Page 3 of Not the Bodyguard's Princess
“September has an emergency she wants our help with. Listen up.” Adam’s usual shrill, attention-getting whistle was missing from the announcement. Having five babies in the family changed everything.
September gripped Adam’s hand. “That phone call was from Jordan Lee. She’s filming in Wisconsin for a Hearthfire movie I have a couple of scenes in. She’s the actress I was in that teen musical with seven years ago.”
“Isn’t she the Princess?” asked Abbie.
“Yes, this is the series finale. Anyway, Jordan flew into a tiny airport a couple of hours ago, and someone took a shot at her. She’s in the hospital now. Her personal bodyguard was injured, and she needs a replacement ASAP. She’s met Adam and knows of Hastings. She asked me to bring someone up that she could hire. She sounds terrified.”
Everyone turned to look at Andrew. With the recent reassignments due to Alex’s switch to more office-based work, Andrew was the only brother available for full-time fieldwork.
“How big of a detail does she need?”
“Just one. Hearthfire has its own security team. The guard who got shot was the only personal guard with her. Adam, I think you’ve met him. He’s been with Jordan forever.”
Adam looked up from the phone he was consulting. “You mean Blake?”
“Yes.”
Adam nodded. “Ya, I have. Good man. It’s a three-hour drive to Green Bay. When should we leave?”
September studied her daughter. “If your mom will watch Harmony, now.”
“Do you have a go-bag in your car?” Adam addressed the question to Andrew. Apparently it was a forgone conclusion that he would be taking this job, even though they hadn’t even vetted the client.
“I have a three-day. How long would the job be?”
September consulted her phone. “Six-ish weeks. They are scheduled to wrap up the first week of November. Jordan said Blake took a bullet to the arm, shattering a bone. He’s in surgery now.”
“If we take this job, I’ll need more clothes.” Andrew’s go-bag only held the basics. Hastings Security rarely took a job without meeting with the client or a thorough vetting by his father.
Adam put his arm around September. “September and I will be back and forth several times, so we can bring you anything else you need. Plus, Green Bay has stores.”
Mom appeared, having divested herself of one grandchild only to pluck Harmony out of Andrew’s arms. “I’ll be happy to take care of this angel.”
Andrew hugged everyone, then waved his farewells as he left the backyard, once again roped into a job with no one having asked his opinion.
2
The nurse checkedJordan’s vitals one last time before exiting. Through the doorway, Jordan glimpsed a burgundy polo—one of the Hearthfire bodyguards stood just outside her door. Probably Stu. Where had he been when the shots were fired? He should have been the one to take her down. That was his job—or so Paul claimed. According to the police who had been asking questions earlier, the only ones seriously injured had been Blake and Jordan. The laceration she’d received requiring plastic surgery and the bump on her head weren’t in the same category as Blake’s gunshot wounds. Three bullets had hit him.
Jordan glanced at the clock. He’d been in surgery for nearly two hours. She closed her eyes and murmured another prayer, adding gratitude as only a few fans had suffered bumps and scrapes in ducking for cover. None of them had required a trip to the ER.
Stu knocked at the door as he opened it. “I thought you would like to know the police confirmed that the man Rod apprehended was the only shooter.” Rod spent half of his time watching her rather than guarding her. It was a wonder he caught anyone.
“The detective told me.”Now leave. She glared, hoping he would get the message.
Unfazed, Stu sat down in the chair closest to her bed. “I assume you would like to thank him for his quick thinking.”
“Of course I do. But right now, I’m more concerned about Blake’s surgery. Have you heard any news?”
Stu shifted in his seat. “No, I haven’t.”
Probably because he hadn’t asked. “Grandma is very anxious about him. She asked me to call the second I know anything.”
The announcement had its desired effect. Stu stood up. “I’ll see if I can find anything out.”
Jordan felt only slightly guilty lying. She hadn’t spoken with her grandmother yet. Claire Lee was in India visiting one of her children’s charities. The twelve-hour time difference made it sometime in the middle of the night there, and Grandma hadn’t answered the text she’d sent. Their agent, Donnetta, would try other methods of contacting her movie-star grandmother. Since Hearthfire films wanted Claire to appear in a cameo in the series finale, dropping her grandma’s name was all Jordan needed to do to make any Hearthfire employee jump. Jordan didn’t use the ploy often, but this afternoon, it seemed warranted.
Raised voices from the hallway caught her attention. Rod opened her door without knocking. Why didn’t he understand there was a privacy line for bodyguards?
