by Eliza Ellis
Zuri rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms. She wasn’t nervous to talk about her country and articulate their current needs, but now she would be presenting to a number of people who might not be as invested in Bendola’s future as some influential Bendolans. Bendola was a tiny country rich in minerals but on the periphery of political issues to powerhouse nations. Although she had the support of the US State Department, once the country was in the hands of the people, they would need street-level assistance to boost their economy, train their military and law enforcement, improve medical care—the list was virtually endless. Zuri had prepared a short list that she felt would serve both her people and the advocacy groups she was seeking help from.
“Have you thought about incorporating industrial firms into your plans?” Daemon asked after he ended the call.
Zuri looked at him. “You mean asking Knight Industries if they want a cut?”
“All jokes aside, Princess, I’m serious. Sure, I handle protection and intelligence, but my family’s company has branched into several industries over the generations. We’ve been in business for well over a hundred years.”
“What other industries?”
“Farming, infrastructure, tech, and some financial. You’re going to want the support of private businesses. They can come in and easily provide services. The less you have government red tape limiting everything, the better. Competition is better as well. Drive down prices and naturally create options for your people. At the core of democracy is choice.”
She nodded in agreement. She had learned as much while in school, and all of what he said appealed to her, like it had to her father. Tears stung her eyes.
He slid closer, touching her arm. “What’s wrong?” he asked tenderly. “What did I say, Princess?”
She snorted and shook her head. “For starters, you’re still calling me Princess.”
He genuinely smiled. “I’m always going to call you that.”
“And it’s…” She wiped at a tear that had escaped the corner of her eye. “My father’s dream. We had talked so much about what Bendola could be… It’s exciting to know it’s about to happen.”
He frowned. “You don’t look excited.”
She chuckled. “It’s because I’m also sad that he didn’t live long enough to see it happen.” She took his offered handkerchief and blew her nose. “Choice… My people are finally going to have it. There were so many times over the years that—although we believed we would succeed—it seemed unattainable. That we were fooling ourselves.”
He thumbed the tears from her cheek, his hand lingering there. “You weren’t fooling yourself. It’s going to happen.”
“My father dreamed of seeing Washington, DC. And now I get to see it for him.”
“Make him proud.”
She nodded. “I will try.” He dropped his hand and settled back into the seat. “What about your father?”
“Oh, don’t go ruining it, Princess. We had a nice moment. My father doesn’t have to be a part of it,” he said firmly.
“You and your father don’t get along.”
He glanced at her and smirked. “What gave it away?” he asked sarcastically.
“The way you two… It’s hard to explain.”
“Well, you’re right. Arthur Knight and I don’t get along.”
“Why?”
His lips fluttered as he blew out a breath. “How much time do you have?”
“He doesn’t like what you do?”
His brows slanted into a V. “You’re perceptive.” He sighed loudly. “He doesn’t like that I haven’t taken over the family business.”
She arched a brow. “Over all of Knight Industries?” He nodded. “But you have your own companies. He doesn’t strike me as a man who would want to give up control.”
“You pegged him right.”
“You’re not ready for what he’s asking you to do?”
“There’s that perception.”
Zuri waited for an explanation while he gazed out the window. “I know how you feel,” she said, placing a hand over one of his. “My father isn’t here to guide me anymore. All I have are the memories of the wisdom he provided me. I’m not sure I can step into his shoes and fill them. Be the leader the resistance needs.” She chuckled humorlessly. “I’m not even in the same country, so how could I?”
He looked at her then, his eyes apologetic. “It’s not forever. Just until things die down.”
“I know, but I still feel like I’m not being a part of it.”
“You are. Just in a different role. And you’re only half right.”
“About?”
“About being the man my father wants me to be. I do struggle with whether or not I’m ready, but I also know that taking over everything will mean I can’t do this.” He winked. “Personally protecting princesses.”
Zuri snatched her hand back, and Daemon laughed.
“Seriously, though,” Daemon sobered, “my father threw himself into work after my mother died. He was always a workaholic, but he became obsessed. I don’t want that to happen to me because I have nothing else or no one else to consider.”
“You don’t want a family?” Zuri asked and then silently chastised herself. What business was it of hers? Did she even care?
Daemon smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever imagined my life without one. I’m an only child, so I’d definitely want more than one.”
“I’m an only child, too.”
He met her gaze. “Then you get it. Do you want a family?”
“I do. But I’m not sure how or when that will happen. I don’t think I’d want to have one if Bendola isn’t free. Seeing what the women have to go through to provide for their families when their husbands are gone, working in another country. Or how families starve when crops don’t come in or are destroyed by warring nomads. I would want stability for my family.”
“You wouldn’t consider emigrating elsewhere?”
Zuri bit her lip. She’d been educated out of her country, and she had visited Europe a number of times for internships, but Bendola held fast to her heart. Now that it was almost free, how could she leave? “I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Not now.”
