Page 119 of Triggered By Love
“I’m sure Alida can come up with something, but here’s the deal. The new location has to be top secret.”
“But what about all the guests? The fashion press? The celebrities? What do we tell them?”
“I’m sure Alida can make it happen. I’m actually glad it’s not at The Garden. It isn’t the easiest to secure. Too many seats and places to hide guns and explosives. It has to be a place where no one can hide anything.”
“But where? I’m going to lose my entire deposit.”
“Not if they find a bomb,” Jason said. “There’s insurance.”
“But Saul only called in a threat. It might not be real.”
Kerry tapped Avery’s arm. “Shouldn’t Jason be arresting him?”
“Actually, I’m undercover, and I want to watch him,” Jason said. “You didn’t hear my message, but I suspect he had something to do with Ivanna’s beating.”
“That’s horrible. You have to drag him in for questioning.”
“Ivanna’s safe in the hospital,” Jason said. “My job right now is to keep you and Kerry safe.”
“How will you do that?”
“Delete all the models you had from last year. That means Tatiana is out.” Jason whipped out a printed image of Ivanna surrounded by models. Jayla and Trent were in the circle. “Also, have you spoken to that firefighter? He’s right here in the picture.”
“Trent wasn’t a model last year,” Avery explained. “Brando gave him and Jayla passes to see the show. This year, he decided to do it to honor Brando’s memory.”
Jason frowned and shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. You need to take him out. He might not have walked last year, but he was hanging out with the models last year and could have been involved with the suspects.”
“I won’t be able to find a muscular guy in time,” Avery said. “It’s too soon.”
“I can do it,” Jason said.
“I don’t think Trent’s a threat.” Avery’s head whipsawed with all the changes. “I was counting on you to watch the audience.”
“I can do that if I walk first,” Jason said. “As soon as I go backstage, I’ll circle around and stand in back of the photographic pit.”
“You should let Jason do it,” Kerry piped in. “I agree with him. Everyone from last year is suspect. Even though the shooter is dead, someone is still causing trouble. Finn is planning on coming to the show, and we can get him to watch while Jason’s on stage.”
“I’ll only be there less than a minute.” Jason winked. “You know how fast the walk goes.”
Avery hugged herself and nodded jerkily. “At this point, I’ll do anything you suggest. I just want to get through the next two days and relax next week.”
“Any particular plans?” Jason asked, stroking her hair.
“Maybe we can catch a Broadway show or take a spin on a jet ski around the Statue of Liberty?”
“I can arrange both,” Jason said. “I have two tickets toThe Schitts of Fifth Avenueand a buddy who runs the jet ski tour.”
“I have tickets, too,” Kerry said. “Finn got some from a buddy of his.”
“Add the jet ski tour for Kerry and Finn, and we’re good to go.” Avery was finally smiling. She hugged Jason and closed her eyes, wondering if she was relying too much on him—like a lifeline.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The next twodays passed like a blur. True to form, Alida came through when Matt called in a favor. He was friends with a prominent real estate developer who agreed to let them hold her segment of Manhattan Fashion Week on The Edge, the highest sky deck in the Western Hemisphere.
Its triangular shape jutted out the side of a glass skyscraper and from the farthest corner, a person was literally suspended over the air with a panoramic view up and down the Hudson River.
A see-through section of the floor made of glazed glass gave an unobstructed view down to the street one hundred floors below. It was so high up that cars appeared like grains of rice, and the air was thin enough to make Avery dizzy.
