Page 3 of Guarding the Star

“I think it's crossed the line into stalking,” Hades says. “That's what worries us. We turned it over to the police, but whoever it is has kept their distance the whole time, so it's not a priority.”

“Yet,” Alexandra adds.

“How long?”

“Six weeks.”

“Six weeks? And you're just telling me now?” I rake a hand through my hair.

“We're telling you now because the situation changed,” Alexandra says. “The messages are more frequent. More possessive. The risk isn't low anymore. And they know your every move.”

I look at the photos again.

The one in the parking lot. At night. Alone.

“Iris,” Hades says, and her voice drops until it's barely a whisper. This isn't Coach chewing me out for being late. This is Diana Creed looking at me like she's scared for me. “The club is assigning you personal protection.”

“Personal protection?”

“A bodyguard. Someone from a specialized firm. She'll stay with you at all times while the police track down the stalker.”

“Nope.”

“It's not optional,” Alexandra says.

“I said no. I don't need a babysitter. Because that's what this is, right? Someone glued to me so I don't go out. I can handle myself. Seriously.”

“Iris—”

“I manage on my own. I've done it my whole life. I'm not about to let—”

“And look how that's going,” Hades snaps, slamming her palm on the desk hard enough to make me flinch.

The silence that follows is thick enough to chew. Hades holds my gaze. She doesn't blink. When she wants to scare you, she never blinks. I'm not fully convinced she's human.

“Take the protection. Or you don't play.”

“You can't do that.”

“I can. And I will.”

I swallow. I stare right back, looking for a crack in the threat, but Alexandra confirms it with a slow nod.

“This is insane,” I say.

“There's another piece,” the general manager adds. “We don't want to cause alarm or draw unnecessary attention, so the bodyguard will be introduced publicly as your girlfriend. That's why we chose a woman.”

“Excuse me?”

“It explains someone being at your side at all times without raising suspicion,” she says.

“So you're getting me a girlfriend. No offense, but I see you don't have a lot of faith in my taste.”

“This is not a joke, Iris. This could be very serious,” my coach says.

“If we announce you have a bodyguard, the press asks questions. Then the whole stalker thing comes out, and it turns into a story that hurts the club, the team, you, and the police investigation,” Alexandra says, same even tone she's had this whole meeting. “We want you with us. We need your goals, which is why we've looked the other way on the partying and the late arrivals at practice. But this is non-negotiable.”

“Is she hot?”