Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 7

DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE AND BE CAREFUL?!

SORRY, IT JUST LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE DROWNING...

BY THE WAY, WAS THERE SOME HIDDEN CLAUSE IN THE CONTRACT THAT SAYS THE CLIENT CAN ASSAULT THE BODYGUARDS?

BECAUSE I AM SURE AS HELL DIDN'T SEE THAT PART.

IT DOES SAY ANY ACCIDENTS DURING THE JOB ARE CONSIDERED YOUR FAULT.

HA!

YOU GOOD, JOSH?

YEAH, I'M FINE NOW. THANKS, ISAAC.

CHASE IS IN SUCH A STATE THAT EVEN DISCUSSING NEXT WEEK'S EXTERNAL SECURITY IS GOING TO BE A PAIN.

*C: Codename for Chase

AN EXTERNAL SCHEDULE IS COMING UP?

YES, HE HAS TO GO GET FITTINGS DONE FOR THE MOVIE HE'S ABOUT TO START SHOOTING.

THERE WAS ALSO AN ATTACK ON AN APEX ALPHA RECENTLY, SO WE'LL NEED TO STEP UP SECURITY.

AN ATTACK ON A DOMINANT ALPHA?

KEITH PITTMAN WAS ATTACKED.

THE CEO OF P ENTERTAINMENT.

WHY DON'T WE SUGGEST INCREASING THE BUDGET FOR SECURITY?

SO, THE THREATS TO CHASE AREN’T JUST BASELESS RUMORS.

THERE WAS ALSO THAT INCIDENT WHERE FANS STORMED A TV STATION JUST TO SEE HIM.

I SUGGESTED IT, BUT IT GOT SHOT DOWN IMMEDIATELY.

THEY DIDN'T REJECT IT OVER COSTS, DID THEY?

OF COURSE NOT.

IT'S JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND PEOPLE WILLING TO TAKE THIS JOB.

I EVEN SUGGESTED BRINGING IN TRAINED GUARD DOGS, BUT CHASE NEARLY BLEW A FUSE.

THE WAY HE GLARED AT ME... I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THE PHRASE 'KILLING SOMEONE WITH YOUR EYES.'

I DON'T KNOW WHY HE HATES DOGS SO MUCH.

THEY'RE LITERALLY MAN'S BEST FRIEND.

YEAH, IT'S ODD. GUARD DOGS ARE COMMON IN THIS LINE OF WORK,

BUT CHASE ACTS LIKE THEY'RE HIS WORST NIGHTMARE.

SOMETHING MUST'VE HAPPENED.

WHILE WE'RE BREAKING OUR BACKS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP HIM SAFE,

HE'S ASKING POINTLESS QUESTIONS.

POINTLESS? LIKE WHAT?

HE STRAIGHT-UP ASKED IF ALL THE SECURITY TEAM MEMBERS WERE ALPHAS OR BETAS.

I TOLD HIM JOSH AND I ARE BETAS, AND EVERYONE ELSE IS ALPHA.

...IS THAT SO?

HE EVEN LOOKED AT ME LIKE HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IT.

HE ASKED TWICE IF THE GUY WHO HIT HIM WAS REALLY A BETA.

I'M FINE WITH BEING A BETA.

WELL, WITH A FACE LIKE YOURS, WHO CARES WHAT YOU ARE?

ANYWAY, LET'S FOCUS ON THE EXTERNAL SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T PISS CHASE OFF BEFORE THEN.

ONE WEEK LATER.

PUT OUTFIT NUMBER THREE OVER THERE.

USE THE SECOND SET OF ACCESSORIES.

HEY, GRAB ME THAT CHAIN.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A NIGHTMARE HE IS, AS LONG AS I BEAR THIS MARK,

I KNOW I'LL KEEP FEELING THIS PULL TOWARD HIM.

CHASE'S PHEROMONES ARE OVERWHELMING.

IF IT WEREN'T FOR THESE PHEROMONE-NEUTRALIZING CANDIES, MY SECRET WOULD'VE BEEN EXPOSED A LONG TIME AGO.

WHAT THE HELL? ARE ALL THOSE PEOPLE HERE FOR HIM?

IT'S WORSE THAN A FEW YEARS AGO.

THE FANS ARE EVEN MORE RABID NOW.

CAN JUST A REGULAR PUBLIC APPEARANCE REALLY DRAW IN THIS MANY PEOPLE?

BETTER MAKE SURE THE CROWD STAYS UNDER CONTROL.

IN CASE THEY BLOCK THE EXITS,

WE NEED TO KNOW IF THERE'S A BACK DOOR OR AN EMERGENCY EXIT.

I'LL CHECK WITH THE BUILDING MANAGER TO SEE IF THERE'S A FLOOR PLAN.

THANKS, I'LL HOLD THE FORT.

WEREN'T YOU WITH MARK?

I JUST GOT BACK FROM CHECKING THE FLOOR PLANS. WHAT ABOUT YOU?

I VERIFIED THE LIST OF PEOPLE COMING IN TODAY.

OTHER THAN THE WARDROBE TEAM, NO EXTERNAL VISITORS ARE ALLOWED.

GOT IT. THAT'S ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT.

GOOD WORK.

...WHAT IS IT?

OH, NOTHING. YOU'VE JUST GOT SOMETHING ON YOU.

IS THAT SO?

BY THE WAY, ARE YOU STILL PLANNING THAT FAMILY TRIP ONCE THIS IS OVER?

STILL FIGURING IT OUT.

SO... IS PETE'S MOM COMING TOO?

...I DON'T KNOW YET. I'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THINGS PAN OUT.

THIS JOB ISN'T EXACTLY CLOSE TO BEING DONE.

...GOT IT.

JOSH, WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU CLOSE?

I'M WITH ISAAC NOW. WHAT'S GOING ON?

THE SITUATION'S ESCALATED. GET TO THE FITTING ROOM.

SO, YOU'RE TELLING ME WE CAN'T LEAVE?

THE BUILDING IS COMPLETELY SURROUNDED.

WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AN ALTERNATE WAY TO GET YOU OUT, BUT GOING BACK BY CAR LIKE BEFORE ISN'T AN OPTION.

MR. MILLER, WOULD YOU LIKE SOMETHING TO DRINK...

DON'T BOTHER. WHAT KIND OF TRASH ARE YOU TRYING TO FEED ME NOW?

SORRY.

UGH, HIS ATTITUDE...

EVEN WHEN HE'S MAD, HE CAN'T CONTROL HIS PHEROMONES.

I CAN BARELY BREATHE.

WAIT...

IS HE LOOKING AT ME?

Knock Knock

COME IN.

...MARK.

THE FIRST BARRICADE JUST FELL.

...WHAT NOW?

YOU USELESS BASTARDS.