by Nana Malone
"I know, right? Not that I even need a guard, but whatever."
"How many times do I have to tell you, you are the queen now."
"It's just hard. It was like the one thing I did not anticipate, some of my independence being gone."
"Honey, I'm sorry."
"Never mind my moaning in my gilded tower. What's wrong with you, besides someone trying to kill your client?"
"Nothing. I'm just checking in. Long day. I had to put the client in a safe house until we can figure out who’s trying to kill her. She’s pissed we lied about being nannies. And I think she’s shagging Jax.”
“Jax… the hot British one? I don’t blame her.”
I snorted a laugh. “I mean objectively, neither do I. He’s stupid hot, but I gave him one rule…not to shag her. That didn’t stop those two, though. I mean, I knew as soon as they saw each other they were gonna do it and ruin my company before it even started.”
“Now who’s being melodramatic? You’re not ruined. You’ll keep her safe. Isn’t that what you do?”
“I don’t know. After Jessa, everything feels off. I feel like my instincts aren’t working. I missed my father’s betrayal. So, what if I’m missing other things?” My father had been part of the conspiracy to take down the royal family. He’d jeopardized my life and freedom and tried to hurt my friends. In the end, I’d been the one to take him down.
"Is it terrible that we have become accustomed to this by now? Oh, someone is just shooting at the royal family. La di da..."
I laughed. "You know what? It has become a little commonplace. Maybe we need new lines of work."
She clucked. "Never. So, have you um, heard from anyone?"
I knew what she was asking. "Oh my God, Penny, you're not even trying to be subtle."
“It’s okay to be curious, or if you look him up, or if you tried to contact him. I know you said no, but after that whole thing in Austria..."
Did I tell the truth? “I mean, I still have my Google alert on."
"I knew it. You're not totally over him."
"But I need to be because it hurts me."
There was a bit of silence. "I'm sorry. If it's hurting you, then I will try to help you get over it."
"But it kind of hurts in a good way."
She chuckled. "Please do not let us have this relationship where I'm the voice of reason now."
She had a point there. "Never."
"I mean, how long has it been since you saw him?"
"Well, basically, ten years. I'm just worried that he's okay."
"I think Sebastian is talking to his uncle to see if there is a way around the Council. I suggested they have Knights. You know, like the Knights of the Round Table."
"Oh my God, your Arthurian fascination is ridiculous."
"I love that, but whatever. Apparently, the Royal Guards used to be Knights. There was the policing arm, and then the king's personal guard. Sebastian was telling me the history after he left his uncle's villa. So, I guess there's a way to do it and what not." Penny said nonchalantly.
"Well, that will be perfect. And then they'd get around the pesky 'no civilians-guarding-royalty' thing. I hope it works. Tristan might have treated me like dirt, but I certainly don’t want him to die."
"That hardly sounds like you. You're the first one who was like, ‘murder the assholes.’"
"I know. I mellowed in my old age."
"You're barely twenty-seven."
"I'm twenty-six,” I huffed. “My birthday is still not for three months."
She laughed. "I know, and I've got the best thing planned. Oh my God, we're going to have a 90's-themed party."
I shook my head. "Oh my God, Penny, I am regretting this already."
"It's going to be epic."
"Wait, aren't I supposed to be the one planning ridiculous parties and saying they're going to be epic, and you groan and go, 'Oh no. Please no, not that epic party?'"
"You're just tense. Why don't you come up tomorrow and if you can, we'll have a girls’ night?"
"I wish I could. I've got to keep an eye on the situation here. Maybe this weekend?"
"You've got a deal. And look, it's perfectly natural to be curious about him. I still think you need to talk to him, because there is no getting closure without it. It's just like this open, festering wound, you know?"
"No, no festering. It's just a mild, annoying scratch."
"If you say so. But even scratches can get infected. So maybe if you just call him up and say, 'Hey, that was a douche-canoe move that one time,' then you can let him go finally."
"Never going to happen." Except the thing was the more times she said it, the more times I wondered if that was exactly what I needed.
Six
Jax…
She was scared. I could tell. She'd been practically silent on the ferry to King’s Island. Luckily, Mayzie had slept for most of it. She woke up and fussed a little bit, but when I gave her binky to her, it soothed her right back to sleep.
There was no binky for Neela, though.
Oh yeah, there is.
Fuck. I adjusted my position to make my growing erection less prominent.
No. How I could even think about sex right now, was beyond me. We were in real shit. Real people were trying to kill her. This was not just some run-of-the-mill protection job. No, something could have happened to her.
By the time we reached the safehouse, I could tell her nerves were shot. I punched in the security code, and the gates swung open. While it was called a bungalow, it was a good deal bigger than one and sat on about a quarter of an acre.
As safehouses went, it was nice. Decently furnished with a bright airy feel because of all the damn windows.
Did Ariel know about the damn windows? How was I going to keep the place safe? I shot off a quick text.
Jax: Arrived safe. House full of windows.
Her response was immediate.
Ariel: Bullet Proof. Also, cameras everywhere. Check security room.
