Hillbilly Rockstar Read Free

them 24/7.”
    â€œNo,” Devin said with an emphatic shake of his head. “That ain’t happening.”
    Three-piece-suit man sighed. “That is not your decision to make anymore.”
    â€œThe hell it isn’t. This affects me the most, so it should be solely my decision.”
    Garrett scrawled across his notebook. “How long is this ‘Heroes and Heartbreakers’ tour?”
    â€œFour months,” the bearded man sitting on the other side of Devin said. “The shows take place at a mix of smaller venues, like county fairs and casinos, and at bigger event centers, like stadiums. This leg of the tour bounces all around the Southwest for three months. Then there’s a ten-day break before finishing the final three weeks of the tour on the West Coast.”
    â€œWe’ll need a copy of the full schedule,” Joe said. “So we can see the security setups at the performance sites.”
    â€œWe don’t normally contract out for that long with one person, let alone two,” Garrett pointed out.
    Devin scowled. “I don’t need two full-time security guards. I’m still not convinced I need even one. I’m leaning toward callin’ this whole thing a gigantic waste of everyone’s time—especially mine.”
    Liberty kept her face schooled, but she was thinking,
Wow. Diva much?
    Garrett must’ve been thinking along the same lines because his gaze hooked hers. “Why don’t you tell Mr. McClain and his . . . advisers what you found on your security check of the tour bus?”
    Liberty addressed the bearded guy, who appeared to be in charge. Holding up the clipboard, she pointed to all the red check marks. “These are considered security weak spots. I found more than a dozen. The first one? Door to the bus wasn’t shut, let alone locked. And upon examination, the lock is nonfunctioning.”
    â€œMaybe the person who beat the shit out of JT busted it when he broke in,” Devin said tightly. “We haven’t had time to get it fixed, and it worked fine before that.”
    She had no idea who the JT person was. “Or maybe the fact it was broken beforehand and no one had checked it made access easier?” she said coolly.
    â€œWhat are you insinuating?”
    â€œNothing. I’m stating facts.” She waggled the clipboard at him. “Your current security measures are downright laughable, Mr. McClain, since you don’t seem to have any.”
    Silence.
    Liberty shot Garrett a look. He wasn’t wearing a frown that indicated she’d stepped out of line.
    â€œWho exactly are you?” Devin said to Liberty with a slight sneer in his tone.
    Garrett leaned forward, locking his gaze to Devin’s. “Liberty works for me as a security specialist. And before you further insult her, I’ll point out that she spent years in the army, working for various security task forces. She knows what she’s talkin’ about. Questioning her qualifications is not only an insult to her but to me, so tread lightly.”
    Devin held up his hands in mock surrender. “I apologize to both of you.” He directed his next question to Liberty. “Please summarize what you see as the biggest security risks.”
    â€œFirst, it sounds like you have zero personal protection right now.”
    â€œI wouldn’t say zero. I have security escorts at the larger event centers.”
    â€œThat’s your biggest mistake right there, especially if you’ve been dealing with any kind of personal threats. You need daily personal protection. Did you have security guards in Kansas City?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhere?”
    â€œInside the arena.”
    â€œDid they escort you from the bus inside the building?”
    He shook his head.
    â€œWhose decision was that?”
    â€œMine. I usually walk with the band.”
    â€œThat would be the first thing I’d change. More than