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I looked between the agents. They both had carefully neutral expressions that told me nothing. Weighing my options, I figured Seattle was the easiest path, as long as I could still help Jenny.

“I need to pack,” I said. “And make a phone call.”

“Do it fast.”

Jenny’s phone was still on the nightstand, so I used it to call Katy, explaining what happened. She promised to get an attorney over to the police station to clear things up.

“You’re coming home now?” Katy clarified.

I glared at the feds. “I don’t have a choice, apparently.”

“But you didn’t make it to Fenway.”

I sighed. “Yeah, and I think I lost the woman I love because of this.”

“I knew it!” Katy practically yelled. “I knew you two would end up together.”

The female fed made a ‘wrap it up’ motion with her hand.

“I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you as soon as I land.”

“Okay. And don’t worry about Jenny. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

With the impatient law enforcement officers watching me, I quickly packed my bags and wrote out a note for Jenny, leaving it on the bed.

“How did you find me?” I asked the feds as we left the hotel.

“Your passport was flagged by law enforcement.”

“I didn’t use my… oh.”

Since I didn’t have a driver’s license, I’d used my passport to prove my identity when I checked into the hotel. Damn it, that was a stupid mistake. Then again, I had no idea that the hotel would be connected to anything that might alert law enforcement.

I wondered how long it would take Katy’s lawyer to bail out Jenny. It was about a five hour flight to Seattle from Chicago. She’d probably be asleep by the time I landed, but I’d call her later in the morning when she woke up. With luck I’d catch her before she boarded her own flight.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make that call after all.

The feds took me to a private airfield, where one of my father’s company planes waited for us. I fell asleep the instant I was strapped in and slept until we touched down in Seattle, the long day of sightseeing followed by the traumatic scene in the hotel room catching up with me. Tony and Bill, my regular security team, were waiting for me when we landed.

“Miss Melbourne,” Tony said politely. “Welcome back.”

His tone was polite, but I could tell by the sharp look in his eyes that he was pissed about me disappearing. My parents had probably given the entire team a hard time about me giving them the slip.

“Let me be perfectly clear while we have law enforcement here,” I said, motioning to the feds. “I do not want security, and I do not consent to it. You are fired from my detail, and if you continue to follow me, I’ll be filing a stalking order.”

Neither of the bodyguards seemed impressed. “Whatever you say Miss Melbourne. Your parents are waiting for you at the house. They’ve had a rough week.”

As if I wasn’t irritated enough, the feds insisted on accompanying me to the estate, handing me over to my parents like I was a lost puppy.

Despite the fact it was nearly two in the morning Seattle time, my parents were fully dressed when I arrived home, no doubt alerted by security that I was on my way.

When I walked in my mother rushed right past me.

“Oh thank you, officers,” my mother said dramatically. “We were so worried about our daughter.”

So worried you haven’t even acknowledged me, I thought snarkily.

“You gave us quite a scare, young lady,” my father said in his best disappointed voice. “You can’t just run off like that.”