle of the night on one of the hotel balconies.
Jim Morrison even hung from a window once by his
fingertips, causing a traffic jam
in the street below. The Riot House was
the
place to hang out and
party.

Tonight it hosted the official
Indestructible end-of-tour party. The rooftop pool and bar were buzzing with
celebrities, models, musicians and movie stars. Roadies wandered around wearing
T-shirts saying
I SURVIVED A WILD TOUR
! And security
was so tight that even
the most famous faces had to produce ID and guest
invitations.

Charley, in a
strapless white top and black leather jeans, stood with Ash by the pool when
suddenly there was a scream from the men’s toilets. The bassist came dashing
out, his trousers round his ankles. He shuffled to the bar, grabbed a handful of ice
and shoved it down the back of his pants. Everyone stared
in stunned silence at the
musician’s bizarre behaviour as his pained face melted with relief, then
turned to anger.

‘Who laced the toilet paper with
chilli powder?’ he demanded.

A ripple of laughter spread among the
guests.

Ash turned to Charley. ‘It
wasn’t me, but I wish I’d thought of that.’

Charley, fighting to keep her expression
straight, replied, ‘He
should probably put yogurt on it.’

Ash narrowed his eyes and studied her.
‘I think I’d better watch my back from now on.’

Charley laughed. It had been a long time
coming, but she’d finally got her revenge for their prank on her at the start
of the tour. She couldn’t bring herself to set up Ash, but the band members
were still fair game.

The party soon lost interest
in the
bassist and his burning backside, conversation resumed and the DJ upped the music
volume. A group of girls – super-fans who’d won a competition to meet
their idol – approached Ash.

‘Can we have your autograph
please?’ asked one of the girls, presenting their party invites for
signing.

‘Sure,’ said Ash. ‘Do
you have a pen?’

When the girl began
searching
in her bag, Charley produced her own pen from her back pocket –
she’d come prepared this time. Ash autographed the invites with a flourish,
then handed them back.

‘Yours too, Charley,’
insisted the girl with a hopeful smile.

‘Me?’ questioned Charley,
blinking in surprise.

The girl nodded. ‘You’re a
real inspiration. We all want to be Wild Cats like you!’

Taking
the pen back from Ash, Charley
signed her name next to his. Then the girls huddled close for a round of selfies
with her.

‘Looks like you’re becoming
a star yourself,’ Ash remarked as the girls trotted away, delighted with their
collection of autographs and photos. ‘Before you become too famous,
there’s something I need to say.’

Taking her hand, Ash led her to a gazebo
in the far corner of the rooftop garden. With the guests clustered round the bar and
pool, the gazebo was unoccupied and the surrounding potted plants gave them some
privacy. He stopped by the rail, where the sun was setting pink-orange over the haze
of LA.

‘I see you’re still wearing
the bracelet,’ he said, the woven bands of white-gold gleaming on her wrist in
the
dying light.

‘Of course,’ she replied,
feeling his arms wrap round her waist.

Ash gazed intently into her eyes. Once
more it seemed only she mattered.

‘I
wouldn’t have survived this tour without you,’ he said. ‘And,
while I wouldn’t want to go through that hell again, I really don’t want
this tour to end.’

‘Why?’ she asked, a little
breathless.

‘Because
it means you’ll no
longer be with me. At my side.’

‘Surely that’ll be a
relief?’ she said, trying to make light of their parting. ‘The fact you
don’t need constant protection any more.’

Ash shook his head. ‘Charley,
you’re my inspiration, my muse. I’ll be lost without you.’

He cupped the back of her neck in one
hand and drew her close.

‘I told you I’d break
your
arm if you ever tried to kiss me again,’ she warned, but her tone was gentle
and inviting.

Ash smiled. ‘Worth the
risk.’

Charley felt her resistance crumbling.
‘I’m not one of your groupies,’ she said.

‘No, you’re my guardian
angel.’

He leant in to kiss her and Charley knew
she was about to break the cardinal rule of bodyguarding.
Never get involved
with your Principal
.

The battle with her conscience
didn’t last long.

She gave into him, her heart ruling her
head. Their lips were no more than a breath apart when she heard a whirring sound
like an angry mosquito. She pulled back from the kiss. Hovering in the air, only a
few metres from them, was a drone with a camera attached.

‘For heaven’s sake!’
exclaimed
Ash, glaring at the flying
intrusion. ‘I
can’t even escape the paparazzi fourteen floors up!’

Charley calmly picked up a stone from
one of the potted plants, judged the distance and flung it at the drone. The stone
struck it dead centre, cracking its casing, then rebounded and shattered one of its
plastic propellers. The drone lurched sideways and plunged out of view.

Slipping her arms round Ash’s
waist, Charley now drew him to her. ‘So where were we?’

‘I think about
here
,’ said Ash, pressing his lips against hers.

Closing her eyes, Charley lost herself
in his exquisite kiss.

‘Ash?’ called Kay, her high
heels clicking across the stone paving towards the pagoda. Charley quickly broke
away from their embrace. ‘Ah, there you are!
There’s someone I need you
to meet.’

Ash squeezed Charley’s hand.
‘Wait here for me. I won’t be long,’ he whispered, then went off
with his manager.

Leaning against the rail, Charley gazed
out over the West Hollywood skyline, the city lights twinkling like stars. Realizing
she’d crossed a romantic line with Ash, she felt overwhelmed by a kaleidoscope
of emotions.
Was there a chance of a real relationship or was that a farewell kiss?
Could she remain his bodyguard and be his girlfriend too? Would she have to quit
Buddyguard?

Whatever the answer, she had to face
facts. Ash was a world-famous rock star with countless beautiful girls at
his feet. She shouldn’t read too much into a single
kiss, however intense.

Her phone buzzed in her
pocket. She
pulled it out and glanced at the text – an Intruder alert.