The Bodyguards Sweetheart

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RIAN MADE A quick phone call to Kane, left a voice message with short details and the fact that he’d changed his mind and then secured plane tickets for them. On the outside he was calm, switching into protector mode seamlessly, but on the inside he was berating himself for putting a client at risk.

Why’d he go to that stupid club? He never should’ve agreed to go. If it’d been anyone else, he would’ve easily shot the idea down without a second thought, but CoCo had twisted him into a pretzel and before he’d known it, he was caving. A pretty smile and a hot body were a dangerous combination on the right girl, he thought darkly. “We’ve got a two-o’clock flight. We need to hurry to make it. We’ll rent a car when we land.”

? That’s so...rural.”

Now that the shock was wearing off CoCo was second-guessing the decision to leave town, but that was too bad. If he had to hoist her over his shoulder and carry her onto the plane, he would do it. “Maybe we should tell the FBI agents handling the case that I’ve been shot at. I think they might need that information.”

“After we land. We don’t know who we can trust and I’m not taking any chances. I’ll make the necessary phone calls after I’ve secured the new location. Until then, it’s radio silence.”

“But what about my dad?” she asked, worried. “He’s going to freak out if I just disappear.”

“I will contact your father. After we land,” he repeated pointedly. “Do you not realize how close you came to eating a bullet, princess?” She flushed and nodded with a small, scared movement. “Okay, then you know this is serious. No more playing by your rules. We’re playing by mine.”

Her body shook with a delicate shiver and he had to look away. That tiny motion was too reminiscent of how she’d shook with pleasure last night each time his tongue had danced on her skin, lapping at her pretty pink nipples. He cut his thoughts off, jerking at the unruly direction of his mind. Lusting after her had put them in this position and it wouldn’t happen again. “Look, I know it was scary but we’ll get through this. I just need you to buckle down and listen for once in your life, because now, it matters.”

“I just can’t believe it. I mean, who would want to kill me? I’ve never hurt anyone.”

“It’s likely not about you,” he answered. “Whoever is after your dad is looking for the easiest target. They know that you’re the one who means the most to him and if they hurt you, they’ll reach his Achilles’ heel.”

“But I don’t know why anyone would want to hurt my father. He’s a sweet old man who designs shoes, for crying out loud. I mean, you’ve met my father. Does he seem the type to create enemies?”

“You said it yourself, people with more are envied by those with less. And I hate to point out that your dad is more than just a shoe designer. He wouldn’t have risen to the top without some cutthroat business skills to match those creative talents.” She scowled at his logic but he couldn’t sugarcoat it for her sake. “I know it’s hard to imagine that your dad isn’t the sweet old guy with everyone he deals with but I’ve found that people with extreme wealth have the persona they share with their close family and the persona they cultivate with business associates...and they are rarely the same.”

“Well, my dad isn’t living two lives,” she said. “You’re off base. My father is a good man.”

“I hope he is. I hope that what you see is what you get but you have to be prepared if this investigation into who’s threatening him reveals something unsavory about your dad.”

“Like what?” she asked coolly.

Rian shrugged. “Too many variables to speculate. I’m just saying, be prepared.”