The Unseen Enemy Series

Chapter 55

“So they’re a bunch of f*****g hacks over there is what. They’re just a group of yahoos playing bodyguards… they have no idea what they’re doing.” Dallas didn’t add that most of them had little or no real training at all, and that Blue Star was where you went when you flunked out of the police academy, or got dishonorably discharged from military service. He knew of two guys for sure at Blue Star who had raped female soldiers, and one guy who had beaten a black teenager almost to death in a bar fight. It was a mess over there, and Dallas knew plenty about the dangerous situations that Greg and his team had put their clients in through sheer stupidity, inexperience, and laziness.

“My manager Larry hired them,” she said. “He’s worked with them before with other clients and he says they’re great.”

I’ll just bet he did. Larry is probably getting a healthy kickback from Greg and the boys for sending your business their way. Or maybe he’s just a moron, too.

“OK, OK.” He held up his huge hands to placate her. “If you’re happy with your security, that’s great. But do you want me to look into this for you?”

“You?”

“Yeah, me. I do know a thing or two about protecting clients and that includes identifying a threat. I have four staff members who do nothing but handle all my IT stuff for clients. If anyone can track the cell phone this crap is coming from, it’s them.”

“Greg says he’ll do that.”

“Tell him to hurry up.”

“Why? Why hurry up?”

“Because, Olivia, this guy is escalating. Blue Star has to do some due diligence here and get the police involved. You push for that, OK?”

She looked at him, took in the tension in his broad shoulders. His gorgeous face was hard and his eyes cold. “Wait,” she said. “Are you saying that – that I’m in actual danger?”

Dallas looked at her and softened a bit. “I don’t know,” he said gently, trying not to scare her. “But I don’t want you to take any chances, you hear me?”

“Yeah.”

He took out his wallet and handed her his business card. “I know you have my cell already, but this is my private line, just for my personal clients, and it’s on twenty-four/seven. You call me if you need me, OK?”

She put it in her purse. “Thanks, Dallas.”

“Sure.” He paused. “And I suppose it’s insane of me to ask this, but have you told any of your friends about what’s been going on?”

“Of course not. They have other things to worry about right now – way more important things.”

He gazed down at her, liking her more and more all the time. Olivia was a hot piece of ass, no doubt about that. But she was also a good friend, a good person. He wasn’t happy that she was keeping this from the others, but they’d all spent a lot of time together over the past few weeks, and he had come to know her pretty well. He wasn’t the slightest bit surprised that she had decided to say nothing; Olivia wasn’t about to take anyone’s focus off Emma and her needs for one second, not if she could help it.

Several times, he’d even forgotten that she was a rich model. Unlike lots of celebrities that Dallas had worked with on protection, she didn’t have an entourage of any kind, not ever. Dallas had never even met her real PA, some guy named Nigel. The only time it ever occurred to him anymore that Olivia was actually known was when someone approached her for a picture or autograph. She agreed every time – no matter what was happening with Emma – and she had always been kind and appreciative. His respect for her had grown, and he knew the guys felt the same way about her.

Jenny appeared in the door. “The doctor is here.”

They hurried to the waiting room. Jim and Kat were back and the smell of fresh coffee and cinnamon buns filled the air. Dean was already talking to the doctor and he was nodding, looking relieved.

“She did very well,” Doctor Fife was saying. “As you know, we now need to keep her in isolation for several weeks, to give her blood transfusions and antibiotics, and to check that the graft is taking. We won’t know much for about forty-eight hours, but if she gets through that time with no fever, clotting, or bleeding, we can let you see her. You'll have to wear protective gowns, masks and gloves, though. Understood?”

“Yes,” Kat said. “So, we just wait?”

“You just wait.” Doctor Fife smiled. “Go home, guys. You can’t do anything here, I promise. You can’t even see her, and just sitting here is pointless, so look after yourselves for the next two days. We’ll take good care of her for you, OK?”

Almost as one, they all sat down again.

The doctor laughed aloud. “Yeah, I figured as much. I had to try though, right?” He shook his head, but it was an affectionate, understanding gesture. “I’ll make sure to keep you all updated.”

“Thank you,” Liv said.

“My pleasure.” His kind brown eyes sparkled and his voice lowered. “I have to tell you, you’re my favorite patient support group.”

He snagged a cinnamon bun and winked. “You have the best baked goods.”

They all grinned and the tension in the room went down another notch.

“OK,” Jenny said. “I’ll go call Emma’s parents. They’re probably sitting by the phone waiting for news.”

Liv glanced at her watch. “What time is it in Angola?”

“Oh, right.” Jenny thought about it. “Around two a.m.”

“Call anyway,” Chris said. “I guarantee they’re not sleeping.”

“Yeah,” Dallas said. “Call and tell them their daughter’s still fighting like hell. They need to hear that she’s doing them damn proud.”