“Good point. Let’s go.” Zane tugged her hand, and they were inside and settled in an oversized squashy chair moments later.
“Since the gang’s all here, can we get an update on the status of things for tomorrow?” Faith asked.
Ivy stood. “Go ahead and talk about protecting the president of the United States. Hope and I are going to the other room to discussimportantthings, like where to find the best sushi in Raleigh and the new Broadway series coming to the performing arts center.”
“Oh yeah, that’s what we’ll be talking about. We wouldn’t dream of talking about Zane and Tessa finally figuring themselves out.” Hope moved to join Ivy, her grin full of mischief.
“You don’t have to go.” Tessa hated for them to remove themselves from the conversation.
“It’s okay.” Hope reached a hand up toward Charles as he leaned toward her to place a kiss on her forehead.
Ivy and Hope left the room, and when they closed the door to Tessa’s office, the mood in the living room took a decided turn to the serious. Charles took a seat by Faith. “What do we need to know?”
Before Tessa could speak, Gil asked Zane, “Did you get anything more from Bruce?”
“A whole lot of how Tessa’s in danger and how the wind is angry, whatever that means.”
Zane’s frustration was a low thrum of tension Tessa could sense running through him. She shifted in the chair so her right leg was pressed against his left and experienced a little thrill when he relaxed against her. She knew who she was dealing with. A man like Zane would always try to protect her from anything and anyone that sought to do her harm. But he would learn soon enough thatwhile she might utilize them differently, her protective instincts were as finely honed as his.
“Most of the advance team is in town. The motorcade route is set. The locals and state police have everything ready. The biggest unknown is Craig Brown and his merry band of protesters for hire.” Tessa ran a hand through her hair. “I’m confident that we’ve hunted down every known threat, but I think he’s up to something. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m convinced they’ll try something tomorrow.”
“Do we still have eyes on them?” This from Luke.
“Yes and no.” Tessa wished she could scream her frustration, but it would serve no purpose. “Craig is still in his home. The Carrington County Sheriff’s Office has gone over and above when it comes to keeping an eye on him. But given that we have no proof of anything, and despite Adam’s threats to the contrary, we can’t stop him if he chooses to leave. And as of five this afternoon, there were four cars, two trucks, and get this, six RVs on the property.”
Zane was a coiled spring beside her. She squeezed his thigh and whispered low in his ear, “Go ahead.”
His expression morphed from confusion to understanding to amusement to affection. And then he leaned over and kissed her on the tip of her nose. “I won’t go far.” With that, he stood and paced behind the chair she now occupied alone.
Tessa caught Luke’s eye and saw something she suspected was joy, but he stayed on task. “Do we have Brown’s description in the hands of the local LEOs?”
“Yes. And the Carrington sheriff’s promise that if there is a mass exodus tomorrow, they’ll do everything they can to provide descriptions, license plate numbers, et cetera so we know who to look for.” Tessa dropped her head to the back of the chair. “I hope it’s enough.”
“What about Sabrina? Will she be involved?” This came from Faith.
“She’s all over it,” Tessa said. “I set up a Zoom call with her and an agent on the advance team yesterday. It took him about three minutes to appreciate the brilliance that is Sabrina, and when I left the room, he had already asked if he could loop in his counterpart in DC.”
“Interagency cooperation at its finest.” Gil slapped his hands on his knees. “Probably helps that she isn’t part of any agency. No one gets into too much of a turf war. Sabrina doesn’t care who gets the credit. She just wants to catch the bad guys.”
“I’d like to catch a few myself.” Charles’s muttered statement generated grumbles of agreement. “So how do we do that in regard to this Janus situation and the whole danger on the wind thing?”
“For starters, we keep a close eye on anyone who walks in the door wearing those cuff links.” Zane leaned over the back of Tessa’s chair. “And we make sure Tessa is never isolated. Short of locking her in a room until everything is over, the best way to keep her safe is to keep her highly visible.”
“Agreed.” Benjamin tapped his watch. “And we also need to get some rest. Tomorrow starts early and runs late. If this event goes anything like the last one I was involved in, POTUS won’t be wheels up until after midnight.”
Which meant tomorrow would be a twenty-hour day, minimum.
They said their good-nights, with Tessa finding herself on the receiving end of extra-long hugs from everyone except Faith and Luke, who hadn’t moved. They made themselves comfortable in her living room, while Zane took the pullout sofa in her office.
Zane cornered her in the kitchen before he called it a night. His arms slid around her and pulled her against his chest. Her soul sighed in contentment. “I need to tell you something.”
His tone ruined her mellow mood. “Okay.”
“On my way here tonight, I got a call from the detail leader. Carmichael has been quite impressed with us.”
“Why do I get the feeling that there’s a huge ‘but’ coming?”
“Not a but. A request. He spoke to the president, singing our praises, and the president has requested that I be on his personal detail tomorrow night.”
