by Eliza Ellis
“You tease, son, but the others didn’t.”
“Wasn’t that the point?” Daemon asked dryly.
“I suppose.”
“Then what does it matter now?”
Arthur stared at his son like he was clueless and shook his head. “Again, when you’re faced with your mortality, you want people around that care. People like…Miss Msongo?” He grinned.
“She’s a client.”
“If you tell me she’ll be the mother of my future grandchildren, that I won’t have the pleasure of seeing, I will establish trusts for them and be on my best behavior from here on out.”
Daemon laughed. “I appreciate that, Dad. I’m…I can’t tell you that.” The thought of children with Zuri stirred a longing in his soul. Could they make it work?
Arthur pursed his lips, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe not now, but I’m positive you’ll do what you have to, to get the girl. You are my son, after all. You haven’t let me down yet. Don’t start with her.”
So much weight in those words. The back of Daemon’s eyes stung. His father approved of him, and not just to run the company. Arthur Knight was proud of his son as a man. Daemon’s heart swelled with pride and love for his father. “I won’t,” he said softly.
“I know, son, I know. I’ll set up a few trusts anyway, just in case.” He winked. “Lola’s divorce attorney will deliver the signed papers to me by the end of the day.”
“You’re divorcing her?”
“If I want to leave everything to you, then I have to.”
“Dad…” Daemon said disapprovingly.
“It was all outlined in the prenup. Don’t worry. I’m doubling her settlement since she was kind to you and me. She’s young. She needs to live her life. Meet a much younger and healthier man, and have babies. I’ve wasted enough of her time.”
“Glad you can at least admit it.”
Arthur laughed. “Facing my mortality, son. Now get out of here. Go protect your woman.” Daemon’s head fell back, and he groaned. “Don’t tell me she’s not yours. I saw the way she ducked behind you in the conference room. I know you two were holding hands.”
Daemon’s head snapped back into position. His father saw that?
“Uh-huh. If all else fails, kiss her senseless. It’s the Rhett Butler way, and he optimized gentlemanly behavior.”
Daemon covered his eyes with his hand. “You did not just pull that relic out of your—”
“Language!”
“Yes, sir.”
Daemon left his father laughing at his own brilliance. He took his time getting back to the conference room. These days were the last ones his father would have—and Lord only knew how many there were. Part of Daemon wished he wasn’t on assignment so he could sit by his father all day and observe. Be a kid, once again, and revere his hero. He wouldn’t have much time now, and he’d wasted enough already by avoiding him.
When he got a chance, he’d send a thank you note to Lola. She had a good heart, even if she was somewhat misguided in marrying Arthur Knight. He hoped she would find some happiness after the divorce. She would be set up for life, but it would come with a little heartbreak. If she felt a little pushed aside now that Arthur was dying, then Daemon felt sorry for her.
Daemon’s phone rang.
“Glad I caught you,” Roland’s hurried voice sounded through the device.
“What is it?”
“You might want to get Zuri out of the city.”
Daemon lengthened his strides toward the conference room. “What do you got?”
“A tip from Homeland Security. A few men landed at Dulles International early this morning. Origin from Bendola with a stopover in London.”
“On the watchlist?”
“Negative, but my guy is keeping a sharp eye out given Zuri’s presence here.”
“Thanks, Roland. We’re returning right now.”
“Head straight to the airport. Your jet is already fueling up. Fancy a little snow? You’ll be taken to the Alps. You should have the dossiers on your tablet. I’ll update you when you’re on the plane.”
“Perfect.”
Except it wasn’t. He would have to leave his dying father and be halfway around the world when the man needed him the most. All he could do was pray that his father stayed alive until he was able to return to DC.
And who were these men?
Chapter 15
Daemon burst into the conference room. “Get your stuff. We’ve gotta move. Now.”
Zuri immediately stood at the sound of his commanding voice. His stern face caused her heart to beat double time. “What has happened?” She gathered her prospectus and a bag she had borrowed from his mother’s room and was using as a purse. “What did your father say?”
“It wasn’t him,” he said in a clipped tone.
He took her arm, and they quickly exited the room. “A group of men have arrived from Bendola. Possibly a hit squad,” he said in a low voice for her ears only. She gasped. “We’ve gotta get you out of the country.”
She couldn’t help but feel a slighted elated. Could she convince him to go back to Bendola? “Out of the…” She waited until they were alone in the elevator to continue. “Why the whole country? Can’t you just take me back to your house?”
He shook his head, his eyes intense. “Don’t want to risk it. If they know you’re in DC—which they probably do—then they’ll track you to the house. It’s not like we’re the CIA and my home is a black site.”
“How did they find us?”
For the first time, she watched Daemon’s demeanor crack. He furiously rubbed his short hair before grabbing his tablet from his satchel. “Not sure.” His tablet lit up, and he began scrolling, with pictures popping up every few pages. “Our footprint in your country isn’t large enough to attract any attention. But Presidnt Gohi’s men are likely everywhere. They could’ve seen my boat docked.” Zuri leaned close and shook her head, not recognizing any of the faces. “For all we know, there could be a leak in your rebel group.”
