Chapter 10 Devon
DEVON
While Lofton and her sister cared for their Dad, I spent my first day on the Beck family farm learning the land. Security work always started the same way. Checking any potential point of access. Fences. Gates. Sightlines.
In an old side-by-side ATV, Apollo and I had made a slow loop around the property that afternoon, the Tennessee sun beating down while he guided me through everything they’d already put in place.
Motion sensors. Cameras. Guardian’s personal equipment installed in places that would blend in as normal farm equipment to anyone who didn’t know what they were looking for.
Overall, he’d done an impressive job.
But it wasn’t perfect.
“I get what you’re saying, Apollo, but this stalker isn’t our only concern.
The first time she wants to go into town, word will get out that she’s here and then we’re gonna have every wannabe paparazzo in the country on this fence line trying to snap a paycheck.
There’s too much tree coverage. I’d rather the old man be pissed about me cutting back some branches than have an asshole with a camera hiding behind them.
Staring out over the field like I’d insulted his manhood, Apollo crossed his arms. “It’s private property.”
“Since when has that stopped anybody?”
His jaw ticked. “Leo already approved all of this.”
“Yeah, well, Leo isn’t working the day-to-day on this, is he?”
We stood there in silence for a second.
Him avoiding eye contact.
Me shooting daggers at the side of his face.
Finally, he muttered something under his breath and pulled out his phone. “I’ll have someone out here tomorrow.”
“Good.”
He shot me a look. “You know, most people would say thank you now.”
I patted him on the back, far more gently than I would have liked. “In this job, thank yous only come in the form of a paycheck.”
He blew out a hard exhale. “I hate you. Have I mentioned that yet today?”
I chuckled and turned back the pile of junk side-by-side ATV. “It never hurts to hear it again.”
We continued the loop after that, checking the rest of the property and arguing every time I hit the brakes.
Before we’d left, I made her promise to check in hourly.
I was close by, but I didn’t like that she was alone.
Well, alone as she could get with her sister, brother-in-law, and father.
I’d received multiple “all good” texts and one letting me know she’d left us dinner on the porch.
That ancient side-by-side had never driven so fast. I wasn’t sure if it had been Lofton or Jenn who had baked that Buffalo Chicken Pizza, but it was off-the-charts good.
Apollo and I had nearly come to blows over the last slice.
When darkness finally settled in, we parked in an old shed behind the house, and I texted Lofton that I was back.
“Front gate?” I asked, locking the shed door.
He nodded. “Matt checked in at shift change. Don’t worry, it’s crazy quiet here at night.”
“Good, let’s keep it that way. Where are you staying?”
He pointed off into the distance. “The neighbors rented us a loft over their barn, big enough to set up a command center. It smells like horse piss, and Mr. Blake stumbles home drunk around three each morning. But after living above the bar for so long, it feels like home.”
I barked a laugh. “I guess it could be worse.” I tipped my chin toward the house.
“Yeah, from what I’ve seen, it’s a circus in there.”
My head snapped up when I heard the screen door creak open in the distance. Apollo fell into step beside me as long strides carried us around the house.
“Hey,” Lofton called from the porch, arms folded loosely as she leaned against the railing. She’d changed into a pair of buffalo plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt, and pulled her long brown hair back into a messy bun.
“I’m gonna take off,” Apollo lifted his hand to her in greeting and goodbye.
I jerked my chin, never tearing my eyes off Lofton.
“Have a good night,” she called after him before turning her attention back to me. “Do you want to come in so I can show you to your room? Daddy’s asleep and honestly, I’m not far behind him.”
“Yeah. It’s been a long day.” I followed her inside, automatically scanning the room out of habit. A thousand tiny details filed through my brain before I even realized what I was doing.
The house was… modest. It had clearly seen its share of years, but it was clean and well cared for.
Nothing fancy, just worn wood floors, sturdy furniture, and the simple décor that had probably been there for decades.
Over the brick fireplace, mismatched frames holding family pictures, both professional and candid’s, packed the mantle.
Lofton spread her arms wide and slipped into a British accent. “Welcome to the Beck Family Estate. The butler is off duty, so I will be your humble staff this evening. May I offer you something to drink?”
“Thanks, I’m good. Mind if I take a look around?”
