Chapter 5
FIVE
Charlie sat with Kyle in the conference room after lunch, waiting for her new client to arrive. Flo lay at her feet, the Malinois’s calm presence grounding her even as her mind raced.
Don’t get excited. It’s just another protection detail.
But it wasn’t just another detail. This was the job of a lifetime.
The fact that Kyle had chosen her—over all the other bodyguards at Watchdog—meant something. Kyle didn’t do favorites. He matched people based on skillset and temperament.
He trusts you with this.
Watchdog was no stranger to protecting celebrities, especially the home office in Los Angeles, and Charlie had guarded plenty.
She’d had the honor of protecting Annalie Givens on the Colorado leg of her book tour.
Annalie was being stalked by a serial killer who had used her terrifying books as a blueprint.
Charlie had worked with Kyle to keep her safe from a mob of fans and paparazzi.
This assignment was similar, but it was also extremely personal for Charlie.
The front door chimed. Jodie’s cheerful voice carried down the hall, followed by deeper voices responding. Charlie stood up, her hand instinctively checking that her sidearm was secure.
“That’s them,” Kyle said. “You ready?”
“Always, Boss.”
He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Charlie followed, Flo heeling perfectly at her left side.
Three people walked toward them and Charlie had to push her excitement down deep.
The man leading the way was Rowan McCrae, the actor currently playing Aldric Thorne in the Legends of BattleLore streaming series.
He absolutely fit the role—he was tall, broad-shouldered, and moved with the easy confidence of someone comfortable in his own skin.
His eyes were sharp, scanning the hallway the way operators did.
Beside him walked a woman in her mid-thirties with short, platinum hair and bright red lipstick, wearing jeans and a punk band t-shirt that read Fish Tank Doxy under a black blazer.
She had a sparkling energy about her—creative, intense, like she was constantly thinking three steps ahead. Charlie liked her immediately.
Vivienne Cross. The director.
And trailing slightly behind her was a young woman who couldn’t be more than twenty-three, clutching a tablet and a leather portfolio bag. She had that eager, slightly overwhelmed look of someone fresh out of school and desperate to prove herself.
That must be her assistant.
Vivienne smiled warmly at Charlie as Kyle made introductions. Rowan’s face broke into a genuine smile as he extended his hand. “Good to meet you.”
Kyle shook his hand, then gestured to Charlie. “This is Charlie King, one of our best.”
“Charlie.” Rowan’s handshake was firm but not aggressive. “Heard good things about you.”
“Likewise.” She’d heard plenty about Rowan McCrae over the past year and had studied everything she could about both him and Vivianne the moment Kyle told her she’d be guarding them.
Rowan was famously a lifelong fan of the books and had done some actual jousting with a Renaissance Faire in college.
Absolutely perfect choice to play Aldric.
Rowan stepped aside slightly so that Vivienne could shake hands. His posture remained tense and all his attention immediately went to the director. His protective body language wasn’t lost on Charlie.
Interesting.
Vivienne stepped forward, her smile warm but tired. “Call me Viv. Everyone does.” She shook Kyle’s hand, then Charlie’s. “Thank you for taking this on. I know it’s probably not the most exciting assignment—babysitting a director who pissed off some keyboard warriors.”
“Not boring at all. Anyone making credible threats is worth taking seriously.” Charlie kept her voice professional despite the fact she wanted to fan girl all over the place right now. “We’ll make sure you’re safe while you’re here.”
“Thank you. Oh, and this is my assistant, Madison Pierce.” Viv gestured to the young woman.
Madison shook hands eagerly, smiling brightly. “Hi. Maddie’s fine. I handle Viv’s schedule, social media, correspondence—basically anything she needs.” The words tumbled out quickly, full of nervous energy.
“I couldn’t get a thing done without her,” Viv said. Maddie’s cheeks turned bright pink and her eyes brightened. She looked like she’d just been launched into the stratosphere.
Viv looked down at Flo. “And who’s this gorgeous puppy?”
Charlie grinned. “This is my new partner, Flo.”
“Sure, Watchdog, of course. Our bodyguard with your outfit in LA has one, too. May I pet her?”
Charlie let Flo know Viv was a friend, then nodded. Viv carefully presented her hand to Flo before scratching her ears.
“Good to meet you all.” Kyle gestured toward the conference room. “Let’s sit down and go over the situation.”
They filed into the room. Rowan pulled out a chair for Viv before taking the seat beside her. Maddie sat on Viv’s other side, and immediately pulled something up on her tablet. Kyle and Charlie took seats across from them. Flo remained alert, studying the three clients.
