Page 53 of Fortunate Miracles
Chapter 30
Summer
I almost forgot that I had to work on Saturday morning. Luckily, Zander woke me up and reminded me. By the time I’m ready, Ceres is sitting at the island with a coffee in hand. He gives me a nod in greeting as I take a seat myself. Zander sets a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast in front of me, along with a mug of tea. “Thanks,” I reply.
I’m not really hungry, but I know I’ll regret not eating once I work in the greenhouse, so I shovel down the food without tasting it. Zander informs me he’ll be joining us at the plantation since I’ll be done at noon. Nodding, I hand him my Jeep keys after grabbing my backpack and follow them out of the house.
All three of us are quiet as Zander drives us to my work. I direct him where to park, then hop into a golf cart and drive us to the greenhouse. Not bothering to stop at my locker, I walk us into the poinsettia greenhouse where I find Rose and Aaron getting set up. I’m not sure how to approach Rose about having two extra shadows today, but luckily Zander pulls her aside to explain.
Once they return, Rose gives my arm a squeeze in support before getting us sorted. I’m in charge of fertilizing and moving pots around today. Aaron and I split up, each taking half of the greenhouse. He gives me a few curious looks but asksnothing, for which I’m grateful. It’s hard to explain, and the fewer people who know, the better. Zander stays with me while Ceres walks around outside. Zander gets right into the work, hauling pots around, which allows us to finish early.
I say goodbye to Aaron and Rose before driving the three of us back to the Jeep. As I turn a corner near the main building, Ceres tells me to stop. He jumps out of the cart, running towards the trees on the far side of the property. I glimpse a guy with a camera, who takes off into the woods. Zander jumps into the passenger seat, gun in hand, and tells me to floor it to the parking lot.
Not arguing, I do as I’m told. Once I park the golf cart, Zander has me follow behind him to my vehicle. He has his weapon raised, surveying the area. I grab the back of his shirt, like I do with my guys, and keep watch as well. Not seeing anything, he gets me into the back, lying across the seats so I’m not visible. Luckily, the staff parking lot isn’t busy, and we don’t run into anyone.
Zander calls Troy to fill him in. “I’m waiting for Ceres to call, darling, then we’ll know what we're dealing with,” he tells me. “Are you holding up?”
“I’m fine,” I reply. “That guy is probably the one who’s been taking the photos.”
“That is my guess,” he replies.
Damn, what a horribly exciting week filled with nerve-wracking moments. WITSEC discussions, Nick leaving, and now this. Oh, how I crave the simplicity of a boring life. I’m so tired of the chaos. Surprisingly, I’m not scared, just anxious. Honestly, I’ve been kind of numb since Nick left.
Zander’s phone finally dings with a text. “It’s Ceres. He has the man in zip ties and is walking him out to us. I need to call Eddie and the police, darling. He was alone, so you can sit up now.”
Getting up, I crawl into the front passenger seat as Zander makes his calls. I text Rose to let her know what’s going on as I watch for Ceres. Sean arrives in a police cruiser, followed by Troyand Seb. Seb makes a beeline for our vehicle, getting into the back and hauling me back beside him. “Sunshine, stop stressing me out like that. I’m locking you in your room, so you never go anywhere again.”
“Everything’s fine, Hurry. Just a photographer,” I reply, patting his back.
I catch Ceres out of the corner of my eye, so I tell Hurry to let me out. Zander asks me to stay by the Jeep as he, Troy, and Sean walk over to meet them. The guy is lanky, with a ripped t-shirt and jeans on. He looks like he has a bloody, busted-up nose and is covered in dirt. Checking on Ceres, he seems fine. His clothes are still clean, and I don’t see any marks or blood anywhere.
Sean escorts the guy to the back of his cruiser before meeting the rest of us by my Jeep. He asks for statements from Zander, Ceres, and me, which are pretty quick, then informs us he’ll call if he has questions. Eddie is meeting him at the station. We drop Ceres off at Finn after we both thank him, then Seb hops into the back and Zander drives us back to the house. Zander and I both excuse ourselves to grab showers, leaving Seb to entertain himself.
Once I’m clean, I join Seb on the couch. “How ya doing, Sunshine?” He asks.
Shrugging, I respond with ‘fine’ before laying my head against his shoulder. “I wasn’t really worried, and I didn’t notice the guy until Ceres chased after him, but I saw the camera he was holding.”
“Z is in the office talking to Troy. How are you sleeping?”
“Not great, but I’ll survive.”
“Are the sleeping pills not working?” He asks.
“They are, but they don’t stop the nightmares. How are you?”
“Besides the mini heart attack today, you mean?” He says, poking my side. “I’m okay. Still weird being in the room without Nick. Gabby slept in Nick's bed, which helped. She’s struggling. Troy is worried too, but he doesn’t show it. Life’s a mess, Sunshine.”
“It is,” I reply. There’s not much else to say, so Seb turns on the tv as we wait for news.
Zander joins us after a few hours with an update. “Sean called. The man’s name is George. He was hired to take photos of all of you, beginning in August. A Mr. Smith sent him an email with the request, claiming he was family and wanted to monitor you guys. He offered to pay upfront and had photos of all of you for reference. The only stipulations were not to interfere and to take the photos from a distance. He printed the photos and sent them to a PO Box every two weeks.”
“What about charges?” Seb asks.
“I don’t know yet. Patrick’s involvement complicates this. The FBI will make that decision. Darling, are you okay after this morning?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t a big deal.”
Zander seems concerned about my response but doesn’t comment on it. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
