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“No problem. I’ll call Christian to let him know. He can get started on working with her.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re here now and she’s already on her way. I hope,” she whispered the last part. “Besides, there’s something in your eyes that tells me you’re the right man to protect her. She can be a little difficult.”
“Difficult is not a problem. I can handle that. Do you agree then? You will speak to the Commissioner?”
She waved her hand flippantly. “Rodriguez can be temperamental,” she said and flicked her hair. “I’ll speak to him today and handle it.”
“You won’t regret it, ma’am.”
“I don’t think I will. Your firm was highly recommended to me by people in Washington. This is a fair negotiation.”
I closed my eyes as relief washed over me. I did it. I saved my career and my pride. I wouldn’t have to take a backseat on cases. I could continue working with my brothers as we’d been doing since our first mission.
“Thank you,” I said just as a knock pulled our attention to the door.
The governor smiled. “She’s right on time.”
I smiled, eager to begin my next assignment. But when the governor opened the door, my smile fell and my pulse pounded at my temples.
It was her.
She stood at the doorway in her gray wool coat. She wasn’t shivering like the last time I’d seen her, but she wore the same smile on her face.
Until she saw me.
Then her smile wavered, and her brow furrowed. I wondered if she wouldn’t recognize me. We’d only laid eyes on each other for a second, maybe two. What if it had been too dark and she hadn’t seen me? What if—
Her eyes narrowed and recognition illuminated her face. Crossing her arms, she glared at me and asked her mother, “What’s he doing here? Did Sarah call you? I swear if she did—”
“Sarah?” her mother asked. “Why would she call me? Isn’t that your friend from school?”
She finally diverted her glare to aim it at her mother. “What’s going on?”
Her mother tucked a thick strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t just stand there, come inside. There’s a lot I need to talk to you about.”
With a hand on her coat sleeve, her mother dragged her into the apartment.
Oh crap, this was bad. What the hell was I going to say to explain myself? Could I say I got an urgent call or that I had to go to the bathroom and then she was gone? But what if she had stayed? Lord knows I didn’t stick around long enough to find out.
Nikole continued to stare. It was almost as if I were an apparition and she didn’t know what to do with me.
“Take off your coat, sweetheart. This will take some time. We have a lot to go through.”
Without breaking her concentration on my face, she unhooked one button of her coat at a time and handed her mother her checkered scarf as well.
She wore a short black skirt with black stockings and a white blouse. Her black leather boots reached her shapely calves and her blazer covered most of her curves. But I noticed them.
Her long brown hair snaked down her back in soft curls, the kind that looked like they took no effort at all, but because I had a sister, I knew she had put in time to make herself look good.
“Mother, tell me what this is about,” she said, crossing her legs and arms. Judging from her body language and tone, she liked her mother only marginally better than me.
Interesting.
“Nikole, I’ve hired a bodyguard for you. This is Jacob Devereux.” Her mother didn’t smile, but her stern face did show concern.
“A bodyguard. For me?” she asked so slowly that I wondered if she was mocking her mother.
“That’s right.”
