Gavin Evans gripped the steering wheel with an intensity that turned his knuckles white before he changed the radio station. That song, why did that song have to be playing today? It was almost ten years old for crying out loud. He hated that song; it would tear apart everything inside of him if he had to hear the whole damn thing. It was only then that the other station decided to mind-fuck him as well as it played All I Need is an Angel, the song that started this entire mess. He pulled to the side of the road, getting out of his SUV and kicking his tire since it was the only thing he could do at that moment with his frustration.
He let out a guttural roar, hoping that would help calm him down. It didn’t. It couldn’t. In all honesty, the only person who could ever really calm him down, was the one who had just caused him to pull over to the side of the road. Chloe Cole, pop princess, international icon, star of stage and screen, love of his life, the one who slipped away, and he never understood why she sent him that break up letter, why she couldn’t do it face to face, or what he’d done to make her so angry.
He counted to ten before getting back in his car to drive to the location of his next possible job. He had everything he needed in the back of his SUV if they decided to hire him, and they should, Gavin Evans was the best at what he did. They would be idiots to not hire him.
He still couldn’t believe that, that song still got to him almost a decade since its release when it took the world by storm. At first he’d been proud of Chloe from afar, for all that she accomplished from something that started out as a dare. That was until he sat down and listened to her entire album, listened to the lyrics, looked them up online to confirm what he’d heard. She had painted him as the bad guy, made it sound like he cheated on her, when he never did, he never would. She was the one that ended things; he still had the letter—in his wallet, hell he even carried it with him every day when he was training for the Navy, and later the SEALS, on every mission he ever went on. He would look at it whenever he got nostalgic for the past, whenever he needed to remember life wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns.
As he drove down the country road he started to relax, it would be okay, he just couldn’t turn the radio on for a while, he knew if he did he would probably just be assaulted with one of her other songs, she really was successful. Every once in a while he would start to hear a song, and realize it was her voice. It always felt as though she was haunting him.
No one expected Chloe to end up a superstar, but she was, all thanks to a dare Jordan gave her and him encouraging her to do it. An open mic night performance of one of her favorite songs, All I Need is an Angel, and everything changed. Success was just around the corner, and she dropped him like he meant nothing to her, and then dragged him through the mud with the songs she wrote, how dare she? He never thought Chloe would turn out to be like, but she did. Had he ever even known her?
Gavin did the only thing he could think of to escape it all, he ran off and joined the Navy, he got lucky and with a lot of hard, grueling work he because a part of the SEALS. Now he was retired from the military, owned his own security business that if it wasn’t already, on its way to becoming the best in the country.
He arrived at the estate, he wasn’t even sure exactly who he was meeting with. All he knew was he’d already had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before accepting the meeting. He rolled his window down and hit the call button, “Gavin Evans, I’m from Mad Dog Security, I’m expected.”
“Mad Dog Security,” The voice on the other end seemed confused, “Oh yes, I see you on the list. Come on in and park in front of the stairs.”
After the gate opened he pulled up the driveway, impressed with how expansive the property was, whoever this celebrity was they really had done well for themselves, but he could see places where the security could be improved upon already.
Waiting on the steps were two men in designer suits. Great he had to deal with the manager an agent, he hated dealing with them. They never really seemed to understand what the celebrity really needed and he had a feeling these two sure as hell were in over their heads.
“Mr. Evans, thank you for coming out here. We’re sure this is unusual circumstances, but we’re looking for the best bodyguard and security firm for our client.” The man with curly red hair explained.
“So when do I get to know who the client is, and what’s going on?”
“Well over the years she’s received the normal scary letters from fans, always had them turned over to law enforcement of course, but the last two months, it’s been an alarming number of letters coming from the same person. We don’t know who that person is, and we thought our security detail in place already could handle it, but—the letters have gotten a bit more personal in details. They know stuff the general public doesn’t, things they couldn’t know.” The other man with the dark, greasy hair explained.
Gavin nodded, “Okay, well I can already tell you where things need to be beefed up, especially at the gate. I got in here far too easily.”
“Yes, that was one of the things we were hoping you would say. We’re also requesting that you personally be her new bodyguard, twenty-four-seven.”
Gavin took a moment, “I charge a hefty fee for that.”
“We’re willing to pay you five times you’re going rate. We need her safe, we need her family safe.” They led him up the stairs, “You will be able to move in right away, correct?”
“My stuff is in the car.” He was always prepared, knowing the higher the profile client, the more likely they would want him personally on the case. And these guys wanted to pay him five times his normal fee; he would be a fool not to take this case.
“Great” They opened the front door and let Gavin in.
He was shocked that he didn’t see portraits of anyone greeting him. In every other celebrity house he’d been in he couldn’t escape them. Here he saw none. “Does she hate the way she looks in pictures?”
“She’s far more down to earth then most pop princesses.” The redhead explained.
A knot twisted in Gavin’ stomach, he decided it had to be due to hearing those damn songs earlier. “So who lives here on the property?”
“She does of course, and so does her ex-husband, their son, and her choreographer. Her parents come up on the weekends as does her younger brother, and of course her ex’s parents as well. All very friendly and cordial to be honest, sometimes we forget they’re not still married.”
“Well I would like to get a tour of the property, and of course meet everyone that lives here so we could get started.”
“Great, we’ll take you out to the dance studio, that’s where she and D.B. are working on a new routine for her upcoming tour, if this isn’t done by then you will have to go on tour with her.”
“I understand, I’ve done the tour thing before. I can handle it.” Gavin tried to ignore the chill that shot through him when they’d said D.B. though. “I’ll do whatever I can to keep her safe.”
“Great, wonderful, let’s sign the paperwork and get you that tour of the property.” The darker haired man said pulling a contract from his desk.
Chosen Pleasure
