Only for You by Beth Kery Page B

purred.
    He arched his brows. “Will I?” he asked Gia.
    She looked at the others, who were watching her expectantly. She made a sound of frustration. Every time she thought she was ultimately cornered and helpless, this situation got worse.
    Then the image of Jeannie Salinger—McClarin’s victim—popped into her head. Gia would escape McClarin’s tentacles long before Jeannie ever would.
    “Just the one time? A disguise to get me out of Los Angeles unnoticed?” Gia clarified.
    “No,” Charles said, eyeing Seth warily. “You say you have a problem with confinement. Of course, we prefer that you stay in a secure place as much as possible. But if you do go out at all in the next three weeks, you’ll have to look like someone other than Gia Harris. This story is news nationwide. It’s even making headlines in Canada, Europe and South America. Seth? What do you say?”
    Seth didn’t reply, his expression like stone.
    “Wait,” Gia said, sensing the subtext to Charles and Seth’s exchange. “If I have to be disguised every time I step outside, then . . .” Gia trailed off, giving Seth an uneasy sideways glance.
    “Seth will have to be with you the entire time, yes,” Alex Demonico said.
    Gia blinked in surprise when the FBI agent suddenly spoke.
    “I realize I have no say in any of this,” Demonico said, “but we have a lot riding on your testimony for eventually bringing down McClarin
and
the influence of the New Temple. Charles thinks it’s a good idea. Plus, Seth is trained in security. After studying his file and hearing stellar reports about what he’s done with some of my colleagues,” Alex added, giving Seth a pointed glance, “I’ve agreed with Charles and Madeline’s plans.”
    “Seth?” Charles asked tentatively. “I realize the length of time required was one detail I left out yesterday. But you could use a break after wrapping up on your latest movie, couldn’t you? You told me yesterday Joy is taking a vacation. Why don’t you? I know we’re asking a lot, and the compensatory consultant’s fee the DA’s office offers is practically nothing, but . . .”
    “I haven’t helped out in the past because of the
pay,”
Seth said dryly when Charles faded off. Charles chuckled.
    Gia looked at Seth, stunned.
Surely
he wouldn’t agree to this. It would save her having to say no to the whole thing if he would just refuse. He had his work and his life. And dammit, why would he sacrifice so much of his time and energy for a woman he didn’t even have an interest in calling following mind-blowing sex?
    As usual, she had difficulty reading his face.
    “I know of an ideal place where we could go,” Seth said.
    Gia’s heart jumped. She hadn’t expected him to say that.
    “It’s true that no place in the country will be completely uncontaminated by this news story,” Seth said slowly, “but I know of a place that will be more resistant than most. Much more,” Seth directed his attention to Charles and Alex. “It’s a secluded house in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, near a little town called Vulture’s Canyon—it’s not even on most maps. I know about it through my niece and Everett Hughes as well as Everett’s sister, Katie, and her husband, Rill Pierce. The house I’m referring to has a state-of-the-art security system. I’m a friend of the owner—a man named John Corcoran. He’s blind, and he has several good reasons to be vigilant about security. One, years ago he was the victim of a break-in and vowed to keep his wife safe and protected at all costs. Two, his wife is Jennifer Turner, so he has excellent cause for making sure her privacy and security are kept intact.”
    “Jennifer Turner, the actress?” Gia asked. Jennifer Turner had been at the top of her game for years now and was showing no signs of slowing down. She was one of the most respected, sought-after actresses in the business.
    Seth nodded. “She and John live there during the