“I didn’t think you’d want any interruptions while you’re with your sister.”
“Her fiancé will be with us too, so it’s not like I’m going to have her undivided attention.”
“You can always text me if you get bored,” Craig suggested.
“Would you get in trouble if I texted you while you’re working?”
“If I’m in a situation where I can’t take calls, my phone will be off.”
She took another bite of pie and then gestured with her fork. “So you’re telling me not to get annoyed if you don’t respond right away.”
“Exactly.”
* * *
He stared at the computer screen, the vibrant images of last year’s Oscars filling all twenty-seven inches of space. There had been a time when he would have been in the middle of the action, rubbing elbows with all of the biggest names in Hollywood and in the music industry. He had been somebody once. Now he was somebody no one wanted.
A sleek black limousine had pulled to the curb, and he saw the photographers jostling for position. He remembered that particular moment like it was yesterday. The driver had circled to open the door, and a moment later, Sterling Blake had exited the vehicle, dressed in his latest Armani suit. He’d smiled and waved at the crowd before turning to offer a hand to his wife, the lovely brunette wearing a column of white silk. The daughters came next, Kendra and Sienna.
The entire family had come together for a group photograph, indulging the press and creating an image that would be one of the highlights of the evening. They had become the poster children of the night, and he had walked by unnoticed. How had everything changed so quickly? How had he faded so completely into the background among the people he had once considered his peers and the people who had made a living photographing them?
He wasn’t blind to the way the entire Blake family exuded elegance and class. After all, he knew firsthand how closely their public image mirrored their private lives. Sure, the daughters liked their privacy. That was undoubtedly one of the reasons Kendra Blake had graced the red carpet without her FBI boyfriend at her side. Still, they were good people. If only they hadn’t ruined his life.
He clicked off the image and fought against the memories. The newspaper articles on the corner of his desk described his fall from grace in agonizing detail. That was the past, he reminded himself. Now was the time to create his future.
Beside the articles lay one possible key to his return to his former life. Four letters, each one constructed from words cut out of magazines, outlined the threats toward the Blake family and one member in particular. The plastic bags that encased them would ensure they remained free of any unwanted fingerprints.
He’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but he was running out of options. He opened a new search on the Internet. Typing each of the Blake family names into the search bar, he began compiling their upcoming schedules. He couldn’t go on living like this much longer. He had to make a change, or he would disappear into oblivion. He wasn’t about to let that happen.
Jotting down all the family had planned, he lifted his eyebrows when he saw the moment everyone’s paths would cross. Interesting. He looked at the calendar, considering. Was it coincidence or design that the entire Blake family would be on the East Coast at the same time? Speculating to himself, he opened another tab and typed in his preferred travel site. Time to make some airline reservations.
* * *
“I know you want to keep your plans secret, but I still can’t believe you’re having a concert only days before your wedding.” Sienna dropped into a chair in her sister’s current bedroom. She had settled into her own room when they’d first arrived at the elegant estate where Kendra’s wedding reception would take place. Now she watched as Kendra sorted through her extensive wardrobe in preparation for the night’s concert.
“Can you think of a better excuse to be here in Virginia than this? It’s perfect.”
“Yeah, but I would think that the Whitmores’ anniversary party would be reason enough.”
“It might be, but I didn’t want to take a chance of people figuring out what’s really going on,” Kendra said. “Besides, you, Grandma, and Grandpa aren’t named on the guest list. You know the paparazzi would notice if you were in DC without a reason.”
“True. Not to mention Dad still thinks he’s coming out here to meet the Whitmores and get a tour of the White House.”
Kendra sniggered. “Dad is so gullible sometimes.”
“I can’t believe you managed to clear his schedule long enough for him to be here.”
“That wasn’t easy.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” Kendra called out.
The door opened, and both girls heard the familiar deep voice before they saw their grandfather. “There are my girls,” William Blake said as he walked inside.
“Grandpa!” Sienna leaped up and threw her arms around him. “I didn’t know you were already here.”
“I figured I’d better show up early to make sure everything is all squared away for the events of the next couple days.” He released Sienna and hugged Kendra in turn. “Are you all ready for your concert tonight?”
“I think so.”
“That man of yours is skulking outside. I think he’s getting impatient waiting for you to decide what to wear.”
“Charlie doesn’t skulk. He’s protective.” Kendra shot him a knowing look. “Kind of like someone else I know.”
“Being protective is a good trait for an FBI agent,” William said without missing a beat. “Didn’t I pick you out a nice future husband?”
“Yes, Grandpa. You did a great job,” Kendra said with a grin. “Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome. It was the least I could do for my favorite granddaughter.”
“Hey! What about me?”
“You’re my favorite too.” William cocked his head to one side. “Of course, you’ll be more my favorite when you dump all of those Hollywood boyfriends of yours and find a nice Mormon boy to date.”
