Page 51 of Protected
He squeezed her shoulder. “It’s gonna be OK, baby. I promise.”
They enjoyed their coffee until there was a knock on the door. Darci rolled her eyes one more time. Then she placed their empty coffee cups in the sink and put on a professional face while Bradley answered the door. Four men followed him into the kitchen.Four? Jesus, I thought Michael said two.As if he could read her thoughts, Bradley told her they would rotate out every twelve hours. She studied the men who filled the small living room. One of them, she recognized as former Secret Service Agent Savko who had come to work for Peter.
She turned around and hugged Bradley.
“What was that for, baby?”
“You hired Peter.”
Savko gave her a half smile when she turned to face the men again. “Miss Sanders, Peter would be here himself, but he’s still tied up in California. We need to go over your schedule for the week and come up with transportation plans. We’ll need to know every place you plan to visit, and who you will be meeting, so we can vet them.”
His all business demeanor set her on edge again and she squared her shoulders. Just because he worked for Peter didn’t mean she had to like him.
“Fine, I’ll copy you on my calendar, but I’m just going to tell you right now, my schedule changes a lot, and some clients aren’t the kind you can vet.” She already hated this, but she did her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
One of the other men spoke up. “We’re going to ask you to stick to your schedule, but if you have to make changes, just tell us as soon as possible.” They explained that one of them would be at her side at all times during the day, while the other would be nearby, watching for suspicious people. They would also drive her and Bradley to work each morning.
“I think I can live with all of this, but you need to understand that I deal with sensitive clients and information. I can’t have you guys hovering over me, or people won’t talk to me.”
“We will be as unobtrusive as possible, ma’am.”
“Call me Darci please.”
“We prefer to keep things professional, ma’am,” the guard responded.
“Fine, call me Miss Sanders. But don’t call me ma’am. It makes my skin crawl. I’m not even thirty.”
“Yes, ma’am... uh Miss Sanders,” the tall man mumbled. Bradley smirked at her, but she ignored it.
While she shared her calendar with the men, Bradley slipped out to get ready for work. They reviewed her tentative schedule for the day before she excused herself to get ready to leave. This was going to suck.
When she came back into the kitchen with her briefcase and a jacket, the men were gone. Bradley was perched on a barstool waiting for her.
“Come here,” he commanded gently as she entered.
“We’re going to be late,” she said, fidgeting with the handle of her briefcase. He stood and took the leather case and coat from her. Setting them aside, he pulled her into a hug. His hands drifted to her hips, and he settled back onto the barstool, pulling her between his thighs. He gripped her hands and waited for her to look at him.
“I wanted a minute before we left to make sure we’re OK. I know you hate the idea of security following you.” She laid her forehead against his and closed her eyes.
“I’m not even sure what we are, Bradley. But I’m enjoying spending time with you,” she said after a minute of quiet. “I just can’t help but feel like I need to pull away from you, not move in with you, which is basically what you’re asking.”
“It’s only temporary, and I’ve offered to keep my distance. I don’t want to, but I will.”
With a sigh, she kissed him. “Let’s just go to work. The goons aren’t staying in the house, are they?”
When she got to her office, Darci called Peter, Carrie’s husband.
“Kitten?” A man with a deep voice answered after the third ring.
“Hi Peter, I’m glad you picked up. I know it’s early with the time difference.”
“I’ve always got time for you, Kitten. It’s good to see your cute face popping up on my phone.” She giggled.
“Well, you can see my cute face in person as soon as you get your ass back home,” she fired back.
“So sassy for someone who has let me punish them before. Carrie tells me you’re seeing Bradley.”
She laughed. “Something like that. How much have you heard about the murder of Marlie Dixon?”
