Page 25 of Two Hearts' Ploy

So, even if he knew the score to start with, it wouldn’t be fair for her to get involved with Jeff Callahan.

Would it?

She gave Jeff a side glance as they settled on their seats in Jake’s office. There was one thing Wren couldn’t help but admit, it was the first time she’d ever felt a jolt of attraction zip straight through her senses each and every time she touched a man.

He turned, his eyes meeting hers. Suddenly, he smiled, giving her a wink.

Damn – that smile of his was disarming.

She rolled her eyes, turning to Jake.

“Okay, to explain the situation briefly, Jeff – here’s what’s going on. Although there never appeared to be much follow up by the L.A.P.D. after she began receiving threatening messages sporadically during the past five years, Wren’s life now appears to be seriously in danger.”

“What?”Jeff sat up straighter in his chair, his expression turning grim.

“Here are the copies of the messages that Marc Tanner, her head of security, emailed to me.”

Jeff reached out, grabbing the copies Jake handed over, glancing through them quickly.

“They’re escalating,” Jeff said grimly, staring at Wren.

“So much so that they believe that the studio fire that began with faulty wiring at Caravan Studios last week in Hollywood was orchestrated to target me,” Wren admitted.

“So why are you specifically here in Crystal Rock?” Jeff asked, looking puzzled.

“Besides having a few familiar colleagues who I can turn to while I’m here in town, I still need to record an album before my fall tour, and Marc thought it would be best to stay off the radar,” she replied. “We think that these threats must be an inside job – from someone who I work with closely – because the notes have always been left in my dressing room. I drove here on my own after I traded another vehicle for the new SUV, and made up the difference in cash, and Marc flew privately into New York underreservations that included my name since I have an apartment there.”

Jake pursed his lips. “So, you fell off the radar in New York?”

“Yes.”

Jake nodded approvingly.

“What did the cops have to say about it all?” Jeff asked.

“Very little, until the studio fire happened. Now that people have died, they’re finally looking more deeply into the connections.” Wren sighed. “I was supposed to start recording that morning – at exactly the same time the fire began. Someone broke into my beach house and trashed it a few days earlier – at least that was what we finally decided had happened after blaming it first on the last guy I was dating, who I’d broken it off with more than a month ago. He’d been living there after the breakup without my consent. But I spent the previous day going through the damage, so I rescheduled my recording time for later that following day. I couldn’t believe what had happened when one of the studio secretaries called me and told me that they didn’t know when – or even if – they’d be up and running again because of the fire.”

“So, I guess we won’t know more until they release some details to us about the studio investigation in Hollywood,” Jake muttered, becoming thoughtful as he eased back in his chair. “I’m trying to get the FBI involved. If you’ve been receiving these threats at multiple venues across the U.S. and even in Europe, it might be enough for them to let me in on the investigation details.”

“So, it’s all about keeping you safe,” Jeff said gruffly, glancing at Wren. “Can you do it somewhere as public as the Inn, Jake? It could put your guests in danger.”

“We should be fine. I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to trace her to Crystal Rock, at least for now. But we were only able to reserve the suite for Wren for a week, so I’m not surewhat we’re going to do when her stay is up, but I’m looking for somewhere she can be protected,” Jake replied.

“She’ll be staying at my place, then,” Jeff muttered, staring Wren down when she started, ready to protest. “I’ll need to beef up my security and pick up a little more furniture. Maybe I can stock up on extra groceries too, just in case there’s trouble.”

“That does solve the huge problem I’ve been having, trying to find a safe place where she can stay. It’s June, during one of our biggest ever tourist seasons. Not only is the Dragonfly Pointe Inn booked through mid-September, so is just about everywhere else I’ve checked.”

Wren bit her lip, glancing at Jeff. “Do you have any experience at this kind of thing – providing security?”

Obviously startled, Jeff’s eyes met Jake’s as he snorted.

“Wren,” Jake said gently. “I know you’ve only just met Jeff, but I’m not even going to dignify that question with an answer.”

Wren became sheepish. Of course, he’d be qualified. But he’d lost a leg and then he’d been shot at.

Much to her surprise, Jeff grinned. “I guess from your end, it doesn’t look like I’ve done anything but get injured. I’ve always been great with tech. When I joined the Air Force, that’s what I went to school for while I was training for officer’s school. I must have set up communications at dozens of camps in Afghanistan before I was needed in search and rescue along with special ops, where I regularly smuggled our Afghan assets out of harm’s way when the Taliban returned.”

Wren couldn’t help but be impressed, although she tried not to show it.

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