Rick looked at his father-in-law, met his stare. “I’m suggesting you restrain your judgment. Judy’s been through a lot and doesn’t need the distraction of pleasing her father right now.”
Sawyer blinked a couple of times before tipping his beer back.
Rick’s phone buzzed. When he looked, he saw the video feed of Judy’s office light up. The motion detector on the one bouquet triggered the device to signal him.
“An important text?” Sawyer really wasn’t impressed and Rick realized just how difficult it was going to be to win the man over.
The cleaning crew was in Judy’s office, wiping down her desk and emptying the trash. Rick leaned over and gave Sawyer a glimpse of the phone. “I told you I was going to watch over her. This is her office.”
“You’re spying on her at work?”
Rick shook his head. “We think the guy who attacked her has access to her space. We’re watching for him.”
When Sawyer said nothing, Rick stood and started from the room. “Mind joining me, Mr. Gardner? I’d like to show you something.”
The room Russell and Dennis had taken over housed several monitors and recording devices. Rick flipped a few switches and let the monitors spring to life. The cameras outside the Beverly Hills home were obvious. The gate, the backyard, the front door. The feed into Judy’s office showed them both activity as a housekeeper pushed a vacuum around the office and then out in the hall and out of view.
Sawyer looked at the other feeds. “What’s all this?”
“You’ve met Neil.” He pointed to a set of feeds on one large monitor. “This is his place.” He pointed to another home. “This one is Malibu, where Blake and Samantha live. Zach and Karen’s place.” He flipped the feeds as he spoke. “And this is in Tarzana, my place.”
Sawyer found another location housing only one camera. “And this one?”
“The Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento. Not that we need to actually monitor that, but Carter and Eliza like to know that we can tap into their system if needed.”
Sawyer waved his hand at all the monitors. “What are all you afraid of?”
Rick actually laughed. “Nothing. The Marines taught me many things. Being resourceful and having the knowledge to protect those you care about is a priority for us. Blake Harrison is one of the richest men on this continent. Neil is married to Blake’s sister, and you already know some of the risks Michael faces.”
Meg walked through one of the feeds at the Tarzana house. A light indicated the signal of the alarm being set.
“And why is your home monitored? You look like a man who can take care of himself.”
Was that a compliment?
“Because normally all this is there. This is a temporary setup put in place when I was in jail.” It killed him to say that. “Once we capture the man behind the attacks, this will all leave your son’s home.”
“Are you sure you’ll find him?”
Rick leaned against the desk. “I will. I take my responsibilities seriously. Keeping my wife safe is my main priority.”
Hannah picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, sis.”
“Oh my God, Judy! You do realize that I’m now going to be placed in a chastity belt and forced to live my life in a tower because of you.”
Hannah was a typical overdramatic eighteen-year-old. If Judy was honest with herself, she knew Hannah’s life would be more difficult with the decisions Judy had made.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Hannah paused. “You really married him?”
“I did.”
“I always thought I’d be in your wedding. I was too young to remember much of Rena’s.”
“We signed papers, Hannah. There wasn’t a real wedding.” Judy glanced at the ring sitting on her finger and admired the shine.
“So it’s true . . . what Dad said about your marriage being a fraud like Mike’s was?”
No. Mike and Karen had only ever been friends. From what Karen told her, they hadn’t even slept together. Considering how attracted Karen was to Zach from day one, that was probably for the best. Rick was much more than a friend. “Everything happened so fast. I don’t know what’s going to happen or how things will end up.”
“If you stay married, you better have some kind of wedding eventually.”
“Careful what you ask for . . . I might ask you to wear some horrific dress that itches in all the wrong places.”
Hannah laughed.
“I need to talk to Mom. Is she home?”
Hannah said her good-byes and handed the phone off. “Make him go home, Mom. Please!”
Janice offered a soft laugh. “I would like to think I have that power over your dad, but making him do anything is always a balancing act. I told him not to go. I thought by my not getting on the plane he’d abort the notion of going to California.”
“Rick and I need to concentrate on us. I know that sounds selfish, but I can’t deal with Dad right now.”
“I understand, honey, but your dad has a mind of his own and feels it’s his duty to make sure you haven’t married someone just to keep him out of jail. Think about that for a minute.”
Judy sat on the edge of her bed talking into the phone and pinching her nose. “The only reason Rick was in jail was because of me. It’s not like he robbed a bank and I’m an airhead who shacks up with a lowlife.”
Her mom laughed. “No one is calling anyone names. I don’t think your father thinks Rick is guilty of anything.”
“Then why is he here? It’s like he doesn’t trust my judgment at all. He didn’t run here when Karen and Mike got married.”
“Mike is a son.”
“So?”
“It’s different with daughters.”
The conversation was making her head split.
“You’ll understand when you have children of your own. For now, you’ll have to trust me. Your dad and I love you, honey. We wanted to see you walk down the aisle when the right man entered your life.”
The next words popped out of her mouth without a filter. “Who says Rick isn’t the right man?”
There was a long pause.
“Well then . . .”
“Yes . . . well then.” Judy released a long-suffering sigh. “You have to trust that I know what I’m doing, Mom.”
“I’ve never doubted you, honey. Never.”
Judy ended the conversation with her mother and forced herself to join the men.