Okay, so I’d have a good vantage point. I knew from the schematics that there was a small pool on the premises, so at least Mayzie could get outside. And the village was close if we needed anything.
Neela paced the small living room. She looked out the window, went to take a look at the kitchen, and then headed to check on Mayzie, who was in the bedroom. When she completed the circuit, then she would start all over again.
"I know. It feels like a cage."
She glanced around. "Well, it is a very nice cage."
I shrugged. "Tell that to Ariel. It's a Royal Elite safehouse, I guess."
"Is it true she worked for the king?"
I nodded. "Yeah, she did."
"That's prestigious company to keep. I assume you were a Guard too?"
I nodded, acknowledging the elephant in the room. “I was."
She shook her head. “I don’t know a thing about you."
I ran my hand through my hair. “Yes, you do. You know the important things.”
“Not the fundamental things that make you you.”
“What, like my job? You know why I left the island.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I wish it could have gone down differently. I wish to Christ when I saw you I didn’t feel like I’d been bloody poleaxed in my sternum. I couldn’t breathe when I looked at you. You stunned me. That’s the truth. And even though I knew not to touch you… Fuck, I tried. I tried so hard. And I failed. You asked me to kiss you, and that was the nail in my coffin of restraint. I couldn’t say no.”
“God, I must have looked so desperate.”
I shook my head. “No. Just like a woman who wanted me as much as I wanted her.”
She cleared her throat. “Not happening again.”
I narrowed my gaze at her. “You sure about that?” I planted my hands on the counter. “You still want me.”
“You’re a liar.”
“It doesn’t matter
because you know why I had to do it. It’s just an excuse for you to hide again.”
She blinked rapidly. Her dark eyes narrowing. “We’re not doing this. I need to try to work on the journal.”
"If you say so. You know I'm not going to let anything happen to you, right?"
"You can't promise that."
"No, I can't make you a hundred percent guarantee, but I will protect you with my life.”
“Giving your life for mine is not something I want."
Neela…
Mayzie was feeling cooped up too. She slept fitfully, which meant I was groggy and tired in the morning. When I woke up and shuffled into the kitchen, there was no sign of Jax, which made me feel both better and somehow worse.
I hit the button on the coffee maker and pulled out, despite myself, two mugs. Just because he was a lying ass didn't mean he didn't deserve coffee. Besides, he'd been up as much as I was with Mayzie.
For a man who wasn't actually a manny, he was really, really good with her.
As the scent of coffee wafted through the air, I leaned against the table and peered out the window, taking a good look at our surroundings. The house sat at the center of about a quarter-acre. The property was fenced, which was nice. We could basically see anybody coming for miles. And sure enough, by the large oak near the garage, there was Jax. And he was... dear God, the man was shirtless.
Yes, I knew what he looked like naked. I had spent a pleasurable evening just running my fingers over his washboard abs. But somehow, seeing those abs now that I couldn't have them was nerve-racking.
My skin was itchy and tight, and something deep and low in my belly coiled tight. God, he was beautiful. The sun shone on his shoulders, making his sweat glisten. He was on his stomach, somehow planting his hand beneath him and then lifting up his body into a... was that a plank? It was some kind of a gymnastics move. I’d seen it done before, but Jax was huge. Six foot four maybe, and he could do that? The pure control of his body was amazing.
Oh, you know that control.
He had held me up easily as he made love to me against the wall. He hadn't even looked winded.
When he eased out of the plank position and then stood, I quickly busied myself with the coffee. I added a mountain of sugar to mine and left his black. When he walked in the back door, he gave me a nod. "Good morning. How much sleep did you get?"
I held up the cup of coffee. "About as much as you did."
"Yeah, I'm sure it will get easier. At least she's asleep now. I figure we’ll all establish a new routine while we're here."
"Yeah, we need to get her back on some kind of schedule, but for now she might as well sleep. Hell, if I can manage it, I want a nap. Coffee and a little bit of work first though."
His gaze tracked me. "Were you watching me through the window?"
I sputtered my coffee. "What?"
"Were you watching me?" His gaze met mine as he took a sip.
"You wish."
"What you don't seem to get is, I can feel you. That's why I knew we were sort of inevitable. From the moment I saw you in your office, there was no avoiding you. There was no running, no hiding. We were unavoidable. I can feel you watching me. It's like a caress. The moment you came out here and saw me out the window, I knew. I know exactly how long you've been watching me."
"You're so full of shit." When in doubt, deny, deny, deny. Lie your face off.
"You can say what you want. You and I both know the truth."
"Do you do this with all your women? Pester them until they talk to you?"
"Well, it’s working so far, isn't it?"
"No, it's not. I have nothing else to say to you."
He grinned at me then. "Okay, if you say so."
He sauntered out of the kitchen, presumably to take a shower, and I called after him. "When you come out, can you please put some clothes on?"
His chuckle was low and rolled over me and through me, making my chest hum and my nipples tight. "Why, is it bothering you?"
"No, I’m completely unbothered. You, on the other hand, are making a spectacle, and it’s just sad."
I could still hear him laughing as he went into the bathroom and closed the door. As soon as he was out of earshot, I slumped against the counter.
