Tasha

“Hey babe, how are you doing?”

I looked up as my best friend and business manager Chloe came through the elevator of my penthouse, talking before the doors had even fully opened. It was a private elevator with three stops: the underground parking garage, the lobby, and my foyer.

I’d purchased the ultra private condo overlooking Lake Washington when my first album went platinum, and I’d never once regretted it. The space was perfect for me with high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, a professional quality kitchen, a nice little gym, and best of all: a fully soundproofed music room where I could play the guitar without worrying about disturbing my neighbors.

“Good morning, Chloe. You’re here early today.”

It was technically ten a.m., but early was relative in my world. After so many years of touring and doing concerts, I was used to being up until two or three in the morning and sleeping in until late morning. I’d woke up just before nine today and gone right in to do my work out before I lost my motivation. Now I was awake, sweaty, and starving. Plus, I needed coffee.

Walking past Chloe, I hit the brew button on the coffee pot and popped a couple of slices of toast into the toaster. When I looked back at my friend she was staring at me with a weird look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“There was another letter yesterday, Tasha.”

I stalked over to her, holding out my hand. “Let me see it.”

“I don’t think—.”

“Hand it over,” I interrupted, making my voice firm.

Chloe sighed and reached into her bag, pulling out a piece of paper that was enclosed in what looked like a large freezer bag.

“The cops already dusted it for prints. It’s clean, of course.”

I grabbed the bag, the text visible through the plastic. In big, black, block letters someone had written:

“You will burn in hell. I’ll send you there early if you don’t change your ways.”

“Quite the wordsmith,” I joked, even as I felt a burn of acid in my stomach.

I wasn’t one to be easily freaked out, but the letters were becoming unsettling. Although at least this one didn’t have anything gross with it. Or did it?

“Was it just the letter?” I asked cautiously.

Chloe shook her head. “This one had a severed bird head in a box. Looked like a crow.”

I dropped the letter on the counter as if it had crow guts on it.

“Gross.” The toast popped up, the sound loud in the quiet between us, and I strode over to grab it. “Breakfast?”

“No thanks, Wanda’s going to be here soon.”

I looked up from buttering my toast. “Wanda? Who’s Wanda?”

“Your new bodyguard. You agreed to in-house personal protection services, remember?”

“I did not agree to that,” I protested. “I specifically told you I didn’t need another bodyguard, and you mumbled ‘we’ll see about that’ and walked away.”

“Well anyway,” Chloe said, ignoring my comments in the hope she could Jedi mind trick me into agreeing with me, “I got you a personal bodyguard. Her name’s Wanda. She’s from an outside firm, just in case any of your regular security detail is your stalker. I got a recommendation from my uncle who works in the governor’s office. They’ve done a lot of work with Sapphic Security. Uncle Jim says they’re one of the best, plus it’s a women owned firm, which I know we both appreciate.”

“How did you even get someone lined up so fast?” I asked. “We just talked about this yesterday afternoon.”

“I’ve got skills, baby,” Chloe teased.

The intercom buzzed with a ring I recognized as the front desk in the lobby, and Chloe strode over to talk to the doorman. I poured myself a cup of coffee and took two long sips before I joined her in front of the elevator, stifling my irritation. I knew that Chloe was worried about me, but having someone in my space twenty-four seven was not going to work. I already had a team of guys who followed me around when I was away from home. That should be sufficient.

The elevator doors opened, revealing the most stunning woman I’d ever seen. I caught my breath.

“May I come in?” she asked. Her voice was deep and firm and did funny things to my belly.

“Yes,” I said. “Come in, please.”

The woman, Wanda I remembered Chloe calling her, was a little shorter than me, maybe five eight, but with a commanding presence that somehow seemed to make her loom over my taller figure. She was wearing black leather boots, tight black jeans that highlighted her muscled legs, and a black leather jacket with silver buckles. Beneath her jacket she was wearing a black tank top that lovingly hugged her full breasts.

Long straight black hair hung down to her mid-back. Her skin was pale with a brownish tint, making her red lips stand out more, and her eyes were large and intensely dark. She looked Hispanic, or maybe Native American. I was guessing she was about ten years older than me, but she was hot as fuck.

Speaking of fuck, if I wasn’t going to keep her as my bodyguard, maybe she’d be down for a night of fun. I hadn’t had sex in several years and I couldn’t remember a time I’d been so immediately attracted to someone before.

