Page 19

Ethan

The morning sun beat down on my neck as I stood outside the WLTZ television station, scanning the crowd that had gathered since news had broken that Nova Rivers was inside doing an interview. Logan stood beside me, his posture relaxed but his eyes constantly moving—the mark of a professional who never truly let his guard down.

“How much longer?” he asked, checking his watch.

“Should be wrapping up now.” I adjusted my earpiece, hearing Ty’s confirmation that they were in final questions. “Five minutes, tops.”

My mind drifted back to last night—to Mel on that desk, her skin flushed, her breath coming in short gasps as I tasted her. The memory was vivid enough to make my pulse quicken. I’d wanted her since that first kiss in her suite, but after last night…

“You look like you could use more coffee,” Logan observed, interrupting my thoughts.

“Um, yeah. Late night,” I replied, grateful for the distraction. Last night’s emergency had ended up being teenagers using a stolen employee ID to access Nova’s floor. They’d been reprimanded and sent on their way. Not a crisis, but it had kept me busy until dawn, running security checks and questioning hotel staff about their access protocols.

By the time I’d finished, I knew Mel would be preparing for this interview. I’d sent her a text:

Rain check. Soon.

Her reply had been simple:

I’m holding you to that.

“Those kids were determined,” Logan said, his voice pulling me back to the present. “Got to give them credit for creativity, using the service elevator like that.”

“Still a major security breach.”

“Already on it.” Logan scanned the surrounding area again. “New protocols being implemented at every hotel for the rest of the tour. I’m personally overseeing staff credentials and elevator access.”

I nodded, grateful for his efficiency. “Good. One less thing to worry about.”

With Logan handling the hotel security upgrades, I could focus on the bigger picture—and on Mel. The way her body had responded to my touch, the soft sounds she’d made when I?—

“Christ,” I muttered, shifting my stance to hide my body’s response to that particular memory trail. I needed to focus on something else. Anything else.

“How’s your sleep going?” I asked Logan, knowing his history with PTSD-induced nightmares .

He shrugged. “Four hours straight last night. Better than usual.”

“You taking anything for it?”

“Just managing it.” His tone made it clear the subject was closed. “Getting the job done, that’s what matters.”

I didn’t push. Logan was as reliable as they came, and if he said he had it handled, he did.

“Speaking of things that need handling,” he said, a ghost of a smile on his lips, “how’s it going with Mel?”

I shot him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Come on, boss. You think we haven’t noticed? The way you look at her when you think no one’s watching?”

I was saved from answering by Ty letting us know Nova was finished with her interview and on her way down. A couple minutes later, the doors to the television station swung open. Nova emerged first, her platinum hair catching the sunlight, a blazing smile on her face as fans erupted in cheers. Mel followed a few steps behind, tablet in hand, her professional mask firmly in place.

My chest tightened at the sight of her. She wore a simple navy dress that hugged her curves in ways that made my mouth go dry. Her hair was pulled back in that no-nonsense style she favored for business events, but I knew how it looked cascading around her shoulders, how it felt wrapped around my fingers.

“Showtime,” Logan muttered, all traces of teasing gone as we snapped into security mode.

Nova immediately gravitated toward the barricade, where fans were screaming her name, camera phones raised. Ty and Logan flanked her. Mel headed straight for the waiting limousine, her eyes catching mine briefly—a flash of green that sent heat coursing through me before she quickly looked away.

Professional. We both needed to be professional right now.

I remained slightly behind Nova, a careful distance—close enough to intervene if needed, far enough not to cramp her celebrity style.

“Nova, I love you!” a young girl shrieked, waving a poster frantically.

Nova beamed, leaning over the barricade to sign autographs and pose for selfies. This part of her job genuinely seemed to energize her. Unlike the security protocols she chafed at, fan interaction was where Nova thrived.

“Thank you all for coming, New Orleans!” she called out, her voice carrying over the excited chatter. “Can’t wait to see you at the show tonight!”

Everything was going smoothly until it wasn’t.

A blur of movement caught my eye—a young man vaulting over the barricade, breaking through our security line. He reached for Nova, his hand outstretched.

I moved instantly, my body operating on pure instinct. I grabbed Nova’s arm, yanking her behind me while simultaneously pushing the fan back with my other hand.

“Logan!” I barked, already maneuvering Nova toward the limo.

“On it!” Logan had the jumper restrained in seconds, pinning him against the barricade while venue security rushed to assist.

Nova, to her credit, didn’t scream or fight me as I rushed her toward the limo, Ty behind us making sure no one else followed. The crowd had erupted in confused shouting, phones raised higher as people tried to capture the drama, but fortunately, nobody else jumped.

“Into the car, now,” I ordered, scanning for any additional threats as I bundled Nova into the back seat where Mel was already waiting.

I slid in after them, Ty right behind me, slamming the door.

“Go!” I told the driver, who immediately pulled away from the curb .

“Stay down,” I instructed Nova, keeping her head below window level until we were clear of the crowd. My hand reached for my weapon out of habit, though I hadn’t drawn it during the incident.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked, eyes moving between Nova and Mel.

“I’m fine,” Nova said, surprisingly calm. “What happened?”

