Guard My Heart

Chapter Twelve

Killian Jones.

She's not at all sure she likes the idea of bringing this man into their circle but Robin seems convinced that they need him. So Regina will go along with it, will meet this mysterious colleague of his, but that doesn't mean she has to like him.

The two of them are sitting at the table in the kitchen alcove as they wait for the man in question to arrive. Regina fidgeting beside Robin, alternating between tapping her nails along the ceramic of her coffee mug and twisting her fingers together. "Would you relax?" Robin requests.

Huffing out an annoyed breath, Regina leans back in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest. "I can't." She's a very private person. Dislikes having to share details of her life that doesn't concern anyone else and she knows that's exactly what she will to have to do. This stranger is going to come into her home and want to know every scandalous, painful detail of the last few months and she hates it.

Ever insightful as he is, Robin is well aware of what has her so ruffled. He pulls her hand away from her body, threads their fingers together and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be alright. Killian is good at what he does. And you can trust him to be discreet."

Regina nods, "I trust your judgement, Robin. I just don't like it."

Before he can say anything further the doorbell chimes and he feels her tense slightly beside him. "Well, you can judge him for yourself in a minute. I'll go get that. Meet you in the study?" Regina nods, watches Robin exit the kitchen and takes another sip of her coffee before getting up and following him. She can hear them talking in the entryway as she walks down the hallway and stops in the doorway to her office. Before Regina can give in to the urge to sneak a peek at this guy he and Robin are rounding the corner and heading toward her.

The man isn't at all what she was expecting. Killian Jones doesn't appear overly buff or tough looking, although there is a definite air of strength around him, but definitely not how she would picture someone in Robin's line of work. With his tight jeans and leather jacket, complete with fingers laden with thick rings and an earring in his right lobe, he looks much more like a bad boy pirate than bodyguard. Although, Robin had never said exactly what it is he does, merely that he was an associate of his.

Killian is giving her a once over himself, eyes traveling from her face down her body before returning his gaze to meet her eyes and smiling slyly as Robin introduces them. "Pleasure to meet you, love."

Frowning, Regina shoots him a haughty frown, not keen on his term of endearment. "Yes, well... please, sit." She gestures to the couch facing her desk in the study, throwing Robin a leary look as he follows them the rest of the way into the room. Choosing to lean against her desk facing him rather than sit beside him. "So, Mr. Jones, I assume Robin has told you why you're here."

Bowing his head slightly he replies, "The basics. Yes. I would like to hear the situation from your point of view though."

Regina takes a steadying breath, "About three months ago I started receiving anonymous letters. They started off innocently enough and I thought it was just an overzealous fan, but after a few weeks they started to become more detailed and direct. The person writing them started describing their hopes of meeting me and being in my life, what they wanted to do once I was. Then details of my life and my movements started showing up in the letters. After a week of those types of letters I hired Robin to find out who it was and to keep me and my son safe."

Killian nods through the recap of events, though Robin's briefed him on most of it, before he asks her, "Do you have any idea who might want to hurt you, Ms. Mills?"

Crossing her arms and rolling her eyes, Regina shoots Robin a look that clearly says You've brought me a moron and levels her gaze on Killian's. "If I knew that, Mr. Jones, we wouldn't need you here. So to answer your question, no. I do not know who this man is. If I did he'd already be taken care of and life could go back to being full of rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers."