Chapter 9
DAWSON
Why did I let Brodie get me into trouble?
I should know by now to ignore his taunts and keep my mouth shut.
And, to make things worse, I had to look at Iain when I responded.
I wanted to give the guitarist a taste of his own medicine. He’d flirted with me for ages, and most of the time, I ignored it. But man, I was reaching the end of my patience.
And hell, yes, I was bossy in bed, but he didn’t need to know that.
God, just thinking about bed and Iain at the same time was not helping matters.
Thank fuck Regan wasn’t around, or she’d have yanked me from Iain’s detail as soon as the words left my mouth.
Iain wasn’t in the wrong when he suggested the elevator was crowded. But honestly? There was nothing I could do about it. And being close to him was the only place I wanted to be.
Okay, that line of thinking was not professional, but hey, I’m still human. And put me next to a gorgeous man like Iain, and yeah, I’m gonna notice.
By the time we got out of the elevator and back into the SUVs, my calm demeanor was back in place. I sat up front this time, giving myself some much-needed distance from Iain. I texted Regan with details about the dinner, then called the restaurant to ensure they added four more seats to the table.
Fifteen minutes later, we entered L’Escalier, an upscale bistro in the eleventh arrondissement.
With dim lighting, red velvet booths, and sexy music, the place was designed for romance, as evidenced by the many couples occupying most of the space.
It was kind of funny to watch our motley crew of rockstars and bodyguards in a room full of elegantly dressed Parisians and their intimate tables for two.
Our host greeted us warmly and we were guided to the back of the restaurant, where the bar was located. A few heads turned to stare at us, but no one got up and made a fuss. They kept to their own business, and I was confident that we’d be good here.
It didn’t take long for the staff to lead us to a large table that was private but not completely cut off from the rest of the room. It was near a rear exit, which was perfect. I picked the spots where my team would sit, facing outward, but let the band get settled in first.
“Len,” I leaned over to my colleague. “I’ll sit on the far end with Ronin and Faise, you okay with Iain and Brodie?”
“Of course. And probably a good idea after that elevator ride.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know better than to let Brodie goad me.”
“Just be careful, yeah? I know the way Iain flirts with you. And the way you look at him.”
“I’m just doing my job. And Iain’s just being Iain. He doesn’t mean it.”
I don’t know who I was trying to convince, myself or Lennie. I wasn’t special to Iain, just a thorn in his side that he wanted to get rid of.
“If you say so,” Lennie murmured.
I walked over to the table and sat down. I’d grabbed a sandwich this afternoon, but it was nearing nine, and my stomach was seriously displeased.
Of course, I horrified the server when I said I wasn’t ordering wine. None of the security staff were. We got sparkling water while the boys ordered a couple of bottles of ridiculously expensive cabernet sauvignon.
Once our dinner orders were taken—steak frites all around—the guys got into a heated discussion about rehearsals and which club they wanted to hit tomorrow night. Lennie suggested a few spots, and the guys began arguing about which would be best.
Since I wasn’t into the party scene, I kept out of the conversation and studied the room.
I studied Iain.
Okay, my gaze inevitably strayed to him more than once. He looked relaxed now, but I wanted to be sure he was okay.
Then my phone buzzed.
Incoming call: Regan.
I signaled to Lennie that I was leaving. Standing up, I answered the phone, stepping away from the noise at the table and into the narrow hallway near the kitchen.
“Yes, boss?”
“Sorry to interrupt your dinner, but I wanted you to know that Holloway’s old phone keeps getting messages. The tone is escalating. Whoever it is, they’re very angry he left the country. I’m forwarding these for your info.”
The nerves in my belly took flight. “Okay, I’ll have a look.”
Regan sighed. “What about the new number?”
“Nothing so far.”
“Any other odd happenings?”
I thought back and remembered the night of the charity event. “It’s probably nothing, but I got a call the week before we left. Unknown number, and no one said anything when I answered. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now—”
“You think it might be the same person?”
“The timing is interesting. And I don’t really believe in coincidences.”
“Me neither. I hate to say it, but it’s got to be someone close to him. How else would they have access to your number as well as his?”
My stomach tightened, and it had nothing to do with hunger.
“We’re talking about a small list then. Their manager, assistants, security staff… fuck Regan, I don’t even want to think about any of our team being behind this.”
“I don’t either. But the suspect list is wider than that.
We should consider anyone associated with Bandit Music.
Someone who, even if they don’t have direct access to Holloway’s number or yours, could gain it by accessing company information.
Also, this person doesn’t know about the new phone, so I have a feeling it’s not someone in your group in France but back here at home. ”
She was right, and that gave me some sense of relief.
“Should we contact the police?” I asked.
“The messages are creepy, but there’s no direct threat. In the meantime, I’m going to call my contact in the Nashville PD and get her take. For now, we conduct our own investigation into Bandit.”
“How do we do that without alerting employees? What about HR? What about Greg?”
“I have to inform him first and get his okay.”
“We can’t just start investigating everyone.”
“Internally, no. But we can hire an independent private investigator.”
“Bandit has what? Two, maybe three thousand employees?”
“One hundred and twenty-six in the Nashville region. That’s where we’re going to focus.”
“Because of the comment about the last concert?”
“That and the fact that this person is still messaging his old number. This person is local.” Regan paused. “Did you notice anything else unusual at their last show? Any audience member who stood out?”
“No. Nothing.”
“I’m confident you’re safe overseas, but don’t let your guard down and don’t tell Holloway. We don’t want him to think he’s got nothing to worry about.”
“You got it, boss. Oh, by the way, the incident tonight at their interview—”
“I saw your text.”
“We should keep a close eye on Harlow. He threw the band under the bus tonight. Now, I don’t know if that was on Greg’s orders or his own decision, but the guys were upset, and rightly so.
It nearly came to blows. Do you think he could have anything to do with this?
I mean, on Greg’s orders, as some kind of payback for their contract feud? ”
“Off the record, I wouldn’t put anything past Greg, and he always has someone else do his dirty work. But I think it’s unlikely. Still, let’s have the team keep an extra close eye on Harlow, just in case.”
“Done.” I sighed, running an agitated hand through my hair. “I know we’re employed by Bandit, but if the company is doing anything to fuck with Iain—”
“Holloway is in good hands. Go with your instinct. I’ll back you up.”
“Thanks, Regan.”
“Enjoy your dinner. We’ll talk tomorrow at the rehearsal.”
By the time I got back to the table, the steaks had arrived, and everyone was enjoying their meal. I sat down and dug in, ignoring Iain’s inquisitive stare that I could feel from all the way across the room.
I’d barely started to eat when the chef himself, a man named Didier Laurent, appeared in his white uniform. He talked to the band, asking how they were enjoying the meal and, of course, gushed over them like a true fan.
Didier was a good-looking guy with dark hair, loads of tattoos down both arms, and a wicked grin. As he made his way down the table, he stopped beside me and pointed at my plate.
“You don’t enjoy the steak?” Didier asked.
“I just sat down a few minutes ago, so—”
His grin was wide and welcoming. “Ah, thank God! I was starting to worry I’d lost my touch.”
“I’ve only had four bites, but every single one is amazing.”
“So happy to hear. And you are?”
I reached out my hand. “Dawson Everly, I’m the security lead. Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is entirely mine,” he replied with a flirty grin as he gripped my hand tightly.
“Didier, join us for a drink!” Brodie called out.
“Absolument, but I only have time for one glass. I don’t trust my sous chef entirely. If your dessert soufflé is half risen, don’t blame it on me.”
The server brought another chair and placed it between me and Ronin.
I finished my steak frites while Didier conversed with Ronin and the rest of the guys. The chef was a big music fan and world traveler, so they had much in common, chatting about concerts and the best places to visit around town.
One glass of wine became two, as Didier and the band members became fast friends.
I had just finished clearing my plate when Didier turned to me. “No drinking on the job for you, eh? That’s unfortunate.”
“I’m used to it. Gotta stay sharp and fit.”
Didier gave me a long once-over. “You are that. Very handsome indeed.”
I smiled in return but felt… nothing.
As much as I was flattered, the timing was all wrong.
Come to think of it, the timing had been wrong for a while.
I hadn’t had sex in, fuck, close to a year.
If I wasn’t busy with work, I was with my son, which meant little to no time for my personal life.
Not that I was complaining, but hooking up had taken a backseat to everything else.
Maybe when this trip was over, I’d take a night off and have some adults-only fun.
“Do you get any time off while you’re here?” Didier asked me, leaning closer.
“Unfortunately, no.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. But getting laid was not at the top of my mind on this trip.
All my attention was on the blond musician sitting at the other end of the table. I looked over to find Iain giving me the stink eye again.
What was it now?
Without thinking, I placed my napkin on the table and stood up. “Excuse me, Didier.”
Glancing at Lennie, I made the gesture to switch places. I rounded the end of the table and made my way to the other end, sitting opposite Iain.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered.
“Nothing. I’m finally enjoying myself now that I’m not being suffocated by you,” he replied, refusing to make eye contact.
Iain reminded me of a beautiful, temperamental cat. He was all hisses and bites, but I never let that stop me.
A lock of his long hair slid over his cheek, and I forced myself not to lean over to brush it back behind his ear. I could imagine his reaction to that. He’d probably bite my finger off…
“What is it?” I asked again.
Finally, Iain sighed and looked at me. “I’m getting a headache. I want to go back to the hotel.”
“All you have to do is say,” I replied and turned to Van. “We’re gonna head out; Iain needs to rest.”
“Tonight’s on me,” Van replied and motioned for the server.
“Oh no, dinner is on me,” Didier announced as he stood up and held up a hand. “I insist. You are my guests, and it was a pleasure to host you this evening.”
“But—” Brodie started.
“But,” Didier interrupted. “You are welcome to leave a tip for my hard-working staff. They will appreciate it.”
“That we can definitely do,” Van replied with a smile.
Didier said goodnight to everyone but stopped when he got to me. He handed me his business card.
“If you find yourself in need of a tour guide while you’re in town, give me a call.”
“I, uh, thanks,” I replied and pocketed his card. What could I do? If I didn’t take it, I’d only make the guy feel bad.
Iain abruptly stood up, the table rattling.
Didier glanced at Iain, then turned back to me. “You’re welcome.”