The Bodyguards Sweetheart

CHAPTER NINE

   GODDAMN HER. SHE’D purposefully left him behind. He shoved a few hundred-dollar bills into the bouncer’s hand and then entered the club, percolating with irritation that CoCo had blatantly ditched him. Had that been her plan all along or had he pissed her off with his comment in the cab and this was her way of punishing him? He wasn’t sure but he had a niggling sense that his comment had been the catalyst. She’d gone from playful and mischievous to cool and distant in a matter of seconds after he’d made his party-girl comment. He didn’t understand why that had made her mad. For crying out loud, it’d been her idea to go out to a club, which clearly supported his statement.

He stalked into the throbbing din, immediately assaulted by the raucous noise that passed itself off as music, and wound his way through the writhing crowd. Yeah, this was a huge mistake. Already his intuition was clanging like a bell at how much of a security nightmare this place was. Multiple areas for someone to hide out and the dim lighting, coupled with the strobing, gave him an instant headache.

He kept his eyes peeled for CoCo and like a magnet his gaze was drawn straight to that smoking body in that impossibly tight dress. She was surrounded by guys, all trying to buy her a drink, and she was playing them like a bluegrass fiddler. It was almost entertaining to watch—except when one guy’s hand crept too close to her ass for Rian’s comfort and he had to smother the urge to permanently remove the guy’s hand.

This was a game to her. She was playing him as easily as she played every guy, that was apparent. So calm down, cowboy, he told himself. Instead of rushing to extricate her from the crowd, he kept her in his line of sight and let her play her game without him. Finding an empty booth, he slid in, watching as CoCo laughed prettily and flirted with every single man trying to butter her up.

Suddenly, a slinky redhead joined him, her dress nearly as tight as CoCo’s, except it appeared to be made from lace and was pretty much see-through. “Fancy seeing you here, handsome,” she said with a perky grin. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”

He tried hard to jog his memory but he was still trying to keep one eye on CoCo and failed. “Sorry. Remind me,” he said with a brief smile.

“I’m Stella. I saw you at CoCo’s party the other night. Did you two hook up?” she asked with casual interest and he couldn’t stop the glower, but she didn’t take offense. “I just figured you were her new boy toy or something. She’s always got someone on the hook, you know?”

Yeah, that didn’t surprise him. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh? Do tell. What is it like?”

“I’m just helping her family out right now.”

Stella smiled at the intrigue and sidled closer, her drink in hand. “Then that means you’re single and ready to mingle? That’s the best news I’ve heard all night.”

There was no doubt that Stella was stunning and ordinarily, Rian wouldn’t cry in his beer if this hot number curled up on his lap, but he wasn’t buying what she was selling. He wanted to say it was because he was working a job but there was a nagging sense that his reluctance went deeper than that. “You and CoCo are close?” he guessed.

Stella twined her fingers together and said in a singsong voice, “Besties, baby.” She offered a sip of her drink and after a moment’s hesitation, he took it. She smiled and pushed it toward him. “You look thirsty. Go ahead.”

He was thirsty and if he went to the bar, he’d lose his vantage point. He figured one drink wasn’t going to put him over the edge. “Thanks,” he said, swallowing the rest of what tasted like rum and Coke. Best friends, huh? Maybe she’d know more about who was targeting the Abelli family. “How long have you been close?”