“Fan jumped the barricade,” Ty explained.

Mel was pale but composed, her eyes meeting mine steadily. No hint of panic, just alert concern. “Logan’s handling it.”

“We’re clear,” Ty said, eyes still trained out the back window.

“Well, that was exciting,” Nova said, adjusting her hair in her phone’s front camera. Remarkably, she hadn’t started live streaming the event. Progress.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Mel asked her, concern evident in her voice.

“I’m fine,” Nova assured her. “Takes more than an enthusiastic fan to rattle me. I never even saw him.”

The rest of the drive passed in tense silence. Ty and I kept our attention outside the vehicle, but it was obvious the danger had passed.

When we arrived at the hotel, I escorted Mel and Nova through the service entrance, avoiding the small crowd that had gathered out front—news of the incident having spread quickly.

“I’ll take Nova to her room,” Mel said as we reached the elevator. “She needs to rest before tonight’s performance.”

I nodded. “I need to meet with my team. Let me know if you need anything.”

Nova seemed surprisingly subdued as the elevator doors closed, taking them up to the secured floor. I headed to our command center, where Jace was already waiting.

“I heard,” Jace said as we entered. “Everybody okay?”

“Yeah,” I said .

“Overzealous fan jumped the barricade,” Ty explained, dropping into a chair.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Logan stayed. He should be reporting soon.”

“Logan just checked in,” Jace updated us a few minutes later. “Local police are processing the jumper now. Name’s Brian Kelley, twenty-two, local college student. He didn’t have any weapon. No priors, no connection to Nova other than being a fan who got way too excited. Probably completely unrelated to our stalker.”

“Good,” I said, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. “One less thing to worry about.”

“About that…” Jace’s expression turned grim. “Roger Harrison was released on bail yesterday.”

My jaw tightened. “How the hell did that happen?”

“First-time offender, good lawyer, sympathetic judge.” Jace shrugged. “He’s under court order to stay away from Nova, but…”

“But orders of protection are just pieces of paper,” I finished. “Where is he now?”

“Unknown. Bail bondsman says he checked in yesterday as required, but he’s not at his registered address.”

“Fuck.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Okay. Increase security protocols. I want extra personnel on Nova’s floor and at the venue tonight. Full background checks on every staff member, no exceptions.”

“What about the Barbies?” Ty asked. “Could that be connected to Roger?”

“Doesn’t seem likely,” I replied. “Roger’s more the obsessive fan type—the kind who collects memorabilia and fantasizes about meeting the object of his obsession. The dolls show a more aggressive, threatening pattern.”

“Plus, the timing’s off,” Jace added. “Roger was in custody when the second doll arrived. ”

“So, we’re looking at multiple threats,” Ty surmised. “Shit. Great.”

“And keep digging into Adam Foster,” I instructed. I still didn’t like Brooklyn’s manager, even though we hadn’t had any more overt problems with him. “His confrontation with Mel felt personal, almost threatening. If he has any connection to the dolls or the roses at the house, I want to know about it.”

“Already on it,” Jace assured me. “His finances, communications, travel—we’re tracking it all.”

About thirty minutes later, Logan entered the room, looking slightly disheveled from his confrontation with the barricade jumper.

“How’d it go?” I asked.

“Kid’s in custody. Crying his eyes out, says he just wanted to touch Nova’s hand.” Logan dropped into a chair beside me. “Local PD is charging him with trespassing, but I doubt it’ll stick. First-time offender, no weapons, just poor judgment.”

“Okay, we’ll consider this crisis averted. What else do we have?”

“Venue’s secure for tonight’s show,” Ty reported. “Full sweep completed this morning, additional checks scheduled before doors open.”

“Hotel staff has been briefed on the increased protocols,” Jace added. “No access to Nova’s floor without proper credentials and escort.”

I nodded, processing everything.

“We need a contingency plan if Roger shows up. He’s to be taken down immediately,” I said. “Jace, get his photo to all security personnel. Logan, coordinate with local PD for additional presence outside the venue. Ty, run a second sweep before Nova arrives for sound check.”

The team nodded, each understanding their assignments without further explanation. This was why I’d chosen them—they were the best, not needing hand-holding .

“Don’t forget tonight is the after-hours party at the Skylight club.”

Shit. I’d forgotten. It was a party specifically for Nova and her posse, plus some local celebrities and bigwigs. Nova had been talking about it for days.

“Do we need to cancel that?” I didn’t even want to think of the fallout that would generate with Nova, but safety was more important.

“No, it’s solid,” Jace said. “They’re cooperating and will let me use their security feeds.”

“But it’s going to be a long night,” Logan put in.

“Yeah, it is. Okay, let’s get to work.” I pushed away from the table. “I want hourly check-ins and immediate alerts for anything suspicious.”

As my team dispersed to their assigned tasks, I found myself staring at my phone, my thumb hovering over Mel’s contact. I wanted to text her, to check on her, to see if she was thinking about last night the way I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Instead, I tucked the phone away. Professional. I needed to stay professional.

But as I left the command center to prepare for the evening’s security operations, the memory of Mel’s lips against mine, her body trembling beneath my touch, followed me like a shadow I couldn’t outrun.