Page 110 of Nanny for the SEALs

Brady returned the hug, but not with as much warmth. “You too.”

I pulled away and grimaced. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you? You have every right to be. I messed up.”

I was hoping he would tell me it was okay, that Ihadn’tmessed up, that it was unavoidable. But Brady’s face was stoic as he said, “We shouldn’t have been screwing around on the job. If we weren’t distracted, maybe we could have gotten to the shooter quicker. I thought I had him in the stairwell, but…”

He trailed off and looked everywhere but at me.

“I was afraid for your life,” I said. “You weren’t responding on the radio…”

“Because I was trying to be silent,” he said simply.

“…and I feared the worst. I knew I should have stayed in the hotel room, but I had to see if you were okay. I told myself that I could help if you were hurt, and…”

I trailed off. It didn’t matter what I had felt in the moment, because it was obvious now that I had made a tremendous mistake. If I hadn’t gone into the stairwell, Brady probably would have gotten the shooter.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Brady said, moving past me. “I just came upstairs to get changed. We’re meeting with Amirah’s agent.”

“Are they firing you?” I asked. “Firing HLS Security, I mean?”

“We’ll find out today,” Brady said.

He didn’t close his door any harder than normal, but in my guilty emotional state, it sounded like a slam.

42

Heather

The shooting attempt at the party made national news. There was a lot of speculation as to who the intended target was. I guess most people weren’t aware of Amirah Pratt’s specific threats.

But among the people who were in-the-know, specifically here in Los Angeles, it was terrible publicity for HLS Security. It didn’t matter that Amirah Pratt was safe the entire time, and that no harm had come to her. The fact that the shooter was able to get several gunshots off, and then got away, was bad enough to tank their reputation.

Rogan came up to the residence one night and announced that they lost two more clients in Southern California, and one up in the Bay Area. Word was spreading among the personal security industry: the company owned by Rogan, Brady, and Asher was failing to keep its clients safe.

In happier news, the kids were back to their good behavior, and improving every day. Patty didn’t mind watching them one afternoon so I could go to my acting class with Maurice. Yet I struggled to focus as we went through the acting exercises. All I could think about was the hotel, and the man who had aimed a gun at my face, and his bloodshot,yelloweyes, and how guilty I felt for screwing up Brady’s chance of catching him.

At the end of class, when we met in private, Mr. Howard praised me for my job on the commercial.

“A big part of this industry is learning to work with people who are a pain in the behind,” he told me. “That director wanted to stretch out the commercial to squeeze as much money out of the financer as possible. You did a fine job. It takes commitment to put as much effort into your hundredth take as the first one.”

“You didn’t see my first one,” I pointed out. “You came on day two.”

“The gaffer on set, Roberto, is an old friend of mine,” he replied. “He told me how well you did, given the circumstances. I’m proud of you, Heather.”

I smiled sheepishly. “Thanks, Mr. Howard.”

“Now that you have some good resume material, you can start looking forrealagents. I’ve got a list of the best options for you, although I wouldhighlyrecommend pushing for the first two names.” He slid a piece of paper across the desk.

I looked, but I didn’t pick it up. “I’ve been thinking about things. I want to hold off on searching for an agent. I’m spending the next few months finishing this nanny job, and then I’ll focus on my career.”

Mr. Howard gave me a withering stare. “What have I told you? There are no shortcuts in this industry. Maybe you’ll get a boost from these people, but you should still be putting in the groundwork in the mean time.”

Not wanting to argue, I picked up the sheet and said, “You’re right. I’ll give these agents a call.”

Asher made peanut-crusted chicken and green beans, but I barely touched it. A geyser of nausea pulsed from my stomach whenever I imagined the shooter aiming a gun at my face. The children were full of energy and good cheer as they ate their meals, but the dads were quiet and brooding. I did my best to engage with the kids, but I found myself mirroring the gloomy mood of the adults.

After dinner, the kids cleaned their plates and watched cartoons in the living room. I watched them from the table while the dads discussed the most recent events.

“Filming was supposed to start last week, but they’ve delayed it due to concerns about Amirah’s safety,” Rogan explained. “The studio is pissed about the delay. There are rumors that they’re considering replacing Amirah with another actress.”

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