CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Daniel’s phone rang as he shut the door to his suite. Thomas Morgan. Daniel braced for the lecture.
“Congratulations. You set a new record for headlines. Did you have to kiss Miss Vandemark on the sidewalk?”
“I was ambushed.” Daniel didn’t want to have this conversation.
“Obviously. That is the only way the photos could be up on the web before you finished checking in.”
“How bad is everything else?”
“You need to ask Colin. The larger tabloids are only speculating and are being careful not to show her face in any photos. But I am sure they are digging into her background. I think social media is the problem. Did you get a hold of her?”
“She hasn’t returned my calls or texts, but Colin’s text said something about threats.”
“Yes, I took the liberty of having Hastings’s security team start to watch her. Call Colin.”
Daniel kicked off his shoes and dialed Colin’s number.
“About time.”
“What is this about threats?” Daniel paced the suite.
“Your fangirls are not happy you dined with the girl next door, and a few of them crossed the line. I put one of my filters on her email service and blocked those, but it’s the social media sites I worry about. I was already monitoring her accounts, so I have been reporting the threats to the services as they appear. A couple of hours ago someone posted her phone number. It is down now, but I have no idea what type of texts she has been getting. She must be freaked out. Her phone is currently off, and she has been suspending her social media accounts. I wish she would change her passwords. Far too simple. One of my guys is working on securing her blog. And don’t worry, I am paying them all double time since it is Sunday afternoon.”
“What type of threats?”
“There have been three death threats and one disfigurement using acid. Mostly there is either nasty name calling or fangirls cheering her on. Her high school email is the most visible. The district’s server forces people to register to send emails to teachers or to use a website comment form. It’s bounced off several emails today. Nothing out of the ordinary I can see getting through. Her personal email is clean so far. I don’t think anyone has discovered it yet.”
Daniel completed his tenth circuit of the room. “I should ask you about the legality of your methods, but right now I don’t care. Even if you have email addresses I don’t.”
Colin chuckled.
“Morgan said he was sending some of Hastings’s people to watch her. Do you think that’s necessary?”
“Definitely. Anyone with half-decent computer skills could locate her or her roommate. Now, she is one fascinating woman.”
“Colin.”
“Sorry. I take it you haven’t been able to talk to Mandy.”
“I tried this morning, but I said something wrong and she went off and hung up on me. I called, texted, and ordered flowers, but they won’t arrive today.” Daniel pushed his hands through his hair.
“Idiot.” The word was muttered, but it came through as clear as Colin’s next sentence. “You need to assume she never got your text or voicemail. The flowers may be your only hope.”
“What else can we do?”
“Well, unless she reports the threats herself or something happens, we can’t do much. Try an email.”
Daniel paced again. “Amanda never gave me an address, and my guess is that if the school’s is monitored, I couldn’t say much in an email anyway.”
“Overnight a letter, but you probably missed the cutoff to have it delivered by tomorrow. You had better call Bonnie.”
“I don’t wanna.” Daniel sunk into a chair
“Be a big boy. She can’t ground you, can she?” Colin chuckled and ended the call.
Daniel stared at his phone. The longer he waited, the worse it would be.
“Hello, Bonnie.”
Candace leaned over Mandy’s shoulder. “Do you think I should suspend my accounts, too? Some of these women are evil.”
Mandy shrugged. “Too bad I can’t tell them he already dumped me.”
“He what?” Candace spun Mandy’s desk chair around.
I am not going to cry again. “Daniel called this morning and said he was sorry he ever took me out.”
“The nerve. Are you sure that is what he said?”
Mandy nodded, tears forming. Impossible. There was nothing left to cry.
Tapping her chin, Candace brightened. “I’ve been thinking. I know I have a no-overnight rule, but after reading a couple of those messages, I wonder if we shouldn’t call a couple of guys and have them stay here tonight. What about Gordon and his husband? They both have the build to scare someone off, and they won’t be distracted by us.” Candace gave Mandy a funny smile.
“Hey, I wasn’t the one who hit on Gordon, remember?” Mandy gave a half laugh. “Sure, call them.”
“You should call Daniel. He made this mess for you.”
Mandy pointed to her boot. “You think I would have gotten smart the moment I saw him. Lover’s Fracture. I should have been running from him, not falling for him. All he has done is made messes.”
“Hey, he did replace the camera, and he took the time to do it personally. Didn’t your Grandma Mae say something about time being love?”
“Time isn’t money. It is love. Watch where people spend their time, and you will know what they love,” Mandy repeated by rote.
“Yup, that. Now call him.” Candace handed Mandy her phone.
“I can’t. I would have to turn on my phone.” The crutch slipped, Mandy bit back a curse. The doctor had said two to three weeks. Tomorrow was close enough to two weeks for her. Part of her life could get easier.