Hell, that man was everything. If I was going to manage to exert some power over our dynamic, I was really going to need him to wear a shirt. Or I was going to be doomed.
Seven
Neela…
While Jax was feeding Mayzie, I stepped out into the sunroom and slid the sliding glass door closed behind me. If he was curious as to what I was doing, he didn't ask any questions. I had the sat phone, as it was the protocol. I punched in the numbers and waited. Bex answered on the second ring.
"Hey, it's me. How are you guys doing?"
I could almost hear her sigh of relief. "Oh my God. You're good?"
"Yes, we sent a text when we got here. Didn't anyone tell you?"
"Well, they did, but I don't trust them. They could have been lying. They could have buried your body somewhere."
I rolled my eyes. "Bex, you're being ridiculous."
"Well, you said yourself, they lied and infiltrated our happy family."
"Yes, that is true."
"I'm putting Adam on speaker."
Adam's smooth timbre came on the line, and I had to smile at that. "Hey, boss lady."
"Hey yourself. Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, we're good. It's a little weird not being able to go home, but yeah, this house is huge, so I feel like I practically have my own wing, like it's a hotel. Except, no one brings me breakfast in bed. No one brings me room service. It doesn't matter how many times I ask Jameson. I'm pretty sure if I ask her again though, she will scalp me."
"Oh my God, you're not hitting on her, are you?"
I could almost hear the grin in his voice. "Of course, not. I just merely said that I heard she was a badass and she should tell me if she wants me to make a move sometime."
Bex laughed. "Oh my God, you should have seen her face. I mean, the look she gave him was like he was something on a petri dish."
"She's just warming up to me. She'll come around. They always do."
I always wondered why Adam never seemed to have any luck with women. He was good looking, after all. Clearly brilliant. Maybe the whole problem was he had zero game.
"How are you guys coming on the ledger?"
Adam sighed. "There's a lot more data in there than I thought. This guy was an extra-nerd. Like we talked about, it’s Klingon for sure, but there are other elements. Some I don’t recognize. I’m still working on it.”
“God save me from my fellow super-nerd. At least we know what lexicon he's using.”
“It’s a big start. We've got about a quarter of it deciphered. There is so much data. We might need more processing power."
I swore. "Wow. This guy was serious. Any of the data make sense yet?"
Bex chimed in then. "No, not yet. Right now, we have pieces of names here and there, but we'll get there."
"Anything you translate, make sure that you're storing it somewhere safe."
"You got it boss," Adam said. "So where are you exactly?" There was a hint of worry in Adam's voice.
"I'm safe. That's pretty much all I think I'm allowed to say. I mean, I can't help but say that it feels a little bit like we're in prison.”
Adam asked nervously, “We’re sure these guys are the good guys, right?"
I could practically hear Bex rolling her eyes. "Of course, they're the good guys. Because how many movies have we seen, where what seems like the good guys are really the bad guys?"
I couldn’t help my laugh. "You think everything is a Michael Bay movie. They're annoying, but they're the good guys."
Adam sighed. "How do you know that? All because Bex said so?"
"Well now that I know who they are, I looked them up. They actually do check out."
He didn't miss a beat. "Didn't they check out the last t
ime we checked them out?"
"That is beside the point Adam. The point is, if they wanted to hurt me or you guys, they could have by now."
"No, they couldn't have. We didn't have the ledger figured out."
That gave me a chill deep down. He had a point there. It would certainly explain a lot. But someone had tried to grab me off the street. Jax stopped them, and he'd very deliberately not killed them. Unless, that was one of their own men?
"No. You're going to make me paranoid. Once I knew where to look, I could see Ariel in the background of pictures with the king and queen."
"Those can be doctored."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Adam, enough with the conspiracy theories, okay? Just keep working on the ledger. Call me when you have something."
"Okay, I will. I'm just telling you to be careful, okay?"
"Yes, of course. I'm always careful."
Then he tossed in. "Don't bone your hot bodyguard."
"Adam!"
"Look, Bex certainly was not going to say it. But after he lied and all that jazz, maybe you needed a friend who was going to tell you to just not do it."
I sighed. "I promise. It's not going to happen."
There was a beat of silence. "Did you say that to yourself before you did it the last time, or...?"
"Adam! You work for me."
"Yeah, but you know, we're also friends, so it kind of needs to be said. You need to look out for yourself. A guy like him, I don't know. I don't like it."
"I hear you. And I am being careful."
As I said that, I dared a glance back in the kitchen. Mayzie was squealing and clapping her hands as Jax played airplane with her.
He wasn't one of the bad guys, was he?
Unfortunately, while I watched them play, I wanted to believe he was one of the good guys. But Adam had a point. Maybe it was time I stopped trusting people so blindly. "Okay, I promise I'm being careful. Please let me know as soon as you have anything on that ledger. Let's start getting our lives back, yeah?"
"You got it."
Bex hopped back on the phone. "Unlike Adam, I don't think bodyguard hottie is the bad guy. But I do think he's dangerous for your heart, so no matter what, watch your back, yeah?"