Page 18 of The Bombshell and the Bodyguard
“Okay if that’s what you want,” Gray said. Hesitating a beat, he continued. “Can I ask why you’re sendingmeon this detail?”
“Because you’re the best. I trust you more than anyone.”
Gray’s head bobbed up and down, but his tone was uncertain.
“Okaayyyy,” he dragged the word out. “But you said I was the only one who could do the Hood project. And while I’d be delighted to ‘guard the body’ of a gorgeous pop star, my specialty is in home security, not personal security.”
I frowned. “Well, who else would you suggest?”
“You,” Gray said. “It’s your area of expertise. And you usually take on the most high-profile clients.”
“Well, I can’t take this one.”
“Why not?”
“It’s just...” I shook my head. “...not a good idea. Believe me, in this case, I’mnotthe best man for the job.”
Understanding dawned across Gray’s face. “Oh I see... you’ve got a thing for this girl.”
Biting my lip, I turned my head to the side and stared at a photo on the wall. “I wouldn’t call it a ‘thing.’”
“Well, what would you call it then?”
“Suffice it to say, this case is too...personalto me. I’ve known the girl practically all our lives. Her brother is my best friend. It’s just not a good idea.”
Gray studied me. “You’re still hung up on that Iraq incident, aren’t you? Man, you gotta let that go. There was nothing you could have done. None of us could have. That was the commander—not us—and nothing we can do will bring that girl back.”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly feeling sore. “Yeah, but we were supposed to protect her. And she’s dead.”
“I know man, and that truly sucks. It took me a while to get over, too, but you gotta stop beating yourself up about it. You keep trying to prove something that’s already been proved a thousand times over.”
“I just can’t let it happen again. Jessica is too important.”
“And that’s why youarethe best man for the job,” he said. “Who’s going to care more than you do about her safety? One of the guys who’s never even met her, who doesn’t understand how important she is? Who sees her as just another spoiled, rich celebrity?”
Gray went on. “Listen, if you tell me to do it, I’ll do it. I’ll be on that plane. You know I’d do anything for you after all you’ve done for me. But I hate to see you running scared from things that shouldn’t scare you. You can handle it. You can handle anything. You’re the strongest person I know.”
My lips rolled inward, and I looked at the ground. “Thanks man, I appreciate it. But I think this is the one thing Ican’thandle. I’m heading over to her brother’s house to tell her what’s going on. I’ll call you in a bit with more details, okay?”
On the drive to Hap’s house, I thought about my friend’s words.WasI still hung up about the happenings in Iraq that had effectively ended my SEAL career?
I didn’t think so. I’d made a great life for myself since then and was generally pretty content. My new career involved plenty of challenging assignments, and I’d protected a number of important clients in risky situations.
What Gray didn’t understand—couldn’t possibly understand—was justhowimportant this one was.
And that the stalker wasn’t the only threat facing Jessica. If I whisked her away to a private location where it was just the two of us...
No, I couldn’t take the detail myself. Passing it on to my right-hand man was the best thing I could do foreveryoneinvolved.
Hap opened the door before I even got there. Clearly he wasn’t sleeping tonight either. Or was it morning now? I checked my watch. Yeah—it was after five am. Sleep or no sleep, that qualified as morning.
“Did they catch him?” Hap asked as I stepped inside.
“No. How’s Jessica?”
“She’s sleeping. Rachel insisted she take a sleep aid because she was so wired. So what now? She can’t go back to that house—not until he’s caught.”
“Definitely not. And I don’t think she should go to any of her other homes either. I’m not sure if Jessica told you, but there was a camera left at the scene. The guy has been inside all her properties.”
