“Roland.”
“Didn’t someone kidnap him or something in Kuala Lumpur? I saw something about it online.”
“Attempted kidnapping.” Jeremy’s tone was grim. “They didn’t succeed.”
She watched him expectantly, but he didn’t say more, even though it had been all over the news. She’d have to hunt down more details online.
The waitress reappeared and set down two huge platters heaped with hash browns and veggies, plus two strips of bacon and a steamy fried egg on top.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“No, thanks,” Kira said as Jeremy shook hot sauce over his food.
Kira dug in. The potatoes were crisp and golden, and she realized she was famished. For several minutes, they focused on eating, and she went over what she’d learned.
A few hours ago, this man had been halfway around the world protecting a tech billionaire from armed extremists. Now he was sitting in a greasy-spoon diner with an underemployed PI who’d just drained her bank account to get her car out of impound. Kira had always thought her work was unpredictable, but a job like Jeremy’s would give her whiplash.
She watched him eat, wondering about his background. Was he ex-military? Secret service? Despite his scruff, the way he carried himself made her think military. She’d find out. If there was one thing she excelled at, it was digging up intel on people, whether they wanted her to or not.
Jeremy looked at her over a bite, and she was struck by how blue his eyes were.
“Tell me about last night,” he said.
Her throat suddenly felt tight. She forced herself to swallow. “What about it?”
“I want to know what happened.”
He was watching her intently, and she sipped coffee to stall for time.
“Did you see the police report?” she asked.
“I was briefed on it.”
“It happened really fast,” she said, pretty sure she could get through an abbreviated version. “We were in the kitchen at Logan’s. The doorbell rang. I heard a crash. Next thing I knew, Ollie was on the floor.” She looked down at her plate. “There was so much blood everywhere. Then the paramedics were whisking him away.”
“You left out a few parts. Like when the killer took a shot at you?”
She thought of the vase exploding beside her head. Her hands felt sweaty again, and she tucked them into her lap.
“Yeah, well. He missed.”
He stared at her, clearly expecting more. But what else was there to say?
A chime sounded from inside her bag. She reached for her phone, welcoming the interruption until she saw her mother’s number.
Shit.
She took a deep breath. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Kira, thank God. Are you all right?”
“Fine. Why?” she asked, although the tone of her mom’s voice told her everything she needed to know.
“I just got off the phone with Ruth. She saw on the news that Oliver Kovak was murdered last night. Isn’t that the private detective you work with?”
“It is.”
Silence.
“Hello?”
“Well, what happened?”
“The police are still investigating.”
Her mom apparently didn’t know that Kira had been at the scene, and she wasn’t about to enlighten her. She looked at Jeremy, who was eavesdropping as he pretended to focus on his food.
“Those people are dangerous, Kira.”
Those people.
“I can’t really talk right now. I’m taking over some of Ollie’s cases, so things are really busy.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“It’s fine. Insurance work, mostly. Let’s catch up tomorrow, okay? I have to run.”
“Well, be careful.”
“I will. Love you.”
Kira put her phone away and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m going to hell for lying to my mother.”
Jeremy winced. “That case, we’re probably all going to hell.”
She looked at him, taking in his lean face and muscular build. He came across as such a badass, and she couldn’t imagine him having a regular mom.
He pushed his plate away. “So what’s the issue?”
“She hates my job.”
“Why?”
“Too fringe.” She drained her coffee. “PIs are right up there with repo men and bounty hunters, as far as she’s concerned. She thinks I should get a real estate license.”
The corner of his mouth curved. It was the first hint of a smile she’d seen from him, and she felt a warm pull in the pit of her stomach.
Kira turned to look for the waitress so she wouldn’t stare at him. Jeremy was hot, no question. Yet another reason this bodyguard thing was a bad idea. Brock had handed her the case of a lifetime, and she couldn’t afford any distractions. Or limitations.
A man stepped into the restaurant and peeled off his sunglasses. Tall, business suit, military-straight posture. He zeroed in on their table and walked over.
“Ms. Vance, I’m Liam Wolfe,” he said, offering a handshake.
Kira darted a look at Jeremy before shaking the man’s hand.
“May I?” Liam asked. “Sure.”
He pulled a chair from the table beside them and sat down.
“We didn’t have a chance to meet earlier, and it’s important you be briefed on the security arrangements.”
Kira sighed, once again regretting having skipped that damn meeting.
“We’ve found things go smoother when the client has a clear understanding of what’s going on.”
“I bet,” she said. “Although I’m not really your client, because I’m not paying you.”
He nodded. “Technically, you’re considered a protectee.”
She looked from Liam to Jeremy and decided she was done trying to wiggle out of this. These guys were here. They were serious. She needed this job, and the best she could hope for would be to establish some boundaries.
“I’m all ears,” she told Liam. “Tell me how this works.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
KIRA’S BODY language was defensive, and Jeremy could tell Liam picked up on it. She didn’t want protection, and they’d had clients like that before.
“The law firm has requested round-the-clock surveillance for Brock Logan and everyone on his team,” Liam was telling her, “as well as an agent on each of you whenever you venture out.”
“Venture?” She arched a pretty eyebrow. “My whole job is a venture. This isn’t the kind of thing you do from behind a desk.”
“Understood.”
“And what exactly do you mean by ‘surveillance’?”
“We’ll have an agent monitoring your home and your place of business. And accompanying you when you go off-site.”
“That’s fine, but they can’t get in the way. Which means they can’t be visible,” she said. “Most of what I do requires me to keep a low profile, and you guys look like the Avengers.”
Liam darted a glance at Jeremy. “That shouldn’t be a problem. Our agents are used to keeping a low profile. Most of the time, you won’t even know they’re there.”
Kira crossed her arms and looked skeptical.
Of course she’d know they were there. Yes, Jeremy and his men were trained to be discreet, but this woman wasn’t your typical civilian. She was a PI. A good one, too, judging by how determined Logan had been to get her on his team. And if she was any good at what she did, she’d spot her detail’s every move, even if they tried to stay in the shadows.