Sins of the Father (18 page)

“
You’re up
late.” He heard Kelvin’s voice a few seconds before his face
appeared on the screen.

“
What are
you, my mother? How are things your end?”

“
Fine, but
that’s not why you called. What’s up?”

Brad pulled a face, which
Kelvin mirrored. They could keep it up for some time so he pressed
on. “I told her.”

“
And?”

“
And it’s
complicated…I kissed her.”

“
What! Brad,
what the hell are you doing?”

“
I know, I
know, you can save the lecture. I’ve berated myself enough. It
happened yesterday – nearly happened again today.”

“
So what’re
you going to do?”

“
Try not to
let it happen again.”

Kelvin laughed, shaking
his head. “Man, you’ve got it bad. I feel for you, buddy. With the
morals you hang around your neck it must be pulling you
under.”

“
We can’t get
involved on the job. Period.”

“
But life’s
not as simple as that, is it?”

“
No, it’s
not.” Brad sighed and settled further down into his seat. The
laptop jiggled precariously on his lap.

“
Just say the
word and I’m there. You know I’ve got your back.”

“
Thanks, man.
I need to hear that right now.”

“
Get some
sleep. But before you go, remember, you can do the job no matter
what’s going on in that thick head of yours. It’s part of who you
are – there isn’t a complacent bone in your body.”

“
I needed to
hear that too.”

“
I’m not
saying that acting on this attraction between you is a good idea,
and I’m not judging either way. You don’t need me to quote the
book. I’m speaking as your friend, and I know that she won’t come
to any harm whatever you decide.”

“
Understood.
I’ll speak to you at 06.00. Night.”

“
Go take a
cold shower.” Kelvin logged out and broke the link before Brad
could retaliate.

His laughter echoed
around the room as he tapped keys to connect to Susannah. One more
stop and he’d hit the hay. He had a feeling there would be a few
interesting dreams waiting for him.

Chapter
13

Alicia awoke with a
headache so vile she thought her eyes might bleed. If she’d
consumed copious amounts of alcohol it would make sense, but she
hadn’t touched a drop. It was worse than any hangover she’d
experienced, so it hardly seemed fair that she should suffer
without the benefits.

She blinked slowly,
getting used to her new surroundings. It was akin to staying in a
luxury apartment; in fact, it could have been her luxury apartment.
It was a home from home, and one of the only things she didn’t like
about it.

When she worked, she
preferred an air of illusion, to feel that she was out of her
normal environment. She wasn’t opposed to the comfort; it was a
huge selling point that the kitchen housed a state of the art
coffee maker.

Alicia stumbled out of
bed and made her way towards her salvation. When she’d had her
fill, she reached for her second lifeline, swallowing the
painkillers in one gulp as she wandered to the bedroom.

By the time she was under
the shower, she was feeling moderately better. That was until
thoughts of Brad invaded the quietness in her head. She’d thought
of nothing else all night – the second night in a row she’d lost
precious sleep. But she couldn’t pin the headache on him no matter
how much she wanted to.

She wasn’t angry anymore.
Holding a grudge seemed hypocritical when she wasn’t rational
either – not when it came to her mother. It was the disappointment
that she could still taste – the fact that he had an
agenda.

The attraction between
them was undeniable, yet the connection compelled her more. Since
Eric, she’d found it hard to trust. Most people wanted something
from her, or worse they expected it. The men she dated, and there
hadn’t been many, were more interested in Alicia the film star than
the woman. For some reason Brad saw beyond the superficial to the
girl beneath.

She was still working it
out in her head as she dressed for the day. She wasn’t on the call
sheet until mid-afternoon. She’d been granted permission to promote
another production for a radio broadcast. If she timed it right, a
visit to see Jack was also on the agenda.

With the headache
receding into oblivion she went to face the music, that and poke
around for some decent breakfast.

Brad was already on duty.
He was standing to attention outside her room, looking serious and
devastatingly handsome in a suit. She took in the tailored jacket
and polished shoes – formal wear was definitely working for
him.

“
Your public
attire I take it?” She enjoyed watching him squirm under her
scrutiny.

“
I thought
I’d play the part.”

She moved her hand so it
looked like she was holding a video camera. “Well, you certainly
look the part.” His subtle facial movement showing disapproval had
her cackling with laughter. “Come on. You have to allow me to make
fun of the situation a little. I did interview several candidates
until I found the most attractive bodyguard, after all,” she added,
tongue in cheek.

This time he grinned.
“I’m not sure what that does for my professional ego.”

“
It’s not all
bad. There are women out there who wouldn’t mind getting up close
and personal.”

“
I think
you’re missing the point of close personal protection!”

They started along the
corridor. “I suppose what I’m trying to tell you is be prepared for
this morning. The radio host has a habit of airing the juiciest
gossip and there’s a lot of talk. It’s all in the name of fun, but
he cuts a little close to the bone.”

“
Thanks for
the heads up.” He signalled to his two colleagues as they stopped
outside. “But despite any impression I’ve given to the contrary,
I’ve worked in media before. I’m used to the jibes, whether it’s
about my size, my appearance, or my tendency towards a more formal
approach.”

“
Good to
know. I won’t feel guilty about teasing you now and then. Let’s go
grab breakfast before I have to get my game face on.”

“
I’m sure
they have a fresh pot of coffee waiting.”

He was lost for a moment
in her smile. He had a habit of doing that – it was a dangerous
weapon as far as he was concerned.

They had a natural
harmony now. When she moved forward, he was already in position and
walking in time with her.

