“Fine. They’re also announcing the winner of the Chicago Children’s Outreach Award. If I win, I’ll have to give a speech at the black-tie dinner at the end of the month. If I don’t, I’ll still have to attend as a nominee. Hazel is also a nominee. It’s veryelite.I couldn’t even get Colt a ticket.”
“Give me the details so I can send them to Royce and we can start formulating a plan.”
“You think this will still be going on?” I ask, cradling my cup as he watches me, his hands hovering over the keyboard.
“Hopefully not, but we can’t risk going in blind if it is.”
“People are going to ask questions. No one is going to believe that a children’s book author requires a bodyguard let alone ateam.”
“And even without your alter ego as Sloane Daniels, you’restillColt Harrington’s sister. For all intents and purposes, he’s a celebrity and by default you’re exposed to an increased level of attention. We’ll work that angle—that you were targeted and we’re taking precautions. You’re not required to tell anyone anything.”
“Way to make a girl feel special, Mr. Oakden,” I say wryly.
“My job is to make you feelsafe,Miss Harrington.”
“Back to that again?”
“Just trying to keep up.” His face is expressionless except for the tiniest twitch of his lips. I would have missed it if I wasn’t watching.
But I was.
I totally was.
Because I can be a confident badass and still ogle my bodyguard, like right now when he’s sitting at my table with a tight black T-shirt hugging every ripple of muscle.
I’ve got to find the perks where I can.
“Anything else?”
“I went through a neighbor’s doorbell camera footage from your time away.”
Swallowing hard, I set my mug on the counter and cross my arms over my chest. “Did you see anything?”
“A dark four-door vehicle approached the house on Sunday afternoon after you’d already left. It’s too far away to tell if thedriver is a male or female or any distinguishing features other than dark clothes. You can see the person put something in the mailbox, get back in the car, and drive away. No one else besides the mail carrier goes to your house on Monday. On Tuesday, a car matching the one from Sunday can be seen driving slowly past the house.”
“So, they realized I wasn’t home?”
“That’s the working theory. Then they worked on locating you through some other method.”
“How?”
“Royce is working on it.” He looks at his watch and then back at me. “He’s flying in from Nashville and should be landing within the hour.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I manage, my eyelids fluttering shut as I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“I know it’s scary but we’re the best at what we do. We have a perfect record and I’ll be damned before I let that change.”
13
TOM
After a moderately tense morningmeeting,Kat went back upstairs while I pored over the information in front of me.
Ozzy had confirmed the alibis of the disgruntled narrators. He kept the details vague, but both had been alarmed thatSloanehad been targeted in a manner that required such an intense investigation.
They both apologized profusely stating they’d been upset to have been passed over. The male said that narrating for Sloane—being associated with her—would undoubtedly take his career to the next level. He acknowledged being a dick and knew his actions probably got him banned from ever working with her, but he also said it would be career suicide to make a bigger deal of it than he did.
Sloane’s fans are loyal, and they would have obliterated his reputation.