“I’ll get right on that,” Sienna said sarcastically. “Because, of course, there are so many Mormons in Hollywood.”
“You always have had a sharp tongue on you,” he said with affection. “Don’t worry. I’m keeping an eye out for you. We’ll find you a nice boy.”
Kendra nudged her. “Watch out for him. He’s sneaky.”
“I know.”
William’s eyebrows furrowed. “You do know I’m standing right here.”
“Yeah. We noticed that,” Kendra said.
William shook his head and reached for the doorknob. “Kendra, good luck tonight, or break a leg, or whatever it is I’m supposed to say before a concert.”
“Thanks, Grandpa. I’m sure we’ll see you before we leave.”
“You can count on it.”
7
Craig looked through the windshield at the enormous white house in front of him. The structure sprawled across the bluff that overlooked the large property. A thin layer of snow covered the wide slope of lawn, but the long driveway was clear.
“We’re staying here?” Damian asked from the seat beside him.
“This is the right address.” Craig pulled up the drive and into a small parking area off to the left of the main entrance. He climbed out of the car, stepping out of the way so Seth and Jay could park beside them.
“This is where we’re doing security?” Jay asked as soon as Seth managed to extract himself from the car.
“For now.”
“I thought we were going to be at a bed and breakfast. This looks more like a private resort.”
“Call it what you want. This is our home for the next few days.” Seth popped the trunk, and he and Jay collected their duffels and their tuxedo garment bags. “Grab your gear, and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Craig and Damian did as they were told and followed Seth and Jay inside. Black and white marble covered the floor of the main
entrance, and two sweeping staircases flowed opposite one another to the second level.
Seth headed for the stairwell to the right. “This way.”
The others followed him up the stairs and into a long, wide hallway.
Seth opened the first door on the right. “Damian and Craig, you’ll be in here. Jay and I are in the identical room in the other wing.”
Seth stepped aside to let Damian and Craig enter first. Both men walked in and stared. The living room was a pleasant combination of elegance and comfort. The rolltop desk in the corner appeared to be antique, while the two chairs facing the fireplace on the far wall were oversized as though begging the occupants to settle in and enjoy the warmth of the fire.
Two bedrooms opened off the living room. Craig peeked into the closest one, noting the plush pillows artistically arranged on the bed and the jack-and-jill bathroom joining the bedrooms.
“This place is incredible!” Craig set down his bag, the tan canvas contrasting against the pristine surroundings. “Who’s paying for all this?”
“Don’t worry about that. You two had better get settled while you can. It’s going to be a crazy couple of days.” Seth motioned toward the stairs. “We have a briefing downstairs in the main entrance in twenty minutes.”
Seth and Jay left, and Craig looked over at Damian. “I don’t know about you, but I sure never expected an assignment like this when I was going through hell week.”
“We’d better enjoy it while we can. For all we know, we could be freezing our butts off in Afghanistan this time next week.”
“Let’s hope not.” Craig hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and headed for the closest bedroom. “I think I could get used to this.”
* * *
Marble floors, sweeping staircases, miniature palm trees in ceramic urns. An excellent watercolor hung on the wall to his left. William Blake looked past all that, instead focusing on the men gathered in the foyer. From what he’d been told, this entire squad was made up of Mormons. He hoped some of them were single. After all, it was time Sienna started socializing with men like these: men who knew how to handle themselves, who also had a testimony of the gospel.
He knew his granddaughter would be appalled if she knew he was thinking of meddling in her social life, but someone had to, or she might keep drifting for the next ten years. Besides, it was time she left those Hollywood boyfriends behind and started remembering what was important in life. And how was she ever going to find a good man if she never met any?
William approached the group, recognizing the woman standing with them as Amy Miller, Kendra’s future sister-in-law. Amy’s husband, Brent, stepped forward and shook his hand before he addressed the rest of the group.
“Everyone, this is William Blake. He’s in charge of security for this weekend.”
“So these are the Mormon boys I’ve heard so much about,” William said, shaking hands with Seth and Tristan as they introduced themselves to him. He was disappointed when he noticed the wedding bands they both wore. The next man in line, Craig, was the first one with any promise, his left hand bare.
“Where do you come from, Craig?”
“Iowa.”
“Really? Have you been with the squad long?”
“No, sir. This is my second week.”
“I see. Did you serve a mission for the Church?”
“Yes, sir. I served in Geneva, Switzerland.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” William continued down the line and replayed the same conversation. When he asked Damian if he too had served a mission, Damian shook his head.
“No, sir. I’m not Mormon.”
“Really? How did you end up in the Saint Squad?”
Damian cast an amused sidelong glance at his team. “Just lucky, I guess.”
“So it appears. I’ve heard great things about this squad.”
“Shall we go over your plan?” Brent interrupted, cutting William off before he could continue his inquisition.
