Beloved Bodyguard (11 page)

A flare of pure hatred shot through her at
the memory of him handling her like a sack of laundry. It was too
easy for that venom to pour out of her mouth. She leaned toward
him.

“
So you don’t even try to
stalk me from a distance? Just march in here and plop yourself down
in the middle of my laundry day? I’m not afraid of you, you know.
If your boss had wanted my legs broken, you would’ve done it last
night. If you’re trying to intimidate me, you’ve
failed.”

He didn’t raise his gaze from the floor.

“
How long are you going to
keep this up? Until I agree to let him use my bar? I said I’d make
the payments, and I will.”

His hands rested on his thighs, fingers
curled slightly, not tense at all. His entire demeanor was as
relaxed as if he were sitting in a comfy armchair rather than an
uncomfortable plastic chair. That pissed her off even more.

“
What would you do if I
screamed for help right now? Said you were threatening me?” She
fished out her phone and brandished it at him like a gun. “I could
call the police right now. Report you as a stalker.”

So much for her plan to keep her cool. Now
he was going to be forced to action. Probably snatch her phone away
and stomp it under one of his big shoes.

But Jay kept on sitting quietly, as if she
hadn’t said a word. She might have been a pigeon pooping on a stone
statue.

Nikki took a deep breath, settled back in
her chair, and put the phone away. “Okay. I know you’re just doing
your job or whatever, but I can’t stand having you watch me. Why
don’t you tell your boss I’m toeing the line and you don’t think
I’m going to be any trouble?”

At last his gaze moved from the spot on the
floor to her face. Immediately Nikki wished he’d look back down.
The intensity of his eyes was too much. She swallowed and forced
herself not to look away. Damned if she’d let him win a staring
match.

“
I shouldn’t be around much
longer. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

His voice was soft yet so
deep she felt it reverberate in her very bones. He’d displayed the
same politeness last night even as he’d forced her into the car.
Wasn’t that the mark of a professional?
Sorry, nothing personal, miss, but I have to kill you
now.
She should find it chilling, yet she
was oddly soothed by his words, his tone.

Curiosity got the better of her fear and
anger. “Why did you come in here if you’re supposed to be
covert?”

He paused before answering. “I knew you’d
spotted me. There didn’t seem to be any point in hanging back.
Besides, I thought you’d probably try to leave through the
rear.”

“
Oh.” His unexpected
frankness took her by surprise. For a moment, words failed her. But
only for a moment. “How did you know? I was careful not to look
directly at the car.”

He shrugged and gave no answer. His gaze
drifted to the bank of dryers behind her.

Nikki exhaled in relief at being off the
hook of his gaze. Now what? How could she carry on as if this were
a normal laundry day when this man was perched across from her like
a gargoyle?

As if hearing her thought, Jay said, “Ignore
me. Do what you normally would.”

She snorted. “Right.
’Cause
that’s
easy.” But she resumed leafing blindly through her
magazine.

Silence and caution had never been her
forte. Neither was backing off or not poking at things. She still
had a few acne scars, proof of her inability to stop picking. She
dropped the magazine to her lap again.

“
So, Jay. That’s your name,
right? How does someone become a henchman? You just wake up one day
and think,
Goon is the career for
me
? Is there like a school you go to or
something? Kneecapping 101. Advanced Applied Pressure. Variations
on Threatening Postures.”

A choked sound came from the gargoyle, and
the scars on his cheeks shifted as his mouth moved in what was
nearly a smile. Nikki felt ridiculously triumphant that she’d been
able to prod some sort of reaction from him. But of course, she
couldn’t take the win and let it rest.

“
Seriously, why do you do
it? Is the money, like, unbelievable? Couldn’t you find anything
else you were good at? Or is it a family thing? Maybe you’re
‘connected’ and there’s no way out. I bet that—”

Her chatter was interrupted by a ringing
phone. Not hers, his. He took the phone from the pocket of his
coat, checked the ID, then rose and walked toward the front of the
building.

Her moment to run for it? Naw. The wash
cycle would be done soon, and she couldn’t abandon her laundry. She
watched the dark figure silhouetted against the brightly lit
windows. He looked like a cardboard cutout of a man, not quite
real.

After a few seconds, he put the phone away,
and without another glance at her, he left the building.

Nikki popped out of her chair and hurried to
the window. She watched Jay stride down the street with that
hitching step and get into his car. Then he drove away.

Shift over? Surprise and relief wrestled
inside her. She had the surreal sensation that she’d dreamed the
whole thing. What a weird fucking night!

And what now? Business as usual, except that
in addition to paying off liquor distributors, she had a new weekly
expense to budget for, a criminal partner who threatened her
livelihood in a whole new way.