Muscle for Hire(72)

Aslin turned his stare on the guffawing man, a disconnected sense of satisfaction stirring in him when the idiot with apparently no social skills cringed backward and was swallowed by the crowd.

“That was it?” Aslin asked, returning his attention to a red-faced Belinda. “Just an autograph?”

She nodded. “I came so close. I made it onto the set so often, more than you or the security guys were aware of. So many times I could see Chris but couldn’t get to him.” She snorted again, giving Aslin a sardonic grin. “You were everywhere, pain-in-the-arse Pom. And if it wasn’t you, it was his assistant. Everywhere I went to approach Chris, she was there. Shit, she almost busted me near your trailer on the day you caught me pretending to be an extra.”

Prickling heat razed over Aslin’s flesh. “Say that again.”

Belinda frowned. “I was walking past your trailer—I knew it was yours ’cause I’d watched you and Chris’s sister go inside.” She paused, a smirk twisting her lips for a second. “Saw you both fall out of it too.”

Aslin didn’t react to her goad, keeping his stare fixed on her face.

“I was walking past your trailer trying to find where the other soldier extras were and she almost ran into me as she was coming out of it. I’m just glad she was…”

Whatever Belinda said next, Aslin didn’t hear.

His whole body tingled. Every nerve ending and cell thrummed with dawning realization.

He spun on his heel and ran for the barracks, his blood on fire, cold rage roping through colder fear.

Tilly was with Rowan. Who the fuck knew what she was going to do next.

“Hey!” He heard Belinda shout behind him. “Hey, you rude Pommie prick! Can you get—”

Without slowing his pace, Aslin tossed a look at the security guard gaping at him from the barricade. “See that woman there?” He jabbed a finger at Belinda. “She gets an all-access pass onto the set today. On my say so. Tell Mr. Huntley he owes her an autograph on her chest.”

And with that, he broke into a sprint, the ecstatic squeals from Belinda behind him fading to nothing as the roar of his murderous rage consumed him.

He didn’t answer his phone when Liev Reynolds rang. He didn’t need to. He knew exactly who the person was trying to kill Rowan.

And exactly where to find her.





Chapter Seventeen

“I need to collect the board Mr. Huntley has been surfing on,” Tilly whispered in Rowan’s ear. “I promised him I’d pick it up from the surf shop this morning and I forgot.” She slid her gaze to where Chris was discussing his delivery with Nigel, before giving Rowan an apologetic smile. “Can you help, please? I think the owner of the shop is going to ask if Mr. Huntley will let him keep it, maybe autograph it so it can be a tourist attraction in the store, and I know you’re better at making people feel okay when told no.”

A frown pulled at Rowan’s eyebrows. “Does he really want to take it back to the U.S.? He’s got more than one board at home.”

Tilly nodded, her blonde ponytail dancing about her head. “That’s what he told me last night. Apparently, after he and Mr. McQueen finished dinner, he went to see you and Mr. Rhodes at your hotel, but neither of you were there so he called me. I also need to organize a case of the board wax he’s been using here. He likes it more than the wax he uses at home.”

“A case?”

Tilly shrugged. “You know what he’s like. How fickle he can be with stuff like that. Sometimes I don’t think he knows what’s good for him. It’s my role to look after him however, so I will do what’s needed.”

Rowan suppressed a sigh, pulling a face instead as she studied her brother. It was Tilly’s job, she guessed, but damn, Rowan had hoped Chris had moved on from the selfish, extravagant whims of his fame.

“Do you mind coming with me, Ms. Hemsworth? It will make it so much easier.”

Turning back to the young woman waiting with such a beguiling expression on her pretty face, Rowan nodded. “Sure. I’ll help. It’s kinda embarrassing I’ve been in Australia for a week and haven’t visited its most famous beach, I guess.” She chuckled. “In fact, only a few days ago I’d planned to buy a T-shirt from there. Something to remember Sydney by.”

The sentiment made Rowan laugh again. As if she needed a shirt to remember her time in Australia. Her life had been turned upside down in Australia. She’d come to the country planning on helping her brother during his break-out movie role, help him stay grounded and focused, and instead she’d been blown up, fallen in love and now faced the daunting task of asking Aslin to quit being Nick Blackthorne’s bodyguard and come with her for the rest of the shoot. And hopefully, for the rest of forever.