Her nose crinkled as if my request was wholly uncomfortable for her. “Be my guest. Not much to see, though.”
“It’s fine.”
She twisted her lips and glanced around as if she were looking at the space for the very first time.
“He wouldn’t take money from me. I tried.
For years, I tried. Even before he got sick, things were going downhill around here.
They were struggling, but he was still too damn proud to take a single cent from me.
Once he started declining, and medical bills started piling up, Mom finally allowed me to pay off the mortgage and buy some new furniture.
” She sighed, shaking her head. “It was too late. He couldn’t handle the change.
He never stopped asking to go home and became more and more agitated.
She eventually had to pay double to buy back all the furniture from the thrift store, so now we just leave it as is, changing nothing and fixing everything until it literally falls apart. ”
A knot formed in my stomach. I hated that there was even an ounce of shame in her voice. “Hey, homes are supposed to be lived in. I wish I could go back to the one I grew up in.” I swayed my head from side to side. “Though it was in California and not London, obviously.”
She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. “Damn, London? I was going for more of a Queen’s English vibe.”
“Oh, no, you definitely missed the mark on that one. I was fully expecting you to pull out the Oi, guv’nah next.”
She pressed a hand to her chest, peering off into the distance with mock sorrow. “There go my dreams of ever being cast on Bridgerton.”
I crossed my fingers on both hands and lifted them into the air. “There’s always hope for a Peaky Blinder reboot.”
Her lips broke into a smile so stunning it could have brought armies of men to their knees.
I shook my head and stared down at my shoes, desperate to hide my grin. “Yeah, so, I’m just gonna familiarize myself with things.”
Thankfully, the shame had left her voice when she replied, “Go for it. Dad’s room is down here, off the kitchen, so maybe just steer clear of that.”
I made quick work of walking through the house. It was all pretty standard. Kitching, living room, dining room. Windows and doors locked, alarm system on. I tagged a few cameras discreetly mounted throughout, happy to know there were at least a dozen more I hadn’t been able to spot at first glance.
When I rejoined her in the living room, she eyed me with silent curiosity.
“Looks good.” I assured. “The rest of the bedrooms upstairs?”
“Yeah. Come on.”
I followed her to the narrow staircase. The first step groaned beneath her, which didn’t exactly inspire confidence about what it would do under my weight. She glanced over her shoulder with embarrassment. I fucking hated it almost as much as the shame.
“Nice. Build in alarm. I approve.” I told her to put her mind at ease.
It appeared to have worked when she let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, there was no such thing as sneaking out in this house when I was growing up. Oh, and speaking of, you’re going to be in Jenn’s old room. It connects with mine through a shared bathroom.”
Wonderful.
A shared bathroom.
With a woman.
With Lofton fucking Beck.
That cemented that I’d be getting ready in the barn each day.
“Sounds good.” I lied.
“You say that now. Wait until you see it.”
The second-floor hallway was short, lined with more photos. It was mostly horses, but there were a few school pictures of two girls with brown curly hair and gap-toothed smiles.
Lofton walked into the first door on the right. “This is mine.”
I had no idea what I expected given the state rest of the house, but a direct ticket back to her teen years was not it.
Horse show ribbons covered one wall in bright strips of red, blue, and yellow.
A corkboard above the desk held faded playbills and ticket stubs, and a zebra-print comforter with hot pink trim draped over a twin-sized bed.
And the furniture…
Christ.
The dresser looked as if it had survived a war. I was clearly not as good an actress as Lofton, because she immediately read my face.
“This stuff was outdated even when we got it,” Lofton said. “Mom found it at a yard sale when I was like fourteen.”
“That tracks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Hey, not all of us grew up with California money.”
“Trust me, neither did I.”
Her eyebrows lifted like she didn’t quite believe me.
She walked farther into the room and pointed at the wall of ribbons. “English, Western, you name it, and I was in the show ring.”
“It looks like you were good.”
She shrugged. “I was… dedicated. Daddy bred quarter horses, so he took me to all the big shows to make a name for himself. For the most part, it worked too. Clara’s Patience is still a highly sought-after bloodline.”
My eyes moved to the handful of trophies on small shelf above the.
One Act Play.
Drama Club.
And—
I picked up a golden figurine mounted on a wooden base. “Congrats on,” I flipped it over. “Show choir?”