Daemon’s expression became unreadable. Zuri suppressed her desire to know what he thought about her plans. They couldn’t be together anyway. He was based in DC, and she was across an ocean. She would be busy leading a country. If he decided to take over his father’s company, they would never see each other. Did she really want to see him after Bendola was freed? Would he want to see her? She doubted it. He loved his job. She was a client; nothing more. No point in trying to imagine their lives together.
They passed the next ten minutes in silence while the driver parked the car in an underground parking garage. When Zuri exited the vehicle, she noticed a few other men standing around and guessed they were security working for Daemon.
She was escorted into the State Department building and then into a small office. Seated at an oblong table were representatives that were in Bendola a few days ago and other members of Congress and advocacy groups.
Daemon shook hands with a few of the men who seemed to know him. Zuri overheard him being asked if he was representing Knight Industries for future projects in Bendola. Zuri wasn’t entirely sure of the size of Knight Industries. If Daemon was a billionaire—or his father—then their company must bring in substantial profits. Bendola’s economy could definitely benefit.
But at what cost? What would Daemon want from her?
Chapter 11
Daemon smiled as he watched Zuri shifting in her rotating chair while at one of the computer terminals in his control center. She was intently looking at the screen, her beautiful lips pursed, her brows angled downward. She had said she wanted to get an update on Bendola and monitor feeds Daemon had, but with a couple of taps on his iPad, Daemon could see she was reading blog sites about him.
And Knight Industries.
But mainly about him. She h
ad searched the company website for his bio and then read anything connected to him. He wasn’t sure if she was turning into a stalker or if she was genuinely curious about his job.
He was good with either option.
He had done his own research about her before agreeing to accept David’s proposal to be her personal bodyguard. He’d been passionate about her cause, which was another reason why he had agreed to protect her for free. She’d been a handful, but her kiss had more than made up for it.
“Daemon? Cookie?”
Roland held out a plate of cookies, and Daemon grabbed about five. Roland chuckled. “Just take the whole plate, man.”
Daemon generously bit into a cookie. “I left a few for you,” he said and then moaned at the warmth and extreme chocolaty flavor. Sweet and decadent. Much like the flavor of Zuri’s kiss.
He really had to quit thinking of kissing her, or he’d cross the line again.
Roland sat down on the couch beside him and looked at the plate and then at Daemon. “You left me two, Cookie Monster.”
“A label I wear with pride.”
Roland set the plate down on a table in front of them, snatched up a cookie, and took out the iPad he had tucked underneath one arm.
“Did we get the maritime update?” Daemon asked.
“I thought that’s what you were looking at.” Roland peeked over Daemon’s shoulder and then smiled viciously.
Daemon rolled his eyes. “Don’t even start.”
“You two are stalking each other. That’s so sweet.”
“She’s right over there,” Daemon ground out without looking in her direction.
Roland’s grin persisted. “I know, boss.”
“Then why are you talking so loud?” Daemon grunted and ripped another piece of cookie off with his teeth.
“I’m not. You’re just hypersensitive because you’re really attracted to her.”
“I am not,” Daemon flat-out lied.
“How long have we known each other, man? We were in the same unit for years. Don’t tell me I don’t know when you’re really focused on something. And you’re really focused on her. Doesn’t take me seeing your iPad to figure that out.”
He and Roland were Special Forces together. They’d been on several life-or-death missions in Africa and had relied heavily on each other to get through them alive. They trusted each other without question. When Roland left the service, Daemon immediately offered him the position as the VP of Knight’s Shield. In the event Daemon were to step into the role of overall CEO of Knight Industries, he’d gladly promote Roland to President of Knight’s Shield. There wasn’t another man who could do the job better.
Daemon gave his friend the side-eye. He was really questioning the guy’s ability to discern.
“I see you looking at me like that,” Roland said while keeping his eyes on his laptop screen. “Don’t try and act like you don’t want her.”
“I don’t.”
Roland rubbed his thick, black goatee. “Guess who was on early shift this morning?”
“This morning?” Daemon looked at his watch. It was after seven p.m. “Then what are you doing here now? You should be…” He trailed off, remembering his early-morning gym session.
The cameras.
Daemon closed his eyes to his friend’s chuckle. “Mmm-hmm. I figured it would dawn on you at some point.”
“You were watching me workout?” Daemon said sternly, looking at his friend through slits.
“I just happened to be passing the security feed at that time. You know I’m a stickler for that.”
Which was true. He and a few other guys on their Special Forces team had the role of bringing up the rear whenever they engaged. They had the team’s back. Roland would blame himself for any failure of security, even though he wasn’t the security shift lead.
“What you got going on with her looked pretty hot and heavy to me,” Roland said in a low voice. “She’s got a mouth on her—from what I hear—and I know how that can set you off.”
“You make it sound like I’m not in control.”
Roland held Daemon’s gaze. “Maybe you wish you didn’t have to be.”
He simultaneously loved and hated his friend. Roland was always quick to sniff out the weakest link in a team or plan. “You saying I’m compromised?”