“Here’s what we’ve got.” William passed a folder to each of them. “There’s a complete guest list included here. I would like each of you to familiarize yourself with it.”
Craig opened his folder and tapped a finger on the photos that accompanied each name. “This is great.”
William was all business now. “We aren’t taking any chances.”
* * *
Craig listened to William and Brent discuss the various security plans for the upcoming events, though it was clear that William was most definitely the man in charge.
“Everyone will have to show ID to come in, but the private security firm will take care of that, as well as the metal detectors at the entrances,” William said.
“How many guests are on this list?” Seth asked.
“Two hundred and fifty-seven,” William said. “We’re lucky this event is on the small side.”
Craig wondered what William would consider a large party.
William motioned them toward a set of double doors a short distance away. “The main event will take place in here.”
Everyone walked into the large banquet hall. A bank of windows stretched along the far wall, and a portable stage had been set up on one end of the room in front of a single door. On the opposite end, another set of double doors appeared to lead to the kitchen.
“That entrance will also be equipped with a metal detector, and a guard from the security detail will be stationed there.” William motioned to a third set of doors on the same wall as the entrance they had emerged through. “The security company will also ID all of the service personnel.”
“What about access to the grounds beyond those windows?” Seth asked.
“I have men assigned to cover the outside perimeter,” William said.
“So the only way to get a weapon inside would be to plant it before security is in place,” Brent added.
“Correct,” William said. “The facility will be completely evacuated when we do a thorough sweep tomorrow morning.”
Brent nodded his approval. “Sounds like you have all the bases covered.”
“That’s my job.”
Seth looked at William inquisitively. “I thought you were retired.”
“You’ll find out eventually that you never truly retire.”
Brent motioned to Damian and Craig. “The areas next to the entrances are the most vulnerable. We’ll have you start out in the hall as people come through. If anyone’s planning to try anything, you should be able to spot them as soon as they see the metal detectors.”
“Actually, I’d like to have one of these men stand in as my granddaughter’s date. She’s one of the people I’m most concerned about,” William said.
Craig felt a surge of apprehension. It wasn’t like he was dating Sienna, but he certainly didn’t want to be someone’s date for hire while she was so firmly on his mind.
“Since Damian is recently engaged, I think Craig is the logical choice,” Brent said.
“Perfect.” William nodded in agreement.
“Is there anything else we need to know?”
“That should cover it,” William said. “This is the main event, but we’ll also have security details at a couple of smaller events off site. I’ll give you more details on those when I have them finalized.”
Once again, Craig wondered if the constant secrecy was common when planning missions. “Is there anyone in particular we are supposed to be protecting? I know secret service is usually assigned individuals to protect, and you mentioned your granddaughter.”
William stepped forward. “Craig and Damian, I want you two to primarily focus on my family members. We’ve had a few issues in the past, which is why I would like to have your squad accompany my granddaughters tonight.”
“We can certainly accommodate that,” Brent said. “I’ve already outlined a watch schedule for tonight for the four team members who will be staying here.”
The door across the room opened, and Craig looked on in wonder when they saw the
beautiful Kendra Blake enter. Walking beside her was the man who was well known to be her fiancé.
“Here they come now.” William waved for the newcomers to join them.
Before he could make introductions, the man beside Kendra rushed forward and scooped Amy into a hug. “Hey, sis.”
“Charlie! I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” Charlie turned to shake hands with Brent as Craig stared, perplexed. Kendra’s fiancé was Amy’s brother?
“Thanks so much for being willing to help out with this,” Charlie said to Brent.
“It’s our pleasure.”
Charlie proceeded to greet the rest of the squad by name, except for the two new members.
“Charlie, these are the new guys I was telling you about, Damian Schmitt and Craig Simmons. This is Charlie Whitmore, my brother-in-law, and that’s his fiancé, Kendra Blake.”
“Nice to meet you,” Charlie said, extending his hand.
“You too,” Craig said, nodding a greeting to Kendra. His mind spun, putting facts together as Damian fumbled through his greeting. Kendra Blake. The daughter of renowned actor Sterling Blake. The older sister of Sienna Blake.
He thought of his encounter with Sienna and George, finding it odd that Kendra didn’t have a bodyguard trailing behind her. Perhaps she didn’t feel one was necessary when she was with her FBI agent fiancé.
The door opened once more, and Craig saw the familiar hulking figure fill the doorway. George stepped aside, and Sienna walked in behind him.
“Sienna, come meet the guys,” William called out.
She took several steps before her eyes landed on Craig, surprise reflecting in them. His own surprise increased when instead of waiting to be introduced, Sienna shifted and walked directly to him.
“It’s you,” Craig said before he thought to play it cool in front of his squad. Sure enough, he could hear the snickers behind him.
“It is me,” Sienna said. “It’s good to see you again, Craig.”
The snickers stopped, immediately replaced by stunned silence.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Sienna continued.
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