“As I briefed you earlier, Charlie,” Kyle started, “Viv’s been getting harassment for months, but the threat level’s escalated.”
Charlie’s jaw tightened. “Do the police know?”
“They do,” Viv said quietly. “But they’re treating it like fan mail gone wrong. Not taking it seriously.”
“We are,” Kyle said. “Which is why you’re here.”
“Can you walk me through what’s been happening?” Charlie asked Viv.
Viv took a breath. “When I was hired on as the director for BattleLore three years ago, I knew I had a huge challenge. The books had a cult following—passionate fans who’ve loved these stories for decades. I should know because I’m one of them.”
“Me, too,” Rowan added.
Charlie nodded. “I’m familiar with the series,” Charlie said carefully. Understatement of the year. “The books are excellent.”
Viv’s eyes lit up. “You’ve read them?”
“Multiple times.” Charlie felt her cheeks warm slightly. “I was six when I first read Sword of Embers.”
“Really?” Rowan asked, skepticism in his eyes.
“Alante tokentare,” Charlie said, bowing her head.
Rowan grinned as he looked back and forth between Charlie and Viv, who had a delighted smile on her face. Maddie giggled.
“Alante fendraken,” Rowan answered the traditional greeting, much to Charlie’s delight.
Kyle looked confused.
“That’s the Fae language from the books,” Rowan told him. “A true fan. That’s perfect. I take it you’re not a BattleLorrior?”
“A…who what now?”
“That’s what the fans call themselves,” Rowan told him. “BattleLore-Warrior. BattleLorrior.”
Viv turned to Charlie. “Since you’re a superfan of the books, I have to ask—do you like the show?” she asked. “And don’t lie on my account,” she added with a laugh.
Charlie chuckled. “I do, and I can say that without lying. Even with the changes you’ve made to the story.”
Viv nodded, looking pleased. “Thank you. It’s been tricky.
The stories you tell on film are structurally different from the ones you tell on paper.
As big of a fan as I am, if I recreated the books scene by scene, the pacing would be totally off, especially for a mainstream audience.
We would’ve been canceled after the first season, and we were still afraid that would happen. ”
“But it’s been a runaway hit,” Charlie said.
“It has, and that’s I think that’s part of the problem,” Viv continued.
“To keep that mainstream audience so that we can keep the show going, I have to make some major changes for season two. Combining characters, changing timelines, and...” She hesitated, glancing at Rowan who nodded.
“Killing off Caidan Bramble in the avalanche at the end of season two.”
Charlie blinked. “Killing off… You mean for good?”
“Yes,” Viv said, her voice growing more passionate.
“Killing off Caidan raises the stakes and shines a brighter light on some of the other characters who then step up to take his place. With the changes I’ve made to the plot, the series arc works better if Caidan’s death is permanent.
It’s a creative decision as well as a financial one.
Like I said, film is different from books.
We have budget constraints, pacing issues, narrative compression. ”
Charlie was shocked.
Caidan Bramble was Sir Aldric’s squire and one of the most beloved characters in all of BattleLore.
At the end of book two, Lord Darkfell created a magical avalanche that buried the small band of heroes.
Caiden was lost and presumed dead, but he came back midway through book three—one of the most emotional moments in the entire series.
The actor playing him, Duke Holloway, was as good a choice for Caidan as Rowan was for Aldric. He’d always played loveable, easygoing, salt-of-the-earth guys, which was Caidan Bramble in nutshell.
“I’d heard speculation on different fan sites that Caidan was going to be killed off,” Charlie said. “I guess it’s not just speculation anymore.”
“It’s not. The script was leaked.”
“So, I take it you’re getting threats over it,” Charlie said.
Viv nodded. “Boy, am I. First it was just angry comments on social media—no big surprise. Then emails to the studio. Again, not surprised.” She rolled her eyes.
Viv may not have been taking it seriously, but Charlie noted how Rowan watched her with worry in his eyes.
“You feel differently?” she asked him.
“I do. It’s more than just online trolls and hate mail.
There’s a group calling themselves The Caidansworn,” he said, a grim look in his eyes, as if he were actually Sir Aldric describing the Legions of Darkfell.
“They’ve shown up at the studio twice now.
Chanting. Holding signs. One said, ‘Lady Darkfell the Betrayer must be destroyed.’”
Her stomach tightened. “When did things begin to escalate?”
Viv looked at Maddie. “How long has it been?”