The Night Belongs to Fireman by Jennifer Bernard Read Free Book Online Page B

didn’t it? None of us are hurt.”
    â€œBut a shot of you might have slipped through. I don’t like it, Rachel. My gut says this is trouble. It’s a sensitive time right now. My congressional testimony is scheduled for later this month and we’ll be beating off the media with a club. I’m sending an extra bodyguard down there.”
    Rachel gripped her phone, feeling another primal scream coming on. She couldn’t let all her efforts to carve out her own life slip away. “No, Dad. No, no, no. I don’t need another bodyguard.” She didn’t mind security, but she hated being shadowed. “You already have Marsden reporting in twice a day. Why don’t you just implant some kind of chip in me so you always know where I am?”
    A short silence followed. Horror washed through her.
    â€œDad. Please tell me I don’t have a chip.”
    â€œYou don’t have a chip.”
    â€œDon’t lie to me.”
    â€œRachel. I would never do something like that without your permission. But it would give me some peace of mind.”
    â€œOh my God.” She clutched at her head, feeling a thudding ache coming on. “I’m going to forget you ever said that. And no bodyguard.”
    Deciding that a large amount of coffee was needed to deal with this conversation, she crossed to the expansive, state-of-the-art kitchen. The coffeemaker was already set, which meant the cleaning crew had been in yesterday. She pressed the button, suddenly longing to be at work, where she actually did things.
    â€œAll right. No extra bodyguard for now. But you have to keep your eyes open. If anyone recognizes you from the news, you call me. I sent you some links to the footage that aired. You might be hard to identify, but then again, we don’t know who’s watching. Remember what happened your freshman year?”
    â€œOf course I remember.” A rave at a San Gabriel College frat house, an accidental hit of Ecstasy, and she’d let her real identity slip. Luckily, the guy had accepted her father’s hush money. The experience had put her off partying for good. Except for last night, of course. A wistful smile crossed her face as memories from the City Lights Grill came back. For a short time, she’d actually felt lighthearted and carefree.
    What had ever happened to Fred’s trophy, anyway?
    â€œI’ll be careful, Dad. I promise. I mean, I already live like a nun, but I’ll try to kick it up a notch to saint.”
    â€œThat’s my girl.”
    Rachel ground her teeth.
    â€œWhatever you do, stay away from Channel Six. They’ll probably be trying to figure out who the crazy missing bridesmaid is.”
    â€œGood to know I’ve made my mark.”
    â€œLast resort, we hire another bodyguard.” He hung up before she could protest.
    â€œGrrrrr.” Conversations with her father often left her in this state of mind, frustration in a tug of war with love. She knew her father would do anything for her, and anything to keep her safe. He’d failed once, and he’d never recovered from it. Neither of them had.
    Standing at the huge picture window with its panoramic, bulletproof view, she stretched her arms overhead. A quick inventory of her various aches and twinges told her nothing was too injured.
    A discreet knock on the door signaled Marsden’s arrival. “Come in.”
    As her longtime security guard walked into the apartment, she realized with a pang that he was showing signs of age. His tight-curled, close-cropped brown hair was dappled with gray, he was getting a little jowly, and he moved with his usual morning stiffness. The man didn’t say much, and he didn’t try to boss her around, which made him the only bodyguard she’d ever felt comfortable with. He was from the South Side of Chicago, his wife had died a few years ago, and his two sons were grown. Other than that, he didn’t say much about