Married to a powerful businessman feared all-over Portland, Mia Kingston has a reputation to uphold. As the CEO of MK, her own lingerie brand, everyone believes she has everything, including the perfect marriage most women envy.
She's beautiful, s...
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"It was some shitty evening in the bar. " Like a professional chef, Red shakes the skillet in the air and twirls the pasta. He glances at me as he adds, "I was having some drinks and your husband was there, too."
"Oh? You knew him, then?" I ask, chewing my apple nonchalantly.
The broccoli and pasta seem to be mixed pretty well, making my eyes narrow at the sight. Red pours the pasta into a casserole dish and takes the bowl of cheese for seasoning. I stay attentive, my eyes back on his unappeased face.
"No. To me he was just a snobbish rich dude like any other," Red replies. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he quickly contrives, "No, Mia, what I meant is—"
"Red . . . tell me something I don't know." I chuckle lightly, cutting him off. I'm very much aware of my husband's priggish manners, especially in public. "Was he having drinks, too? And who was he with?" I take another bite of my delicious apple, not really curious about Patrick's companions.
"Um . . ." Red stammers and clears his throat. "With his business associate, I guess." He doesn't look me in the eyes.
Liar! I can tell he is not telling the truth about this one.
"I see. And then what? How did you end up being his most trustworthy bodyguard?" I tease him, because I'm sure in . . . one . . . two . . . he's going to scowl so hard at me. "What?" I burst into laughter as he really scowls at me.
"Not funny," he hisses. Opening the oven, he slides in the pasta. I grin at him and he continues, "At some point I headed to the restroom and he was there. I didn't pay attention; I just went on with my business. But suddenly I heard some movements from outside the stall and I could smell trouble."
My eyes are squinted in utterance of concentration on Red's words. I stop eating the apple and still. He leans against the cabinet, crossing his arms.
"I cautiously stepped out and there he was, pinned by two masked men. One was holding a gun at him, and the other was jerking him up by the throat." Red sighs, making it sound like a mundane subject while I find it otherwise.
"You helped him?" I croak, horrified.
"Yeah . . . to make the story short. And afterwards he looked for me about three days later and proposed a deal that I become his bodyguard. Well, the pay was handsome so I accepted. I needed a new job anyway," Red explains.
Wow. I sigh and at last I remember my apple. I take another bite while meditating on a story that doesn't leave me indifferent.
"So someone wanted to kill him, huh? And now I'm living the same thing—what a life." I chuckle, hurting deep inside. "And who were you with at the bar? Don't tell me you were all alone?" I alter the topic as quickly as I can.
Red lifts his eyebrows, and my eyes are insistent. "What do you want to know, Mia?" he utters, mocking me.
If you were with some chick? I don't reply, however.
