Obsession: The Hollow Universe Read online

  I messed up a lot and even set the oven on fire once. He’d wink and tell me, “We will start again.”

  Hyde and Padme usually joined us in the kitchen and my assistant laughed more than I’d ever heard and it made me happy.

  Having my bodyguard in my peripheral vision was when I made my biggest mistakes. He so easily distracted me.

  The first time I completed a fully edible meal, I thought I’d throw up waiting for my team to taste it. Wringing my hands, I lowered carefully onto the edge of my chair and watched as they sipped the French onion soup.

  “Holy shit, Ellie. Wonderful.” Bianca winked at me and the others all nodded in agreement over my simple accomplishment. “Did you make the bread, too?” I nodded. “It’s delicious.”

  When everyone looked close to done with the soup, I jumped up and ran in the kitchen to grab the second course of blackened mahi-mahi steaks I flew in from Florida.

  Plating each serving from the warming oven like Si showed me, he joined me to help and bumped my hip with his. “It’s all good, Ellie. Breathe. It’s just food.”

  “I’m so nervous. No one has ever eaten food I made before and…” I giggled nervously. “Okay. Breathing.”

  He grinned and we took the plates to the dining room. Everyone moaned in pleasure.

  “It’s official, Ellie,” Padme said as she chewed slowly. “You’re good at anything you put your mind to.”

  I laughed. “Hardly.”

  “Eat, Ellie. Everything is outstanding.” The words from Hyde made me look at him.

  In a whisper, I said, “I’m nervous. I’ll eat later. I want you guys to eat.”

  “Have you tasted it yet?” I shook my head. He picked up my fork, cut a piece of the fish on his plate, and held it out for me. Eyes wide, I leaned forward and ate it. “Excellent, right?”

  I smiled shyly.

  “Enjoy the fruits of your labor.” Over my shoulder, he nodded at Si. A filled plate was placed in front of me. “Eat with us, Ellie.”

  I felt like someone handed me something I didn’t know I needed as I ate a meal I prepared with the men and women who kept me safe.

  Most of the time, I thought of them as my friends. Sometimes, I even considered them my own little family.

  I know it made me juvenile but it was how I felt.

  Chapter Three

  June 2009

  The summer following my first year of college, I turned nineteen and met a little boy named Preston.

  Dressed in khaki shorts and a t-shirt, wearing sneakers with my hair in a ponytail, I circulated through the small fair I’d arranged at the local Boys & Girls Club to benefit poor and disabled children within twenty square miles.

  My team dressed in similar clothing, sunglasses over their eyes, and I was moved at their efforts not to look dangerous or intimidating.

  With gentle rides, games, and assorted entertainment alongside quiet spaces where those with autism could calm and regroup, the day was filled with activities for children who didn’t always have a lot in their lives.

  Laughter and time to feel like kids for a little while.

  It was a test project I wanted to duplicate at their centers all over the country. It provided positive exposure to my parents’ holdings but I honestly didn’t care about that part.

  I stood to the side as a man from the local zoo talked to a group of children and guardians about the miniature monkey he held in his arms when a small hand took mine.

  Glancing down, I smiled at a little boy and crouched so I could be at his level. I pushed my shades on top of my head.

  “Hello. I’m Ellie.”

  “P’eston.” He held cotton candy in his other hand and offered me some. I pinched off a piece and ate it before showing him how it changed the color of my tongue.

  Then he laughed, eyes sparkling, and I was smitten.

  Throughout the day, I held his hand and took him from exhibit to exhibit, feeding and talking to him as the woman charged with his supervision filled me in on his case.

  Preston was HIV positive. Born crack-addicted, he’d sustained severe abuse at the hands of his biological mother until one too many blows rendered him mentally disabled.

  The little boy lived in a home located less than ten miles from my parents’ estate. The facility specialized in kids with severe mental and physical problems.

  There were times Preston experienced seizures and had trouble breathing. He was six-years-old and everything that could have gone wrong in his short life certainly had.