Her heart shuddered. “David would never forgive himself. If anything happened to us—”
“We won’t give him a reason to. Don’t worry.”
“If there is a breach, he would know by now, right?”
“And would’ve dealt with it. Plus, he wouldn’t keep it to himself. He would let me know the fallout. I’m inclined to believe he had no idea. Which leaves President Gohi. If he knew you were under my protection, he’d put two and two together and trace us here to Knight Industries. But his men won’t find us beyond.”
“Do people know you live in Ashburn?”
“Only people that need to know. But ownership of the land was transferred to my company for insurance reasons. Let’s hope these guys aren’t smart enough to dig up that information from county records.”
“I don’t know who these men are. They could be from the military or mercenaries.”
“Probably President Gohi’s men. They won’t be well-known, but they will be well-trained.”
Fear seized her heart. She had complete faith in Daemon’s abilities. However, if something happened to him and he was hurt… She forced the idea away. She’d known enough tragedy. Daemon would be fine. She didn’t know how long she would need his services. If President Gohi wanted her badly enough that he would have a hit squad chase her across the globe, she and Daemon could be on the run indefinitely. “Where will we go?”
“Ever been skiing, Princess?” His face brightened with his large smile, although his eyes still held a dark shadow of concern.
“Skiing? You want to go skiing?”
The elevator door opened to the hallway that would lead to the expansive foyer. Daemon placed his tablet back in his bag. “As often as I’ve been to the desert, seeing snow would do me some good.” He scanned the hallway before motioning her to follow. “Let’s go.”
They walked briskly, and then Zuri grabbed Daemon’s arm, forcing him to halt. “Shh! Listen.”
Daemon gave her a confused look, and then his eyes widened.
Zuri heard the unmistakable Bendolan accent in the English spoken. “Yes. We are the delegation from Bendola, personally invited by Zuri Msongo…”
Daemon about-faced and took her hand, and they sprinted toward the back of the building. With his cell phone to his ear, he said, “Yeah, meet us out back. Front’s been compromised.” He shot her a smirk that wasn’t at all comforting. “That was fast.”
“They know you’re protecting me.”
“They won’t catch us, though. I’ve got my own plane.”
Zuri rolled her eyes. “They’re going up against a billionaire bodyguard. Yes, they should’ve planned this better.”
Daemon’s smirk turned into a toothy grin.
In a couple of minutes, they were settled in the backseat of his SUV speeding through the city. Daemon had instructed the driver to head to the private airstrip.
“What about your clothes and my stuff from the house?” Zuri asked. Thank goodness she still had her father’s journal. She clutched the bag at her side. Inside was his notebook.
“Did you come with any luggage I don’t know about?” Daemon said with a teasing grin. “Princess, I’m rich. We’ll have whatever we need when we land. I’ll take care of it.”
Zuri’s gaze quickly went to the roof of the car. “And you still haven’t told me where we’re going.”
“Alps. Switzerland.”
“Switzerland?” Her eyes widened at him. When he said out of the country and snow, she thought maybe they’d land somewhere in northern Canada. It wasn’t too far away from Knight Industries HQ. But Switzerland?
“Yeah. Ever been?” He finished texting something and then settled his beautiful eyes on her, taking in her face and then the rest of her form. She always felt naked when he looked at her. It made her shiver, but not from fear. “I could see you in a cute, white furry hat and coat.” He grinned. “Or maybe you’d want pink?”
She hiked the corner of her top lip up and made a face at him. “Do I look like a woman who wears pink?”
He chuckled. “Camouflage it is. Probably could see you better against the snow anyway.”
“Then I’ll take white.”
“Noted.” His phone buzzed, and Daemon quickly answered it. He then put it on speaker. “David, Zuri is with me. A group of men are in DC. We think they’re here for her. President Gohi’s men. We’re on our way to—”
“It has started!” David shouted. “Zuri, come home no—”
The cell cut off. Zuri’s head snapped toward Daemon. “They’ve done it!”
“No, they haven’t, Princess,” Daemon said firmly. “We don’t know—”
“The coup has started! You heard him! That’s what he said. I must go home. David wants me to return home.”
He gripped her arms firmly, his narrowed eyes on her. “That would be the worst thing you could do. Terrible timing.”
“Why?” she cried indignantly. “We’re leaving the country, anyway. The men will think that’s the last place I’ll go.”
“That’s the first place they’ll look for you. Why wouldn’t they think you’d want to return home?”
“Because of the coup!”
“I could use the same argument.”
“Please, Daemon, I must be there!”
“What if it fails, Princess!” Daemon leaned in close, his hard expression making his words sound more fervent. “You’ll be hunted again. If something happens to you, the rebellion will likely die. You’re the beating heart of it all. You must live.”
“And if it succeeds?” she challenged. “And I’m sitting in a lodge at the top of the Swiss Alps, sipping hot chocolate and warming my toes by the fire?”
