Under His Protection
Chapter 2

Zane sat at his desk drinking coffee, trying to clear his head. He stayed out way too late last night and after leaving the waitress’s apartment at three in the morning had only a few hours till he had to be at work. He would have been home sooner but the girl he was with was insatiable and wanted more which he gladly obliged. She was cute but not really his type and knew he wouldn’t be seeing her again, though he said he’d call.

“Rough night partner?” Joe asked, sitting across from Zane.

“You could say that.”

“Wouldn’t she put out?” Joe smirked.

Looking at his partner he laughed. “Put out man, she was like an animal, all over me.”

“You going to see her again?” Joe asked, pushing another coffee towards him.

“No. She was cute but not my type.”

“Every woman is your type you horn dog.”

Zane smiled. It was true that there wasn’t a woman out there he didn’t want to sleep with or wanted to sleep with him. Women seem to get turned on by a man in uniform. But lately, they started to bore him. There was barely any conversation, just sex and he wanted to be with someone who wanted more. “Maybe I’m growing up.”

“Yeah right,” Joe said giving him a swat on the back. “Get your shit together, we have to go to Victoria's Secret and interview Miss Edwards’s co-workers and her manager.”

“I don’t know why we’re wasting our time,” Zane snapped.

“Maybe we are but damn man, do you really want to pass up the chance to see all those beautiful women wearing nothing but their underwear? I bet you would love to see Miss Edwards in her bra and panties.”

“That woman doesn’t interest me in the least,” Zane growled.

Joe gave a hearty laugh. “If she has a vagina, you’re interested.”

They arrived at Victoria's Secret just as the photo shoot was starting. Zane glanced around looking for Jade but kept getting distracted by the models. They were all beautiful and from different nationalities. They walked around looking for Jade or her manager, stopping to ask one of the models where they could be found.

The one woman with dark hair and skin wearing a see-through nightie and was super hot got up close to Zane, her hand touching his chest. “My, your chest feels so hard and muscular. Have you ever thought of doing some modeling?”

“Only in private,” he said, his eyes going to her breasts.

“Well then,” she purred and handed him a piece of paper. “Here’s my number, call me when you want to set something up.”

Smiling he tucked the paper into his pocket. “Right now we need to replace Miss Edwards or her manager. Do you know where we can replace them beautiful?” God, she was so hot and he couldn’t wait for a private show with her.

“They’re both over at the other set, just around the corner,” she said and sashayed away, Zane’s eyes glued to her ass until Joe poked him in the ribs.

“Down tiger, we have work to do, let’s go,” Joe chuckled. “What is it with you and the ladies?”

Zane grinned. “Can you blame them? Just look at me.” Then he spotted Jade, she was posing for the camera in a black sexy bra and matching panties. He couldn’t help but stare, she was so hot-looking and her body was perfect.

They walked over and spoke to a man wearing a tailored suit, figuring he was her manager. “Mr. Curtis,” Joe said as they approached him.

He turned to the officers. “Yes, I’m Reggie Curtis. Can I help you?”

“I’m Officer Brown and my partner Officer Warner. We’d like to ask you a few questions concerning Miss Edwards. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Joe asked.

“Yeah, let’s go to my office.” He turned to Jade. “I’ll be right back babe.”

Zane’s eyes locked briefly with hers before they followed Reggie to his office. Babe, they must be involved with each other.

There was something about this Reggie guy that didn’t sit right with him. The man was of average height, had brown hair and was in great shape for a man in his forties. They followed him into his office and sat down while he went and sat behind his desk.

“Ok gentlemen, what can I do for you?”

“We’re investigating a possible stalking. Has Miss Edwards mentioned anything to you about someone following her?” Officer Brown asked as he started taking notes.

“Of course she has, I’m her manager and it was I who suggested she inform the police.” He looked at his watch. “Will this take much longer? I’m a very busy man and I’m late for a meeting so if that’s all.” He stood up to leave but the two officers held their hands up.

“No, we’re not done here,” Officer Brown pointed for Reggie to sit back down.

Reggie picked up his phone. “Julie, cancel my appointment and reschedule it.” “Well then gentlemen, continue. What can I do to help you?”

“You can start by telling us your involvement with Miss Edwards,” Zane said, his eyes fixed on the man and thought he saw his body stiffen. He saw that Reggie wore a wedding band, and a picture of a brunette sat on his desk. She was average-looking and didn’t fit the profile of a model so Zane guessed it was Reggie’s wife.

Reggie’s eyes narrowed when he looked at Zane, his index finger tapping on his desk. “I am her manager, nothing more.”

