Page 54 of Not the Bodyguard's Princess
“Hello, Mr. Blake, it’s Andrew.”
“Jordan?”
“I’m here. I’m unharmed. I just don’t understand.”
“Neither do I, darling. Andrew, are you keeping her safe?”
“Yes, sir. We are moving to a safe house now.”
“I’ll review what you’ve sent me and call you back soon.”
Andrew pulled into the driveway of September’s home and opened the garage door via the Hastings app.
“Dispatch, good job tonight. Keep me updated.” Andrew turned off the car and phone. “Stay in the car while I make sure the house is clear.”
No offense to the Hastings app or its creators, but both he and Ben had relied on it to assume the hotel suite was clear since it showed Tonie in the suite. The only thing out of place in the safe house was Harmony’s missing binky, in the center of the crib, which explained why September hadn’t been able to find it in the diaper bag.
He returned to the car and opened Jordan’s door. She didn’t move. Andrew crouched down to be at eye level with her. “Jordan, come inside.”
She turned to face him, tears pooling in her eyes. “If it was in the water, it could have been for me. This is the second bodyguard hurt because of me. What if you’re next?”
Andrew rubbed Jordan’s hands between his. “Tonie will be fine. My sister got a double dose of ketamine awhile back. Getting them to the hospital quick is what matters.” Andrew coaxed her out of the car.
“But what if she’s not fine?”
Andrew didn’t answer the question as he walked her inside to the couch. His phone vibrated in his pocket.Please, be good news.A message from dispatch with the contact information for the vet. Not bad news.
Jordan plopped down and pulled a throw pillow to her chest. “Grandma would tell me I’m being a ninny. Logically, I know I didn’t cause these things to happen, yet I feel responsible. Do you ever feel that way?”
Andrew sat down next to her. “I do. Tonie is here at my request. I’m her team leader. She is well trained, and if Ben is right, then the water bottle didn’t appear tampered with and there was nothing off when she entered the suite. If there was, she would have contacted us. I can’t jump to any conclusions.”
They sat in silence for several minutes. Andrew couldn’t think of anything to distract her with.
Jordan stood. “Let’s see if there’s something in the kitchen. We missed dinner, and tonight is going to be a long night.”
Andrew followed her into the kitchen and opened a cupboard. “I found the baby food.”
“There are pot pies in the freezer. Shall I put them in the oven?”
“Not the microwave?”
Jordan turned the package over. “These are the kind in foil. No microwave directions.”
“I found Mom’s Oreo stash. Too bad we don’t have any
milk.”
“There’s almond milk in the cupboard next to the fridge.”
Andrew grimaced. “Almond milk? This is Wisconsin. It’s probably a controlled substance.”
“I’m assuming ordering delivery is out. If you want milk, your choices are almond or one of the cans of formula.”
“I think I’ll have my Oreos with water, thank you.”
Jordan set the pies on the center of a cookie sheet. “These take sixty minutes to bake. What varieties are in your mom’s stash? We can play checkers with Oreos.”
“Regular, double-stuff, and lemon.”
