Bodyguard SEAL (SEALs of Coronado Book 8), Paige Tyler [best classic books txt] 📗

“Unfortunately, we see a couple hundred thousand computers stolen in the greater San Diego area every year,” he added. “All the thief has to do is scrape the serial number stickers off and dump them at one of a thousand different pawn shops. The chances of us finding them is almost nil.”

Em had arrived a little while after Detective Harrison left and they’d all spent the remaining hours of darkness getting the sliding glass fixed—thankfully, Laurissa had a friend who installed them, otherwise there’d be plywood covering the opening right now—and the place cleaned up before making a run to Best Buy so Peyton could buy a new laptop. Because, regardless of the break-in, she still had a book to turn in.

She added cream and sweetener to her coffee—nothing for Em—then carried both mugs into the living room.

“While I know readers can sometimes get a little obsessive about their favorite stories, it’s still hard to believe that someone would go so far as to break into my house so they could get an early peek at the book.” She set Em’s mug on the coffee table in front of her before sitting down. “I mean, they’re willing to risk jail time to read a book a few days early? That’s insane.”

“You’re assuming it was a reader,” Em said as she picked up her mug and took a sip, obviously not caring that the coffee was practically hot enough to burn off her tongue.

“What do you mean?” Laurissa asked. “It had to be a fanatical reader, right? Who else would want her book enough to break down her door to get it?”

“It’s a lot more likely that the person who broke in was a book pirate, or at least hired by one.” Em placed her mug on the table, then sat back on the couch with a tired sigh. “Those jackasses have made a living stealing books within days of them hitting the market. It only makes sense that one of them would decide to change the paradigm and try to get your book early. It would give them days to make money with absolutely no competition. And imagine if they’d gotten book five and offered it up a few weeks after book four released? Readers who would normally never dream of buying from a piracy site would click the buy link without a second thought. Whoever could get their hands on an advance copy of one of your books would make millions. Tens of millions even.”

“Wow,” Laurissa murmured, looking more than a little surprised. “I never realized. I mean, sure, I know books get pirated—especially now that so many people read digital versions only—but I never thought about how they got them. That someone would break into a house and steal. Can’t anything be done to stop them?”

Em shook her head. “Not much. If the person who broke in had actually gotten the book, they would have uploaded to some website within minutes and then it would be over. Almost all of the piracy sites are overseas in places that either don’t have copyright laws or don’t enforce them. Even when publishers are able to get one of the places put out of business, there’s another to take its place. They’re like zombies.”

“Crap,” Peyton breathed. “I hadn’t even thought this could have been some piracy scheme gone bad. Do you really think that’s what happened?”

“Probably.” Em shrugged. “But truthfully, it doesn’t really matter what I think. While you and Laurissa were out getting your new laptop, I talked to your publisher. They’re worried this person was after your manuscript and that they might come after it again once they realize it’s not on either of the computers they stole. That’s why they want me to hire a bodyguard for you. The live-in, 24/7 kind of security.”

Peyton blinked at her agent over the rim of her mug, glancing back and forth between Em and Laurissa, waiting for the punchline. “A live-in bodyguard? You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not kidding,” Em said. “In fact, I have to say that I agree with them. If this really was an attempt to grab your book for pirating purposes, they’ll almost certainly try again. No doubt about it.”

“Oh, come on.” Peyton set her mug down on the table with a thud. “I already keep the book on an external hard drive I take with me everywhere I go. And I promise I’ll lock it in the safe at night. Isn’t that enough?”

“No, it isn’t.” Em sighed. “Look, I’m not to trying scare you or anything, but you need to realize you could be in danger. At some point, if these people can’t get your book the easy way, they might come after you to get it the hard way. And with that release party you have for book four coming up, it would be crazy to take the risk of going out in public without someone to protect you.”

“Maybe she’s right, Peyton,” Laurissa said with a worried look on her face. “What if this person decides to break in here in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping? With the kind of money you two are talking about, this person could decide to really hurt you.”

Peyton considered that, hating to admit even to herself that she actually was getting a little scared now. “Even if you’re right—and I’m not saying you are—how would this even work? I have a book due in two weeks and you know how I get around deadline time. I can’t have some stranger living in my house watching me write. I’d never get anything done. And how could we possibly find someone capable and trustworthy at such short notice? What if you end up hiring someone who sells me out for a few thousand dollars if this damn book pirate offers them money?”

A part of Peyton knew that last part was far-fetched, but she hated the entire idea of