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Her face fell, and she pressed her lips together. I shook my head. “I don’t want you to worry,” I nearly snarled the words at her. “I would kill anyone that tried to hurt you. They would not get away with it. I promise you that.”
She blinked, and her breath hitched. I wasn’t sure if my intensity reassured or frightened her. I wouldn’t take it back, though. I’d meant it.
“I’m just so frustrated,” she bit out through clenched teeth. “I didn’t want to bring any attention to myself, and now there are reporters outside and my boss thinks I’m a distraction to my colleagues.” She shook her head. “This is a nightmare.”
Her phone rang, and she huffed a humorless laugh when she checked the caller ID. “Great, just what I needed.”
She answered her phone. “Hello, Mother.”
Balancing the phone between her cheek and shoulder, she stuffed her briefcase with file folders while listening to the governor on the other end. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care, Mother. I have a lot going on right now, and showing up for a photo op in the mayor’s office in an hour isn’t possible.”
Rolling her eyes, she added, “Yeah, my job is important too.”
She pulled the phone away and growled at it. Then, returning it to her ear, she ended the call with “Goodbye, Mother.”
She threw her purse over her shoulder and nodded to me. “Let’s go.”
I smiled, and my dick stiffened a bit at her commanding tone.
Two minutes later, as we were leaving her office, I got a text from Christian. “Jake, you have to convince Nikole to come to the photo shoot. I’m going to need backup. Someone from the governor’s staff tipped this photo op to the press. Now there are photographers everywhere.”
I groaned. I wasn’t stupid enough to ask Nikole to go back on her speech. I was proud of her, so I texted back. “You have to find someone else. Nikole isn’t going.”
Nikole’s phone rang again. “Doesn’t she ever give up?” she muttered.
We were walking down the staircase, and I placed my hand on her shoulder before she stepped into the foyer.
“Call her back in the truck. I want your full attention as we walk past those reporters.”
She nodded. I stepped ahead and covered her body with mine as we dodged questions from the journalists. “Are you heading to the mayor’s office, Nikole?” one of the reporters asked. “Are you scared to be out in public?”
Nikole’s body stiffened, and I squeezed her shoulders, hoping to communicate it wasn’t worth her time to answer their questions. Even to defend herself. Her safety was my main priority.
After opening the car door for her, I turned to face the persistent pests. “Get out of my way or you’ll get hurt.”
“Is that a threat?” one of the reporters asked.
I smiled. “It’s a request and a warning. You’ll know if I threaten you. You won’t have to ask.”
Getting into my car, I turned to Nikole. “Are you all right?”
She sighed and leaned her head back. “I can’t wait until this is all over.”
I nodded, but a pit grew at the bottom of my stomach. When this was all over, would I ever see her again? Last night I would have said hell yes. But after her talk with Sarah, I wasn’t sure anymore.
No use thinking about it now. I had a job to do.
Nikole held the phone to her ear. “It’s me. What’s going on?”
She listened, then turned to look at me. “Is she right? Am I putting her at risk by not going to the mayor’s office and having you there?”
I didn’t answer.
“Well?”
I stared straight at the road. “She won’t be unsafe. We wouldn’t let that happen. But Christian did mention something about needing backup.”
