Nick and Michael stood. Isabel put her hand up. “Stay,” she demanded.
“We just want to meet the driver,” Nick said.
“And show him your gun and badge?” Isabel asked.
Nick shrugged. “He’ll probably notice it.”
They both started for the door again. “Stay,” she ordered, louder this time. She felt as though she were training dogs.
Nick’s attention was diverted when Laurant appeared in the doorway. Staring at his wife inquisitively, he said, “You’re all dressed up. Are you supposed to go somewhere?”
The question lightened Isabel’s mood, and she was laughing as she ran outside.
She came to a quick stop. Noah was draped over the driver’s open door, talking to him. Noah’s gun was very noticeable. He opened the door for her with a devilish grin. She couldn’t imagine what he’d been telling the driver.
She wasn’t left guessing for long. The driver told her his name was Jax and then said, “I understand you have a federal judge, three FBI agents, a lawyer who works for the Justice Department, and a chief of police in your family. Did I get that right? Or was Agent Clayborne joking?”
She laughed. Talk about intimidation tactics. “No, he was telling the truth.” She started to say
“They’re a,” then stopped herself. “We’re a law-abiding family.”
“Should Xavier be worried about any of them?”
“No, of course not,” she said. She didn’t add the fact that Noah hadn’t mentioned the one brother he should worry about. The former Navy SEAL named Michael.
Wanting to change the subject, she asked Jax if they were going to a recording studio to rehearse or to The Garden.
“Directly to The Garden,” he answered. “Xavier wants to show you the layout. He has a large suite, and you’ll probably rehearse there.”
The closer they came to The Garden, the more nervous she became. Her stomach was doing flip-flops.
“The last time Xavier and I were in Boston, there was a huge snowstorm,” Jax commented. He continued to talk about their trips to Boston until they were circling the street close to the entrance.
“When I pull up, two guards will accompany you to Xavier. Keep your head down and walk between them. You’ll be all right.”
“Why wouldn’t I be all right?”
“Sometimes a few rabid fans get past security, and they can be pretty aggressive. Since the concert isn’t until tomorrow night, there shouldn’t be any problems, but better to be prepared. We aren’t going in the front entrances.”
The secrecy added yet another layer to her nerves. A few minutes later they stopped at either the side or back entrance—she couldn’t tell which—and two big, muscular guards rushed forward to escort her. They wore black suits with white shirts and striped ties. The bulge under their jackets indicated they were armed. Yikes, she thought. Maybe she should have brought some firepower of her own after all. She wished now she had relented and let Michael come with her. He would get a kick out of all the security, and knowing him, he’d find ways to improve safety.
The guards nodded to her but didn’t speak. They led her down a maze of concrete floors, fluorescent ceiling lights, and beige walls. They passed one door after another after another. By the time they stopped in front of Xavier’s door, she had no idea where she was.
“I’m never going to be able to find a way out of here, am I?” she asked.
One of the guards smiled. “Probably not, but don’t worry. We’ll show you the way.” From his accent she thought he might be a born-and-raised Bostonian.
A young man in jeans and a gray XO concert T-shirt opened the door, and when the guards who’d escorted her remained in the hall, she turned to them and said, “Thank you, gentlemen.”
They looked surprised by her gratitude. Both nodded before the door was closed.
The suite was crowded with Xavier’s staff. She counted four women and twice that number of men spread around the sofas, tables, chairs, and two desks that filled the area. It was a warm inviting space with plush beige carpet and white walls. Bold, contemporary paintings added color.
The suite consisted of two large rooms. She wondered how many more staff members were in the other room and if Xavier had arrived yet.
Everyone stopped talking and stared at her when she walked in. They all seemed frozen, and it was horribly awkward. She didn’t know if she should introduce herself or wait for one of them to snap out of it.
She finally broke the silence. “Hello. I’m Isabel MacKenna.”