“No, don’t say anything.” Despite an unsettling ringing in her ears, her other senses were returning. She seemed to have mastered speech. “I shouldn’t have pushed you that way. I’m sorry.”
“If I don’t have enough self-control to resist crossing a line, then I shouldn’t be doing the job.”
She felt her heart do a slow roll in her chest at his words. But she could see he was battling with his conscience so she did the only thing she could. “Look. Let’s take a step back. There’s got to be a way to deal with what’s between us.”
He was afraid that the only way forward was to pull himself off the case. “I need to think.” He could still taste her on his lips and it was driving him crazy.
“I’m not sure where we go from here, Brad, but the kiss doesn’t have to prevent you from doing your job.”
“It already is, because right now that’s all I can think about.”
She ignored the way that made her feel because they both needed breathing space. “For now let’s rewind a little.” It took an effort but she stepped aside so he could move past her. “Goodnight, Brad. I’ll see you at 0600.”
He felt like a coward for accepting her peace offering but it was the only sane thing to do. He resisted his need to touch her and walked out into the night before he did something he’d regret.
Chapter 9
It should have surprised him to walk into his room and find Kelvin sprawled out on the couch, but it wasn’t the first time.
“Should I even bother locking up?”
“Nah, it’s not worth the effort, big man.”
Brad turned to see JJ helping himself to a soft drink from the fridge. “Hey, JJ, I don’t suppose there’s any left in there for me?”
JJ grinned as he threw the bottle over. “Not many. We’ve been here hours.”
Kelvin raised an eyebrow at the comment. “We’ve been here twenty minutes, tops.”
“If I’d known you were breaking in I would’ve stocked up.” Brad cut across to a chair and lowered himself into it on a long sigh. Kelvin’s eyebrows rose again in question, but he didn’t get time to follow up on it.
The door swung open dramatically. “Am I late for the party?” Susannah asked in her usual way. “It’s nice of my boys to start without me.”
They would always be her boys, and had been since the four of them turned Brad and Kelvin’s dream into a reality. She was the whirlwind behind their operation.
“There’s one cooling for you, Suez.” JJ pointed to a bottle on the table opposite Brad.
“You’re an angel.” She blew him a kiss and went to grab the water.
Brad watched her kick off her shoes and curl up beside Kelvin. Their impromptu get-togethers were becoming a habit; it was like they homed in on the time and place and tipped up without the need for arrangements.
“This is a sorry excuse for a kitchen,” JJ complained as he rummaged in drawers for snacks.
“It’s called a kitchenette. What do you expect them to do with a space this size?” Kelvin asked, grinning over at him.
“We’re at Lundwood Studios, baby. I expected to be impressed.”
Susannah chuckled as she patted the seat next to her. “Come and take a load off. You’re making the place look untidy.”
He complied, but not without grumbling something about party food under his breath.
Brad sat back and watched the three of them – his world felt right again whenever he spent time with his family.
“So...” Kelvin said, using his firmest stare.
Brad let out another long breath. “Tough one. She’s...”
“Yeah, she is.”
JJ almost choked on a mouthful of beer. “I hate it when you guys do that. Do you have to talk in code?”
“All guys talk in code!” Susannah’s soft chuckle was almost musical. “Allow me to interpret their little tete-a-tete. How’s it going so far? It’s not easy. I didn’t expect her to be so distracting. I can imagine. She’s a knockout, I’ll give you that.”
Brad tipped his head back and laughed, long and hard. “How come you always know what we’re thinking?”
“It’s my job to know. If there’s one thing I’m an expert on it’s my boys. Besides, Kel hasn’t stopped talking about how beautiful she is, and you only get this tense when you’re distracted about something.” She smiled in that secret way of hers. “She isn’t what you expected, is she?”
“No. She’s nothing like I expected.” He sobered a little, thinking about the way he’d treated her.
“It’s not your fault, you know. That woman is poison. You’re not immune to poison, Bradley.”
He knew immediately who she was talking about. “Let’s not let Helen spoil our fun. Why don’t you guys fill me in on what’s happening in the real world.
JJ’s smile was sly. “I only came to rub shoulders with my famous new buddy.” He reached into his jacket, which he’d flung across the arm of the couch, and brought out a two-page spread.
Brad groaned when he saw the picture. “They’re sneaky bastards, I’ll give them that.”
“Point is, if a reporter can get in to take that shot, who else can?”
Susannah turned to Kelvin, already drawing up a schematic of the studios in her head. “Could they have taken it with a telephoto lens?”
“Ask JJ, you know he’s scoped it out already.”
JJ grinned - they knew he viewed most things as a problem for him to fix. “Okay, so I might have taken a quick look on my way in.”
“And reported everything to Abe when you made your observations,” Brad said, watching him over the neck of the bottle.
“Okay, okay. So I consulted some.” He held up his hands. “It’s feasible that in some areas of the studio you can get a panoramic shot. The place is backed onto a forest so if you’re willing to climb, after you’ve already trespassed on private land, you’d get a decent shot in.”
“I sense a ‘but’ coming on,” Brad prompted, to hurry him along.
