“And his clients trust him...but they shouldn’t.”
“This has to be a big misunderstanding. You aren’t a financial planner. Maybe you jumped to conclusions.”
“I understand why you want to believe that, but I’m telling you, those numbers didn’t add up.”
“Did you bring the bookkeeping and that file with you?”
“No, of course not. I kept them in a safe place in case Robert ever comes after me.”
I jerked my head back. “That’s crazy. Why would he come after you?”
She shrugged. “He was looking at me suspiciously that day. It could have just been paranoia, but you never know. He might have had a camera in his office.”
“If you truly believe he did something wrong, why didn’t you go to the police?”
Lillian bit down on her bottom lip, guilt deepening the crease on her forehead. “I don’t want to get involved. The last thing I need is the police asking me to testify against my former boss. That’s not my idea of a happy retirement.”
“Are you sure you aren’t blowing this out of proportion? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but all of this feels farfetched. I can’t fathom Robert doing that. You’ll have to bring me that file if you want me to believe you.”
Lillian stood and pushed in her chair. “Look, I didn’t bring the file with me, but it’s in a safe place. When I get back from London, I’ll be happy to sit down with you and show you the numbers, but in the meantime, you need to be careful.”
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation about Robert. Our Robert.”
“Our Robert hasn’t been forthcoming about a lot of things.” She gave me a motherly look. “You and Robert are tight. I get that. You don’t want to believe he could be involved in this, but it’s true. I could have kept all of this to myself, but I trust you. You have a good head on your shoulders, and I wanted to warn you. Be careful around him.”
I stood, not liking this one bit. Her words were starting to sink in, and I wasn’t sure what to believe. Could I trust Robert? He’d never given me a reason not to. I put a hand over my heart, and it thumped harder and harder. “Do you think Robert had something to do with Daniel’s death?” My knees felt like they would give out on me, so I lowered myself to the chair.
“No, I don’t believe that. Like I said earlier, Robert is a caring man. He might be involved in white-collar crime, but he’s never been violent. And besides, he liked Daniel. He had a great deal of respect for him. I don’t trust Robert anymore, but I can’t see him killing Daniel.”
Robert had been good to me all these years, and he deserved my loyalty at the very least. He’d never given me a reason to believe he was anything but a good guy. Until she provided proof of criminal activity, I couldn’t allow myself to doubt him in that way. If the tables were turned, I’d want him to think the best of me. “I believe you saw something that didn’t add up in your mind, but you have to be wrong. Have you asked someone familiar with financial planning to look it over?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to become more involved in this than I already am.” She held up both hands. “Take what I’ve said with a grain of salt, but you’ve been forewarned. I’ll call you when I get back and we can look over that file.” She licked her lips and let out a breath, glancing furtively to the side at Troy. He was watching both of us carefully as if trying to figure out what was going on. “Why do you need a bodyguard?”
I quickly filled her in on everything that had happened to me, and when I finished, she walked around the table and hugged me. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Trouble seems to follow you. Wish things were different.”
“Me too.”
“Daniel was a good guy. We all miss him.” She smiled sadly and shook her head. “But now that he’s gone, you need to move on with your life. He would have wanted that.”
“I know.”
She tipped her chin ever so slightly in Troy’s direction. “Something tells me that man over there wouldn’t mind signing up for the job.”
I laughed self-consciously as I smoothed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “You have the wrong impression. We have a professional relationship and that’s it.”
Looking undeterred in her assessment, she just shrugged. “Time will tell.”
She gave me another hug and then left in a hurry. Troy joined me seconds later, concern showing on his face. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I’m not sure.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“It would be nice to have someone to confide in, but I don’t want to pull you into this mess.”
He laughed softly. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I can handle it.”
I forced a smile and stood, ready to leave. “I’m sure you could, but you’re better off not knowing. We should go.”
Chapter 12
Troy
A couple of weeks passed, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to put aside my interest in Kayla. The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to spend time with her. Even though I told myself she was just a client, I wanted more, and those feelings were quickly overtaking the ones that tried to keep her at arm’s length.
It was starting to get hard, and that meant I needed to pass this case off to one of the other guys before I did something stupid. I was perfectly capable of remaining professional, but when I was around Kayla, I didn’t want to be professional, and that scared me a little. Will had said he would assign someone else as soon as he could, but until then, I had to keep it together.
In the last week, I’d accompanied her to a few different events. She performed at a concert at a local amusement park on Thursday and Friday, and then on Saturday night, she sang at a charity benefit for disabled children. It was Sunday, my usual day off, but Will had asked if I’d work. He promised to send another guy tomorrow if Kayla needed to go out.
I had accompanied her to church this morning, and this evening she was doing a small job—her words not mine—at a local coffee house that had live music. It was the type of place that had couches and board games set up.