  Several hours later, he was clearly tired as he swayed on his feet. I picked him up and he came willingly which made my heart expand with happiness. He laid his head on my shoulder and I rubbed his back.

  To Padme, I said, “Please get all relevant details about his case. Make sure Miss Daniels has my contact information.”

  To the social worker, I said firmly, “No matter my family’s resources, I’m fully aware I can’t save every child. However, I can save this one. Keep me informed and I’ll be in touch.”

  At the end of the day, I placed him in the van and buckled him up. “I’ll see you soon, Preston. It was so nice to meet you.”

  “Lee-Lee, I like you.”

  “I like you, too. Did you have fun?”

  He reached out and stroked sticky fingers over my cheek. “I like you, Lee-Lee.”

  I nodded and kissed his forehead. A few minutes later, I watched as the van pulled away.

  Without looking at my assistant, I told her, “Get me a meeting with Mom’s attorney, please. I want to see him Monday.”

  “Ellie…?”

  “I know the risks. I can help one little boy. I can do more than give him a day of fun. I can make sure he has a home, medical care, safety, and love.”

  “I was going to say you’re one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life.” Her slight Indian accent was musical. I glanced at her in surprise. “I’ll make the arrangements. If either biological parent is living, you’ll have lots of red tape.”

  I nodded. “Worth it.”

  Turning to head back to the festivities, I met Hyde’s eyes. “I bet cotton candy and balloon animals are new for you.”

  “I’ve never seen such happy children.” He gestured over the field. “This is what you do with your time and resources. That’s incredible, Ellie.”

  Shrugging, I explained, “There’s plenty of stupid rich girls in the news for drinking, drugs, and sex tapes. I figure I’ll leave them to it. I have better things to do.”

  I circulated through the crowd with Hyde never more than a foot from me.

  Several of the regular vendors and clients of the umbrella corporation sponsored the attractions and one of them was a dunk tank with a laughing young girl who went in and out of the water.

  Toward the end of the day, the MC said, “Miss Ellie Fields!” I turned to the stage. “If you go agree to be dunked, you’ll receive the following check for the charity of your choice.”

  They brought out a six-foot check for a hundred thousand dollars. Instantly, I knew where that money would go and took a step toward the tank.

  Hyde touched my arm and said quietly, “You’ll be too exposed, Ellie.”

  “The glass is bulletproof. If they hadn’t hit six figures I wasn’t going to do it.” He frowned. “I’ll be fine. It’s also about a thousand degrees out here and I couldn’t enjoy the kiddie water park.”

  He shadowed me as I walked to the chamber. I waved at the staff for the center as well as several parents and social workers I knew personally who chanted my name.

  I handed him my cell phone and took off my sneakers and socks. “If no one hits, have one of the team dunk me. They need to see me soaked.” With a wink, I climbed the ladder.

  The MC announced, “Miss Fields provided this wonderful day for our local kids and is about to raise additional funds for charities right here in our region. Let’s have a little music.”

  There were a few kids lined up with buckets of balls
. It was the fourth girl’s third attempt that sent me plummeting into the water with a laughing scream. I came up and slicked my hair back, smiling at the girl through the glass.

  “You did it!” She went from shocked to smiling. Hyde helped me out and I almost fell on him from the slippery ladder. “Lord, don’t hand me my phone.”

  Padme wrapped a towel around me but I knew the Texas heat would have me dry in under half an hour.

  “One hundred thousand dollars, Miss Fields! Raised for local children’s charities. Come on up here!”

  I posed for photos and would never tire of seeing Hyde standing behind me in them.

  Taking the microphone, I addressed the crowd. “I want to thank everyone for coming out. I’m excited to see what we accomplish over the next five years in our corner of the world. Please make sure you get your goodie bags and enjoy the rest of the day.”

  Waving as the crowd applauded, I shook the MC’s hand and those of the vendors who’d donated the check.

  I spent several minutes schmoozing them because it wouldn’t be the last time I asked them for substantial amounts of money.

