A couple of hours later, Steve and Shauni had made their way to Staples Center to get ready for the events that night. Shauni did a quick sound-check with her band as well as a couple of interviews before making her way back to the dressing room.
In the meantime, Steve met with the two men he had hired to do security on the tour. Jake and Tommy had both been former SEAL team members. The threesome had gone through BUD's training together and formed a brotherhood that had lasted through the years even though they didn't see each other often anymore.
"Looks like you hooked up, McGarrett," Jake couldn't resist some good natured teasing. "Gotta admit, I never thought I'd see the day a woman would thaw your heart…..Not even one as hot as Shauni Steele."
Steve ignored the comment about Shauni and shook his head as he laughed, "You make it sound like I was a cold hearted SOB."
Jake shook his head, "Not cold hearted….Just guarded. You kept your emotions pretty tight and close to your chest, so to speak. But I gotta say, I'm happy for you. Shauni seems like a great girl. She's not at all like some of the celebrities I've worked with before."
Steve lifted an eyebrow at him, "Who said there was anything going on between us. You're making a lot of assumptions, man."
That was when Tommy decided to put in his two cents worth, "Oh please! You can't deny it, McGarrett. We've seen how you look at her….and how she looks at you. Hate to tell ya, buddy, but it's pretty damn obvious."
Steve couldn't help but smile, "Okay, okay. You got me. And yeah, she's amazing…Which is why I wanted you guys with her on this tour. I need people around her that I can trust. After what happened with her stalker in Hawaii…and now the situation with the ex-boyfriend threatening to show up tonight…..I want her safe."
Both men sobered before Jake spoke again, "You got it. We won't let anything happen to her…..You have our word. Now tell us the story on her ex-boyfriend."
Steve started to brief them on Connor Michaelson and his history with Shauni. He was surprised that Jake and Tommy both knew who Connor Michaelson was. They were just as surprised that Steve didn't know who he was, but Steve shrugged it off, "What can I say? I don't have time to go see movies," he'd said.
After hearing what had happened between them, Jake and Tommy understood the anger they'd sensed Steve was feeling towards the guy.
"He laid his hands on her?" Tommy asked with barely controlled anger. "This guy is a special kinda stupid, huh? What did her dad have to say about that?"
"That's the thing….Her parents don't know what happened." Steve answered.
Jake's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "How could they not know?"
Steve explained the rest of the story and how Shauni and Sasha had been able to keep that part of the break-up away from their parents.
"So what do you want us to do if he shows up tonight?" Tommy asked.
Steve thought about it before answering, "Keep him away from her, if you can. In fact, if he does show up, it'll be better if she doesn't even find out he's here. Just put him somewhere and I'll deal with him."
It wasn't long before the men were catching up on one another's lives as they waited for Shauni to finish her sound-check. Jake was married to Bethany, a girl he'd fallen in love with when the guys were going through BUDs, and they were expecting their first baby in a few months. Tommy was still playing the bachelor and enjoyed giving both Steve and Jake a hard time for falling like they had.
"Just wait, Tommy Boy. When the right woman comes along….and believe me, she will…you will be more than happy to fall just as hard as we have." Jake said confidently.
The men were sharing a laugh about that when Shauni came walking into the room. "Hey guys. Am I interrupting some guy bonding here?"
Steve motioned her towards him and caught her wrist when she was close enough so he could pull her onto his lap, "Nope. Just talking…..and getting a strategy planned out for tonight."
Shauni's face grew serious, "You mean Connor."
"Don't worry about Connor." Steve told her, "We'll handle it if he shows up."
Shauni laughed sarcastically, "And how will you 'handle it' exactly?"
Steve grinned at her mischievously and shrugged innocently, "Look, if he's stupid enough to show up after what he did to you, he deserves to have his ass kicked. BUT….I promise I'll try to be subtle."
Shauni narrowed her eyes at him, "Danny said you don't know how to be subtle."
Jake laughed beside them, "She's right about that, McGarrett. Subtlety has never been your strong suit."
"Okay, how's this….I promise not to hurt him as long as he doesn't provoke me. The important thing right now is that you don't worry. We have it covered."
Shauni looked at him skeptically.
"But...if I'm being honest...I really hope he does provoke me because I would love the opportunity to give him a piece of his own medicine." Steve said with a sideways grin.
In unison, Jake and Tommy both chanted, "Hooyah!" which Shauni knew was the SEAL equivalent of saying "Let's go kick some ass".
"You are ALL incorrigible...but thank you." Her gaze shifted downward, "I really hope he doesn't try anything. I just don't want to see him…..after…..Well, you know." She looked up at Steve again and the apprehension in her eyes softened him.
He reached a finger up to stroke her cheek, "Don't worry, babe." he said.
When she offered him a small smile, he shifted her so he could stand up and leave her on the couch, "Now….let me get some ice for your leg. You should probably ice it a little more before the show."
Shauni knew there was no point arguing about the ice. Between her mother and Steve, she'd had no choice but to ice it all day just as Max had instructed. But before letting him do that, she had one more thing to say…..
"If Connor does show up, please promise me you won't tell my dad what happened between us."
Steve was sympathetic towards what she was feeling but also knew that may not be possible, "I'll do what I can…..but you know I can't promise anything, If he shows up and starts anything, we're going to take care of it. If your parents are around when that happens, they'll want to know why we're reacting the way we are….and I'll have to tell them."
Shauni took a deep breath and exhaled, "I know. I just don't want my daddy to find out. I've never kept anything like this from him before."
Steve pulled her down for a quick kiss, "It's going to be okay. Don't worry about it. All you have to do is go out there and have a great show. Okay?"