Kayla stood at the makeshift stage, belting out "Jesus, Take the Wheel," made famous by Carrie Underwood, and she impressed the socks off me with that one. There was a large group tonight, and it was a good thing I was there because I’d already had to push back a few overeager fans who wanted her attention.
The first time I’d seen her, I thought her girl-next-door image was just that—an image—but I was quickly seeing how real she was. She had a genuine kindness about her that drew people to her, and I had no doubt that if she continued getting these gigs, someone important would eventually discover her. She had the talent, the looks, and the willingness to work hard. She was more than I deserved. Way more. Thinking about a relationship with her was crazy at best.
A guy in his late teens or early twenties sauntered up, a huge smile on his face. He had “bad boy” written all over him with his spiky hair and combat boots. “Kayla Keller, will you marry me?” He puffed out his chest and glanced back at his friends with a mischievous grin.
I knew the type. I used to be that guy. Wild and crazy. Full of myself. Thought of women as conquests.
But when God changed my heart, He gave me new desires. I saw women differently now and understood they were to be cherished and treasured, not used for one’s personal benefit. I once believed edgier women were my type, but after meeting Kayla, I had a different viewpoint on that.
Mr. Bad Boy was looking at her in a way that made me want to deck him, but I held myself back. Doing something stupid like that would get me fired, not to mention the Lord wouldn’t be pleased with that kind of behavior.
Kayla glanced at the dude and flashed a smile. It wasn’t a real one. I’d gotten to know her well enough to figure that out, but she was trying hard to please her fans.
“Honey, you’re too young for me,” she teased, “but you’re cute. I bet you have no problem finding girlfriends.”
“I’ll take
an older woman any day.” He pushed his way forward, and I stepped in front of him.
“Back up, please.”
He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?”
“Security.”
“Figures.” He pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. “Here’s my phone number.” He winked at Kayla and one side of his mouth edged up. “Give me a call, and I’ll show you a good time.”
What a loser. Did he really think she’d fall for that line? I grit my teeth and took the scrap of paper because I refused to be the jealous guy who pushed the competition away. Not that a nineteen or twenty-year-old was competition, but she was the one who had to make that decision. It wasn’t my job to interfere in her love life, no matter how much I wanted to. Didn’t mean I had to like it though.
As the evening wore on, I collected a few more numbers from prospective suitors hoping to get a date with Kayla. At one point, she smiled at me and winked, causing my insides to tumble as if I’d just stepped off a cliff. I winked back and turned around, keeping my eye on the growing crowd.
I’d already scouted out all the exits and had a plan to get her out of here if a threat presented itself. Thankfully, nothing serious had occurred since I’d taken on the job, barring that one incident with that guy at the charity event who wanted a second date with her. Either the things that happened to her before I was hired were truly random, or someone was waiting for the right time to strike. The thought sent a wave of uneasiness over me.
I would not let anything happen to her.
If anyone wanted to hurt her, he’d have to bring me down first. And good luck with that. I wasn’t easy to take down.
An hour passed, and the crowd started to dwindle. People came in and out, and then Kayla finished her last song and packed up to go. It was late, around midnight, and everyone cleared out once the music was over. When I glanced at Kayla, she didn’t look tired in the least.
“You were amazing tonight,” I said, handing her the handful of phone numbers.
“Thanks.” She smiled at me and held eye contact for a full three to four seconds, causing my pulse to jump. “I won’t be needing these.” She glanced around to make sure no one was looking and then dumped them in a trash can.
I couldn’t help the pleased smile that spread across my face. I was smiling like a fool, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“Do you mind if we hang out a little longer?” she asked. “They provided free coffee the last time I performed here.”
“Sure. Are you inviting me to sit at the table with you?”
She laughed. “Of course. Did you think I’d ask you to sit elsewhere?”
“Maybe.”
A slight smile pulled at her lips. “There’s no one I’d rather sit with, and I mean that.”
“Cool. Let’s have some coffee.”
Minutes later we took our lattes and instead of sitting at a table, we plopped down on one of the comfortable couches. A coffee table with a board game stood nearby, but neither of us reached for the game. I wouldn’t mind a diversion like that, but I was content to just sit and talk for now.
We were both quiet for a few minutes and then I broke the ice. “Quick question. Were you ever homecoming queen?”
She cocked an eyebrow and gave me a strange look. “Nooo… Why?”
Guess I’d been wrong in my initial impression of her. I’d pegged her as the popular type who thrived on drama, and I had all kinds of associations that went along with that. Stuck-up mean girls. That kind of thing. But Kayla was nothing like that. “The first time we met…” I chuckled. “Never mind.”
“Why did you think I was homecoming queen?” Her voice was soft and melodic, sweet but curious.
I shrugged. “You’re attractive. Outgoing. Just thought it fit.”
She smiled smugly. “I was pretty shy in high school, believe it or not. And I spent lunches in the library studying.”
“Are you pulling my leg?”
She shook her head. “Nope. It’s the truth.”
“You’ve come a long way then.”