  Through it all, Preston consumed my thoughts.

  I’d met hundreds of children over the years but he instantly found his way into my heart.

  Glancing toward the setting sun, I was lost in thought as Hyde said, “That’s the last of it, Ellie.”

  “Sorry. I was woolgathering as my very precise grandmother used to say.”

  “Everyone is settled. You’re sunburned. Let’s get you home and Padme will follow up.”

  I nodded and allowed him to lead me to the car. As I leaned against the seat, I said tiredly, “It went well. I think the kids really loved it.”

  “No doubt.”

  I dozed and woke as we pulled into the driveway. I showered and changed clothes, heading downstairs to join my team at the table with damp hair, in shorts and a tank top.

  Opening a notebook beside me made my assistant grin. “Refreshed, revived, and thinking big thoughts.”

  Chuckling, I nodded. “I want to coordinate an event at the facility where Preston lives. I talked with his social worker and it’s too dangerous to take some of the kids who live there out. Their conditions won’t allow it. I’d like to deliver some fun right to their door.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  I picked at the light meal Si prepared after a day in the sun.

  My team contributed to the conversation as I made notes. I appreciated their interactions and ideas.

  I liked and respected each of them greatly.

  Chapter Four

  July 2009

  Dressing for the event I put together, I went over my notes. The night would raise funds for residents of a large Dallas apartment complex gutted by fire the prior fall.

  Two residents died and gross negligence by the slumlord who owned the place for decades came to light during the investigation.

  My father purchased the land, leveled the destruction, and built new, bigger residences in the same space. Better, safer, and constructed of environmentally friendly materials, it made me incredibly proud of him.

  We cut the ribbon on the new residences for low income families a few days before and I was charged with raising money to help the tenants with furniture, household goods, clothing, and basics for the families displaced for almost a year.

  I took in my appearance with a nod and went out to join my staff. The concert I arranged didn’t start for several hours but I wanted to get to the venue extra early.

  “Oh, Ellie. How lovely you look!” my assistant exclaimed.

  Embarrassed, I shrugged. “It’s the local style.” I tugged at the t-shirt under my plaid over-shirt and shifted my weight between my booted feet.

  Padme laughed. “You run everywhere. Sneakers are required.”

  Every member of my detail wore jeans and either t-shirts or button-down shirts. They wore various boot styles.

  All of them would blend in well.

  We piled into the limo borrowed from my parents for the extra room and drove into Dallas proper. The arena was already bustling and I wasn’t surprised. I booked the stadium but it was the band who agreed to perform that filled it.

  Piling out at the staff entrance, I made my way through the winding hallways and knocked on a door.

  It swung wide and a big man with tattoos stood there. Hyde stiffened and stepped closer to me.

  “It’s okay, Hyde. You didn’t get a chance to meet Brooke and her group last year. This is Rex Black, Brooke’s…um.”

  The man with laughing black eyes supplied, “You can call me her boyfriend despite not looking the part.” He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Good to see you again, Ellie. How’s college?”

  “Hectic but rewarding. Is she decent?”

  He quirked a black brow. “America’s sweetheart? Always.”

  “Is that Ellie? Girl, get in here so I can hug you!”

  Rex stepped back with a smile and I introduced the members of my team. I left them to chat and entered the space where a hyper redhead worked to straighten Brooke Kincaid’s hair.

  She was one of the most naturally pretty women I’d ever met.

  “Hey there, honey. You remember everyone?”

  “Of course. It’s so great to see you again. I’ve been watching the band’s meteoric rise. Congratulations. I knew you were going to break record sales worldwide with that last album.” Bending, I pressed our cheeks together. “You look fantastic. How have you been?”

  “Crazy busy but my little group keeps me sane.”

  Sidney rolled her eyes. “This bitch. She keeps insulting me like that and I’m going to singe off a chunk of her hair.”