Ignoring us, Wanda looked around, sharp eyes categorizing her surroundings.

“Which one of you is Tasha?” she asked.

Chloe and I both laughed, making her gaze snap back to me. “You’re Tasha?” she confirmed.

Even though I was one of the most recognizable women in the world, I didn’t get the sense that she was messing with me.

“Hi, yes, I’m Tasha Blue. You must be Wanda.”

I gave her the bright smile that made all genders swoon. Wanda just blinked at me.

“I’m so sorry that you came all the way over here, but I think there’s been a mistake. I don’t actually want a personal bodyguard.” I held out a hand. “Thanks for coming though. I’ll make sure Chloe pays you for your time.”

She gave me a once-over, taking in my basketball shorts and tank top. My sports bra peeked out from beneath the straps of my tank, and her eyes lingered there for a moment before she took my hand.

Then the most extraordinary thing happened. The minute her hand closed around mine, I felt a jolt, as if I’d touched a live wire. I inhaled sharply, wondering what was causing it. When I looked at Wanda, she had a little crinkle between her eyebrows, telling me that she’d felt it too.

“Oh no,” she whispered before dropping my hand.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

Wanda inhaled deeply, then her eyes widened, and she took a big step away from me.

“I need to do a safety check of your apartment,” she said, completely ignoring the part about how I didn’t want a bodyguard. “You two stay in the kitchen and yell if anything weird happens.”

I bristled, not used to being ordered around. “Excuse me?”

Chloe gripped my elbow in warning. “The only weird thing that’s going to happen is that Tasha is going to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and cut the crusts off like a toddler.”

I stuck my tongue out. “Don’t make fun of my breakfast, babe.”

Suddenly Wanda was standing right next to us, moving so quickly I’d scarcely seen her move.

“Are you two together?” she growled.

I had the oddest sense that if we said yes she was going to be pissed.

“Chloe and I have been friends since kindergarten,” I said firmly. “Not that we owe you an explanation. You can go now.”

“Tasha, be reasonable,” Chloe wheedled. “I want you to be safe.”

“I already told you, I don’t want or need another bodyguard.” I reminded her, using my ‘I’m a big star and no one better argue with me’ voice.

Neither Chloe nor Wanda looked impressed.

“Look Princess, from everything I read, it’s clear that your stalker is someone who knows you. Someone on the inside,” Wanda said firmly. “If you want to stay alive, you’ll do what I tell you, and you’ll answer any question you’re given.”

My mouth dropped. She lifted one finger to the bottom of my chin, closing my mouth, then stalked off to do her investigation of my home.

“I’m gonna need more coffee if I’m going to have to deal with this shit,” I told Chloe.

When Wanda walked into the kitchen about ten minutes later, I was eating my toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich – with the crusts cut off thank you very much – and glaring at Chloe as she worked on her iPad and pretended to ignore me.

“Everything’s secure,” Wanda reported.

I resisted the urge to say “told you so” but only because this letter thing was freaking me out more than I wanted to admit.

Grabbing a chair, Wanda turned it around and straddled it, which shouldn’t have been sexy, but somehow absolutely was.

“Would you like a cup of coffee before you leave?” I asked, adding a pointed emphasis on the word ‘leave’.

“No thanks, I just had a bottle of blood before I left home.”

I choked on my sandwich, causing a chunk of food to fly out of my mouth and land on the table. Holding up a finger, I took a long drink from my water bottle before turning my attention back to Wanda.

“Bottle of blood?”

She gave me that stern look again. It was kind of hot.

“Yes, blood. I have to take it every morning to keep my strength up.”

My eyes flew to Chloe, whose face lit up. “Oh! You’re a vampire, aren’t you? I thought you were kind of pale, even by Seattle standards. That’s so cool! I don’t think I’ve met a vampire before.”

My best friend had been with me when I’d met royalty, presidents, and some of the biggest movie stars, never batting an eye. But now she was fan-girling over a vampire?

“Yes, I’m a vampire.” Wanda’s tone was curt. “If we’re through with the chit chat, I’d like to go over our protocols and figure out a game plan to keep you safe until I catch this asshole who’s threatening you.”

“I don’t want a bodyguard,” I protested again.

Both Wanda and Chloe ignored me.

I took another bite of my sandwich and studied my new vampire friend. I had the strangest feeling that my life was about to change, but I couldn’t say why.