Page 14

PART X

Old buildings are marvelous places. The history of the concert hall was from another era where design and function fit together like a hand in a meticulously made glove. On a normal day, the architecture of the Art Deco structure would be enough to pay attention to, but it was inside of the building that had caught his interest.

A power plant with artistic sensibilities was still a power plant. The floor where the generators had been were left pock marked from the removal. The additional surfaces added in could be adjusted to show a more elegant finish, but that would come in time.

This event was a fundraiser to help raise awareness of the work being done to renovate the space and create a new top-of-the-line venue for arts in Seattle.

With all the attention on the performance space and the rented foliage and delicate lighting, no one was paying any attention to the dark glass panels way above their heads.

That was what he was counting on.

At least, his perch hadn't been discovered by the security company that had been hired to protect her.

That's what happens when you had the money and time to craft a space that you could open to the public and keep its secrets intact.

He sat back in his chair and looked at the program that was included on the venue's website.

Her playlist set list , unlike her former concerts, was unlisted.

All that was said on the program was her name and the non-profit formed to renovate the venue.

It shouldn't have bothered him the way it did, but he was a man who liked to know things.

He liked to have his fingers on the pulse of the world around him.

And, when it suited his aims, he ended that pulse.

That just might happen tonight.

The chimes echoed through the venue, letting the guests know it was time to find their seats.

From his own vantage point, he could almost see into the wings.

The curtains that hung along the sides shielded but didn't completely hide the wings. He could watch the stage from a handful of vantage points since he'd taken over the old offices of the power station supervisors. They took their job as overseers seriously and kept this sky-high vantage point for their own edification.

The work that he'd done to create a space for himself had cost a pretty penny on top of the kings ransom he'd donated to revitalize the power station.

When this was over, it would likely become an infamous locale for curious people. They might even make a documentary for the crime.

He knew they'd never catch him or bring him to justice.

He had too many places to hide.

And piles of money to pay for his life in hiding.

He had a name to make for himself.

A wrong to avenge.

He was going to do it.

Tonight.

HEATHER

Feeling the neck of the violin in her hand, Heather flexed her fingers around it.

The bow in her other hand dangled from her fingers, swaying back and forth as she walked from her dressing room through the back tunnel to the wings of the performance space.

She could hear the soft murmurs of conversation in the audience and couldn't help the smile that touched her lips.

Most venues had better sound proofing, but that might be the most interesting part of this performance.

Ahead of her, Mark stopped and turned. His gaze moved over her face and she saw the concern plainly written in his eyes.

He gave her a nod. "Are you ready?"

She managed a half smile for him. "I'm never ready. I'm always on the verge of losing my last meal when I'm headed for the stage."

The footfalls behind her stopped and she glanced over her shoulder at Badger.

He gave her a silent look and raised a curious brow. He'd heard her words.

"Don't worry," she looked at both of them, "I've never actually done it. The feeling is always there. I just think it's nerves because I hate failing at anything." She turned and faced Mark straight on. "It's also because you're here tonight. It makes things... different for me."

She let out a breath.

"It makes it better."

She saw him smile, but there was worry in his eyes.

The realization shook her, more than she wanted to admit. If Mark was worried, shouldn't she be, too?

"Hey," he gave her a smile and moved closer to put his hands on her shoulders, "we've got this. You've got this, baby."

She nodded, smiling again, but it didn't quite rise into her eyes. She looked at the hallway around them. "I hope they paint this hallway soon. It looks a little... worn."

Mark's gaze followed hers around the hallway, up one wall, over the ceiling and down the other. "They still have a way to go in the renovations."

Heather felt her cheeks flood with color at the thought. She'd been rude to say anything. "Sorry. I know that." She cast her gaze down at the floor under her feet and felt her chest tighten. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Chin up, my dear." Badger touched her shoulder in a gentle gesture of support. "We'll protect you."

She nodded. "I know. Thank you."

Heather did her best to reassure them both that she understood. That she believed them.

And she did.

Of course she did.

It wasn't just that she trusted them because Bart had sent them.

She understood how good they were.

Alex had selected them. So she knew how seriously they took their jobs.

Alex wouldn't work with anyone else.

But she also remembered that moment when Alex tried to hold her back to protect her.

She could be surrounded by the best trained men in the world and still, she'd been shot.

No. She'd never blamed Alex for what happened.

She'd made the decision to move.

She'd tried to help her father.

And she'd taken a bullet.

As much as anyone could be protected, she had been.

But she knew that her own decisions had been the reason she'd been shot.

And her father.

He'd died after the trial, no after his testimony.

He'd keeled over in protective custody.