  I laughed happily. Sidney had no filter, unlimited energy, and said fuck a lot. I found her awesome. “Thank you for doing this, Brooke. I know you just came off your second tour and hesitated to ask…”

  “Don’t you give it another thought! We’re happy to do it. The studio is a couple miles from where y’all rebuilt those apartments. The bosses pledged a fat check as well. It’s the least we can do.” The singer glanced past me. “Catch me up on what’s happening with you. I noticed your new security and lord, girl…fine.”

  I blushed to the roots of my hair.

  Sidney snickered. “He could be your older brother, Brooke.” Lowering her voice, she added, “I think Ellie is aware of how pretty he is. Can I get you some ice, hon?”

  “Don’t torture me, Sidney,” I murmured softly.

  “How will you know I like you if I don’t? Huh? Tell me that!” She put down the flat iron and skipped around Brooke. Making a sudden strike move in my direction, I barely blocked it before she connected. “Still quick. Good to know. You can’t only depend on the smoking hot dude beside you.”

  “You’ll give him a heart attack.” Hyde pressed against my back and frowned at the redhead over my shoulder. “Hyde is my…the head of my protection detail.”

  Stoically, he said, “I’d prefer you not hit Miss Fields.”

  The redhead blinked before looking at me. “Oh shit.” I started to reassure her. “Did you hear that fucking accent? Deadly, pretty, and an accent…triple threat. Props, Ellie.”

  Clearing my throat, I spoke to my bodyguard without looking at him. “Sidney and I sparred last year when the storms wiped out the roads. The band stayed at the estate for a few days. She’s self-taught in everything.”

  “Hmm.” It was all Hyde said and Sidney’s smile was slow.

  “I like him.” She put one hand on her hip. “We should definitely spar. My men might not like me getting sweaty with such a hottie but I’m so curious.”

  “No.” To cover my immediate response, I told her, “Hyde is…different than what you’re used to. I don’t want Boyd and Zane to deal with that kind of stress.”

  She winked at me. “Intriguing.”

  “Sidney is our resident reflex tester.” Rex took up a position behind Brooke. “She randomly checks everyone but
Brooke and the kids. We stay on our toes.”

  Taking in my team positioned against the wall and to Hyde at my side, he added, “Your parents went top shelf.”

  “My team is amazing and I appreciate that you know that.” I crossed my arms. “How’s Chicago?”

  “We head back this week. This one doesn’t stop.” Rex stroked his palms over Brooke’s shoulders. “Talk her into a vacation for me, will you?”

  “I’ll try but she’s a workaholic. If you can’t get her to slow down by Christmas, bring her to the estate for a few days and I’ll keep her riding until she passes out.”

  “An outstanding plan.” He grinned. “I think it would be good for you, too. I don’t know where you two find the energy.”

  Brooke tilted her head back and stared at Rex upside down. “I know where I get mine.” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “See? I’m charging.”

  “Guests, pretty girl.” She laughed and Rex glanced up. “I think you need to spend time with the girls, Ellie. Let’s plan it after the first of the year. Alright?”

  I nodded. Hyde brought a chair and nudged me into it while Sidney finished Brooke’s hair and makeup.

  Padme left to find Jeanette and check the venue. I wanted to know everything was going according to plan.

  Once the country music singer was ready, dressed in black leather, boots, and a cowboy hat, she pulled me to the couch to chat.

  “Where’re the kids?” I thought to ask.

  “Mack and Buzz have them until show time.” The blonde laughed happily. “The girls had a list of things to do when we were back down south. They say Chicago isn’t friendly.”

  I quirked a brow. “Not as backwards so…there’s that.”

  “Preach.” We bumped fists.

  The days the band spent at Elysian Fields were some of the happiest and least lonely of my whole life.

  Brooke, Sidney, and Jeanette were close to me in age and the singer understood what it was like to be in the spotlight but still isolated.

  There was a sharp tap and the door swung wide at the same time. Hyde moved in front of me faster than I thought possible.

  “Well…shit.”

  Unsure which of the Bradshaw brothers spoke, their eyes went wide as they were surrounded by Bianca, Fiaaz, and Si.