Joel hummed in assent. “I know you do. But in case you need to hear it, don’t spare any expense tonight. Whatever you need, get it.”
“Will do, boss. But the security tonight rivals the Super Bowl’s. Trust me.”
“I do trust you. With my life, and the lives of my family. That’s why I hired you. But tonight—” Joel lowered his voice, and Jordan guessed it was because Lucy was nearby.
“Lucy is worried. Very worried. Vanessa’s not just her sister, but her best friend. If anything happens to her, it would hurt Lucy, and anyone who hurts Lucy is a dead man walking.”
Jordan nodded. “Believe me, Vanessa’s safety is important to me too.”
A brief silence filled the other end of the line. “I know it is.” Joel cleared his throat. “Is there anything I should know? I don’t need details, but if you’re distracted?—”
“I’m not.” He couldn’t afford to be. “She’s leaving for New York after this show, and that’s how it should be.” This wasn’t the time to think about how much it would gut him when she boarded a plane out of here. “And, who knows, maybe when she’s gone, the threat will be too. Cops think it could be a proximity thing.” He wasn’t so sure. Obsession didn’t care about distance.
“How sure are you that Robertson isn’t the one behind this?”
“He has alibis for the times the photos were taken and delivered. But of course alibis can be faked.”
“Or he could’ve paid someone to do it.” Joel’s voice sharpened.
“I thought about that.” He’d thought about a lot more. While Vanessa had slept, he’d stayed awake in her living room running the facts in circles. As much as he wanted Kurt Robertson to be Vanessa’s stalker, his gut told him that was too easy. Still, he couldn’t cross Kurt off the list. Not yet. Not until every thread lined up.
Didn’t mean smashing the guy’s nose hadn’t been deeply satisfying. Stalker or not, he deserved far worse for what he’d done to her.
“Keep me posted.” Joel’s tone was all-business. “It took all my efforts to keep Lucy from returning to Portland for this event, but I couldn’t risk it. If I had my way, I’d postpone the whole thing until we knew who was behind all of this.” His gruff sigh echoed in the small office. “Hopefully, we’ll get him before he makes his next move.”
“I’ll be ready,” Jordan promised.
“You’re always ready. That’s why I hired you. Good luck tonight.”
Jordan ended the call and grabbed his things. He had enough time for a shower before he headed to The Link. He wanted to meet with the security team early, before Vanessa and the kids showed up.
Vanessa knew there was going to be increased security tonight. It made sense with all the high-profile guests. But she and the kids had no idea how much, and he wanted to keep it that way. Tonight was meant to be fun, a chance for them to shine, not to think of the armor behind the scenes.
He arrived at the apartment in record time, taking the staircase two at a time.
Dex was standing outside Vanessa’s door. “You don’twant to go in there,” he told Jordan by way of a greeting. “Her mother arrived.”
Nodding in agreement, he unlocked his door and headed straight for the shower. Vanessa was in good hands. Dex had made only one mistake. He wouldn’t be distracted by Vanessa’s cousin or anyone again. He repeated that to himself as he tried to ignore the knot in his gut.
Dressed in the black suit and tie Vanessa insisted he wear for the evening, he was headed for the front door when a knock sounded. He opened it, assuming it was Dex, but stiffened when instead he saw Vanessa’s father, Luciano Barone, standing in the hallway.
Luciano was a decent height and in excellent shape for his age, which Jordan chalked up to his years working in a physically demanding job. He’d worked long and hard for himself and his family, and it showed in the thickness of his hands, the broadness of his shoulders, and the lines etched in his face.
He didn’t know the man well, but he admired him, and more importantly, he knew Vanessa loved her father, which was reason enough to show respect. He held the door open and stepped aside, inviting Luciano in.
“I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Luciano said, his accented voice gruff. “I know tonight is important for my daughter, and there is a lot to prepare.”
Jordan decided to stay silent, guessing that Luciano wasn’t visiting for the small talk.
Luciano strolled into the living room. “This isn’t your place, is it?”
Jordan closed the door, but otherwise didn’t move as he watched the older man assess the space. “My brother and his fiancée live here, but they’re away in England, so I’m looking after it until they return.”
Luciano gave Jordan a pointed look before crossing to the window that overlooked the street. “Where do you live?”
“A rented place across the river, close to my brother’s gym where I work.” He hadn’t been there in days. The sparsely furnished, dull, dark space held no warmth. He’d never bothered to make it feel cozier. That place wasn’t home. Not for him.
Luciano turned to face him. “You work for Joel too, don’t you?”
