Gregory's Rebellion (17 page)

Raj had light skin, the colour of cappuccino, and his complexion was flawless. Brent could do nothing but stare and try not to be embarrassed by how much his dick approved of Mr Khan’s appearance, too. The deity was leaning casually against the doorframe. His hands were pushed into his trouser pockets and his eyes sparkled with mischief. Brent pulled ineffectually at his collar. Had the temperature just risen twenty degrees? And where was that goddamn glass of water he’d been promised?

As he stared, Raj’s mouth curved up into a teasing smirk. He removed his hands from his pockets and glided across the room with a poise and elegance Brent had never witnessed in a man. He stopped in front of Brent and held out his hand.

“I’m Rajkumar. My friends call me Raj.”

Brent stood up. He swallowed hard and took hold of the proffered hand, hoping the rapidly growing erection in his trousers wouldn’t be too evident. “Brent Hawthorne.”

Raj’s hand lingered for a moment before he pulled it away, his fingers stroking lightly across Brent’s knuckles. The simple touch had Brent practically panting. He tried to ignore what the touch did to his dick, and he should definitely not have been thinking about the man’s hands
on
his dick…

“Rahul, you can wait for me in my study. I’d like to speak to Mr Hawthorne alone.”

Rahul’s eyes widened. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Raj…”

“I wasn’t asking,” Raj interrupted.

Rahul nodded and rose stiffly from the chaise. “Fine. I have some calls to make anyway. You know where to find me.”

Raj waited until Rahul had left the room before speaking. “I’m sorry about that but my agent is not very sympathetic to my condition.”

Brent furrowed his brow. “Your…
condition
?” Jesus, was the guy ill?

“The fact that I am gay,” Raj said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Brent’s mouth fell open. Raj made being gay sound like a disease. Brent chose to ignore the comment. It had nothing to do with why he was here.
Focus, Brent.
Raj sat down in the chaise Rahul had vacated and when Brent sat back down he decided to ask Raj about his agent, even though he feared he might be overstepping the mark.

“Why don’t you fire him? Hire someone else?”

Raj smiled indulgently. “Mr Hawthorne…”

“Please, call me Brent.”

Raj nodded. “Brent, this is India. I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who
didn’t
have a problem with the way I live my life. Besides, Rahul is good at his job.”

“But there must be other agents who are equally capable.”

“Yes, but Rahul got me where I am today. Without him I’d be just another wannabe with Bollywood dreams.”

“I’ll need to see the letters,” Brent decided to move their conversation back to business before he said something he’d regret, both about Raj’s choice to stay with an obviously homophobic agent and his decision to remain in the closet. Brent had
never
had to hide his sexuality, but he could understand why someone in Raj’s position felt the need. An openly gay man would not be hired to play a romantic lead, especially here in India where there was an even bigger stigma placed on being gay than in the Western world. It was unfortunate, but it was true.

“What are the police doing about all of this?”

Raj threw Brent a sheepish look. “I’m afraid my agent lied on the phone when he called your office. He was worried you would refuse to help us if you knew the truth. We haven’t taken this matter to the police.”

Brent started to shake his head.
No
. He was happy to guard someone whose life was in danger but he insisted they go through the proper channels if they were under threat. Brent was a bodyguard, not a detective. If Raj had someone stalking and blackmailing him then that person needed to be caught and brought to justice.

“Please, hear me out?” Raj had lowered his head and his large, brown eyes looked up at Brent through thick, dark lashes. The man’s earlier confidence had all but disappeared. The longer he stared into those beautiful brown eyes, the more Brent felt his resistance slip. Raj’s gaze was filled with insecurity and uncertainty.
Crap
. Brent was majorly fucked.

Raj waited for Brent to acknowledge his question. He’d felt an instant connection to Brent and wasn’t surprised to realise the man’s opinion mattered. He hoped Brent’s agency would take on the job. Something about the way Brent carried himself put Raj right at ease. He felt safe around him. He found himself wanting to open up to the man, to trust him and gain his trust in return.

And, damn, but the man was sexy. Tall and broad, he was the absolute essence of masculinity. Brent Hawthorne was a man Raj wanted to get to know better, and not only in the biblical sense.

The uncertainty disappeared from Brent’s eyes. “Fair enough, go on.”

Raj let out the breath he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding when Brent’s dark blue eyes widened and he nodded, willing him to continue.

“I’m not sure how much you know about Bollywood but it is getting very close to the IIFAs. They are basically our version of the Oscars.”

Brent nodded. “I’ve heard of them.”

“I have been nominated for Best Actor, aside from which I have two films coming out in the next few months. If anyone were to find out about my sexuality, ratings would nosedive and the studio stands to lose a lot of money. I have no doubt they’d sue.”