“But it’s not possible for someone to take that picture without being somewhere in this zone.” He nodded towards the paper. “All buildings overlooking that area of the stage belong to post-production, so whoever got in took it from inside one of these.”
JJ took out a folded A4 sheet from his jeans pocket and knelt to straighten it out on the floor. He had drawn the buildings surrounding the area where Brad and Alicia were captured for print. They were represented by stick people to show their position; four crosses marked the possible location of the photographer.
“Jesus,” Kelvin said, letting out a surprised laugh. “How long did it take to gather that?”
“I roped Abe in, so not too long.”
“He has an eye for these things,” Susannah said, slapping JJ on the shoulder. “A camera’s a little different to a sniper rifle though, sugar.”
JJ rolled his eyes. “There’s another possibility, and it’s the one Abe gives most credit.”
“That someone paid a member of staff to take the shot?” Brad was nodding his agreement.
“Absolutely, Abe just needs to nip it in the bud.”
“Until next time,” Kelvin said with a hint of resignation.
Brad drained the rest of his drink to give himself time to think. “Is there anything else I should know about before the team briefing?”
“Nothing, except to fill you in on the protection detail we assigned to Jack Murphy. I’ll be posted at the hospital first thing. So we’ll both be conference calling the gang for our daily meeting.” Kelvin glanced across at Susannah. “Unless we bring out the mobile command unit and do it that way.”
“We could do that.” She shrugged and waited for Brad’s take.
“Let’s do it,” Brad said, distracted by JJ’s silly grin at mention of his favourite toy.
The Mission Impossible alert tone on JJ’s phone seemed to punctuate his excitement. “That signals a shift change, so I’m on.” He grabbed for his jacket on his way to the door.
“Sorry, guys, I’ve got to bounce.”
Their harmonious salute made him chuckle.
“Later.”
No sooner had the door closed it was opening again. The first thing they saw was a giant pizza box, followed by Abe Donovan’s smiling face.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he shouted after JJ, who they could still hear grumbling in the hall.
Abe shut the sound out and held up his offering. “Hey, guys, I come bearing gifts.”
“Then you’re welcome here, friend.” Brad jumped up so he could relieve him of the goods.
By the time the box was opened and the pizza shared out, Abe had a drink in his hand. The four tucked in with relish, chatting easily about nothing in particular. When their stomachs were full and they’d set the world to rights, Abe left to make sure JJ was in position before returning to his own post.
***
Alicia’s already foul mood plummeted further when she realised she was out of coffee. She missed her morning rendezvous with Sarah, despite the torture chamber they spent the first part of their day in. Her saving grace would no doubt be the coffee shop at the other side of Stuart’s office. If she jogged it would lessen the guilt of not exercising.
When she emerged from her trailer she was surprised to see the young man stood to attention outside – a soldier on patrol. She put two and two together and guessed he was a member of Brad’s team. She just didn’t know which one. If she were casting for the role of GI Joe he would be perfect. His dark blond hair was sporting a buzz cut, his build athletic and lean – though she could tell he was packing some muscle. He wasn’t as tall as Kelvin or Brad but he was still above average and towered over her.
“Good morning, Miss Gladstone. I’m Jonathan Jukes, part of the team at Morgan and Fairchild.” He smiled sheepishly. “And can I just get this out of my system...wow!”
She chuckled at the last comment. “It’s nice to meet you, Jonathan. Call me Alicia. Miss Gladstone sounds like a school mistress, or something I drag out for Sunday best.”
The star-struck expression dimmed a little when he realised she was human – his grin was genuine and quite charming. “Only if you call me JJ.”
“Then JJ it is.” She looked at her watch, pleased it was only 5.30am. “I was going to jog over for coffee because it appears I’m out and I wouldn’t wish this mood on anybody.”
“I could use a jog.” He pulled a phone from his pocket and tapped a few keys.
She looked at him with interest. “Are you reporting we’re on the move? How am I referred to?”
“You would be the principal, but I like to keep it simple.” He turned his screen so she could read the message. Two for coffee. See you in a few.
“Concise. I like it.”
JJ smiled as he put the phone away. “How about we go grab that caffeine so you can start the day in a drug-induced splendour?”
“Yes, but that’s all you’re allowed to say about my drug of choice. I’ve enough people telling me to cut down.” She started jogging at a gentle pace.
JJ stepped in beside her. “Ouch! I see what you mean about the mood.”
The surprised laugh had him chuckling along with her. He was oddly nervous, meeting her for the first time, but masked his discomfort with humour.
“You’re totally different to Brad. I kind of assumed you’d approach the role in a similar way. Sorry if that’s stereotyping.” She was enjoying the exercise and the company.
“I think there’s an element of flexibility. Although we work to a certain code, we pick up cues from the client to judge how they work. A lot of its personality too; Brad’s strong silent bit is who he is – it can be pretty scary when he wants it to be.”
Alicia thought about Brad’s presence so far. “I’ve been a little hard on him - trying to get him to open up. When you spend so much time with someone it seems only right to get to know them a little.”
“The big man can cope. It’s not every day you get to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. It’s a job. But it has its perks.”