“But you wish there was, don’t you?” Zane asked. He saw the man’s eyes blink rapidly before looking down at his wedding band.

“Officer Warner, I am a married man. I work with many beautiful and sexy women and though I replace them attractive I remain faithful to my wife. I have no interest In Jade besides her being my client.”

“Ok, I think we are getting off the subject here,” Joe said. “Can you tell us of anyone who might be obsessed with her or wish her harm?”

“You could talk to her ex, Trevor Frost.”

“I thought they broke up over a year ago,” Zane said, eyeing Reggie.

“That’s true, but the man is a psychopath and an alcoholic. For months after they broke up, he would send her flowers, sneak in here and watch her. He was always calling her, begging her to take him back and when she refused he would yell, call her names. One time he slapped her in front of everyone. We had to get two security guards to drag him away.”

“We’ll need his home address. Is there anyone else you can think of who has a grudge against Miss Edwards? Or anyone who might be jealous of her? One of the other models perhaps?” Zane asked, making notes in his black book.

“This is a cutthroat business officer, every girl wants to be on top. So, of course, they all have some form of jealousy towards her. Now whether it’s enough to try and scare her, well you’d have to ask them about that. I have nothing more to say so if you’ll excuse me I must get back to business. Feel free to stick around and talk to the models.”

“Ok, let’s separate, that way we can talk to all the models,” Joe said as they left the office. “We’re on duty Zane so no more phone numbers.”

They spent the next two hours questioning the models. Zane headed into the backroom when he spotted Jade going into it. He wasn’t aware that it was where the models were changing and he walked in, the women were half-naked, some topless. They didn’t seem to mind him being there as they went on with what they were doing.

He may be a cop but he was also a man and of course, he looked. Spotting Jade he went over to where she was, her back was to him. “Miss Edwards.”

Startled she turned to him, covering her front with a towel. “Christ you scared the shit out of me. You shouldn’t be in here, this is our dressing room.”

“I never noticed,” he said with a smirk on his face. His eyes went to the area she was trying to cover but he still saw more of her than she knew. “I need to ask you a few questions. The cameraman was talking to you, what was that about?”

“I really don’t think that’s any of your business,” she snapped. Realizing her towel had slipped she pulled it up higher. “We were just discussing different poses, which ones I should do. Are you satisfied?” she asked, rolling her eyes at him. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes, I have another question for you.”

“Do you have to ask now?”

“I do.”

Letting out a sigh, making it known she was pissed. “Fine, but turn around so that I can get dressed.”

Zane wondered why he had to turn around. The woman made a living parading in front of the world in only skimpy underwear and she was worried about dressing in front of him. But he did what she asked only to see women walking around only in their panties, their breasts uncovered, not that he was complaining. “Why didn’t you tell us Trevor Frost slapped you when he showed up here?”

“That was a long time ago, I didn’t think it was important.”

“It is important. Was he abusive towards you when you were together?” Figuring she was dressed he turned back around. She was wearing a dress, one with the zipper in the back and when it was obvious she was having trouble doing it up he went up behind her. “Here, let me do that for you.” With his hands on the zipper he slowly pulled it up, his fingers lingered for a brief moment before backing up. He usually was the one undoing a female’s clothing, never being the one to dress them.

Jade felt the heat from his fingers through the fabric of her dress, his breath on her neck was warm. Moving away turned to face him. “Trevor has always had a bad temper but he had never hit me before that day. He was hurt over our breakup and had been drinking.”

“So that makes it ok for him to hit you?” Zane asked bitterly.

This cop was really getting on her nerves. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying he didn’t mean it and felt terrible afterward. Is there anything else? It’s been a long day and I want to go home.”

“We’ll need a list from you of everyone you’ve been in contact with in the last couple of months or so. If there’s anything you can think of we’ll need that too along with addresses and phone numbers.”

“OK, I’ll make out a list and give it to you tomorrow. Now if that’s it I’m leaving.”

He watched her walk away, admiring the way her ass looked in the dress she wore. She had long, slender legs that had his mouth watering just thinking how they would feel wrapped around him. He didn’t notice the other models as he made his way out and went looking for his partner.

Joe was just finishing up when Zane went over, asking if he was ready to leave. They headed back to the station and after writing up their report each headed home. He had another date that night but phoned and canceled it. His mind kept drifting back to Jade and her stalker. He and Joe were gathering a few suspects and he now for some reason believed her. At first, he thought it was a publicity stunt. But his gut was telling him there was more going on and she could be in danger. Or maybe it was because he found her attractive and it was clouding his judgment. He found her to be a strong and independent woman, not one to call wolf but was also sexy as hell.