And until she did, it wasn’t going to let her go.
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks into filming, the movie set ran like a machine. No delays, incidents or problems.
He looked like the best damn bodyguard on the planet…but the truth was, he wasn’t doing anything. Just standing around on movie star time, but that made things drag even more.
There were two weeks before the first class arrived. Nothing left to get ready in the training facility. Church should’ve been able to take the calm for what it was.
Instead, it set his teeth on edge. The more days that passed, the more convinced he became that things weren’t right.
Beneath the routine, he could feel it—the ground shifting, pressure building before the break.
And his gut said it had Zee’s name on it.
He left her at breakfast with a quiet word that he needed to speak to the security team before they left for the set.
“I’ll come back for you.”
She squeezed his hand and gave him a soft smile that made his heart dip. “I’ll be here.”
The scent of rain hung in the air as he crossed the distance between the lodge and the security office.
Theo and Gabe were already there when he walked in. On the big monitor that mimicked a war room was a conference call. The members of Black Heart Security who could make it to the early meeting blocked the screen in small squares.
Theo sat at the head of the table, a tablet in front of him. Gabe leaned back in his chair, shooting the breeze with the guys on the call. As Church walked in, the conversation cut off.
He took his seat without a word and Theo got straight to it.
“She still hasn’t opened it?”
Church shook his head once, dragging his knuckle along his jaw. “No. I see her looking at it. It’s like she wants to open it but can’t make herself do it. She said it’s the last thing she’ll ever receive from Matt.”
Theo drew his lips tight in an expression that looked thoughtful rather than alarmed. “Things have been quiet otherwise. No break-ins since the truck. No strange movement around her. Nothing on the movie set or in town.”
He nodded. “All is quiet. But that could just mean whoever it is hasn’t made a move.”
Theo nodded once. “Agreed. We stay on it. No changes to her security.”
Church didn’t argue when it came to orders, let alone when it came to Zee’s safety.
Theo set the tablet aside and focused on the screen. “Next issue. We’re stretched too thin. We’ve discussed it before. It’s been a concern for weeks now, and it’s time we take control of the situation.”
Denver and Gray let out low sounds of agreement that were nearly identical.
Carson spoke first. “We’ve been passing on jobs for two weeks now. We’re not in a position to keep turning work away. That kind of thing’s going to hurt our reputation. People won’t bother calling us because they’ll assume we’re already booked.”
On the screen, Colt steepled his hands. “We can’t lower our standards by hiring just anyone either.”
Oaks nodded. “So we recruit.”
Church leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Who’s on the list?”
They started tossing out names—men they trusted, guys from other agencies who might be convinced to switch teams, and operatives out of the military looking for steady work.
Decker, known as Dutch to the team and Willow’s husband, cleared his throat to speak. “Some of the veterans about to rotate out of the therapy program could be solid.”
“Depends on who.” The early morning sun flickered behind Carson as he drove to wherever he was headed.
