Kelvin was waiting for him when he entered the ward. “How’d it go?”
“Abe was very accommodating. He gave me lead on the residential team. Basically he has our back on this.”
“I could have told you that and I wasn’t in the meeting. I meant the studio. Do we have anything new?”
“Not yet. But this guy just made himself a whole heap of trouble.”
Kelvin grinned. “Okay, action man. Have you got it from here?”
“Meaning can I keep it together considering how I feel about her?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. You need to do something to get rid of that tension.”
His laugh was bordering on wicked when he caught the gleam in Brad’s eye. “And stop with the pictures in my head.” That earned him an eye roll, but Brad couldn’t stop the slow smile.
They walked the corridor in companionable silence. “Abe wants us to join his training team,” Brad said, knowing what his partner’s response would be.
“We’re not made for the classroom. Besides, we teach plenty on the job.”
“I had to ask.”
As they rounded the corner, Tommy and JJ came into view. “And you did. Let’s catch up with the boys and get this show on the road.” He looked over at Brad when he heard the rumble in his throat – amusement he couldn’t hold back. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, thinking about Abe’s new word. “You had to be there.”
Kelvin smiled; a lop-sided effort. “Please don’t tell me he’s still using that old favourite.”
I can’t get anything past you, can I? “You rock, Kel, you know that, right?”
“Absolutely, and don’t you forget it.”
***
“Put the glasses on, Al. If you don’t, one look at that nicely coloured work of art and Josh will be on the first plane home.”
Alicia put her shades on with a rueful look. “Just take the photo, Jack.”
It was how Brad found them, experimenting with different shots. He was glad for the distraction because he’d faltered when he saw her. She was wearing a pair of jeans and the goofy t-shirt, with her face obscured by a cute baseball cap and ridiculously large glasses. She still took his breath away.
Alicia pulled the glasses down her nose and peered over at him. “We’re sending Josh a photo.” She dipped her chin towards the t-shirt. “He should get to see me in it at least once.”
The bruise coming down from her forehead was a contrast to the deep vivid blue of her eyes.
“It looks bad, doesn’t it?” Jack said, watching the emotions play across Brad’s face.
Alicia snorted as she tapped away on her phone. “It feels a damn sight more painful that it looks.” She looked up, biting down a laugh. “Wait, that didn’t come out right...must be the painkillers. I’m fine, Jacky. It looks worse that it is.” She closed her good eye as if concentrating. “Yeah, that’s right. We’re good to go.”
“You could stay around for another day, keep me company.”
Alicia slid the glasses back up her nose and bent to kiss her brother on the cheek. “You have plenty of company. Besides, you’ll be out of here soon.” She put a hand on his cheek. “I’ve missed you too, but we’ll make up for lost time. I promise.”
“I know.” He took the hand and squeezed it before turning his attention to Brad. “Look out for her, okay.”
Brad tried not to take the comment personally. “I intend to.”
“Okay, you’re all set, Al,” Sarah said, breezing back into the room. “Your things will be at Burton House waiting for you.”
“Are you coming along for the ride?”
“I’ll stop by later. I’m going to visit with Jack for a while – have a quiet word in his ear about Sam Morton.”
Jack groaned. “What’s he done now?”
“Nothing she can’t handle. She’s using you as an excuse because she’s got her eye on one of the doctors.”
Sarah scowled at Alicia. “I resent that. I’ll have you know that Jack’s delightful agent has been shooting his mouth off, leaving Becky to pick up all the pieces. The press haven’t stopped hounding her all day.”
Alicia stepped forward and gave her friend a hug to soften the blow. “You can solve a problem like that in under a minute without even drawing blood. Go easy on Dr Fisher.”
Jack sniggered, but the sound died in his throat with one look from Sarah. “Don’t leave me alone with her, sis, she scares me.”
Alicia ignored him as she turned to Brad. “Are we all set?”
He looked doubtfully at Sarah and Jack who were already having a sparring match. “Yes. We’re in position.”
She grinned up at him. “Then let the fun begin.”
Brad followed her out, casting a glance over his shoulder. “Are they always like that?”
“More often than not, but he loves it. He got two sisters for the price of one.”
He didn’t know what to say to that so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he kept his eyes on their environment. When they got to the exit, two CSOs were waiting to back him up. He felt uncomfortable knowing that there were at least two dozen people between them and the waiting car, but Alicia had insisted on using the main entrance rather than slipping out into a more controlled area. Despite the additional risks, it should have been a walk in park, yet he’d advised against it.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, moving into position.
“Yes. They need to know I’m okay.” She’d been both surprised and humbled by the messages she received from her fans – some of them had been camping outside the hospital waiting for news.
Brad pushed through the doors without saying another word. He scanned the people around him, reading their faces for any sign of trouble. The press weren’t granted special treatment – anybody could hide behind a set of credentials. Though he doubted their guy would try that one again.
Alicia felt a lick of fear when the group rushed towards her. But they had to get through Brad before they got to her, which was reassuring in itself.
