Drake Sisters 06 - Turbulent Sea

her.
    'She just changed the baby, but she's coming.'
    'Well, make room for her. I don't want to be the only chick at the table.'
    Logan pulled another paper from the stack and smoothed it out in front of them all. 'Yes, Tish has seen the tabloids, and this one is her particular favorite.'
    The band members crowded closer, hovering over each other's shoulders to peer down at the magazine.
    'Wow, Joley,' Denny said. 'Check it out. You've always wanted a ready-made family, and now you have one without ruining your figure.'
    Brian whistled. 'I had no idea that was so important to you, but hey, it's right here in the headlines. You want children but don't want a matronly body'
    'Well I am just so vain.' Joley blew on her fingernails.
    Rick pointed to another headline. 'This says child protective services are investigating you for drug and alcohol consumption, and that you left the baby in a restroom and we had to turn the buses around to go back for her. Wow, Joley, that's kind of sick.'
    Leo tugged at strands of her hair. 'You were in the restroom doing one of the band members and Logan is devastated.'
    'I'm sorry, Logan, but seriously, you're two-timing me with Tish, so I feel you sort of deserve it. And which band member am I doing this time?' Joley asked, leaning her chin into her hand and batting her eyes at him.
    'The handsome one,' Rick said. 'Me.'
    'Ooh baby,' Joley cooed and blew a kiss at him.
    Laughter bubbled up as the waitress came over. She appeared starry-eyed and breathless. 'Do you think I could get an autograph? And maybe a picture with you?' she asked.
    'How 'bout this, sweetheart?' Brian said. 'We'll all sign autographs for you and your crew and take pictures if the place doesn't suddenly fill up with friends, family and reporters. We'd just like a quiet meal.'

    She nodded her head several times, held up a finger and ran over to the counter to whisper to the other waitress and the cook, before coming back to take their orders. The other waitress struggled with getting orders from the crew.
    Joley looked around. Even with no other customers, they took up most of the room. Granted, it was a small diner, but how different this all was from how it had been in the beginning, when the band had no one but Tish traveling with them. Now there were so many… Her gaze collided with ice-blue eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. Ilya Prakenskii stood just to the side of the booth where he could hear everything that was said. And she hadn't been aware of him. Her palm hadn't even itched - until now.
    'What are you doing here?' Joley asked, trying not to stare. She didn't know whether to feel belligerent or exhilarated.
    'I asked him to come,' Jerry said. T felt maybe we should beef security up a little around everyone until the end of the tour.'
    'But he has a job,' Brian protested. And you should have consulted me.'
    Joley ducked her head, not looking at any of them, least of all Ilya. It was scary having him around so much, because the more she saw him, the less resistance she seemed to have.
    'He's on temporary loan,' Jerry said. He beckoned Ilya to sit down.
    Ilya shook his head. 'I'm fine right here.'
    Tish, holding the baby, squeezed in and flashed Ilya a tentative smile. 'I feel for you, trying to guard Joley. She's not the most cooperative.'
    'Hey now!' Joley objected. 'I'm the epitome of cooperation.'
    A groan went up around the booth.
    'He's not the kind of bodyguard who needs cooperation,' Jerry said, casting Joley a hard look.
    She sat up straight. 'What does that mean?'
    'It means his job is to keep you safe. I'm getting gray hair reading your hate mail lately. And after Dean was murdered, I don't want to sit up nights wondering if some nut is going to kill you right in front of all of us, so I've hired him to keep you alive and told him to use whatever means it takes.'
    'Urnm, Jerry,' Joley said, beginning to smolder Wlth fury. She carefully avoiding Ilya's slashing blue gaze. 'You work for me. You're supposed to clear this kind of thing with me. And it isn't cleared.'
    'I had a long talk with Jonas and your sister Sarah. They both agreed we need to cover you better, especially if the Russian mob is in any way involved.'
    'He's Russian,' Brian snapped. 'Nikitin probably fired him and he's been hanging around making you think we need him, Jerry. Seriously, are you crazy?'
    At once Joley felt protective toward Ilya, a complete contradiction. Sometimes she felt her emotions around him were like a