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Then what in the hell was that stunt in the diner? Mendez didn’t ask as Jack donned a baseball hat with frayed edges, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. Mendez suppressed a deep growl. His mate looked hot as fuck in those sunglasses.
“Think this will fool them?” When he smiled, Mendez looked away. There was no use pining over what he couldn’t have.
“Just stay behind me and keep your head down.” Mendez got out, then walked around the car and opened the door for his mate. When Jack stumbled slightly, Mendez reached out and steadied him. That zing shot up Mendez’s arm when they touched.
Jack glanced at Mendez, giving him a strange look over the top of his glasses before he pulled free of Mendez’s light hold. He also looked exhausted, and Mendez knew he’d done the right thing by stopping at this hotel.
“We should get inside before anyone recognizes you.” Mendez cleared his throat and took a step back. As soon as Jack was clear of the car door, Mendez shut it. They walked in silence as they reached the front door. Mendez went in first and looked around the lobby. It wasn’t busy inside, but there were more people there than he would’ve liked.
As instructed, Jack stayed behind him, head down, as Mendez checked them in. He forwent the VIP suite and got an ordinary room with two beds. Jack was used to luxury, but Mendez tried to keep to a low profile—when Jack wasn’t flirting with waitresses.
That still bothered him. Fate had handpicked Jack for him, and Mendez was definitely the jealous type, but what the fuck could he really do about it? If he said anything to Jack, his mate just might get him reassigned or even fired. It was a chance Mendez wasn’t willing to take.
They rode the elevator in silence, their bags over Mendez’s shoulder. He’d only grabbed one of Jack’s, the one with the essentials his mate would need. The other bags should have been shipped back to Jack’s Memphis address, but since they’d taken off without planning this trip, there hadn’t been a chance to have Jack’s personal assistant make arrangements.
As soon as he used his keycard, Mendez made Jack come inside and wait by the door while he searched the room. Not that he was expecting anyone to be in there, but one never knew. He also didn’t smell anyone in the room other than his mate.
“All clear?” Jack asked as he yawned.
“Yep.” Mendez set his bag on the bed closest to the door and Jack’s on the other. He even unzipped his mate’s bag for him.
“I think I’ll grab a shower before I get some sleep.” Jack rummaged through his bag, and Mendez gritted his teeth thinking about Jack all soaped up, the water clinging to his lean body. It was enough to give Mendez blue balls.
Jack’s phone rang. He took it out of his pocket, put the call on speaker, and set it on the bed while he tossed his clothes around inside the suitcase, clearly looking for something. “Hey, Huck.”
“What the hell?” Huck blustered. “I come to see you, only to find out you’ve checked out. Where in the hell are you, Jack? Is this about our argument when we landed? That was very unprofessional of you to check out and not tell me where you were going. That was also very dangerous. What if you get mobbed by fans? What if that creep approaches you while you’re out? You need to take that threat more seriously.”
Jack didn’t seem fazed by Huck’s rant, but Mendez was tempted to walk over and hang up on the guy. That would have been overstepping his bounds, but damn if he wasn’t tempted.
“First off, you’re not my father,” Jack said calmly as he pulled a pair of boxer briefs from his suitcase. Mendez held back his groan as he walked to the window and looked outside. “Second, I have five weeks of downtime before my next concert.”
“But you could have at least told me you were checking out,” Huck argued. “Where are you?”
“I have my protection detail with me,” Jack seemed to be getting agitated. “I’m safe, Huck. No one is going to mob me with Mendez here.”
“I should have him fired for not reporting to me that you were leaving the hotel,” Huck snapped.
Mendez’s hackles rose. He had to fight not to let his canines lengthen at the threat. If Huck got him fired, Mendez would wring the asshole’s neck.
“That’s not your call to make.” Jack grabbed a pair of blue sweats and a white T-shirt, setting them aside. “I decide if I want to fire my security detail, not you. And so far, I haven’t been inclined to.”
“God, I wish Cal was still working for you.”
“But he doesn’t.” Jack picked up the phone. “He got married, and I hope he and his new bride had one hell of a honeymoon. Now I have Mendez, and he’s doing a good job, so can the theatrics, Huck. I’m not telling you where I’ll be because that defeats the purpose of downtime. We’ll talk about the Vegas contract when I get back.”
Huck was quiet for a moment. “And when will that be?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Sometime in the next five weeks.”
Huck snarled. “Jack, you’re being unreasonable! I’ve set up interviews, and you were supposed to be a guest on the late-night talk show with Jimmy Fallon.”
“Reschedule.” Jack grabbed his toiletry bag. “I need a fucking break, Huck. I just did a six-month tour. I’m not a machine. I need rest.”
“Since when?” Huck asked.
Now Jack looked pissed. “I’ve been going strong, doing everything you’ve wanted me to do for a decade now. If I want to take a goddamn break, I’ll take one.”
Huck sighed. “Okay, okay. I’m backing off, Jack. You know I’m only being like this because I care.”
