The Bodyguard (Book 1 in the Original BOC Series) ✔

Chapter Thirty-Two

Nathan glared from Jane to Hallden standing behind her.

"You've got a lot of balls coming around here," he growled as he narrowed his eyes further.

Tycoon Hallden looked away, like a dog with his tail between his legs, and swallowed nervously while Jane was the one who pressed her hand against Nathan's chest to push him back inside.

"Stop it! I've come to ask for your help. For all your help."

Nathan shoved her hand off him and stepped back, crossing his arms. Ben stepped forward after they entered the apartment and closed the door.

"What's this about Jane?"

Jane pulled off her coat and gloves, shoving them into the pocket of the coat. She tossed it onto the couch next to Chambers who was staring at her with his mouth open. She turned around and her face filled with worry.

It was strange to see her uncaring about the worry lines she'd cause to her beauteous face, and both Adam and Ben glanced at one another. That alone was a clear indication their visitors were here on business.

Jane looked at the three men that had taken care of her over three months ago. They hadn't changed much other than Nathan who was looking more tired than the other two. Even Rory, sitting by Lily at the table, still looked the same.

It was just Nathan that looked miserable.

Jane whimpered, squeezing her fingers together, "Look, I don't know how to say this when there is bad blood between us all..." she glanced between Nathan and her uncle, but then Ben shook his head, holding out his hand to the side for her to sit down.

"Nonsense, Jane. You are always welcome here." He glanced at Hallden who wasn't really listening to anything they were saying. He was staring out the balcony window; his blue eyes far off somewhere.

Jane nodded, taking a seat after smoothing down the skirt of her dress. She looked directly up at the older man and sighed, "Right.... My uncle came to visit me a few hours ago after he found out, and he's really worried, as am I." She looked at everyone around her and added, "About Mara."

Ben caught, through the corner of his eye, Nathan's arms drop to the side. Before he could place a hand on his shoulder, Nathan narrowed his eyes and jested, "What about her? Is her fancy new life boring her already?"

Ben nudged Nathan before looking back at Jane.

The redhead dropped her violet eyes to the coffee table in front of her, shaking her head and bit her lip, "Nate, please. Please, listen. We didn't know who else to go to about this."

Adam moved away from the counter he stood at and walked around the lazy boy Jane sat in. He stood in front of her, frowning with a bit of annoyance that Jane didn't spit it out already. It may have also been possible that he was bothered with Rory's attention towards Lily, but then again, Jane wasn't always pleasant to be around.

"Spit it out, Janie." He probed, crossing his arms and shrugging, "What's this all about?"

Jane swallowed, her violet eyes widening and brimming with tears.

"Mara... Mara was--- was kidnapped!"

The others in the room fell silent while the redhead sobbed, "Edward had notified my uncle a few days ago when the service car he had called for showed up an hour after Mara had already left in a different one." She looked at her uncle still staring off out the balcony window with a sullen expression. It deepened the more Jane revealed about the kidnapping.

"The driver had informed Edward that a woman called requesting that she be picked up at a specific time. But it wasn't Mara who called because she was upstairs packing the whole time, the servants vouched for her."