Chapter 5
The Break-In
Cole stood in the middle of Sienna's bedroom and took in the damage.
Drawers had been pulled open. Clothing and personal belongings were scattered across the floor. Items that should have been private—things no stranger had any business touching—had been dragged into the open.
This wasn't a burglary.
Whoever had entered the condo hadn't come looking for valuables.
They'd come looking for Sienna.
Two LAPD officers moved carefully around the room. One photographed the scene while the other wrote notes in a small black notebook.
A third man approached Cole and extended his hand.
"Sergeant Miller."
"Cole Bennett."
They shook.
"We're still processing the scene," the sergeant explained. "Forensics found some broken glass near the entryway. They're running it now, but at the moment, that's about all we've got."
Cole glanced toward the hallway.
"What about the alarm?"
"Manually disabled."
His jaw tightened.
"Before entry?"
"Looks that way."
That confirmed what Cole had already feared.
This wasn't some obsessed fan who'd gotten lucky.
Whoever had done this knew exactly what they were doing.
"And the building cameras?"
"Still static. Whoever hit the system did a number on it."
Cole rubbed a hand over his jaw.
Professional.
Calculated.
And getting closer.
"Sarge, you need to see this."
A young officer stood in the doorway.
Cole and Sergeant Miller followed him down the hall into a room filled with framed awards, photographs, and career memorabilia.
Cole stopped.
A large portrait of Sienna dominated one wall.
From across the room, it looked like an elegant painting.
Then he saw the knife.
It had been driven directly into the center of Sienna's chest.
Right through the heart.
Cole's stomach turned cold.
He walked closer.
The blade protruded from the canvas.
A message without words.
Sergeant Miller stood beside him.
"That's not random."
"No."
Cole's voice was flat.
He didn't need an explanation.
The stalker wasn't merely trying to frighten Sienna anymore.
This was personal.
The sergeant crossed his arms.
"Guys who choose knives usually want proximity."
Cole looked at him.
Miller continued.
"They want the victim to know they're there. It's intimate. Angry."
Cole's eyes returned to the portrait.
He didn't like any of this.
Not the break-in.
Not the disabled alarm.
Not the security system being taken offline.
And definitely not the knife.
The threats had escalated.
Whoever this person was, they were getting bolder.
Cole took out his phone.
He needed to speak with Pit.
And he needed to make some changes.
Fast.
* * *
Cole stepped away from the crime scene before calling.
Pit answered almost immediately.
"Talk to me."
Cole looked back toward the portrait.
"They got inside."
Silence.
"The alarm was disabled manually, and the building camera system was knocked offline."
"Professional?"
"Looks like it."
Cole lowered his voice.
"There was a knife driven through a portrait of her."
Pit cursed.
"Where?"
"Through the chest."
Another silence.
"That's personal."
"Exactly."
Cole leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment.
"We need to tighten everything. No unnecessary access. Nobody comes near her unless we know exactly who they are and why they're there."
"Already on it."
"And don't tell her about the portrait."
Pit hesitated.
"Cole—"
"I'll tell her."
"When?"
"When I get back."
He knew Sienna would be angry if she found out he'd withheld anything.
But telling her while she was preparing to perform wouldn't help anyone.
He needed to be there when she saw the photographs.
Needed to watch her reaction.
Needed to know she was okay.
"Understood."
Cole ended the call.
He stood there another moment before returning to the bedroom.
The cleaning service would need to be delayed until LAPD released the scene, but once they did, he wanted every trace of the break-in gone before Sienna came home.
Not because he believed she should be protected from reality.
But because she deserved to walk back into a home that felt like hers again.
If that was even possible.
Texas had always been one of Sienna's favorite stops.
The crowds were loud, loyal, and enthusiastic, and she had an entire wardrobe of rhinestone boots she saved almost exclusively for the occasion.
Tonight's pair were silver.
The fans loved them.
Hours after the show ended, people were still gathered outside the arena hoping for one last glimpse of her.
Normally, Sienna would've found a way to wave.
Tonight, Pit wasn't having it.
"Keep moving."
"I'm moving."
"Faster."
She glanced at him.
"You're worse than Cole."
"That's supposed to offend me?"
Sienna almost smiled.
Pit stayed close as they made their way toward the bullet-resistant SUV waiting near the rear exit.
Cole's flight from Los Angeles had been delayed, leaving Pit in charge of her detail.
Sienna hated how disappointed that made her.
She told herself it was because Cole was the person who'd personally inspected her condo.
She wanted answers.
That was all.
Definitely not because she hadn't stopped thinking about the kiss.