“Alicia, how are you feeling?”
“What caused the accident?”
“Did someone really try to kill you?”
“What are you going to do now?”
She tried to decipher the questions but people were talking over one another in their excitement. She couldn’t judge where the questions were coming from either – there was a wall of security determined to keep back the crowd.
“I’m a little sore, but feeling better after the rest.” She moved forward a little. “Thank you for your concern and for all your messages.”
The odd fan tried to get around Brad, maybe to judge for themselves, but it was no use. It was like going through a brick wall. He edged himself closer, shielding her with his body. She could feel the tension bouncing off him in waves.
There were two cars waiting at the curb. Brad guided her into one of them as flashlights went off in their face. She had the added protection of shades to shield her eyes and she was glad of it. Brad didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. She looked up at him before she ducked her head inside. The expression on his face froze her for a second; it was so familiar and oddly, it squeezed at her heart. He added a gentle push and she dropped onto the seat, glad when the door pressed shut behind her. Brad was at the other side in seconds, his colleagues hopping into the second vehicle.
Alicia sighed and laid her head back. She took a few moments to gather herself as Justin manoeuvred around the group of onlookers. When they were a safe distance from the hospital, she removed her shades and met Justin’s eyes in the mirror.
“Hi again, AG, nice shiner you got there.”
“Eyes on the road, Justin,” Brad said, sounding a little surly.
“Will you relax? You’re so tense I can practically feel the vibrations in the air.”
She laughed when Justin winked at her. “It’s good to see you too, Justin. Thanks for the nice clean getaway.”
“We may have
to do a few evasive manoeuvres yet. The press are sneaky and hard to shake.”
“They’ll work out where I am eventually.”
“It doesn’t hurt to keep them guessing for a while,” Brad said, making a valiant attempt at keeping the stress from his voice. “What happened back there?”
She felt the colour rise in her cheeks. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was talking about. “Nothing. It was just something about the situation that reminded me of Eric. I haven’t thought about it in a long time and it took me by surprise, I guess.”
“Eric Sutherland?” He remembered reading about her fiancé; he’d died in the same collision as her father.
“Yes. I don’t know what made me think of it. It’s silly really.”
“Our memories can have a profound effect on us... not always a good one. But they are never silly,” Justin said, earning a surprised look from both of his passengers. He continued to stare at the road.
“You’re right. I’ve been thinking about him a lot recently.”
“So...the situation...” Justin prompted, earning another laugh.
“Yeah, okay. We were in London, Eric and I. Neither of us knew the city; we’d fled from a bad situation and it was like stepping into a foreign land. We used the underground because it was what everyone seemed to be doing, though we had no destination. I don’t think either of us expected the crowds. It was quite overwhelming at the time.”
“How old were you?” Brad asked, more for Justin’s benefit – he had a good idea.
“Fifteen, but I was a tough kid.” She smiled at the memory. “I thought I could take on the world. But when I stood in that tube, surrounded by all those strangers...I’ve never felt panic like it.” The embarrassment came back briefly but she pushed it aside and finished the story. “Eric was fiercely protective. He put himself between me and the other passengers without a thought for himself. He created a sort of cocoon and it worked. I felt safe.”
“If there’s one thing the big man can do, it’s make people feel safe. I get it.”
Brad wasn’t sure if he liked being compared to her fiancé. He was doing his job and the lines were blurred enough. “It’s interesting though, isn’t it? We’ve been hired to protect you but everyone I meet would step right up to the plate.”
“Why do you make it sound like a criticism? I’d say the circumstances of the past week are quite unique; to me anyway. My family care about me. It might not be a conventional family, but they’re my choice.”
She caught Justin’s pained expression at being caught in the middle, and it made her want to throttle him for teasing out the discussion to begin with. He acknowledged the look and grinned into the mirror. “Now there’s the diva everyone talks about!”
It took an effort to disguise the chuckle that worked its way loose, but she met Brad’s eyes with a poker-faced expression. “I might have over-reacted, but your driver has no right to talk to me that way.” She winked at him, not even minding the slight sting. “I want him fired.”
“Consider it done.”
Justin looked from one to the other with obvious suspicion; there was a moment when he almost gave in to the nerves but Alicia couldn’t hold back any longer. She clutched her stomach and dabbed gently at her eyes. “Oh, Justin, if you could see your face.”
“I bet you wish you’d kept your eyes on the road,” Brad said, chuckling too. He wasn’t quite sure why she’d taken offense, but his observation was true. People gravitated towards her, trusted her instantly – she certainly had the respect of his own team.
“Very funny,” Justin grumbled, but he was smiling. Then he saw something that wiped the smile off his face and had his jaw dropping open. “Whoa.”
Alicia looked at Burton House with the same awe she felt every time she saw it. It wasn’t her first time but on the inside her reaction was as simple as Justin’s.
