“How did he know Selena was there?” I ask.
Kev folds his arms across his chest. “We don’t know. There was nothing in any of his calls or emails to indicate he’s been looking for her or that he’d found her. Most likely, it was the billboards.”
A week ago, a host of billboards featuring Selena and Stephen as the new faces of Miranda Fanning’s label went up around Boston.
“Or he somehow found out from registration records for the show,” he adds.
Sinead sits down beside us. “What did he do, Selena? Did he say anything?”
She pushes hair out of her face, biting on the corner of her lip for a few beats before she tells us how it went down. I hold her tighter as she talks, feeling so helpless, hating the vulnerability in her voice. “If the department head hadn’t shown up, he would’ve gotten me out of there the same way he came in.” She glances at me. “It was pure luck that he arrived, and he was surprised to see Lawrence there.”
“Please tell me he saw him holding you at gunpoint?” I ask.
“Cassius is a sly bastard. He slipped it back in his jacket superfast. I thought of saying something to the department head, but I just wanted to get away from that monster, and I wasn’t convinced he wouldn’t take the gun out and shoot the guy.”
“You made the right call,” Sinead says.
“And we’re going to bring the college into our confidence now,” Keven says. “To ensure that man isn’t allowed back on the campus, or anywhere near you.”
“It won’t matter,” Selena says. “He knows I’m in Boston now. He’ll track me down.”
“Not if you’re out of the country,” I say, voicing the thoughts that have been going through my mind the past hour.
Selena pins her gaze on me. “What do you mean?”
“I think we should go overseas. We can both keep up with classes and assignments online. Neither of us have any important shoots coming up. We can make this happen.” I eyeball the FBI agents in the room. “Selena won’t be able to relax in Boston after this. She was already on edge, and now, it’ll be ten million times worse. We all know she can’t report this. It will be his word against hers, and although the department head saw him with her today, she didn’t tell him it was against her will, and he didn’t see the gun. Lawrence will just bullshit his way out of it.”
“I’m not sure taking Selena out of our jurisdiction is the best way to keep her safe,” Colin interjects.
“Because you all did a stellar job of that today,” I snap. I’m being unfair, but I don’t care. This is Selena’s life we’re talking about.
“I think you might be onto something,” Kev says, looking contemplative. His gaze bounces between his colleagues. “Think about it. Lawrence’s new show is all anyone is talking about. He’s already committed to shooting it here, and filming starts next week. He’ll have the eyes of the nation on him. Even if he discovers she’s left the US, he won’t be able to go after her.”
“That doesn’t mean he can’t send someone else after her,” Colin supplies.
“Agreed, but if we go somewhere remote and hidden, and there is no log of our travel, he’ll be hard-pressed to find us,” I say, already having a place in mind. “And we’ll have a private security detail with us, and I’ll be with her twenty-four-seven. I know how to use a gun, and I’m not afraid to do what’s needed,” I add.
“Taking the law into your own hands will not end well for anyone, Keanu,” Sinead warns.
“I don’t hear anyone else offering options,” I snap.
“I want to do it,” Selena says. She’s been quiet while we’ve been discussing it. “I want to put as much distance between me and him as possible. And I trust Keanu and my bodyguards to keep me safe.” She addresses me head-on. “Today wasn’t their fault. No one could have predicted he’d do that.” She lifts her eyes to Ray and Paul, before lowering them back to me. “I don’t want them fired. We’ve gotten used to one another.”
“Fine, baby. If that’s what you want.” I shoot daggers at them. “But you don’t get any more chances. No more fuckups.”
“It won’t happen again, Mr. Kennedy.” Ray’s expression is solemn.
I nod, exhaling heavily. “Okay.”
“We’ll need four more men,” Keven says to Paul. “Make the call.” Paul nods, removing his cell from the inside pocket of his jacket. Keven sits on the coffee table in front of us. “I’m coming too.”
“I don’t think—”
Kev silences his colleague with a deadly look. “You really don’t want to finish that sentence, Colin.”
Colin throws his hands up, shaking his head.
“I can’t see Clement signing off on this,” Sinead says.
