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He knew he was far from perfect, but he’d considered himself above average in many respects and most of the women he came across tended to agree… until they came home with him for the first time.
Apparently, his tiny tin home didn’t hold quite the same appeal for them as it did him.
After the first night, many didn’t bother returning while the ones who hung in there he would inevitably find fault with.
What was it about the women in this town that made them all so focused on fame and money?
He’d lost count of how many celebrity parties he’d worked at where women initiated conversations with potential “love” interests by asking them what job they had or how much square footage their house contained.
It all left a bad taste in his mouth.
Having finished a trying job with a diva pop star who’d acted verybadly when Kane had rejected her drunken advances, he had packed a bag and was ready to take off on his Harley for a week in the mountains. Now, the one person in the world he couldn’t ignore was calling.
“Wilson,” Kane answered his phone. “I’m literally walking out the door so this had better be good…”
“I know, but this just came through,” Wilson responded with uncustomary excitement.
Mack “Stonewall” Rockefeller, the well-known movie mogul who owned Pinnacle studios, was receiving death threats. This wasn’t unusual in and of itself— the rich and famous were always being targeted by money grabbers and weirdos. However Wilson was particularly concerned as the threats were coming from the same source…
And they seemed to be escalating.
The Rockefellers had a daughter who they had managed to keep out of the limelight for most of her life. Not much was publicly known about her other than she was about to turn twenty-five and an enormous yet “private” party was being thrown to celebrate the occasion.
Wilson explained how bad an idea that would be: Stonewall would essentially be opening his home to thousands of strangers. If anyone wanted to do something to them, there wouldn’t be a more perfect opportunity.
Stonewall and his movie star wife Mandy were resisting, however, and were in the process offinalizing the firm they would go with for the job. In particular, they were looking for a bodyguard for their daughter. The literal King and Queen of Hollywood, Wilson had fought for their business for years. If he was able to win this contract, it would set up the company for life.
“So what’s the problem?” Having had all this explained to him, Kane wasn’t sure the point of his call.
“I’m stuck on this detail in DC right now and none of my usual men are cutting it. I need someone different, someone who might shake things up.”
Kane ran through what he’d been told about the family in his head. “They sound high maintenance and I just got done with a job like that.”
“Just meet them. Talk to them like you would any other client. If they don’t go for you, fair enough. But I’m telling you, every firm I know is fighting to land this gig. It would mean a tremendous amount if we could win the account.”
Kane glanced over at Bud. His ears were pricked high as he listened keenly, picking up on his reluctance.
“I already told Bud we were going. You know I hate disappointing him.”
As if he understood, Bud sighed, staring at him with sad, accusatory eyes designed to pull at his heart. He tossed a rubber bone at him that Bud snatched out of the air with his jaws.
“Tell him there’s a giant marrow bone in it for him if he’ll wait just a little longer.” Wilson sounded hopeful, knowing his pleas were working.
“Tell him yourself,” Kane grumbled, shaking his head. He looked longingly out of a window at the faint outline of the mountains that seemed to be moving further away into the distance.
“Thanks man. Appreciate it. Get the job and you can have a long break after. As long as you want.”
“Don’t forget the marrow bones,” Kane reminded him, determined that Bud would not lose out.
“I’ll have a box shipped over,” Wilson laughed. “You’ll need to get there this afternoon. Go flash them some of the Kane charm. Clara will collate a file and send it over to you ASAP.”
Clara was Wilson’s assistant. She’d worked with him for close to five years now. She wasn’t the quickest, but Wilson swore she was loyal and could be trusted with anything.
Kane hung up the call and sent Bud an apologetic look.
“So… it looks like we’re going to have to put a pin on that vacation I promised you…”
Bud responded by groaning and covering his eyes with a paw.
