No, Jack thought, his jaw tightening, not one thing was going to happen to his Belle.
He heard the door open behind him but he didn’t turn.
He still didn’t turn when he heard Olive’s voice.
“You called?”
The view stopped working, his chest got tight and that heavy weight settled in his gut.
“I want you to find someone to find Calvin Cole,” Jack told the window. “And when he’s found, I want him dealt with.”
“Are you going to be specific about how you want him dealt with?” Olive asked.
Yes, he most certainly was.
“When it’s done, he’ll have absolutely no desire whatsoever to see Belle again.”
“And do you have a limit as to how much you’re willing to invest in this project?”
Jack’s torso twisted so his eyes could fall on the shadow of Olive standing several feet in from the open door. As he did this, he heard dog tags jangling as Baron and Gretl’s heads came up but they otherwise didn’t move.
“As pertains to who you hire, your budget is unrestricted. But Calvin Cole will be convinced he has no desire, ever again, to see Belle and he’ll be convinced of this without money changing hands.”
There was a hesitation before, with a smile in her voice, Olive murmured, “I’ll see to it.”
She began to move to exit the room when Jack called, “I’m not done,” and she stopped.
Jack took in a breath.
Then he ordered, “I want Mickey Dempsey brought to me.”
There was another hesitation before, with uncertainty in her voice, Olive asked, “Jack, are you certain that’s wise? He’s a member of the media. You’re used to it but Belle’s plagued by it. She doesn’t need any more attention. And if you anger this man, he might see she gets it.”
“He had an agenda with that article and it wasn’t to harm Belle. It was to expose Cole.”
“I noticed that but I don’t understand why you –”
Jack turned fully to her while cutting her off, “He’s an investigative journalist. He uncovered something that the rest of the media, even after a year of her being under scrutiny, didn’t find. He has skills. As I’ve explained it to you, you’re aware that we’re currently involved in an unusual situation where we have very little knowledge of what’s going on considering what precipitated it happened over two hundred years ago. The story is old, the trail is cold and his skills might prove useful.”
“I see,” Olive muttered.
“Bring him to me,” Jack ordered.
“Consider it done.”
He always did after he gave Olive a directive.
Without another word, Olive left.
Jack turned back to the view and listened as his dogs again settled.
He studied it until it brought him peace.
Then he turned from the window, strode through his house with his dogs at his heels and he went to his and Belle’s bedroom.
He disrobed and pulled on some pyjama bottoms as he heard Baron and Gretl settle on Belle’s side of the bed.
Then he slid in beside his sleeping Belle, curled into her warm body and the peace he’d garnered from the view settled deep.