The Brat and the Bodyguard
Part Three
It took him two minutes to work out a plan of attack. Then five
minutes of pointedly looking at his watching, huffing and sighing,
none of which gained any attention from McNeil at all. He would have
liked to have just walked out of that damned corner. Except he didn't
quite dare. And if it really kept the gorilla happy for him to stand
in the occasional corner, then he could live with humouring the man.
So long as he didn't keep it up for this sort of eternity each time.
Val was reaching screaming point when Luke said
behind him,
"Feel any more like picking that mess up now?"
Val turned around and gave Luke a careful demonstration of the look
that a few years ago had always worked on his father when he was
being difficult. The big eyes, the little boy voice, the frank
honesty that melted the crustiest heart.
"I'll do it Luke, I promise. I won't cause any more trouble."
"Great." Luke said bluntly. "Sort it out."
Val found himself headed towards the mess, annoyed and confused. He
wanted to go back to Luke and explain that the proper answer was
"Fine Val, you learned your lesson, we'll forget all about it and
call house keeping."
"All of it." Luke remarked from the doorway. He was propping up the
door frame, big arms folded across his chest. "And when you're done,
I'd like a little chat with you in here."
Val looked at Luke, totally dumbstruck by the finality with which
Luke finished that sentence. He really had thought Luke was going to
say it was all a big joke, that he knew Val had learned his lesson.
One look at Luke's implacable face, and he knew it wasn't going to
happen. All sorts of things flew to the tip of his tongue, but he bit
down hard, certain that he didn't want to be staring at the corner
again. He muttered a little and began to pick up the mess in the room.
Luke watched with a small sense of satisfaction as Val started on
the cleaning job. He could tell the struggle that was going on behind
Val's closed mouth. He could imagine the lovely things that were
being said. As long as they stayed behind those lovely lips, all
would be okay. Val kept shooting him a look to kill, followed by one
that would melt the heart. So much confusion in that small body, it
was amazing to Luke how he even functioned. He was beginning to look
forward to the challenge of helping Val to quiet that confusion. Be a
child when the time was right, be responsible for ALL things said and
done, and also, be the responsible adult his star status demanded on
the business side.
It took Val a full thirty minutes to get the room in order. Several
times he sat down on the bed, intent on stopping, putting his foot
down. He was the money maker in this organization. The gorilla of a
bodyguard was employed BY him, at least his organization of which
there would be none if not FOR him. But then his eyes would drift
over to the corner. Deep in his heart, he knew he needed to pick up
the room. He just hadn't had anyone hold him responsible for his
actions for a while, and it was a new and... not entirely pleasant...
reality. But he felt he owed Luke a little respect for the trouble he
helped to avoid. He was finished, and headed towards Luke's room to
find out what the discussion was about.
Luke was standing at the window, looking out over the street below
with his arms folded across his chest. It seemed to be a favourite
position, legs braced a little apart, chin down, a vaguely stern face
with a hard jaw but softer eyes which were staring unseeingly at the
cars and the people four floors down.
"McNeil?" Val said tentatively. The grey eyes snapped up to him.
"Luke." McNeil said bluntly. "Sit down."
Val hesitated, then took a seat on the end of the bed, taking a deep
breath.
"I know what you're going to say and-"
"You don't and you talk too much." Luke interrupted quietly. "You sit
there, keep your mouth closed and listen. What do you think my job
is?"
"To protect me." Val said, frowning. Luke nodded, slowly.
"How?"
"Edwards carried a gun."
"My job is to assess every situation you walk into and decide what
we're going to do and how we're going to do it, in order that you
don't end up in any danger. Sometimes that's going to mean I ask you
to handle things in a certain way. And when I do, I don't expect any
whining about it. I'll discuss it with you, but I need you to
understand now, my word is going to be final. And if I say something
isn't safe, it means I'm telling you to stay right away from it. Good
defense is about planning and sound tactics. Not crisis management.