**************h50*************h50***************h50
Showtime….
Shauni emerged from the dressing room looking gorgeous. Since her wardrobe had to be changed to help cover the leg injury, she was wearing leather pants that were cut strategically all the way up her thighs. They still showed plenty of skin but camouflaged the bruise pretty well. She was also wearing a silver halter top that completely exposed her back and silver stiletto sandals. Her hair and makeup were flawless and she looked ready to take on the world. As long as he lived, Steve didn't think he'd ever be able to see her like this without losing his breath. He loved the way Shauni looked on a day-to-day basis: Fresh, unpretentious, and relaxed. But Shauni as the "sexy popstar" was breathtaking as well.
She walked confidently up to Steve and took his arm, "Walk me to the stage, Commander?" she smiled up at him.
He leaned down to kiss her again, "You look beautiful." Shauni blushed in spite of herself and felt the warmth of his compliment all the way to her toes. One look…one touch…one kiss was all it took to melt her. Steve walked her to lift underneath the main stage that would carry her up to the stage for a big entrance. As she stepped on and got ready to start her show, he winked at her, "You're going to be great," he said.
A few moments later, the stage was lifted and she appeared before an ecstatic crowd to kick off her tour.
Shauni did the first few songs without incident. She was amazing; Energetic, engaging, and totally winning over the audience who already loved her. As she exited the stage for her first costume change, however, Steve couldn't help but notice the look of fear on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"He's here."
She didn't need to say any more for Steve to know exactly who she was talking about. "Where is he?"
"Never mind….I need to change and I only have a couple of minutes to get back on stage."
She started to walk away, but Steve grabbed her arm firmly and forced her to look at him. "Where is he?" he insisted.
He could see the tears that were threatening to surface as she answered, "He's sitting with my parents." She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, "My parents, Steve!"
She took another breath..." Look, I can't do this right now. I have a damn show to do...and he's sitting there where he knows I can see him. What kind of sick freak is he anyway?" she asked.
"Shhhhh, I'll take care of it, sweetie." Steve pulled her in to hold her close for a moment. He could only assume the reason Connor had the balls to show up and sit with Derek and Olivia in the audience was because Sasha wasn't sitting with them. Sasha had been watching the show from backstage and chatting with several mutual friends who were there for the show as well. Their parents, however, had decided to watch the show from the "frontlines" so they were sitting in the front row. Since Sasha wasn't there to call him out, Steve could only assume that was why Connor had the guts to approach the Steele's and sit with them during the show. Of course, Connor also had to know how it would affect Shauni psychologically to see him sitting with her parents at the show…..Which, in Steve's opinion, made him one crazy son of a gun.
Connor Michaelson definitely had balls…..Steve would give him that much…..But that was about to come to an end.
He was going to handle it.
Period.
He pulled Shauni in for another hug, "Don't worry, babe. I'll take care of it. Go get changed and get ready for your next set."
She looked up at him quizzically, "What are you going to do?"
Steve offered her a small smile before taking her sweet face into his hands and leaning in for a kiss, "Don't worry about it." He turned her towards her dressing room before swatting her playfully on the ass.
"Go," he demanded softly.
Shauni was still surprised that she could take his 'alpha male' attitude in stride. She'd never thought she would like that characteristic in a man, but with Steve, it just seemed…..okay. And she had no option but to comply because she was running out of time and needed to be back on stage in another minute or so.
What are you going to do?
Shauni's words echoed in Steve's head as he went to find Jake and Tommy. Honestly, she probably didn't want to know what he was going to do…..but Steve couldn't wait to get in front of Connor Michaelson and show him how the world really worked. In McGarrett's world, putting your hands on a woman and hurting her required some sort of penance and apology. Connor had screwed up...and Steve intended to make sure he regretted the day he'd ever laid a hand on Shauni Steele.
Before Shauni entered the stage again for her second set, Steve was able to get Jake and Tommy to make their way to the seating area where Connor was standing by the Steele's. As he waited for them to bring Connor backstage, Sasha came stalking towards him.
She was pointing a finger towards the audience as she did so, "That son of a bitch is sitting by our parents…BY our parents…..Who the hell does he think he is to…"
Steve held up a hand to stop her, "I know, Sash…I have it under control."
"What do you mean, you 'have it under control'? He's sitting right beside our parents. Oh….my…..gosh….."
Steve lifted his hand up to stroke her arm in an effort to calm her down, "Shhhhh, Sasha….I have it under control. Jake and Tommy are on their way out there right now to bring him backstage…..to ME. Then I'll handle this."
The look on his face told Sasha he had every intention of putting the 'fear of God' into Connor so that he never bothered Shauni again. And while that thought was somewhat comforting, it was also frightening because it meant her parents might find out what had happened between them.
"But what about Momma and Daddy?" Sasha asked.
Once again, Steve was sympathetic even though he was hell bent on insuring Connor Michaelson never got near the Steele's again. "I understand your hesitation," he began, "but I'll tell you what I told Shauni: I can't make any promises that they won't find out what happened. Connor hurt her and he deserves whatever comes to him; Especially if he has the balls to show up here when I'm here and act like nothing happened. I won't let him intimidate or scare her again, Sasha. If your parents find out what happened between them, we'll deal with it. My priority is taking care of Shauni."
Sasha had admired Steve from the moment she'd seen him with her sister, but now she was sure she loved him. Steve's devotion to Shauni was written all over his face and she was happy to know he would take care of her.
Connor might not be happy with that, she mused, but that was his own damn fault. He had thrown away what he could've had with her sister and now Steve was more than happy to take the lead.