She grunted as they quickened their pace a little. Both were silent until they reached the coffee shop.
Alicia ordered two vats of Kenya’s finest and they sat at one of the tables to enjoy it.
The set was already coming to life, as technicians and camera crew prepared for the day ahead.
“So, what’s your story, JJ?” she asked between casual greetings to the crew.
“Nothing printable.”
The response surprised her. He’d been friendly and open so far. “That just makes you sound more interesting.”
“Perhaps that’s my intention - to remain a man of mystery.”
“No, I think that’s something you have in common with Brad. The personal is off limits.”
He put his head to one side and studied her for a moment. “I imagine it’s difficult when everyone knows your business.”
Alicia smiled, nodding her head in acknowledgement. “Which is a really polite way of telling me I haven’t earned the right to know about yours. I apologise, I ask a lot of questions. It’s my nature.”
JJ shrugged off the apology; it wasn’t unusual for people to be curious. “That’s okay - professionalism is the only thing stopping me from firing a few questions in your direction.”
“If you were allowed to ask one question what would it be?”
“I imagine nothing original. But from a personal standpoint I’ve always been curious about Gray Jackson. What was he like? I’m a huge fan of his work.” The questions popped into his head uninvited and he was sorry for it when her eyes began to cloud. “But to ask a more appropriate question – why don’t you have a regular security detail?”
“Because I don’t need one, or I didn’t until now. There’s security on site and if I need protection at major events, Abe deals with that too.” She shrugged. “I spend my day surrounded by people. By the end of it, I just want to be normal. I know that doesn’t seem possible, but I try.”
“Fair enough.”
Alicia took a deep breath. “To answer your first question… Gray was the best. He was kind, down-to-earth and genuine. He cared about people as much as he cared about entertaining them. It sounds trite, but he just wanted to make people happy.”
“It’s clear he achieved that goal.”
She smiled, and this time there was no sadness. “He showed me the meaning of happiness. He taught me how to trust.”
“I like to have movie days. I have his entire collection on disc,” JJ admitted. He wanted to lighten the mood a little.
“Me too.” She drained her cup and stood, needing to be on the move before she sank into a familiar melancholy. “But right now I need to get back so I can prepare for the shoot. Thanks for the company.”
JJ was beside her in a moment. “Are we jogging back or is it a caffeine fuelled stroll?”
“Let’s go for the jog. I’m trying to appease my guilt for cutting gym class.”
“Let’s do it.”
JJ led the way. She wasn’t surprised he knew the right path - scoping out his environment was part of the job. It was a pleasant run until they collided with Brad on his own route.
He jogged alongside them for a few moments, which would have been fine if it wasn’t so distracting. She tried hard not to stare, but he looked too good in his combats and t-shirt. He’d donned a baseball cap with the teams logo emblazoned on the peak. Not that she paid it too much attention when she could see every muscle working in his arms as he ran.
The brief nod he threw in her direction made her knees go weak. She should have felt anger that he didn’t speak to her directly, but all she wanted was a cool shower. He was the reason she hadn’t slept - the way the morning was going her fantasies would plague the waking hours too.
Chapter 10
Brad wiped his face on a towel and took a long swig of water. The run was supposed to relax him, but seeing Alicia hadn’t done anything for the tension in his body.
He wal
ked towards the shower, flexing his overstretched muscles in a half-hearted attempt at cool down. The sound of his phone stopped him in his tracks.
‘Damn it,’ he muttered, hovering for a second of indecision before he made his choice. The phone chirped to itself like an incessant bird until he drowned it out with the sound of running water.
He wasn’t a man to linger when he had a job to do; he was dressed and ready for duty in less than fourteen minutes. By that time, his phone has started its unhappy chirping again.
He pushed his earpiece into place. “Morgan.”
“You’re so predictable, sugar. I timed that down to the second. Are you still wet?”
“Was there a point to this call, Suez?”
Her husky laughter drifted across the line, relaxing him a little. “I have the information you requested on Thomas Morley.”
“Great, thanks. Can you send it to my phone, I’m about to relieve, JJ.”
“The team briefing is at 0900 if you can manage to come online for a while?”
“I’ll do what I can.” He strapped on his kit as he moved across the room.
“Speak to you soon then, Oracle out.” He chuckled to dead air when she disconnected.
JJ was waiting for him outside. He hadn’t expected to see Alicia so soon and as usual he felt the now familiar tightening in his gut.
He was still fighting an internal battle over the kiss and sleeping on it hadn’t helped. He would deal with that, but first he had to tackle the subject of Helen – it was long over-due.
When he’d been debriefed by JJ he found himself alone with her, it was the perfect time to bring it up.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I need help to get through this morning’s schedule,” Alicia was saying. He blinked to refocus his thoughts, following automatically when she started out towards the refreshment table. “I have an appointment with make-up in thirty minutes and that will certainly solve one of my problems, but I need food to keep my energy levels up.”
Brad cursed the timing when he noticed a tall figure trying hard to sneak up on them. He scowled, concentrating on the man’s features, and relaxed when he realised it was Josh Burton. He had a finger to his lips in a silent plea to keep quiet.
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