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He made the choice for her. “Do it. I’m making the call.”
ChapterEighteen
The minute Julius led Avalynn into the suite, her team clustered around her. Behind him, Jennings shut the door. But until Julius heard that lock click securely, he wasn’t about to let down his guard.
He swung to double-check that Jennings had done the job right.
“Calm down, brother.”
He pitched his voice low. “You heard what I told you. Something big is coming.”
“Then we’ll be more prepared when it does.” His brother held his stare for a moment.
Jennings had never let him down in all their years as brothers and then working for their own security company. Now in Sentry, they were both more skilled and aware of the risks involved in what they did.
That worried Julius—a lot. He couldn’t stay on with Sentryandbe in Avalynn’s life, even if she was willing to move. He’d be thrust into the spotlight with her. Staying undercover would be impossible. Hell, he’d already been exposed by the media.
Clay, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, circled the cluster of people surrounding Avalynn. As he approached him and Jennings, he looked at them more sharply.
“What’s going on?” he demanded when he reached the door where they still stood.
Julius glanced at Avalynn. Heidi and Lana were fawning over her as if she’d been away for a decade rather than just four days. He supposed they were so used to being with her that any time apart felt odd. Her team was her own family.
Holding up a finger to Clay, he turned to Jennings. “Her mother got home okay? And our parents?”
“All settled.”
He gave a single nod and then gave his full attention to his boss. “Not here.” He sent a look at Avalynn. She probably wouldn’t overhear what he had to say to Clay thanks to the women speaking to her excitedly, but he still didn’t want to take that risk.
“Avalynn, a photo for social media! Show off those freckles, girl!” Damon held up his camera.
Avalynn stopped talking to Lana and struck a pose.
Clay waved a hand in front of Julius’s face. “Jesus, Abel. Focus. You’re disgusting.”
Jennings chuckled. “Should we take a seat at the table and talk?”
Clay twitched his head toward the far end of the suite where a full dining table and six chairs waited for Avalynn to sip her tea before tonight’s performance.
What she didn’t know was that she wouldn’t be performing tonight’s show. Or be on that stage tomorrow for a second performance.
When they dragged out chairs and dropped into them, Clay gave him an appraising look. “You didn’t tell her, did you?”
“Not yet. There wasn’t time.”
“You spent half an hour in the car with her.”
He sighed. “If I said there wasn’t time, then there wasn’t time.”
Clay held up a hand in surrender. “Fine. I’d probably put off telling Lark something that would tick her off too.”
He shifted his glance from Clay to the beautiful woman across the room. Heidi was next to her, conveying some information. As Julius looked on, Avalynn’s head snapped around and she pierced him in a glare.
Jennings huffed out a laugh. “I’d say they just told her about you cancelling her show.”
She broke away from her team and stalked over. Flattening her palms on the table in front of Julius, she leaned in, shoving her face in his. “Tell me they’re lying, Julius Abel! Tell me that my team is misinformed and you didnotcancel my performances all weekend at this music festival!”
He slanted a look at Jennings. “Guys. A moment alone.”
