Page 58 of The Bodyguard
“They did it during the event,” she said, her arms crossed tight. “In front of media. Donors. Half the city’s elite. Jesus, Mitch.”
“That was the point,” he said. “This wasn’t about killing you. It was about showing us they could.”
She turned to him slowly. “What now?”
“Now we get out of here.”
They exited under tight escort into a nondescript SUV that hadn’t been parked in the lineup earlier. They took side streets and alternate routes back to the loft. Mitch sat beside her in the back, eyes scanning every alley, every rooftop.
Andi didn’t say a word the whole ride. Not until they reached the loft, and the security system confirmed full lockdown.
Only then did she snap. “You think I should quit, don’t you?”
Mitch didn’t answer immediately. He locked the door, then peeled off his jacket and unholstered his sidearm, setting it on the table with practiced ease.
“Say it,” she said. “You’ve been circling it for as long as I’ve known you. Go ahead and say it.”
“I think it’s time to consider your safety over your bid to be mayor,” Mitch said, voice calm. Controlled. “You’re not just a public figure anymore, Andi. You’re a target.”
She crossed the loft in two strides. “I’ve always been a target. I didn’t get into politics thinking it was a warm bath and a lifetime pension. You think zoning reform doesn’t piss people off?”
“Not like this.”
“You think if I step down, they’ll stop?” Her voice was rising now. “You think the threats magically disappear if I back out? Mitch, this isn’t just about the race. This is about who I am.”
He stepped toward her slowly, arms still loose at his sides. “And who you are is going to get you killed if you aren’t careful.”
“That’s not your call.”
“The hell it isn’t,” he said, voice dropping low. “I’m the one who’ll be dragging your bleeding body to cover if another bullet comes through a window.”
“And you think I don’t know that?” she shouted. “You think I haven’t thought about what this means for you? That I don’t see what it’s costing you just to keep me breathing? That I don’t think about what will happen if you take a bullet for me?”
His jaw worked once. She didn’t back down.
“I know I’m not the easiest protectee,” she continued, quieter now. “I know I don’t follow every rule and that I make it damn hard to do your job. But you don’t get to stand there and act like this is all on me.”
Mitch didn’t speak for a beat. Just watched her. Then, “You’re right.”
That stopped her.
“I don’t like politics. I don’t like crowds. And I sure as hell don’t enjoy knowing the woman I’m protecting and have feelings for will sacrifice herself on a platform she won’t even be alive to stand on.” Her shoulders dropped slightly. “But I’m not your strategist,” he said. “I’m your shield. And shields don’t compromise.”
The silence between them stretched long.
Andi looked away first. Her hands were clenched tight at her sides. “If I quit now, I lose everything I’ve built.”
“If you die, you’ll lose it anyway and you won’t have time to rebuild.”
She turned, walked to the window, and stared out at the street below.
“I can’t make this decision tonight,” she said.
“You’ll have to make it soon.”
She nodded once but didn’t turn back around. Mitch didn’t push. He grabbed his gear bag, stepped into the powder room, and splashed cold water on his face.
Cerberus would finish the forensic sweep of the museum overnight. The report would confirm what he already knew—the shot had been a controlled scare tactic. Not a kill.
