“Yeah, he’s getting breakfast.”
I glance between the hallway and the kitchen. I’m hoping Mode reaches us before Zara returns. I don’t want her to hear that we’ve been running a background check on her father. Luckily, Mode returns quickly with his breakfast. He pulls out a chair and sits.
“How are you feeling?” Chrome asks him.
Mode shrugs as he chews. “I’m still sleeping too much, but I’m feeling better.”
“You need the rest. Cicely will tell you the same. We’re considering asking Smoke to come here and help since Byte had to return to San Diego.”
“I don’t know if he needs to come here. He’s made himself available. He sent me an update on the request you sent him, Bush,” Mode says, glancing at me. “He found out some stuff about Zara’s dad.”
I spot Zara and Cicely entering the room. “Save it for later. I don’t want Zara to know we’re researching her father.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. It isn’t good,” Mode says as he focuses on his breakfast.
His words leave me cold as I watch an embarrassed Zara making her way back to our table.
“I’m sorry about that,” she says as she retakes her seat next to me.
I reach over and rub soothing circles over her back. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I should have found an easier way to tell you.”
Zara shakes her head. “No, I needed to hear the truth. I should have realized they had something horrible planned forme back then. I guess I didn’t want to consider the possibilities. Thank you for saving me from that fate.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We need to keep you safe,” Chrome says, as Cicely slides back onto his lap. He wraps his arms around her, but his attention is on Zara. “I’ve reached out to the President of our club in Las Vegas. He’s sending a few members to assist us; two are women. One, who goes by the name Viper, is a former showgirl. She’ll have no trouble passing for a model. Both women are tough as they come. Chill is that club’s SOA, and Viper is her Enforcer. They’ll be able to protect you. They won’t be here until later tonight, so for today, we’re going to have to send a couple of my men.”
“Bush?” Zara asks. She looks hopeful and worried at the prospect.
“No, he can’t go. We can’t risk the Bushrangers seeing him, yet. We may want to make his presence known at some point. However, we need to learn more about them before we do.”
Zara nods as she takes a bite of toast. “I have a few appointments today. Most are at the hotel or nearby. The only one that is not is a meeting with the event coordinator. I need to meet Tony at the hotel before we head over there. Our little fashion show is in an event loft near the Merchandise Mart. Tony and I are meeting the coordinator at ten this morning. She’s giving us a walkthrough of the venue and assigning us rack positions. We need to return tomorrow to meet with the models and conduct the fittings. Once we finish at the venue, we’ll return to our hotel to meet with several boutique buyers. We also have interviews scheduled, which will be in a coffee shop near the hotel.”
“You’re going to be with Tony for all of these meetings?” I ask.
“Yes. We’re meeting with various boutique buyers, but the ones we’re meeting today are all at the same hotel as us.”
“What about the other days?” Chrome asks.
“I can’t remember. I have the itinerary for the week, but I haven’t looked past today. I’m a little nervous. If I can just get through today, then I’ll be able to think about the rest of the week. This is my first time attending something like this. I’ve been in a few small shows, mostly school-sponsored, but this is the first time that I’m dealing with the pros.”
“You’re going to be great,” Cicely says, reaching over to squeeze Zara’s hand. “Once you get into the thick of things, you won’t have time to be nervous. I remember my first day in the ER. I was terrified that I was going to kill someone. After the first few minutes, I realized that even if I did, I knew how to cover it up.” Cicely grins at Zara to let her know she’s joking.
We’re laughing at her comment when Piston and Arson join us.
“Here are your guards. They’ll help you hide the bodies,” Chrome jokes as he introduces Zara to the men. “They’ll make sure you get where you need to be safely. Tomorrow you’ll have Chill and Viper instead.”
“Chill and Viper are coming?” Piston asks, glancing at me. “Why?”
“I called Puma and asked for them. They’ll blend easier.”
Piston frowns, but Arson nods in agreement. “Good thinking. Viper could easily pass for a model, and Chill makes that chick in the movie about purses look like a pussycat.”
We all stare at Arson in confusion as Zara chuckles. “You mean Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada?”
Arson snaps his fingers. “Yeah, that's her. Just wait until you meet Chill and tell me that she isn’t scarier.”
I lean over and kiss Zara’s cheek. “Good luck today.”