Once they were safely inside the SUV and pulling away from the arena, Sienna looked toward Pit.
"How long have you worked with Cole?"
Pit glanced at her.
"Off and on? About five years."
"He said you two met in the Navy."
"Yeah."
"And trained together?"
"Yeah."
Sienna waited.
Pit stared ahead.
She frowned.
"You're not exactly a conversationalist either."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Occupational hazard."
Sienna rolled her eyes and leaned back against the leather seat.
Part of her wanted to ask about the condo.
Had anything been damaged?
Had the person gone through her things?
Was her bedroom destroyed?
Cole hadn't told her much over the phone, and she suspected that was deliberate.
She'd wait until he returned.
At least, that's what she told herself.
Her mind drifted instead to Vegas.
To Cole.
To the way he'd looked at her before kissing her.
She immediately turned toward the window.
No.
She wasn't doing this.
Not now.
Pit’s phone rang.
Sienna closed her eyes, but the moment she realized who was calling, she listened.
"Bennett."
Her heart betrayed her with a small jump.
Pit spoke quietly for a few moments.
Sienna couldn't make out the words.
She wondered whether Cole asked about her.
Whether he'd thought about her since leaving.
Whether he regretted what happened.
By the time Pit ended the call, they were pulling into the private entrance at the airport.
"Bennett's here."
Sienna opened her eyes.
"He'll be flying with us to Oklahoma City."
She tried not to smile.
Failed.
Then looked quickly out the window so Pit wouldn't notice.
Cole could've easily flown straight to Oklahoma.
Instead, he'd returned to Texas to meet the group.
Maybe it meant nothing.
Maybe it meant everything.
She had no idea.
* * *
Most of the tour crew had already boarded by the time Sienna reached the plane.
Dancers were scattered across seats.
Band members were half-asleep.
Patrick was already on his phone dealing with tomorrow.
Sienna stepped inside and immediately looked down the aisle.
Subtle.
She was trying to be subtle.
Then she saw him.
Cole sat several rows back.
His blue eyes found hers almost immediately.
Something inside her settled.
He stood and took the bag from her shoulder before she could object.
"You're late."
"Nice to see you too."
The faintest smile touched his mouth.
Sienna slid into the empty seat beside him.
He'd saved it for her.
She noticed.
Of course she noticed.
His jacket was off, his white shirt untucked slightly from traveling, and for the first time since he'd entered her life, he looked tired.
Human.
The pilot's voice came over the speaker asking everyone to fasten their seat belts.
Sienna buckled hers.
Cole did the same.
"You look exhausted," he said. "Do you need anything?"
She turned toward him.
"You're always taking care of me."
Cole's expression softened.
"It's my job."
There it was.
The wall.
Sienna looked away.
The plane began moving down the runway.
Neither mentioned the kiss.
Neither mentioned the fact that Cole had crossed a line he'd sworn he wouldn't cross.
And neither mentioned the fact that Sienna would've happily let him cross it again.
The plane lifted.
The city disappeared beneath them.
By the time they reached cruising altitude, exhaustion caught up with Sienna.
She tried to fight it.
Lost.
Without thinking too much about what she was doing, she shifted closer and rested her head against Cole's shoulder.
He went still.
Sienna waited.
For rejection.
For him to remind her that she was his client.
For Agent Bennett to return.
Instead, Cole relaxed.
Then his arm came around her.
Sienna closed her eyes.
He pulled her closer, carefully adjusting her until she could rest comfortably against him.
For a while, neither spoke.
The cabin lights dimmed.
The people around them drifted into sleep.
And in the darkness, the boundaries between them felt less rigid.
Sienna could feel his heartbeat beneath her cheek.
Steady.
Calm.
Safe.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him.
What did you see in my condo?
Do you regret kissing me?
What happens when this is over?
Instead, she said nothing.
She simply allowed herself to enjoy the quiet.
Cole stared into the darkened cabin.
He should've moved away.
Should've maintained the distance he'd spent days insisting was necessary.
But holding Sienna felt more natural than resisting her ever had.
He looked down at the woman asleep against him.
Somewhere between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, she'd stopped feeling like an assignment.
That terrified him.
His job was to protect her.
Nothing else.
But with every passing day, that distinction became harder to maintain.
Sienna shifted closer in her sleep.
Cole rested his cheek against the top of her head.
Just for tonight.
He told himself that was all this was.
One quiet flight.
One harmless moment.
But neither of them moved for the rest of the trip.
And somewhere in the darkness, each secretly wished the flight would last a little longer.