Brent frowned and Raj had a burning desire to reach across and smooth out the lines on the man’s forehead with his finger.

“They can’t sue you for being gay.”

“No, but I’m sure they would find something they
could
sue me for.”

“I’m not sure I understand what this has to do with the threats and reporting the matter to the police.”

“It has everything to do with them. Although our police here are highly competent, they are not infallible. I cannot risk
anyone
finding out about me. The fewer people that know about my sexuality the better, at least until the IIFAs are over and the films have completed their run in the cinema. After that, I don’t care who finds out.”

“You don’t care?” Brent raised his eyebrows. “Wouldn’t it harm your chances of getting more roles in the future if people were to know you are gay?”

“It doesn’t matter. The movie I am currently filming will be my last. I am quitting the business for good. I enjoyed it once but not anymore. I’m tired. Tired of the falseness of the industry I once loved and of pretending to be something I’m not. I don’t want to continue with this double life anymore.

“Besides, I’ve made more than enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life. And I already have some ideas for businesses I’d like to start up as soon as my time is my own again. As you can see, it is paramount that my sexual preference remains a secret even if only for another few months.

“I have to admit I wasn’t happy about the idea of hiring new bodyguards but my agent insists upon it. Though I don’t like many of his suggestions, I’m afraid on this matter I have to bend. The threats I’ve been receiving are becoming more frequent and the level of violence they allude to is escalating.”

There
. Raj had laid his cards on the table. What Brent did with them was up to him, but he prayed Brent would understand and help. The bodyguard sat back in his chair and used his thumb and forefinger to scrub at the stubble on his chin. Raj wondered what it would feel like rubbing against his own if they were to kiss. Brent’s eyes moved from side to side before he finally met Raj’s gaze.

“What happened to your previous bodyguards? Why are you looking to hire a new team at such an important time in your career? Did you have an issue with them?”

“You haven’t heard, then?” Raj sighed. “I’m surprised. It has been all over the news here. Two of the bodyguards at my agency were involved in, shall we say, a disagreement? They had what you’d call a shootout and a man was killed. The incident created all sorts of bad press for them and many actors’ management companies have stopped using the agency. It’s a shame. They are good at what they do. Rahul has spent the past few weeks looking for another. Although your company is new, it comes highly recommended.” Raj waited with bated breath.

“Yes, I did hear of the incident. Didn’t it happen at the home of an actor the bodyguards were working for?”

Raj nodded. “Yes, in the grounds. Two of the guards had a personal disagreement and the argument turned into a fight. From what I understand it got out of hand and they pulled their guns on one other. One of the guards was shot and later died in hospital.”

“Did you know the guards that were involved?”

“Not personally, no. They never worked for me but I’d heard of them from my own bodyguards, who it seems could very well be out of a job now. I don’t think the agency wanted to close its doors but it looks as though it has no choice. It’s a shame—my guards were good men and they have families to support.”

Brent nodded thoughtfully. “As you said, our company is new but we are always looking for hard-working, experienced men. Get them to give us a call.”

Wow
. Raj hadn’t expected that but it showed what a decent man Brent was. It made him even more certain that he’d like Brent’s agency to take on the job.

“Thank you, that’s very good of you. I’ll do that.”

“There are more details I’ll need to discuss with you first but”—Brent sighed then slumped his shoulders in what Raj could only assume was resignation—“when would you like us to start?”

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About the Author

Lavinia discovered reading at an early age and could always be found with her nose in a book. She loved getting lost in a fantasy world even then. When her parents bought her a typewriter for Christmas at age eleven, her fate was sealed. She spent hours dreaming up characters and creating stories. Not a lot has changed. Now when she is not writing you can find her enjoying a new release e-book.

Lavinia has lived all over the UK but currently resides in London, England. She has travelled extensively to places including Africa, Asia, Australia, America and most of Europe. Although some of her books are set in Texas she has never visited the state but plans to spend time there in the near future.

She is an avid reader and her favourite authors include J. L. Langley, Carol Lynne, Chris Owen and Andrew Grey. Lavinia particularly loves supernatural fiction and her favourite authors in this genre include Kelly Armstrong, Keri Arthur and Charlaine Harris.

Although Lavinia is a huge fan of the romance genre, she will admit to reading anything and everything. She loves horror, a good thriller and if a book has the capacity to make her cry, well, all the better. One thing she does insist on in a book, however, regardless of genre, is a happy ending, so you will always find one in the books she writes.

Email:
[email protected]

Lavinia Lewis loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.total-e-bound.com
.

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