“People aren’t always what they seem.”
“I’m beginning to see that, especially when it comes to you.”
She turned to face me and took a sip of her coffee. “Enough about me. I’d like to hear more about you. Do your parents live out here? You don’t talk about your family much.”
“No, they live in Buffalo, New York.”
“That’s on the other side of the country. You must miss them.”
I shrugged. “I do. Sometimes I don’t always see eye-to-eye with my dad though.”
“Why is that?”
“I was a rebellious teenager, and my dad is still getting used to the newer more responsible me.”
She nodded. “Ahh. So, he has an image of you, but you feel like you’ve outgrown that image?”
I stared at her for a few seconds, surprised that she’d identified the issue so quickly. “Yeah, that’s exactly it.”
“Have you talked to him about how it makes you feel?”
I glanced away. “Not really. I’ve expressed annoyance, but I haven’t told him it bothers me. I keep hoping my actions will be enough. That he’ll see the steps I’ve taken in my life and figure out I’m not the same irresponsible kid I used to be.”
“It’s true that actions speak louder than words, but sometimes people need help connecting the dots.”
I laughed. “Interesting way to put it.”
“He needs to know his perception bothers you.”
“Easier said than done.”
“True. I suppose that those are the hardest conversations to have, but I think you’ll feel better if you address the issue.” Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen and shrugged. “That’s Robert, but I’ll call him back later.” A minute later her phone chirped, indicating a message, but she ignored it.
I gestured to her phone. “You sure you don’t want to check that?” Robert wasn’t my favorite person, but he’d been a huge support to her, and I didn’t want to get in the way just because I disliked the guy.
“Maybe later. I don’t want to be rude. I hate it when people are constantly on their phone during a date.” Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d just said. It was a slip of the tongue, an easy mistake, but I couldn’t say it didn’t make me smile, nonetheless.
I cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “This isn’t a date.” Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed that button, but I wanted to see how she would respond.
“I know.” She ran a hand through her hair and looked away, pink coloring her cheeks. “I’m tired, and when I get tired, I say stupid things. Maybe I secretly want to be on a date and that’s why I said it.” Her eyes widened again, and this time, she placed both hands over her face as if trying to hide. “Oh, my goodness, I really need to stop talking. It just slipped out…” She paused and shook her head like she couldn’t believe she’d said that, still holding her hands over her face. “I am so embarrassed.”
I leaned forward and gently tugged her hands away from her face. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I should have let the comment pass without saying anything. I’m the one who should be ashamed, not you.”
Her cheeks were flaming red now, and I felt guilty for making her feel that way. She turned toward me, her skin glowing and beautiful from all the blushing. “I bet you’re used to female clients hitting on you all the time. You must think I’m silly.”
“I’ve had a few hit on me, yes, but the job has a no-fraternization policy regarding employees and clients.”
“I understand. Lines can become blurred if a relationship develops.”
“Exactly. If the lines are blurred, it puts the client at risk.”
She met my gaze for a second and then glanced away. “Have you ever crossed that line? Even just a little?”
“Never.”
She nodded. “I’m not surprised. You seem very dedicated to your job.” An awkward silence
filled the space and then she cleared her throat. “Is there someone special in your life?”
“Special?”
“Yeah, you know… Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Didn’t your mom ask that question already?”
She shrugged. “That was the first day we met, and you didn’t know us well. Now that we’re kind of friends, I’m asking for the real story.”
She was fishing for information, and I couldn’t say it didn’t make me a little giddy inside. “My answer is the same. I don’t have much time for that.” It was technically true, or, at least, it used to be. Honestly, if I was allowed to date Kayla, I would make time.
“Oh. That’s too bad.” She took a sip of her coffee, her forehead creasing. “I’m sorry that your schedule makes it hard to socialize.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. I like my work.” I like you. But I couldn’t say that and didn’t want to give her hope when I couldn’t back it up with action. I hated when guys made empty promises they couldn’t keep. I did my best not to be that kind of man.
“Don’t you want to settle down and have a family eventually?”
“Yes, when God brings the right woman.” The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. I was so used to saying that to people when they asked me why I wasn’t married, but if I’d thought it through first, I wouldn’t have said it to Kayla. I really liked her and didn’t want her to think I didn’t see her as a potential wife. But on the other hand, I couldn’t let her know I did see her that way. What a mess.
“Oh.” She leaned against the couch, her big blue eyes meeting my gaze. Folding her hands in her lap, she leaned forward. “What is your ideal woman? What are you looking for?”
Again, I couldn’t hide that stupid smile of mine. She had a way of disarming me, making me comfortable in her presence. It had something to do with the soothing tone of her voice—I was almost sure of it. If I wasn’t careful, I would be spilling all my secrets. “There is no ideal woman.”
She laughed. “Oh, come on. You have preferences. Every man does.”
Protected By The Bad Boy (Bad Boy Bodyguards Book 1) Page 9