The best medical doctors in the world hadn't seen it coming. They couldn't stop the damage to his heart from claiming his life anymore than Alex could stop her from charging out into the room before the shot was fired.

Looking into Mark's eyes she knew that there were two absolutes for the night before her.

1 - He'd done everything to protect her.

2 - She would play like she'd never played before.

Everything else was... up in the air.

"It's time." She smiled at him and let the love she felt shine in her eyes. It was the least she could do for him. "Let's get this show on the road."

Badger gave her a wink. "I'll get the doors."

He moved on ahead to open the door to the backstage and Heather felt Marks arm wrap around her protectively as they walked on.

She did her best to memorize- to absorb every moment she could.

It was time to step out onto the stage again.

MARK

He felt her against him.

He could feel the warmth of her body against his. He'd seen her smile. Seen her look at him.

But there was a part of him that felt she was looking through him as if he'd been a pane of glass.

And even though he had his arm around her, in a half embrace, he felt like she wasn't quite all there.

As if she was pulling away from him.

That's the only way he could describe it, but even that didn't feel like it was adequate.

They stepped through the doorway and the cool air from the state of the art air conditioning they'd installed in the venue chilled the very air around them.

The head of the non-profit was standing on stage and doing her introduction and Mark heard a soft hush move throughout the room. He stepped up into the wings and lifted a hand to his ear. "Report."

Everyone chimed in that their areas were secure and quiet.

Mark turned and looked down at Heather.

She was staring ahead at the center of the stage, her head, her mind, somewhere else.

He had a feeling that she was in the performance space. She'd tried to explain it to him earlier, but he didn't understand exactly what it was.

Gunny had tried to explain it to him in a quiet moment when Heather had retreated into the bathroom for a shower. Apparently, he'd met and guarded a singer during his time in the Marines. Something to do with a performance during an inauguration at the Capitol in Washington D.C..

Mark knew this wasn't the time to mull over the peculiarities of performers.

He had a job to do.

A woman to protect.

And yes, the violin, too.

He leaned closer and spoke gently into her ear. "Everything's ready. Are you?"

He listened as she drew in a breath.

Watched as her chin lifted a fraction of an inch and a serene smile touched her lips. "I'm ready."

He felt her calm settle over himself as well and anticipation built up in his chest.

"Please help me welcome Nix!"

The crowd roared and applause filled in the gaps.

One last in-drawn breath and she stepped out onto the stage.

The lights gave her a golden halo as she stepped out onto the stage.

The applause was almost deafening and she hadn't even played a single note.

They all knew the talent that she had. They knew that they were in for an amazing show.

All he had to do was keep her safe until the end of the night and get her back to their rented property.

That wasn't all that hard.

Was it?

Badger stepped up beside him and leaned in to see Heather on stage. "She's okay?"

Mark turned to him as Heather greeted the crowd.

"I'd like to say yes, but I've never known this side of her. I can't tell what's normal for a performance and what's... I don't know."

"I get it. Sometimes the people we love put on a front to make us feel better. She might think that opening up about her real feelings or reservations might put an extra burden on your shoulders."

Mark looked at Badger and saw the earnest expression on the other man's face.

"That happened to you?"

Badger looked at him and raised a single, eloquent eyebrow. "That's the thing, Ares. I don't know. That might just be the hardest part of what we do, discerning the truth when the people we're trying to protect are trying to protect us right back."

He turned his gaze to the side door that lead into the secondary exit staircase for the wings and the house. "I'll take my position outside the door. Let me know if you need me elsewhere."

Mark nodded and Badger disappeared out of his line of sight.

He knew that he could easily call him back if needed, but it was his job now to watch for any indication from Heather that something wasn't right during her performance.

What Badger had said cut him deep.

Heather had always walked a line to protect him.

It was the reason that she 'pretended' to date Tanner. It kept her father and Tanner's father happy. That took any pressure off of their own relationship.

That was a gift that he didn't quite appreciate as much as he should.

Now, he worried that her ability to hide her feelings from her father might have been turned on him.

She wouldn't do it to hurt him or compromise her safety, but she didn't understand completely that it was his job to protect her now.

After this performance, he'd make time to have a good, long conversation with her.

He'd have to open up and tell her his concerns if he hoped to have her reciprocate the same with him.

She wasn't the open-hearted girl she was when they first knew each other. Heather had suffered. She'd lost her father.

And nearly lost her own life.

She wasn't the same person she was during those summers in the Hamptons, but that didn't upset him in the least.

It only showed him how amazing she was.

How resilient.

He would find the time to discover all of the new facets of her life and her heart that hadn't been there when they'd been younger.

He'd do that, because he'd never loved her as much as he did at that very moment.

Mark knew that he'd do anything to keep her safe.

Anything.