He smirked. “Nice image, Princess. But it would still be better for the cause to know you’re alive—especially when they find out that President Gohi sent his men to take care of you. They’d want to know their future leader didn’t go and do something stupid like return home in the middle of the fight!”
“I’m not stupid!”
“I never said you were!”
“Daemon, we’re here,” the driver said.
The car pulled up near a plane, slightly smaller than the one they had flown in when they landed in DC. Zuri didn’t care about the size; she just wanted it to fly straight to Bendola. How could she make Daemon see that her being home would be worth more than her staying alive? Even if she did die, better it be on her native soil. Who knew? Her death could galvanize more people to the cause—increase their courage.
A few minutes later, the plane was gaining speed with Daemon and Zuri strapped in large, soft leather seats. Daemon ended a call on his cell. “Homeland Security is monitoring the guys we saw. They were making a call to security at the building at the same time we were heading out.”
“Will they arrest them?”
“They haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Yet!”
“I know, I know. But they entered legally. The law is hamstrung until they do something illegal. You’re not the only refugee from Bendola. They could always claim they wanted to get a job at Knight Industries. They’ve already told the front desk they were invited by you.”
“I don’t know who would believe that.” Zuri said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Me neither. It’s not our concern anymore. We’re in the air with a significant head start. It’ll take them a while to find us—if they can.”
Zuri stared at the side of his face. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Daemon…”
Daemon sighed and brought his weary gaze to hers. “We’re not going to get past this, are we?”
Zuri shook her head. She didn’t want to fight with him, but she also knew where her heart needed to be—physically with her people. She reached out and took a hold of his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. He was warm and strong, and she would feel safe with him anywhere, even in Bendola. “Daemon, I know you are good at your job. I believe you can protect me.”
His lips dipped into a slanted smile. “You trying to butter me up, Princess?” His gaze dropped to her list. “I know a better way to get your point across.”
Her cheeks heated. Tingles erupted in her belly. “I speak the truth as I feel it.” And she kept the rest of what she was feeling inside.
He shook his head, his eyes growing darker and more intense the longer they stared into hers. “That’s just it, Princess, I don’t believe it.”
Chapter 16
It didn’t matter how much money he had, how many boats he could charter, or how many planes he had waiting on standby; he couldn’t possibly protect her because his heart had been compromised. She looked at him with brows slanted down, eyes narrowed, as though she couldn’t comprehend the subtext.
He should’ve just kissed her and forgotten about it all—for a moment.
Dread had filled him the moment they were wheels up. The same feeling he had before his Ranger team went on a mission that nearly cost them David’s life, but hadn’t spared that of a third of the team. Whatever they were about to do, it wouldn’t end well.
“What are you saying, Daemon?”
He tore his eyes from hers and collapsed back in his seat. He squeezed her hand, not ready to let it go. Not wanting to let her go. “Give me a minute to figure this out.”
“Does that mean we are going back?” Her voice was hopeful.
“I didn’t say that, Princess. I said give me a minute.”
“You’re a billionaire. There’s nothing you can’t buy or do to protect me.”
Daemon chuckled. He looked at her. “Wow, Princess. Laying it on pretty thick.”
She shrugged and smiled. “I’m only trying to help.”
“Believe me, it doesn’t.”
The look of uncertainty returned to her face, and once again, he moved his gaze to the window across from them. They were finally in the clouds and on course for Switzerland. He had to think about this rationally. Emotions would get
him in trouble.
More trouble than he was already in.
Staring at her lovely face wouldn’t help him think critically through all the possible scenarios he could plan for. Good thing he had Roland on the ground also trying to figure this whole thing out. Somebody had to be objective. And if he didn’t plan for every eventuality, the one he missed would be the one that would take both of them out.
He’d never lost a client before, and he wasn’t about to start with Zuri. He cared more about her safety than anyone alive. If he had to, he’d make the ultimate sacrifice.
He chanced a glance at Zuri. She silently read a notebook, giving him the time he had asked for. They had come a long way since their first meeting, even if it was only a week ago. How his entire life had changed in the span of a few days. How his heart had beat differently.
“What are you reading?” he asked quietly.
“My father’s journal. The entry he wrote the night before his wedding to my mother.”
“Oh. What did he say?” Daemon unhooked his seatbelt and slid close until their thighs touched. He leaned over her shoulder
She offered him half the journal. It was written in Bendolan, and he only had a working knowledge of the written language. He had a better time speaking it. “How nervous he was. How much he wanted to provide and protect her. He doubted himself. Didn’t think he was man enough to give her everything she deserved.” Her fingers traced an invisible path beneath the words as she spoke. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she smiled. “He loved her so much.”
He swallowed. The words described exactly how he felt about Zuri. “Sounds like it.”
“I wish I could talk to my mother. Ask her how she felt that night. She didn’t keep a journal. And now I’m thinking of all the other sides of the stories I don’t have.” Daemon draped an arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder. “My father never talked to me much about marriage. Only that it was one of the best things he’d ever done—after having me, of course.”
“My father isn’t exactly a shining example of what marriage is like. He’s so loose with it now. But I remember he and my mother were very happy.”
