Over the Line Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Cindy Gerard
any event, some of the wind let down out of Miss High-and-Mighty's sails— Thank you, Jesus.
Beside him, he could see Max Cogan fighting to cover a grin.
No such luck with his rocker. She was still scowling. But she had stopped pacing long enough to walk to the bar and open another bottle of water. Jase took the opportunity to dig a deeper toehold.
"You tell me what you need from me, Miss Perkins, and I'll deliver," he assured her. "And my looks? People tend to underestimate me. You'd be surprised how many times that actually works to my advantage." Although this, obviously, wasn't one of those times.
It was up to her now. He'd done his worst. She could take him at his word or screw it. He didn't want to let E.D.E.N. down, but he'd be damned if he'd beg for the job.
"Okay, fine," she said after a long, grudging silence. "Just... fine," she repeated on a weary sigh, and headed for one of the three bedrooms in the suite. "We'll give it a try. I'm going to bed."
The door swung shut behind her with a bang.
And Jase breathed his first breath of relief since she'd dragged him across the room by the hand like a naughty little kid. He felt like he'd just dodged an RPG.
"Well played," Max said, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "She's a little tense. A lot tired. The tour's been a pisser. We've been on the road for three months straight. And she has to deal with the Grimm creep being on the loose again. Give her some time. She'll be fine with this."
"In the meantime, looks like you're in for now," Max said, and stood. He handed Jase a folder. "If you want to stay in, you'd best memorize her schedule. Besides arranging security for all appearances and events and providing personal protection, it's up to you to keep her on task. And to keep her happy and free of additional stress. Any schedule changes, you'll hear them directly from me. Until then... consider this timetable," he jabbed his finger on the schedule stapled to the top of the folder, "carved in stone."
Max walked to the door of a second bedroom, then paused with his hand on the door handle. "I'd trust Wes Garrett with my life. Because of that I trust his kids. If they say you're up to the job, then I'm counting on that to be true."
"I'm up to it, sir."
"She means the world to me," Cogan added after a long look. "Grimm ... he almost killed her once. Don't let him get anywhere near her again."
And that left Jase flipping through the contents of the folder—and wondering what the hell he'd gotten into. According to his list of duties, he wasn't only a bodyguard. He was a fucking butler.
Janey lay back on the hotel bed, clutched the phone in her hand, and stared at the ceiling. She'd already dialed the number once—then hung up before it ever rang.
Juvenile. Childish. But then that was how she always felt when she thought about her mother.
Her mother. Janey ran her nails absently across the receiver. She hadn't seen her mother in nearly two years. Hadn't talked to her for over a year. And Janey honestly didn't know why she felt the need to talk to her tonight. It was late. Close to 2:00 a.m.
And yet... she drew a deep breath, hit redial, put the phone to her ear, and waited. And waited while it rang and rang. She almost hung up again ... then she heard the sound of a connection and a gravelly mumbled, "Who the hell is calling at this hour?"
Her heart stumbled. Her throat closed up. Her fingers clutched tighter around the receiver.
"Who's there?" Alice Perkins growled in an angry, gritty slur.
"Mom? Hi. It's ... me. Janey."
Silence, then, "Janey? God, girl, you got no sense of time? I was asleep."
Janey's heart sank.
What? You expected that after a year you might get something like, "Hi, sweetie. Oh, it's so good to hear from you"?
No. She hadn't expected that. At least the adult in her who knew the score hadn't—the child, however, well, the child was
Beside him, he could see Max Cogan fighting to cover a grin.
No such luck with his rocker. She was still scowling. But she had stopped pacing long enough to walk to the bar and open another bottle of water. Jase took the opportunity to dig a deeper toehold.
"You tell me what you need from me, Miss Perkins, and I'll deliver," he assured her. "And my looks? People tend to underestimate me. You'd be surprised how many times that actually works to my advantage." Although this, obviously, wasn't one of those times.
It was up to her now. He'd done his worst. She could take him at his word or screw it. He didn't want to let E.D.E.N. down, but he'd be damned if he'd beg for the job.
"Okay, fine," she said after a long, grudging silence. "Just... fine," she repeated on a weary sigh, and headed for one of the three bedrooms in the suite. "We'll give it a try. I'm going to bed."
The door swung shut behind her with a bang.
And Jase breathed his first breath of relief since she'd dragged him across the room by the hand like a naughty little kid. He felt like he'd just dodged an RPG.
"Well played," Max said, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "She's a little tense. A lot tired. The tour's been a pisser. We've been on the road for three months straight. And she has to deal with the Grimm creep being on the loose again. Give her some time. She'll be fine with this."
"In the meantime, looks like you're in for now," Max said, and stood. He handed Jase a folder. "If you want to stay in, you'd best memorize her schedule. Besides arranging security for all appearances and events and providing personal protection, it's up to you to keep her on task. And to keep her happy and free of additional stress. Any schedule changes, you'll hear them directly from me. Until then... consider this timetable," he jabbed his finger on the schedule stapled to the top of the folder, "carved in stone."
Max walked to the door of a second bedroom, then paused with his hand on the door handle. "I'd trust Wes Garrett with my life. Because of that I trust his kids. If they say you're up to the job, then I'm counting on that to be true."
"I'm up to it, sir."
"She means the world to me," Cogan added after a long look. "Grimm ... he almost killed her once. Don't let him get anywhere near her again."
And that left Jase flipping through the contents of the folder—and wondering what the hell he'd gotten into. According to his list of duties, he wasn't only a bodyguard. He was a fucking butler.
Janey lay back on the hotel bed, clutched the phone in her hand, and stared at the ceiling. She'd already dialed the number once—then hung up before it ever rang.
Juvenile. Childish. But then that was how she always felt when she thought about her mother.
Her mother. Janey ran her nails absently across the receiver. She hadn't seen her mother in nearly two years. Hadn't talked to her for over a year. And Janey honestly didn't know why she felt the need to talk to her tonight. It was late. Close to 2:00 a.m.
And yet... she drew a deep breath, hit redial, put the phone to her ear, and waited. And waited while it rang and rang. She almost hung up again ... then she heard the sound of a connection and a gravelly mumbled, "Who the hell is calling at this hour?"
Her heart stumbled. Her throat closed up. Her fingers clutched tighter around the receiver.
"Who's there?" Alice Perkins growled in an angry, gritty slur.
"Mom? Hi. It's ... me. Janey."
Silence, then, "Janey? God, girl, you got no sense of time? I was asleep."
Janey's heart sank.
What? You expected that after a year you might get something like, "Hi, sweetie. Oh, it's so good to hear from you"?
No. She hadn't expected that. At least the adult in her who knew the score hadn't—the child, however, well, the child was
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