They didn’t get very far
before he spotted Sarah coming their way. She was carrying a laptop
and a frustrated expression. It made him smile.

“
Jack has
been hounding me all morning. I brought this because he wants proof
of life.” When she was close enough she shoved the laptop into
Alicia’s hands. “And do me a favour – call Dad, because he’s
driving me crazy too.”

Alicia tucked the
computer under her arm. “Good morning to you too,
Sarah.”

“
I’m sorry.
Good morning, sweet stuff - you too, Alicia!”

“
You’re
chipper for someone who needs to get back in my good graces. Don’t
think I don’t know what you’re doing.” Alicia looked at Brad from
the corner of her eye. “Me and the big man here worked through it.
You on the other hand were decidedly sneaky.”

“
Oh, come on,
if you were mad with me you wouldn’t have worn that
outfit.”

Brad looked down at the
figure hugging jeans, combat style boots and feminine blouse. She
looked knockout in anything she wore.

Sarah’s smile was sly.
“She doesn’t like it when I choose her outfits. I casually
suggested this one yesterday. It’s important to make an
impression.”

Alicia rolled her eyes,
and moved ahead to the coffee stand. The team were using one of the
back lots during the morning run so they were practically
alone.

She waited until they
were seated with a steaming cup of magic in her hand before
broaching the subject. “I’ve thought about it, and I’ve decided you
were trying to bring us together so we could explore our issues.
Both having scars made by the same hand.”

Brad almost choked on his
coffee – she had such a dramatic flair. It was
entertaining.

“
Something
like that. I’m surprised you’re letting me off so easy. Could it be
because you’ve avoided the torture chamber one more
day?”

“
Which would
be code for?” Brad asked, playing along even though he’d guessed
what she was referring to. He was growing accustomed to their
shorthand.

“
The gym.
I’ve managed to avoid it two days in a row so I should probably
schedule in a session tomorrow.”

“
Talking of
scheduling, when’s your hair appointment?” Sarah asked, taking in
the tail and cute bangs.

“
Not until
this afternoon. I’m going with au natural for the
interview.”

“
Really? If
that’s the case, I think you should wear it down. You have pretty
hair, so it’ll distract people into thinking you made an
effort.”

Alicia laughed hard, not
at all offended. “You are in a good mood. Is there something I
should know?”

“
Well, I was
going to wait until later… but I just negotiated you a deal to star
in four episodes of Hope’s Law.”

“
Oh my God!
Seriously?” Alicia jumped to her feet, pulling Sarah with her. “How
did you manage to keep that in for so long?”

“
I don’t
know. Shall we?”

“
Victory
dance – hell yes.”

Their dance, if you could
call it a dance wearing a straight face, was indulgent without the
need for apology. Brad watched them prancing around like a pair of
graceful gazelles. He enjoyed the female display
immensely.

He knew of the show, it
was all most people talked about on a Friday morning. Hope’s Law
was the most successful running series in over a decade. Though
he’d never seen it, he had a feeling it was going to be part of his
future.

He checked in with his
team as they happily discussed the role. Things were in place at
the station; as were the two CPO’s assigned to his duty. Abe had
already forwarded a copy of the security detail for the afternoon
shoot, when the cast would be filming on water.

“
I should get
to work. I still need to iron out a few details,” Sarah said,
draining the rest of her coffee.

“
I’ll stop by
the office this afternoon. Will you be listening?” Alicia sat back
in her seat and looked forlornly at her empty cup.

“
If I get a
chance, otherwise there’s always podcast.”

Brad didn’t buy that for
a second. He knew her well enough to bet she would be listening,
along with anyone else in her vicinity.

She turned knowing eyes
in his direction. “I’m sure Al’s given you the pep talk, but Chris
Matthews likes to live on the edge, and I’m sure your name will
come up. Don’t worry – she can handle it.”

“
I don’t
doubt it.”

Sarah turned back to
Alicia. “I think we’ll definitely keep him.” She winked in his
direction. “Now, before you go I want you to call Jack, Dad and
Josh. If you don’t they’ll only hound me and I’ll never get any
work done.”

“
Shall I do
it in that order?”

“
Do it in any
order you like. Just do it.” She blew her a kiss and started out.
“Oh, and wear your hair down.”

Brad watched Alicia’s
face, mesmerised by the humour that lit her features, especially
her eyes. She did what he anticipated and waited until Sarah was
out of sight to pull the band from her hair. When the dark locks
tumbled over her shoulders, he gave in to the urge to touch
it.

“
Sarah’s
right. It is pretty distracting.”

She didn’t respond
because she didn’t know how. It took a huge effort to control her
body’s reaction to the unexpected intimacy.

He felt it too – the
connection between them. As soon as he let go of her hair it broke
the spell.

“
Sarah’s
right about most things. It’s the PR team she hired that get in the
way. I imagine they’re already at the station laying down the
law.”

“
That makes
sense,” he said, following her lead. “I’m a little surprised to
discover it’s not a one woman show.”

“
Normally it
is. Sarah takes on every role I can’t. It’s hard when the industry
is geared up to take the control out of an artist’s hands. It
doesn’t matter how much I’d like to do. I’m expected to have an
army of people at my beck and call.”

“
Which in
your case is your trusty assistant?”

“
Exactly,
though she’s learning to delegate so she can spread her wings a
little.” She caught the question in his face; he wasn’t the first
to wonder about the arrangement. “You’re wondering why she stays
with me. Why she isn’t chasing her own dreams.”