Page 8 of Hunted Hearts (Black Heart Security #6)
The drive was only a few hours of open highway that wove through California towns.
Juliette sat in the back seat, perfectly composed, her dark sunglasses reflecting the bright, cloudless sky.
When he glanced back at her, he saw her hands rested lightly in her lap, fingertips tapping out some silent rhythm.
If she was experiencing a case of nerves about her upcoming performance, she didn’t show it.
He checked the rearview mirror, noting the SUV behind them carrying Juliette’s entourage.
After his chatty briefing with her team, he’d made the call—everyone else would ride together, but Juliette would be with him.
If things went sideways on the way to the venue, he wanted her where he could see her, where he could control the situation. Which meant he was behind the wheel.
He also learned that tonight’s gala was no simple concert.
It was the kind of event that made headlines and drew eyes— expensive eyes.
Five thousand dollars a plate, with deep- pocketed donors flying in from three countries to wine, dine and write checks big enough to change the lives of the kids Juliette fought so hard for.
A performance, a speech and then a live auction that would, hopefully, fund the orphanage’s next year of programs.
It was the perfect opportunity for whoever was stalking her to make a move. Which was why Theo had called in every favor he had to make sure nothing happened to her.
Two ex-military buddies he trusted were already onsite, sweeping every inch of the building. He’d told them to shake down the whole place—service entrances, catering bays, stairwells, rooftops and every last inch of the main ballroom.
When they pulled up to the back entrance, Theo spotted his other backup, the man he trusted on his six like he trusted his own SEAL team.
His brother Denver was there, leaning against a black SUV. His stance was casual, but Theo could see his eyes tracking every shadow and parked car in the area, same as his own.
“Everything tight?” Theo asked as he stepped out, scanning the lot before opening Juliette’s door.
“As tight as it can be for a ballroom full of billionaires drinking champagne.” Denver sidled over in a way that screamed you could take the boy off the ranch but never strip the ranch off the boy.
Theo darted a look around before he reached into the back seat for Juliette.
Her big eyes flashed up at him. “I know how to exit a car without assistance.”
“This is how we do things, Juliette.”
She issued a small huff through her nose before letting him take her hand and lead her from the SUV.
As soon as she was out in the open, Theo threw his body in front of hers like a shield and Denver took her back.
“And who is this?” Her voice echoed with surprise.
“He’s part of the security team. And my brother.”
“Well, you could at least introduce him!”
They hurried her in through a side door Denver cleared before their arrival. As soon as it slammed shut, he waved at his brother. “Juliette, meet Denver.”
She extended her hand, and Denver clasped it. Theo found himself watching his brother’s face. Did he feel those little half-moons of callus on her fingertips too?
A quick sweep of the corridor revealed a single guard dressed in uniform. “Security’s supposed to be heavy, but I want to check it for myself. Let’s get her to the dressing room. You can stay with Juliette while I look around.”
He had the map of the venue memorized, and he led Juliette directly to the dressing room door. As he entered, a motion-sensor light illuminated the space. He performed a quick sweep of the space before he stepped back to allow her and Denver inside.
Theo leveled his brother in his gaze. “You know the drill.”
He gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Theo shifted his attention to Juliette, but she was already moving toward the long sofa in an ugly floral pattern.
“I’ll just wait for my team to arrive,” she said.
Theo scoped out every corridor, every stairwell, every emergency exit. After that, he tested emergency lights and the locks on every exit in the building, including the kitchen, where a crew of caterers were busy at work.
A few ladies giggled when they saw him, then blushed when he glanced in their direction.
Nothing seemed off, but Theo trusted his instincts more than reports. If something was going to happen, he wanted to see the signs first.
When he looped back to the dressing room, he found the room filled with Juliette’s team.
Denver stood near the door, looking like he’d rather face a firefight than a room full of tuxedos and champagne flutes. He looked relieved to see Theo.
He twitched his head for his brother to follow, and they stepped into the corridor. As soon as the noise of the room faded behind the closed door, Theo spoke. “Everything appears to be secure.”
“You’re the fourth person to check. I’m sure it’s solid.”
“Can’t take chances.”
“No.”
“Thanks for coming when I called. Sorry to interrupt your vacation.”
