Page 77 of Hunted Hearts
Denver forced him to meet his stare. “Focus. She’s safe.”
He started to say more, but his brother cut across him. “If you can’t get a grip, you will be benched.”
“Fine,” he gritted out.
Denver was right. They’d put security measures in place. Theo had personally installed cameras throughout the room, connected to a feed so they could keep tabs on what was going on in there.
He tore his phone from his pocket, only regretting he couldn’t whip out his weapon and order the VIPs to leave the fucking room.
He brought up the feed and stared at the screen.
Denver hovered over his shoulder. “See? She’s safe. They’re just talking.”
“This whole fucking event is a trap.”
“We set the trap, Theo. We’re in control. We’ve got eyes everywhere. We’ve got backups. Colt’s monitoring the perimeter. Oaks is posted at the front, Carson and Gray are floating. We’ve got this covered.”
Theo exhaled hard, tugging at the collar of his tailored shirt. “It’s not enough.”
He glared at his phone. Juliette and her four guests had settled in the seating area. She perched in the armchair facing the camera, hands clasped in her lap as she spoke with the group.
Her guests hung on her every word.
“She’s really good at this,” Denver said.
“She’s fucking great at it.” Theo’s voice sounded like gravel. As he looked on, Juliette stood and crossed the room, her long dress whispering behind her. She picked up her violin and tucked it under her chin, fingers set to the strings.
She lifted the bow and began performing a private concert worth far more than the five hundred dollars those people paid to spend time with her.
“I’d take a fucking bullet for her.” He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until Denver nodded.
“I’d take one for Rhae and Navy.”
He glanced away from the screen and met his brother’s stare. “When are you going to set the wedding date and make an honest woman of Navy’s mother?”
His earpiece crackled, and Colt’s voice filled their ears. “Two female VIPs approaching, but nothing sketchy. Denver, you’ve got the angle.”
“Copy that,” Denver replied, starting down the corridor to escort them.
Theo reached for the door handle.
“You’re doing it again,” Denver called after him.
He ignored it and tapped once on the door before swinging it open. All four people twisted to see the disruption.
Juliette finished her run of notes with all the star power everyone expected from her, and slowly lowered her bow, her violin in one hand. The moment he saw her, the oxygen punched from his lungs. She looked like a dream—no, like fire—in silk, glowing with quiet confidence and grace.
“Two more guests are here to see you.”
She gave him a slight nod. “There’s plenty of space for more.”
Her gaze held his for a beat too long. He wanted to believe he’d done everything to keep her safe, but he didn’t trust anything. Not when it came to her.
He didn’t want to leave her, but he forced himself to allow the newcomers to enter.
As he rejoined Denver, his brother arched a brow at him in disapproval. “Let her breathe, man. If you’re hovering, no one will get close—and we need them to.”
“I know.”