I'll pull you out of crisis if I have to, but that's the way that
you'll get hurt. If not by the crisis, then by me afterwards."
Val started to puff up in indignation. Luke saw that. "Quiet, I said."
Val bit down hard on any retort. This gorilla was still in a mood.
"I'm serious Val. It's your life I'm protecting, and I'll give that
job 110% at all times. You can rely on me for ANYTHING, but you will
be following my orders, or face the consequences. There is no
distinction between business and personal lives here. If you want to
attend a party given by the record company and I say no, you won't be
going. If you want to go rock climbing in the middle of nowhere,
having nothing to do with music or the company, and I say no, you
won't be going."
Val wanted to scream, but one look into that steely gray gaze, and
the retort died upon his lips. So the gorilla thought he was the man.
Val would let him think that then. Just so long as he didn't
interfere in what Val wanted to do. He'd find a way to get his way,
he always did.
"Which leaves us," McNeil went on quietly, "With the fact that I told
you NOT to go to that party. And when I make the decisions I'm paid
for, I do NOT expect to have to deal with the kind of display you put
on. You don't know me very well, Val, so I'll explain to you this
time- I promise you, if you ever pull off another Houdini escape from
me in order to get your own way, or if I see the sort of tantrum you
threw this morning, you are going to be very sorry when we next meet.
I don't put up with that kind of behaviour from anyone under any
circumstances, and in your case, if you behave like some bratty kid I
will handle you as such."
Val glowered at the floor. If this maniac thought he was going to
knock him into co operating with every whim and order, getting his
way by brute force- his head jerked up as Luke finished his sentence.
"-so come here and lets get it over with."
"WHAT?"
Luke drew a deep breath. "What part of that didn't you understand?
I'm not going to argue points with you Val, you know what you did
wrong."
"You wouldn't listen to me!"
"It's hard to hear when you're throwing furniture about." Luke said
wryly. "Do you want me to make it simpler? You don't throw tantrums.
You listen to what I say. You do as I say. Stick to those basic
guidelines and we'll get along. You broke all three of those rules
today and you're going to take the consequences."
Val jumped up "Like HELL I WI-"
Before Val knew what hit him, he found himself face down over Luke's
knees, his pants roughly pushed off, baring his bottom. How did he
move that fast? He began struggling and yelling. "You can NOT do this
to me!!!"
Luke began swatting the white bottom, quickly turning it a rosy pink.
He spanked until Val had quit yelling. He rested his hand on the hot
flesh.
"Let's add one more rule today. No swearing. That language is
disrespectful and I won't stand for it, ever, period. And I'll not
put up with tantrums when you are getting punished. If you don't like
this position, then follow the rules. Break them, and this is where
you will find yourself EVERY time. Argue with me, and I won't stop.
My job is to protect you, so if you're here, then I don't need to go anywhere.
And trust me kiddo, I can stand this a lot longer than you can." With
that Luke began spanking again.
It hurt. Val was staggered by how much it hurt. Within seconds he was
struggling and yelling for very different reasons. He had been
prepared to go along with the gorilla up to a certain point but this
was appalling- ridiculous- Val found himself sobbing and still Luke's
hand fell again and again on his squirming backside, without mercy,
without understanding. Almost as suddenly as it had started, Luke
jerked him to his feet and Val clutched at his fallen jeans. Luke
pointed at the wall.
Val swallowed miserably. He had been right all along about Luke:
this was a madman, a brute who was beyond comprehension. If his
father had any idea of what this man was-
"Stop it."
Val jumped at the hand on his neck. Luke rubbed his shoulders, tone
unsoftened but not as harsh or as grim as Val had first thought it.
"You deserved that and we're not done yet, I'm not going to put up
with dramas from you. Stop working yourself into hysterics and think
for a minute."