Denver grunted. “No, you’re not. Asshole.”
Theo couldn’t hold back a grin. “Not when you got to catch all the fish.”
“Everybody pretty much left after you did. Gray and Honor left that night. Willow went home with Oaks and Shiloh.”
“And Colt?”
“He and Aspen are staying in his Tahoe house for a few more days, then they’ll be home.” Denver seemed to be studying Theo’s face too hard, as if searching for something he wasn’t saying.
“Shoot straight, brother.”
Denver got to the point. “That phone call you took back at the cabin. What was that about?”
Theo kept his eyes forward. “Why?”
“You didn’t say a word. I figured it was personal, but…” Denver paused, then glanced around. “Was it about Blackout Charlie? Someone trying to pull you back in?”
Theo adjusted his jacket, tone flat. “No.”
“Then what?”
He scanned the area, making sure they were alone before answering. “A note I was handed back at the embassy. Trafficking routes. I passed it up the chain. Nothing more to it.”
“And you’re not getting pulled back for this? Not leaving again?”
Theo met his gaze, steady. “No. I’m done leaving. Not for Blackout, not for the Navy, not for anyone. I’m here—with the family, with the team at the moment. Final word on it.”
Denver’s grin was genuine. “Damn, that makes me happy. Whole family together again, finally.”
Theo allowed the faintest smirk. “Careful, Malone. You’re getting soft.”
Denver chuckled. “Your time’s coming, brother.”
He ignored that comment and reached for the door handle. “I’m going to brief Juliette’s team.”
When they entered the dressing room, Juliette was standing in front of a tall mirror as her stylist fussed with the final touches on her gown.
The deep emerald silk skimmed her figure like it had been poured on, the slit at her thigh revealing just enough to make Theo’s chest tighten.
Her hair hung in smooth waves over one shoulder, catching the soft golden lights of the room.
She turned as they entered, her expression calm but her eyes keener than usual.
Tension tucked beneath the polish.
Theo crossed the room to her. As he approached, he caught a hint of something sweet. On guard, he swept the room with a glance. “Did you receive flowers again?”
The members of her team seated in various spots looked confused.
“I smell flowers.”
“Oh,” her stylist spoke up, “that’s just Juliette’s perfume.”
Theo felt his chest inflate as he filled his nose with the scent again. Yesterday it was the earthy scent. Today flowers. Dammit, he was way out of his element. Enemy lines and sniper sights he understood. Not perfume.
He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small black case. He held it out to her.
Eyes the color of the sea off the coast roamed over the object. “What is that?”
“A comms device. You place it in your ear—”
She was already shaking her head before he got the words out. “I can’t put anything in my ear. I have to hear myself play.”
He gritted his back teeth. “I need to communicate with you in the event something happens while you’re onstage.”
She shook her head. “I can’t do that. And I really hope you won’t be standing off to the side like you were last night. It was…distracting.”
Through tight lips, he said, “I will be near you. No argument.”
She turned back toward her mirror, dismissing him but not arguing either.
He’d take it as a win.
When he returned to the corner to speak with Denver, his brother wore that same pinch of confusion on his face as several others in the room did after he asked about the flowers.
Denver leaned in close, pitching his voice low. “Okay, what the hell is happening here? The paint’s peeling off the walls with all this tension. How do you not see it?”
Theo kept his expression blank. The only tension he felt was the spot between his shoulder blades from sleeping on the couch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He cocked a brow. “Then you’re blind. She wants you to do more than guard her body.”
His fist curled at his side. Then from the corner of his eye, he caught Juliette staring at him.
Was it his imagination or did she just bite down on her bottom lip?
At his notice, she darted her stare away. But from this angle, he saw her reflection in the mirror, and she was definitely watching him.
Once Denver said it, he couldn’t unsee it. Every subtle glance Juliette threw his way, every small shift of her weight when his eyes met hers, it was there—a live wire stretched taut between them. And it had no place tonight.
The gala began without a hitch. The ballroom glowed under the chandeliers, the tables draped in white and gold, conversation rising in a low hum over the quartet’s music.
Juliette moved through the crowd with ease, smiling, shaking hands, laughing softly at the right moments as donors murmured praise and promised pledges.