| Brian had just pulled into his driveway, his mind solely on Sue for the entire trip, as short as it was, already missing her, wishing she was with him. His cell phone rang and he sensed it was bad news. Something was up with Sue, he could feel it. "Hello," he barked into the phone. "Brian, Will here," came Will's voice on the other end. He sounded very official and work like, increasing Brian's dread. "I think there may be an incident taking place at Miss Taylor's house right now. I need to know how you want me to proceed. Newman is in the house." Brian felt the blood drain from his body. Sue was in trouble, he sensed it. He had to get back to her. "Get her out of there Will. I don't know if Sue can take him being there now. Do whatever you can to get her out of there. I don't care how you do it, just do it. I'll be right over." "No, you wait. I will bring her to your place. I'll get her out. Don't panic." Will said to him calmly, his calm façade relaxing Brian. He trusted that he would do something to help Sue and bring her to him. "Please get her Will. She doesn't know you, but please, use the code name and help her." Brian pleaded. "I will. I'll get back to you." Will said and disconnected the call. Brian didn't know what to do. He sat in the car burying his head in his hands, wanting her with him, needing her safe. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her. ******** Sue was beside herself, wondering how she could get Spencer out of the house, at the same time confused angry and scared that he knew about her night with Brian. How much had he seen to begin with, and why was he watching? And what would he do now that he knew. Another knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts. She walked past Spencer who had deposited himself on the lounge, still in full view of the front door, smiling smugly. She prayed it was Brian here to rescue her, at the same time hoping it wasn't so Spencer wouldn't see him. When she opened the door to a huge, but gentle looking man, to say she was surprised was an understatement. Looking at him carefully, she estimated he would be in his early 40's, and in great shape to go with it. She imagined him as her rescuer. "Can I help you?" She asked tentatively. "Miss Taylor," he said calmly waiting for her nod. "I'm sorry to be bothering you, but Mr Tate," he continued emphasising the word Tate, "asked for me to collect you to take you to the office to discuss some of your work. He said it is extremely important and to apologise to you for calling at such short notice." "Mr Tate needs me?" Could this be true? Is this man her rescuer? Had Brian sent him? "Yes. He said to bring your laptop with all your work you have been doing. He needs to see some of it first hand, not through the emails you have been sending him," the man said trying to sound convincing. He had to do a good job of it, because in reality, Sue had no idea who he was and he was asking her to come away with him. But he had used Brian's code name. That should help her understand he had something to do with Brian. She looked over at Spencer who was listening to the exchange with interest. "Can't it wait? I am here to see my girl." He asked rudely. "I'm sorry sir. Mr Tate is on a deadline and needs to see Miss Taylor before he leaves on an interstate trip." Sue raised her eyebrow in question. Interstate trip? Like on tour with the Backstreet Boys she wondered. "I guess that means I gotta go again. Okay, I can take a hint." He got up and walked over to Sue, kissing her roughly as he went by. "See ya later Baby. Sooner or later we will get some quality time together hey? Like last night. You sexy babe you!" He said to her as Sue pulled away in disgust. The man at the door's eyebrows rose in question. He had known Brian had been there, but neither Sue nor Spencer knew that. It was like that tangled web from the old cliché. Spencer walked down the driveway and to his car the two of them watching him drive away. "You know Brian?" Sue asked the man curiously, needing some sort of reassurance. "Yes I know Brian. He asked me to come to your rescue." The man explained cryptically. "Rescue? But how did he know?" Her head was beginning to hurt at the thought of what was going on here. On one hand there was Brian, who she wished she was with, who she loved with all her heart. Then there was Spencer who disgusted her, yet he seemed to know everything that went on between Brian and her last night. How could he know that? Then how could Brian know that Spencer had been here and out of the blue this huge man appears at her door telling her Brian asked him to come get her. Had he been watching her too? Her head was spinning with everything going on. "I think he better explain that. Please, get some of your things and let me take you to him. He is worried about you." At least that calmed her some. "Okay," Sue answered him. She wanted to get out of the house after what had just happened, and she wanted to be with Brian again. She wished she could leave with him now, but it wasn't possible yet. "Oh, what is your name? Can I know that? The big man smiled. "Certainly. My name is Will," he said and waited at the door while she collected a few things to make it look like she was actually going to a business meeting. She obviously couldn't trust Spencer to have left as he said he had. Sitting in Will's immaculate looking car, she felt a wave of trepidation, wondering what she was doing getting in a car with this stranger. He could overpower her in a moment. As if reading her thoughts, Will spoke up. "Would you like to ring Mr Littrell on the phone. I am sure he is worried. Let him know we are on the way." She nodded, unsure of the situation she had gotten herself into here. Just a few short weeks ago her life was quiet and peaceful. Granted it wasn't very exciting, but there wasn't any of this worry that she was facing now. Meeting Brian had changed all that, and brought Spencer into her life. Then she thought about life without Brian and realised regardless of what she was now facing there was no place she would rather be. She thought back to last night and sighed to herself. He had made her feel so special, so very loved. He had gone out of his way to make her feel cherished. She was drawn out of her reminiscing by Will handing the phone to her. "Miss Taylor," he said as if repeating her name for many times already. "Sorry Will. Just trying to get my head around everything that is going on here." He nodded and turned his attention to the car, getting them on the way. When he turned the opposite direction to Brian's place, she began to panic. Will noticed immediately. "Sorry Miss. Just going in the opposite direction in case Newman decided to wait and follow us." She shook her head in confusion again. Why was this happening to her? "Just ring Mr Littrell and let him know you are okay. I know he was worried." Sue nodded. "Just one thing Will." "What's that?" "Please call me Sue. Miss Taylor sounds so formal." He smiled and nodded, turning his full attention to the road, checking his mirror every now an then. Sue looked over at him before ringing Brian, noticing his huge hands on the wheel, his large frame stretched out behind the wheel easily manoeuvring through the light traffic. He looked very much like someone who would be minding Brian, or any other celebrity. What was he doing at her place, and how did he know when to come to her rescue. An answer was forming in her mind, but right now her head was hurting too much to be trying to make sense of it. She kept watching Will drive through the traffic, checking his rear vision mirror, dodging in and out of different roads, short cuts and laneways, when the phone in her hand began to ring, making her jump. She looked at Will again. He nodded. "You can answer it, it's probably Mr Littrell." "Hello," Sue answered into the phone. "Sue? Sue is that you?" Came Brian's frantic voice from the other end. "Yes, it's me Brian." Just hearing his voice calmed her down. "Are you with Will. Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm with Will, and I am okay. We are heading over to your place, but the long way. Will is driving a round about way to make sure he lost any trace of Spencer, in case he was following us." Sue looked at Will again. "Will did he follow us at all?" Will didn't know if he should tell Sue or not, but Newman was still on their tale. He figured he would have to. "Yes Sue, he is still following us. Could you direct me to your place of work and we can make an escape there. I will call a cab to pick you up from a back entrance while staying with this car till you get away." "Did you hear that Brian? Spencer is still following us." "I'll come and get you. I'll feel safer with you with me than in some strange cab. Tell me where to go to meet you." Sue gave him instructions, at the same time telling Will. Will would stay by his car, watching to make sure Spencer stayed in his, letting them know if he left or not. That pounding in Sue's head returned and she wished this could all be over with and she was back in Brian's arms. "Brian, what's going on?" "Baby, I'll explain it all to you when I have you safely with me again. Now I will just come on over and get you from that back entrance. Okay?" "Yeah, okay," she said sounding dejected. "Sue. Please don't do this to yourself. I can hear how stressed you are. I'll come and get you. Wait for me." She sniffed. "Oh Sue, you aren't crying?" he asked. It was tearing him apart that she was feeling like this. He felt responsible for what she was going through. "I'm okay Brian. Just hurry. You know where to go?" "Yes Baby. I'll be there in 20 minutes okay?" "Okay," she said and hung up the phone as Will pulled up at the office of her employer. She rarely came here, unless it was to meet with him, and that wasn't often. Most of their work was done by phone and email. The car stopped and Sue collected her things. "Now you will watch him won't you?" "Sure I will I won't let him get away. If he does drive off, I will follow him and be on the phone to Mr Littrell immediately." Sue nodded and left him to walk into the building. She had a plan for the time she had to wait for Brian and purposely walked through the revolving doors, heading to the area her boss's receptionist sat. All going well, her dilemma would not be a problem for too long. ************* Smack bang on 20 minutes later Brian pulled his car up at the back entrance Sue had told him about, bypassing the front road where Will and Spencer sat. Sue was waiting for him by the small wooden door, watching carefully. When she saw Brian's car she nearly ran out in front of him, Brian having to slam his brakes on quickly. He wanted to jump out of the car and take her in his arms. He forced himself to stay where he was and get Sue to climb in beside him. Then concentrating on the road, he backed out the way he had come. Sue sat staring at Brian, again instantly knowing it was him and not his look-a-like. He radiated a certain chemistry that told her instinctively that he was the man she loved. There was no mistaking him with the other guy. She reached over and touched him on the leg, needing contact even if it was only that little bit. Almost as if a silent agreement had been established between them, they didn't speak