Page 38 of Room Ten: Put on a Show

It was strange to hear him talk softly around Kenna when he was so menacing to everyone else, including me. He brushed his knuckles against her cheek and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. I could see the vulnerable tenderness in his expression, in every touch and caress. Merrick truly loved her. And he was just as scared as I was that he could have lost her to that madman.

A heavier knock came at the door this time. Merrick kissed Kenna’s knuckles before he rose to his feet and moved to the door again.

“I thought I told you to get the hell out of—”

He broke off when Baron shouldered past him and shut the door. He’d put his shirt back on but it was still unbuttoned. The bulk of his bandages strained beneath the fabric of his sleeve.

“Our replacements have arrived.”

Kenna frowned. “What?”

“I’m injured. Merrick fired his gun and killed a man, so he’ll be taken off-duty until he’s processed and the incident is properly reported. In the meantime, the agency sent two fresh bodyguards to fill in for us.”

“No,” she said, firmly. “No, I don’t want you to leave.”

Baron and Merrick exchanged a glance between them. Their hands were tied and they knew it.

“Can’t you stick around in an unofficial capacity?” I asked.

“It’s not professional,” Baron pointed out. “And we would need to be careful with the way we conducted ourselves as long as our coworkers were around.”

Kenna pulled away from me, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“You would lose your jobs because of me, right?”

“Probably,” Merrick said. “No one else would hire us with that kind of a mark on our records either.”

“I’m sure you could find another line of work,” I offered.

Kenna shook her head. “I don’t want anyone else protecting me. Only Baron and Merrick.”

“That might not be possible, baby girl,” Baron said gently. “Someone is bound to find out what goes on behind your closed doors eventually.”

“And the public will have a field day when they realize you’re getting freaky with three guys on a regular basis,” I put in. I could practically see the headlines scrolling through my mind right now.

“I don’t care,” she countered.

“You will,” I muttered under my breath. “Eventually.”

Kenna was a strong and determined woman. But the bottom line was that she had to maintain a relatively good standing with the public. To some people, her love life wouldn’t make a difference. They would continue to enjoy her music, no matter what.

There were other people though who wouldn’t be so forgiving. People like Perry Weeks—overzealous, self-righteous, and entitled.

“Then quit,” Kenna said, lifting her chin as she fixed Baron and Merrick with a long look.

Merrick breathed a short laugh. “Princess, you just said that you didn’t want anyone else except us protecting you.”

“Exactly. Work for me privately.”

My eyebrows shot up as I caught onto Kenna’s plan.

“Not a bad idea,” I said. “As freelancers, you get to choose your clients rather than being tied to an agency that controls you.”

“And I’ll pay twice what you were making at Titan Defense,” Kenna added.

Merrick rocked back on his heels, letting that offer sink in. Baron considered for a moment.

“That doesn’t address the issue of Kenna’s public image as long as she’s dating the three of us.”

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