“Then I suggest you pack a bag,” he said grumpily, turning his head away to expel a phlegmy cough.
She jammed a change of clothes, her laptop, her bathroom kit and her stun gun in her workout bag. Before she left the bus, she made the detective write her a receipt for her remaining firearms and her ammunition.
Crash paced outside the bus when she exited. “What the hell did they do to you in there?”
“Beat me with a rubber hose,” she deadpanned.
“Liberty, that ain’t funny.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I don’t want to talk about what they did. What’s the status on our accommodations for tonight?”
“We’re staying at Benet Tower. It’s an exclusive hotel that’s not billed as such because the first twelve floors are private residences. Big Sky is providing extra security, and everyone involved with tomorrow night’s performance is getting a room. The band and the opening act are on the presidential level, the road crew’s one floor down.” Crash leaned closer. “Since there wasn’t obvious external damage on the other buses, the cops aren’t demanding access to them. Which is damn lucky.”
Lucky. There was that word again.
But it was good the cops weren’t searching the other buses because they’d likely find illegal substances. Devin didn’t need to lose his road crew the second to the last night on tour. “The buses will be all right, sitting here unattended?”
“They won’t be unattended. They’ll be under surveillance by the company that’s providing security for the event.”
Liberty’s eyes narrowed. “Who set that up?”
“I did.” Crash moved closer. “Look, I know you’re in charge of security, but you weren’t here and something had to be done.”
That jab stung. A reminder—besides the goddamn bullet holes in the bus—that she hadn’t done her job.
“Big Sky is e-mailing all the info to you about the changes, but I don’t know if they’ll get it to you tonight.”
She wondered if Big Sky had contacted GSC. She couldn’t f**king wait to have that conversation with Garrett, confessing that she’d been frolicking on the beach with Devin while the bus had been under fire. She glanced over to where Devin was in conversation with Paxton Wright. Two cops stood a few feet behind them, blatantly listening in on their conversation. “I grabbed some personal stuff. Devin should do the same before they take the bus away.”
“I already got it for him. He keeps an emergency travel bag packed at all times.”
Three long vans pulled up, and she watched band members and crew load their ragtag luggage into the back.
“You and Dev are takin’ a car service to the hotel,” Crash said. “Looks like it’s here.”
“Why don’t you and Devin go? I’ll finish up with the cops and talk with the surveillance crew.”
“Liberty, it’s been handled. I know you’re upset, but the truth is, it’s a good thing you and Devin weren’t here. I can see you feel . . . guilt or whatever, but you did your job. Devin wasn’t in any danger because he was safe with you. Let me repeat it; you did your job.”
You did your job.
Right.
“Liberty,” Devin said softly. When he set his hand on her shoulder, she flinched and stepped back.
Then she couldn’t look in his eyes because she knew he’d either be pissed off or hurt by her reaction. “I know the car is here. Let’s go.”
“Isn’t Crash comin’ with us?”
“No. He’s staying here.” To do my job.
Liberty waited until Devin was in the car before she climbed in. Immediately, she opened the notes app on her phone and started typing in what she’d seen while it was still fresh in her mind.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?”
Actually, I’m f**ked up by all of this, but telling you how I feel would further undermine your confidence in my ability to protect you. “I’m fine.”
“Then why won’t you talk to me?”
“Because I’m dealing with a shitstorm of security changes, most of which I had zero input on, so I’m trying to sort through it all.”
“Liberty, look at me.”
“Give me a sec.”
“Now.”
Annoyed by his sharp tone, she looked up from her phone. “What?”
“Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop whatever thoughts are in your head makin’ you act like this.”
“Act like what? Like I need to remember that I’m supposed to be doing my job protecting you and not goddamn rolling around on the beach with you?”
His eyes darkened. “You rolling around on the beach with me did protect me. I wasn’t here. I wasn’t in the line of fire. Therefore you should get a f**kin’ commendation for doin’ your job.”
She shook her head. “I should’ve been prepared. I should’ve known—”
“Known what? That somebody would decide to take potshots at my bus? As far as I know, you can’t see into the future, so there’s no way you could’ve been prepared for it. Stop feeling guilty.”
“You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t. But I can see this is another one of them times you won’t give an inch or listen to me.” He turned away from her and gazed out the window.