Mission: Impossible to Protect (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 6), стр. 27
It seemed that Danni had stuck to the script, pretending that she tripped on the curb after getting shoved from behind in the crowds of Santee Alley. And that she was staying at her cousin Lars’s house to hide from the tabloid press until she could return to tour with Alex. And preventing Danni’s location from being leaked to the press, Luna wasn’t allowed to bring her phone or tell anyone about the massage. Luckily, Luna hadn’t been around when Lars came backstage with Sophie. It was always good to stick as close as you could to the truth.
“I’ve warned Danni how detrimental wearing those high heels are to her posture and back. But I guess when you’re a famous star’s girlfriend, you have to look the part.”
Was Luna jealous of Danni? In her ’60s hippie outfit, Luna didn’t look like she cared about fashion. Her long black hair was woven into thick dreadlocks. She wore a tank top and some sort of baggy pants, with a tie-dye purse and what looked like hemp rope over her shoulder.
“I’ve never been to Santee Alley, but Danni’s so tall it’s hard to believe that someone could knock her down.”
“Is Danni feeling better?” Lars had wasted enough time making nice with Luna. He was ready to get moving out of this house.
Luna’s eyes searched the room, taking in the details.
“She fell asleep right after I finished. It’s common to need sleep after an insult to the body. She’ll be fine as long as she rests and doesn’t take any more falls.”
Lars moved past Luna to check on Danni. His need to be reassured that she was secure was a little unnerving. He opened the door to find Danni in a deep sleep with her lips parted. Lars found it endearing that Danni snored, even though it kept him awake part of the night. When had he spent the entire night with a woman without sex? Never—too many awkward questions the next morning.
When he wasn’t mooning over Danni, he’d spent the rest of the nights in the darkness conjuring the “what if” worst scenarios if the cartel found them. Lars had to stay sharp and ahead of Miro to keep her alive and out of the hands of the sadistic bastard. Not the time to be fixated on Danni and her endearing qualities.
He didn’t second-guess his gut. The message was loud and clear that Miro was on the hunt. He and Danni would be gone before the cartel could track them to this house if they figured out about Luna’s trip.
“Thank you for helping Danni.” Lars moved toward the door. It was time to wrap up Luna’s visit.
“It’s the least I could do. Danni’s been a great friend. It gets lonely touring with an all-guy band. And Danni can make anyone laugh.”
She pushed her long, stringy bangs away from her face. Lars zeroed in on the tats on both her wrists. Stars encircled each wrist. From this angle, he could see red striations of scarring on her pale skin that her tats didn’t cover. He didn’t see anything in Reeves’s report about any accidents or suicide attempts.
Luna had moved to an organic coop farm in Vermont, leaving her painting career behind her. Instead, she farmed and became a massage therapist, landing the gig with the band four months ago when Alex took a fall in Burlington. Luna travelled with the band, providing massages for Alex and any of the band members. She’d first hooked up with Roland Young, but now she was with the drummer, Silas Nugent. There were no red flags linking Luna and Nugent to the cartel.
“Alex is so distraught over Danni being injured. Alex hasn’t told anyone, but I’m sure that he’ll come to visit her after the concert tomorrow night. Hanging backstage isn’t what Danni needs right now. Leave it up to Alex to know exactly what she needed and to arrange for me to give her a massage. I wish Silas were so considerate.”
If Lars had to listen to more of the crap about Alex and Danni, he’d explode and probably punch a hole in the wall. Seeing them together had twisted him in knots, clouding his judgement, a regular occurrence in regard to Danni. But if Danni was involved with Hardy and vice versus, why hadn’t she demanded to see him right after her accident? Why wouldn’t she want him to comfort her? And if he were Hardy, he wouldn’t have left Danni’s side. Nope, just as Reeves thought. Danni was only his bodyguard.
“Thanks again. I’m sure Hardy will arrange for another massage when Danni needs one. The car is waiting for you.” Lars walked toward the door, expecting Luna to follow him, which she did. He was glad to watch her climb in the back seat of the SUV and drive away. She was all sweetness and concern, and he couldn’t wait to get rid of her. He liked his women direct, not full of bullshit saccharine.
He had just described Danni. He was man enough to admit that he liked Danni a lot. The problem was she didn’t like him much. And wait till she found out about New York.
Chapter Fourteen
Danni stretched her arms over her head. It was great to move without fear of her back going bonkers. Seated on the couch in the current safe house, ankle propped on the coffee table, finally comfortable, she had rejoined the living. She was no longer a prisoner in bed on narcotics that had knocked her out. The swelling in her ankle was no longer visible, and the back spasms had subsided. She was still in sweats and a man’s T-shirt for comfort and ease.
By tomorrow evening, she would be back to her life in Seattle. Back to having control, back to her friends, back to her investigation, without a considerate Lars