It towered above them like something out of a fairy tale - strong and bold. The hundred year-old stone blended with its environment – camouflaging without deflecting from the great beast. It had a contrast of sharp angles and smooth pillars, which were nestled among some of the most beautiful grounds she had ever seen.
Brad watched Alicia’s face light up like a child on Christmas morning and saw the magic of the house through her eyes. It was grand, and he couldn’t dispute its allure, he’d just always preferred things on a smaller scale. But watching those emotions on her face made him appreciate the house’s beauty far more than his own subtle reaction.
Justin pulled up to the main gates, hardly noticing the security checkpoint. “She’s a beaut,” he said to nobody in particular.
“Yes she is,” Brad agreed, but he wasn’t talking about Burton House. He had to shake off the feeling; watching her was mesmerising sometimes. To give himself recovery time, he hopped out of the car and walked towards the two officers on guard duty - he would be leading the team, after all.
Chapter 17
Brad walked the second storey hallway, marvelling at the grandeur of his surroundings. It felt as warm and inviting as a home, or at least it gave the illusion of one, despite the predominantly male environment. Brad knew Stuart used the property for entertaining and could easily imagine a house full of people. What surprised him was the artwork. Stuart had an eclectic taste; the diverse collection lit up the hallway. He stopped to study the painting of a young girl; knees pulled up to her chest, and head hanging low. It drew him in, clutched at something inside him, especially the sadness – a private moment in time the artist had so skilfully captured. She felt oddly familiar.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away. For a moment, he almost thought he heard sobs coming from the child, until he realised the sound originated from a door to his right. Instinctively he stepped forward.
‘Please, no… you can’t take him.’ The agonised plea from Alicia’s room shot straight to his heart. She was in the throes of a nightmare. His code of ethics was the only thing that stopped him from entering the room. Instead, he smothered one urge and went in search of another – his need for caffeine. He could feel the tell tale signs of a headache, and knew it was time to feed the monster.
The housekeeper, Betty, was around somewhere. Brad intended to avoid her. Her face was as sunny as her disposition. Her curiosity on the other hand was something he could do without. She reminded him of Rosemary, his father’s girl Friday. She could see straight into him with her no-nonsense ways and eternal optimism. He had a feeling Betty would ignore the boundaries of their roles and see right to the heart of things. There were other similarities between the women. Betty ran a tight ship and expected the same from others, in what she probably considered a family. She’d sent the chef on some outrageous errand for the evening meal, excited that they were finally entertaining again. He smiled at the memory of it. She was no doubt a barrel of fun, but what he needed was not sunshine. He needed solitude, a place to sit and brood over coffee.
***
Alicia sat bolt upright in her chair, thrown from the nightmare and into reality with a jolt. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, and now the throbbing pain in her head she’d lived with for two days had extended to her neck. She was stiff from her catnap, or forty winks, as Gray would have said.
The thought chased away all memories of her dream. It made her smile; the way he would snooze after a family meal, and then insist he was merely ‘resting his eyes’.
She rose from the chair and stretched out the kinks as she walked over to the window, drawn by the magnificent view and the gardens she had roamed during her last visit.
They were extraordinary, a wonderful balance of colour and shade. It was a clever design, created to match every mood. The extensive green was perfect for cricket or a friendly game of rounders. A decked area sat within an arched backdrop and looked inviting to anyone in the mood for a lazy day in the sun. For those seeking adventure, a series of winding paths, walled by conifers, tempted and delivered. Though she couldn’t see it, there was a bench in the far right
corner. It was surrounded by a secret flower garden, which, a long time ago, had enveloped two lovers as they made plans under the stars. So confident they would have a bright future together.
Alicia allowed her thoughts to wander, her mind creating a snapshot of scenes long gone. But the memory of all that was stolen from them hurt too much. She turned from the window as though that alone could banish the pain. Because it didn’t, she was left with the urge to get out of her room – to explore and find the laughter she remembered so well.
The artwork in the hall soothed her, especially Eric’s painting. She couldn’t help reaching out to touch the girl she had once been in his eyes. She loved the picture because it held so much of him. It was the reason she’d found it a good home. With a last wistful glance, she left the girl and went in search of company.
As she descended the stairs, a strong aroma of coffee greeted her; it made her mouth water. She followed her nose and found her way to the kitchen. The changes were dramatic – the new extension adding to the overpowering sense of space. It had been years since she’d last stood in Betty’s domain.
It was a surprise that she didn’t find her there, an even bigger one that Brad was. The room had swallowed him up for a moment. On closer inspection, she realised that for once, he didn’t dominate the space, he blended into it and looked completely at ease.
Brad turned to find her staring at him. “What?”
“I don’t know. You took me by surprise – you look so much at home in this environment.”
He shrugged his big shoulders, relaxing again. “I always wanted to be a chef. Perhaps I missed my calling.”
“It’s certainly a far cry from what you became.”
Brad laughed, the deep timbre sound reverberating around the kitchen. “There were so many things I wanted to be when I was a kid.” He handed her a coffee, knowing the strong aroma was the reason she had found her way there.
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