Page 79 of Naughty Dreams
Once he finished his security review, he allowed himself to assess the place on its own merits.
DJ had paid six million for the eight thousand square foot property, located on seventy-seven acres. Six million to a celebrity with DJ’s bank account was like a car payment to middle class America. He’d wanted a home, not just for him, but for the people who would spend time there with him.
The brick house with two chimneys, one on either end, had brown wood trim and a façade and foundation made of river rock, blending it with the forest that formed its secluded nest. The double-doored front entrance provided a spacious porch and covered spot for cars to discharge their passengers without subjecting them to inclement weather.
A four-car brick and stone garage connected to the house with a breezeway. The lower half was more stone and brick, with oval shaped openings in the wooden lattice on the upper part of the passage.
There were two guest houses, and a conservatory with fancy plants. The garden “shed” attached to it was built more like a third guest house. Did DJ garden? He glanced at his charge. DJ’s chest rose and fell, but Roy couldn’t tell if he was asleep or awake. There wasn’t much difference right now. He was eating just enough that Roy couldn’t ride him.
Roy returned his attention to the report. There was an “east” garden and a “west” garden, with maintained paths. Milton Newell, the house manager, had told G that DJ had favorite composing spots along those paths.
The band called Milton “The Shadow” because he was so unobtrusive. DJ held him in high esteem, trusting him with household and grounds management, including the supervision of two maids, a maintenance manager, and a landscaping team under the direction of a head gardener. Everyone worked daylight hours four days a week. DJ liked having his evenings and three-day weekends to himself.
G had run backgrounds on all of them. No new flags since their initial vetting by Henry upon hiring. She’d briefed them on the new security protocols that would be in place until DJ’s stalker was caught.
Though they were all reeling from the turn of events, G noted it had hit Milton the hardest, but he was solid, a man who could hold his shit together while grieving. Particularly if he had the distraction of taking care of DJ.
When Roy, DJ and the six-person transport team arrived at DJ’s home, Milton was at the front door, his face controlled but the anguish obvious.
They pulled their three vehicles around the water feature in the center of the circular drive. The pool had a waterfall, sparkling water tumbling over flat rocks. The rock border was carpeted with white groundcover flowers and ornamental grass. A juniper next to the pool had been bonsaied into a weeping willow shape.
As DJ exited the car and approached the entrance, he held up a hand before Milton could say anything. He did grip Milton’s arm in brief solidarity, but DJ kept his elbow locked, holding the man at a distance. He mumbled something.
“Of course, DJ. Whatever you need.”
Milton was saying it to his back as DJ disappeared into the house. Milton stared after him, then his shoulders squared and he turned toward Roy and the others, professional politeness and welcome in his expression.
“Go keep tabs on him,” Roy told Ollie and Jason. “I’m going to review things with Milton.”
The desire to follow DJ was strong, but Roy needed to put his own eyes on the grounds and meet the staff. Even so, surveying the place DJ had chosen to give his bandmates a collective home, Roy struggled with an uneasy feeling, brought on by his own childhood memories.
His mother had found two abandoned puppies. They slept so tightly wrapped around one another in the bed she provided, she discarded the idea of finding separate homes for them.
“Those two won’t do well without each other. They might squabble on occasion, but it won’t be because they’re together too much. That part is like breathing, and when you’re apart, you don’t feel like you’re breathing right.”
DJ was struggling for oxygen right now. He might embrace his alone time when he composed, but the connection with his band members had been a circulatory system, pumping blood and life into all of them.
Forget oxygen. DJ was dealing with the amputation of three of his limbs.
The thought made Roy more certain that the video call he’d had with G and Warren before they left the hotel was the right decision. They knew a lot about him, including his Dominant side. Even so, what he’d laid out for them wasn’t his usual approach, so he’d needed to know they were on board and had no valid concerns.
He'd started with the familiar. “I’ve turned over what we have to the FBI. With them now involved, we have more resources on the case.”
“Did they offer additional people for his protection detail?” G asked.
“DJ refused it, at my recommendation. They aren’t trained for celebrity protection, and we and Henry’s team are. If they get involved, they’re going to want to take the lead, and that’s not the right call. Putting their energy toward finding this guy is how they can help.”
G and Warren’s expressions on the screen reflected relief, indicating their full agreement.
Now for the more difficult part. “Our job is to protect from physical threats. That’s still the priority. But he’s in trouble in a different way. It’s going to require a modified response from me.”
“You’re talking about the Dom/sub angle,” Warren said. While he wasn’t part of the lifestyle, he’d been to clubs with G, knew Roy was in that world, and what it was about.
“I’ve been taking the Dom/sub stuff slow with him. Holding back on the deeper levels, because that’s not something I rush,and to make sure I’m not adversely impacting the bodyguard and client issue. To help him, I may need to ramp that up. If I need more coverage as a result, I want you aware of why that is, and make sure ahead of time you’re on board.”
“We got you, boss,” G said solemnly. “If Warren is feeling lazy, I can do both our jobs. Don’t know why you pay him anyway.”
“Because he likes staring at my ass more than yours,” Warren drawled. “What she said, Roy. You need us to step up, we step up.”