on the drive to Brian's place. Sue knew he was exceeding the speed limit, but she said nothing, wanting to be back at his place, in his arms, feeling safe and secure. Less than 20 minutes later Brian was pulling into his driveway waiting on the electric garage door to open up. He rang Will quickly to let him know they were safely back and he in turn informed them that Spencer was still sitting in his car. He would now get in his car and drive to the house of a friend of his, and stay visiting for as long as it took him to get sick of waiting. If indeed he followed. As soon as he had shaken him, Will would be back at Brian's house. Brian stepped out of the car and dashed around to Sue's side, opening the door for her. He took her hand in his and led her into the house still not making any intimate contact with her. The moment they were safely in his living room, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her securely, giving her comfort. That was when it all became too much for Sue. The wonderful night they had shared, the anguish of Brian having to leave, the arrival of Spencer, meeting Will so unexpectedly, being tailed by Spencer and the cloak and dagger rescue, and now being in Brian's arms again, it was too much for her to take. "Shhhh, Sue, come one, it's okay now. You're here with me. I won't let anything happen to you." Brian crooned. His arms stayed around her and he was happy to stay just like that, for as long as she needed. When she finally pulled away there were tears in her eyes threatening to fall, tearing at Brian's heart. When one drop spilled out of each eye down her cheeks, he gently wiped them away with his thumbs. His fingers framed her face delicately. "I'll look after you Sue. No one is going to hurt you. I promise you. One way or another we will get to the bottom of this." Sue nodded, her eyes looking tired. She slumped against him and he guided her to the lounge. "How Brian. How did you know? How did Will come to be there right when I needed him?" she asked. "He was watching out for you. I asked him to keep you safe." "And you didn't tell me?" "Would you have let me if I had told you?" Sue sighed in defeat. "No, I probably wouldn't have." "So you can see why I had to do this. I was worried about you and I had no way of being here to protect you. I interviewed Will who had been recommended by my own bodyguard, and he seemed perfect. Please don't be angry with me." Sue looked up into Brian's eyes. She could see the torment in his eyes, and could understand why he had done it. In all seriousness, she was glad that he had. Not only did it show her how much he loved and cared for her, but unbeknownst to her at the time, she had been safe all along. She smiled a small smile of understanding, but she was tired. She lay her head on Brian's chest and closed her eyes. It was moments and she was asleep, secure in Brian's arms for now. Will arrived 30 minutes later having shaken Newman. He had tried to tale him, but without Sue in his car to be mindful of, he was able to take a few more risks in his driving to lose him. Brian had had to wake Sue so he could let Will into the house and she sat rubbing her eyes when they came back in. "He's gone for now Sue. Will lost him on the way over here." "What now though Brian. He can find me again." "Not if you stay here." "I can't stay here, all my things are at home." "You and I will go and get them. Even if he is watching, he is hardly likely to do anything when I am with you. Has he given you any indication that you know there is a double?" she shook her head. "So I will come with you. You can pack for the rest of the time you can join me and come and stay here." Sue didn't know if this was a good idea. She felt like she was being ordered to do something she wasn't sure about in the first place. Secondly, all her things were there, she liked her home, her space. And thirdly, who was to say Spencer wouldn't find her here and be as much of a problem. She would be giving in to him. She voiced all these concerns. "Sue. Baby. I am not doing this to order you around. I only want you safe. I need to know you are safe because if anything happened to you I would never ever forgive myself. You can bring any amount of your things here to make you feel comfortable. I don't mind how much you bring. Look around it isn't very homey in here yet. I don't get the chance to do much. And it is only until we sort this mess out. Then you can go back to your place. I just need to know you are safe till you can join us on tour." "Oh I forgot," Sue exclaimed suddenly. "I was talking with my boss today when I was in the office, and he has changed my work schedule. He has given me some work that I can do while I am travelling, and then I have some vacation time owing." "When? How soon can you join us?" Brian asked eagerly. His demeanour had changed instantly at the prospect of having Sue by his side sooner than he had expected. "Five days, maybe six. The rest I can finish while I am away." "Oh Sue!" he shouted, taking her in his arms and twirling her around. "That's the best news I have heard in a while. Oh it will be so good to have you with me, by my side." He lowered his lips down to hers for a kiss. It was short and sweet, but enough to have made Will uncomfortable enough to walk out the room. "I think we scared him away." Sue said to Brian and he laughed. His whole attitude had changed now he knew she was safe and would soon be joining him. For the next hour they planned the next few days. Brian was already late back to the tour. Thank goodness there was no concert that night. Right now he had more important things to take care of. |