When the meeting finally came to an end, Jude returned to the security building. After checking in with the people on duty, he continued on to his office.
Though he knew it probably wasn’t the best idea, he pulled out his phone and shot a text off to Angela.
Hi Angela ~ How are you doing? Just wanted to make sure that you’re okay.
He leaned back in his chair as he waited for Angela to reply. The concern he had for her exceeded anything he’d ever had for anyone except his dad.
That wasn’t to say that he didn’t have concern for the people around him. The Burkes. Cooper, Mel, and the kids. His security team. But it was different with Angela.
He felt a visceral need to protect her. To use his skills to make sure she was never hurt. To make her happy. To do his best to make sure that she never had to live in fear the way she had with Jim and Sandra.
Previously, he hadn’t wanted the responsibility of loving someone. Now, however, whether he wanted it or not, that love was there. And it sparked his desire to do what he could to make Angela happy and to let her know she was important to him.
When she didn’t respond right away, he set his phone aside and turned his attention to his email, hoping there was a report from the team he’d left in Briar Hollow.
Seeing one, he clicked to open it and skimmed over it. His stomach clenched as he read what the man had written.
Craig continues to show up at the bar every couple of days, and once he’s drunk enough, he starts moaning and groaning about his dad and how obsessed he is with his daughters who left town. Craig couldn’t care less about them, and would be happy if they never came home. Last night, he was more upset than usual because he’d been left to do all the heavy lifting at their farm. If I had to guess, I’d say that Jim has left town.
Jude shifted his gaze to stare out the window, trying to imagine what might be going through Jim’s mind. And what he might be planning.
There was no doubt in Jude’s mind that Jim was a smart man. He’d managed to kidnap two children from a wealthy man and keep one of them hidden for over two decades.
Jim had taken his time to make a move, which concerned Jude. That time had given Jim the opportunity to plan. And Jude had to assume that the man had formulated a plan and was now busy putting it in motion.
Jude glanced at the security monitors. They had a lot of cameras around the property, but did they have enough?
Before he could take the time to devise a plan himself, he needed to alert Duncan to this new turn of events. He placed the call to Duncan and had a brief conversation with him, promising the man that he’d let him know if anything more developed.
In the middle of their conversation, a text came in from Angela. He wanted to read it right away, but he forced himself to focus on what Duncan was saying.
After he ended the call, Jude took a deep breath, mentally switching gears as he pulled up Angela’s message.
Angela:I’m doing fine. Now that I have had a little distance from the meeting, I’m doing better.
Jude was glad to hear that, but he hoped she was being honest with him. Not just saying she was fine when she really wasn’t, because she thought that was what he wanted to hear.
That’s good to hear. Just a reminder that we have weapons training tomorrow morning at ten at the security building.
Angela:Yep. We’ll be there.
Jude stared at the screen of his phone, trying to figure out if he should extend the conversation or put an end to it. Well, he knew what heshoulddo, but he didn’t want to end it just yet.
He wished that he had called her instead of texting because then continuing the conversation would have been easier.
In the end, he told Angela that he’d see her the next day, then said goodbye.
Jude sat for a moment at his desk, replaying the time they’d spent together earlier. But then, he put aside the emotions of that day and focused on the latest update about Jim.
He got up and went out to where members of his team were monitoring the cameras and let them know that they needed to be on the alert for any anomalies on the cameras.
There was no way he was going to let Jim get close to the family again.
The next morning, Jude was ready for Angela and Kiara when they arrived at the security building. He’d asked Dennis, another member of the security team and a weapons expert, to join them.
When Angela and Kiara appeared in his office doorway, he got up and went around his desk to greet them. “Good morning.”
“It is,” Kiara agreed. “We get to learn to shoot a gun.”
