Page 23 of Not the Bodyguard's Princess
“I was thinking of trying to bring one of our female guards on.”And quitting this job.Since he was staying, there was no point in telling Blake about his doubts.
Blake scratched his stubbly chin. “I don’t know how Stu would react to that. She might end up with less access than you have.”
“But they couldn’t keep her out of Jordan’s suite.”
“True. I wonder if there’s a way I can keep you on too. If the stalker is someone on the crew, they might not see a female bodyguard as the same protection.”
“All our female guards are as capable as our men.”
Blake laughed so hard he had to reach up and hold his shoulder. “Don’t get defensive. I fully appreciate the skills of a good female guard. The best part is that most of them don’t look the part, which always gives them an advantage.”
“Any way we could bring someone in undercover? I don’t know enough about the movie industry.”
“Claire has a specific hairdresser and makeup artist. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for Jordan. Maria is a Hearthfire employee.” Mr. Blake furrowed his brow. “You could get a dog groomer or specialist. Have Jordan claim the shooting stressed Princess out and the dog needs special care. Paul will balk but give in, and the job doesn’t cross over yours. Since he isn’t paying the bill, it might work.”
“I like that. And it would give her a reason to stay in the suite with Jordan. I’ll call the office and have them see if any of our female bodyguards have a background with dogs. What else do I need to know about Jordan’s threat file?”
“I’ll send it over as soon as I can get to my laptop. But I’d watch my back if I were you. If someone wanted me out of the picture, you’re next.”
Not good. A bodyguard who was a target could just as well endanger their principal as help them.
* * *
Stu left Rod in the sitting area a few doors down from Blake’s room and approached Jordan. “I’ll walk you to the door. I have a good line of sight from here, and hospitals get rather annoyed at people standing around in the hallway.”
Who knew HIPAA could be useful for getting rid of unwanted bodyguards? Jordan knocked once and opened the door. She waited until Stu retreated before fully entering the room and closing the door. “How are you feeling?” She crossed the room to Blake’s side.
Andrew vacated the chair next to the bed. “Would you like me to leave?”
“Not yet. Stu is watching the room, and it’s probably best if he doesn’t know you’re here.” Jordan took the offered chair and proceeded to ask Blake a litany of questions regarding his health and recovery. Andrew stood near the window, giving them as much privacy as possible in the small room.
Satisfied with Blake’s answers, Jordan turned to Andrew. “I want to know both your opinions. Should I be concerned over Hearthfire’s lack of security since the shooting? It should have ramped up, not gotten worse.”
Andrew and Blake did the guy thing where they looked at each other and measured what they would say.
Blake took the lead. “I’ve made no secret of how I feel about Stu and his team. Andrew told me about last night. If Hearthfire isn’t going to watch out for you, you need to be more careful. If you see another box or note, leave, even if you have to drag a bodyguard with you. If they are compromising your safety because they don’t have the budget, why limit your personal security team if we aren’t on their payroll?”
“Blake, we’ve been over it a thousand times. It doesn’t make sense. But after last night, you can bet I’ll be more careful. I knew I should have left, but you can’t blame me for being curious.”
Andrew stepped closer to the bed. “One of my biggest concerns is there is only one of me. I think I have a solution, but it will require some acting on your part.”
Jordan batted her eyes. “Didn’t you hear? That’s what I do best.”
Andrew’s jaw tightened as he tried to hide a smile. He explained bringing in a Hastings Security employee as a specialized doggy caretaker.
“I can work with that. Paul sent me to the silly spa today mostly to make sure I was calm and prepared. I think he’s afraid I’ll lose it. Near hysterics over my poor Princess, I can hire any dog whisperer I want.”
Blake laughed. “A spa day? Paul doesn’t know you well, does he? He could have saved money and sent you to the local bookstore.”
“If they have good seating, I can spend all day there.” She suppressed a sigh. A bookstore would be heaven right now. There were two new releases she was dying to get her hands on. “I haven’t been on a good book binge for a couple months. The shooting schedule has been crazy this summer.”
Andrew came to stand at the foot of Blake’s bed. “September asked around, and this production seems to be the only one limiting personal security. Why?”
Jordan looked at Blake before she spoke. “My theory is Storm. Everything changed when he signed on. He let Paul know he was very annoyed when I wouldn’t go out with him.”
Blake nodded his agreement. “We’ve hashed this out dozens of times, and it all comes back to Storm. The only thing is, he’s been in New Zealand shooting his next big blockbuster for the last three months, so the notes and things left around the set don’t point to him. And stalkers rarely use assistants to do their work.”
“Someone could exploit the lack of security.” Andrew crossed his arms. To Jordan, he looked like he was ready to take on the world in his own action movie. He would make a decent leading man. Handsome but not unbelievably so. Good muscles, nice eyes.Nope, nope, nope. Not going there.