Roland shrugged and took another bite of his cookie. He had a contemplative expression while he chewed. “Well, you did let her go. I had money on you taking her back into the sauna.”
Daemon had been one millisecond away from doing that. He rubbed his mouth.
Roland laughed softly. “Yeah, yeah, I know you were. But I’m proud of you for resisting.”
“Gee, thanks,” Daemon said dryly. “Proud that I’m able to be professional and do my job.”
“Hey, it ain’t always easy.” Roland’s gaze moved to Zuri. “And she is beautiful and will be very, very important soon enough. I can see the draw.”
“She’s going home to Bendola,” Daemon said, remembering his conversation with her earlier that day in the car. She had enough on her plate without having to consider a relationship, especially not with someone who lived an ocean away. They had no future. Plain and simple.
And Daemon liked to keep things simple. Complications made situations difficult to control.
“You ever think about changing your base of operations?”
Daemon rolled his eyes. “I’m not going… Look, there’s just too much happening. She’s got to run a country, and my dad has been on my butt to take over the business. Two divergent paths.”
Roland’s eyes twinkled mischievously. Goosebumps peppered Daemon’s arms, and a chill swept through him. He’d just given away something and couldn’t figure out what it was.
“So you’ve thought about a future with her.”
Yup. There it was. Daemon had just admitted to thinking about the rest of his life with Zuri. He really was off his game, and he laid all the blame at Zuri’s feet. If she wasn’t so beautiful and strong and didn’t have a stinging tongue, he wouldn’t be thinking twice about her. Wouldn’t be debating how to get her into that hot tub. “It’s not like I’ve worked through the logistics.”
“But you’ve thought about it. Working out the logistics, I mean.”
Daemon munched on another cookie. Comfort food always helped. “I don’t know why.”
“Well, when you meet a woman like that, you kind of want to step up your game. Think about the future.”
Daemon silently agreed. Although he had a job, his own money, and work that fulfilled him, meeting Zuri had made him rethink his five-year plan. A family would eventually be part of his life, but he hadn’t thought it would come so soon—at least, not the woman.
She had said she wanted kids too, but what did her five-year plan look like? Would she want to have a relationship and run a country at the same time? How safe would she be? She probably wouldn’t want to bring kids into the picture until all threats toward the new government were eradicated.
“To answer your question, I’d keep command and control here. It’s the perfect setup.”
Roland nodded. “Okay. Don’t keep me in the dark when you’ve changed your mind.”
Daemon slapped his friend on the shoulder. “You’ll be the first to know, promise.”
“So what are you going to do about her?”
Daemon sighed and shoved another cookie in his mouth. If he was this hungry, he should’ve just gotten a second cheeseburger from the burger place they had stopped by on the way back. He had wanted to give Zuri a taste of a real American gourmet cheeseburger. She had loved every bite but complained about how much cardio she’d have to do to work it off. That comment had effectively ended the conversation. No way she hadn’t been thinking about what had happened that morning, because he sure had.
“Right now, I’m going to finish the assignment. Protect her until the country shifts leadership. Then I’ll…walk away.”
Roland snorted. “Sure you
will, buddy. Sure you will.” He patted Daemon on the shoulder like he was a naïve boy.
“I’m not in love.”
Roland glanced at him. “I never said you were.”
“But you were thinking it.”
“Apparently, so were you.”
Crap. He fell for it again.
Chapter 12
Zuri stretched her arms over her head. She loved sleeping in this bed. It was one of the most comfortable she had ever been in. She’d never felt safer than being here in Daemon’s ginormous home with all the security gadgets and people walking around. But it wasn’t because he was protecting her. Zuri refused to give him any more credit.
Yesterday had been a success. The meeting with the officials had confirmed what Daemon was getting from his ground spies. The dictatorship was about to be toppled. A military general was nearly ready to give the order for the coup. For hours, Zuri had tried to connect with David for his take and to possibly pass the message to the general to begin. But he wasn’t answering his phone. Zuri had begun to worry until Daemon had spoken to his contact, who’d said David was still safe. Of course, David couldn’t be sitting by the phone waiting for her call, but she at least expected to still be able to give orders, even if she were out of the country.
How would her father handle it?
Again, Zuri skipped the gym and settled on breakfast in her room while she reviewed her father’s journal. Other than a few pieces of jewelry and papers on her father’s body, she hadn’t had time to gather any personal effects before leaving Bendola. They were likely scattered in several safehouses within the capital. It was fine as long as she had his journal. It detailed much of his life and all of his plans and musings concerning a transition of government.
The people must see their leader.
The words rang true from the page. A movement needed a leader, or it would be chaos. Right now, David was the de facto leader of the resistance in her absence. Zuri considered how she could still be a part of the resistance, even from her comfortable room in Daemon’s mansion. A video perhaps? YouTube would be the perfect venue, and she could use Twitter to make it go viral. Although cell phone coverage in Bendola was limited, the neighboring coastal countries were not as hamstrung, and the people there were following activities in Bendola closely. Maybe they could get word to relatives and friends inside Bendola.