Val picked up his jeans and refastened them, before walking over to
the corner. He placed his hot forehead against the coolness of the
wall, and stood there wondering when it was going to end. He was
absolutely miserable. His bottom was on fire and his face hot with
tears and shame. As he stood there, he thought about the last two
days. Luke had been forced on him just yesterday. His father had made
the decision that Luke was the right man for the job. And his father
had not made any mistakes that Val knew of. He had the highest
respect for the man. And when he compared Luke to the man before him,
there WAS no comparison. The guy before protected him, but there were
no feelings there. It was more like employee and employer. But with
Luke, he sensed something different. There was something deeper
there, but he couldn't yet put a finger on it.
And Luke was....gorgeous. There, he admitted it to himself. He found
Luke attractive. He had been absolutely horrible to the man, and yet
Luke still saved him from the reporters. Luke still wanted to work
with him. Val didn't like the conflict that still seemed to be
between the two of them and was ready to put it behind him. Maybe
after all this was over, he could work with the gorilla, get started
on wrapping him around his pinkie, bowing to HIS whims. At least he
could hope. He was ready when Luke called to him.
"Val?"
Val turned, inclined to be very careful, but not as scared. Luke was
sitting on the edge of the bed, still watching him.
"Suppose we try again?"
There was no mistaking his meaning. Val swallowed carefully.
"Why did you get rid of Price for me?"
"Because I've spent a career making sure the wrong people don't get
hurt." Luke said bluntly. He patted his knees. "Come on kid, before
Christmas."
Val found himself walking towards that lap. Luke's hand caught his
arm and pulled him once more down over the muscular knees. Val's eyes
stung as once more Luke stripped him of jeans and shorts.
"Remember what I'm annoyed about?"
"Climbing out the window." Val said almost under his breath. "Going
to that party."
"That's a good start." Luke approved.
"And?..."
"Luuuuke....OW!"
Luke swatted twice, hard.
"Okay, okay. I shouldn't have thrown the tantrum yesterday. I
shouldn't have thrown one today. I need to not swear. I need to
listen to you. I will, I promise. Please, no more?" Val ended the
quick few sentences with a plaintive cry of no more.
"Yes, more. And what are you going to do when we're finished here?"
Val was quiet while he thought that one over, before coming up blank.
"I don't know."
"You will offer Diane your sincerest apologies for behaving like such
a bore yesterday."
"Oh, that. OW! Okay! OKAY! I'll apologize!"
"Are we clear on everything?"
"Yes, clear, perfectly clear. Luke? Please....."
"Sorry kiddo, but you earned it." With that Luke began swatting Val's
still rosy bottom, quickly raising the temperature to blazing
proportions.
If Val had any lingering doubts about Luke McNeil being completely
serious about his convictions, he lost them within the next two
minutes. This man MEANT no swearing and every other thing on the long
and complicated list he'd described, he meant it in ways which were
entirely new to Val. When that hard hand finally stopped spanking,
Val was thoroughly convinced if not to attempt to keep a check on
himself when Luke was in earshot, at least to take Luke's points of
view very seriously. Luke set him gently on his feet, tearstained and
still sobbing, but without that look of bewildered outrage he'd seen
so often over the last twenty four hours. The look he got was not one
of resignation or acceptance, nor of liking, but of a certain,
grudging respect and moreover, of some interest. Hardly surprising,
Luke reflected. He was coming up with ideas and values that were
completely novel to Val.
"I suppose," Val said between the snatched breaths of the crying he
was trying to do defiantly rather than pathetically, "You want me to
stand back in that stupid corner again?"
Luke fought down a smile. The brat was unquenchable. And there was
something about that tone that held a certain appeal. The kid was not
unengaging when he forgot to try to be.
"No. I want you to move your things in here to a room without a
balcony, and then I want you to wash your face. And I'd pull your
jeans up, that's not a good look for a superstar."
He just about heard Val's savage mutter as the younger man stalked
away from him.
"Gorilla...."
THE END