Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
I heard the slam of the car door as Paul took my place in the SUV, and the two vehicles pulled away.
Before I reached my apartment, my phone buzzed with a text.
Zane
I AM NOT FINE.
I closed my eyes and took in a shaky breath before texting him back.
No, honey. Neither am I.
And then I opened my eyes and walked home.
Alone.
The meeting with Violet came with a curveball.
“King Gerhard wants to hire us to provide supplemental security to the royal family for their holiday visit to the US. Isn’t that amazing?”
I blinked at her in surprise. “That’s great. Congratulations. They’re very picky about the local companies they work with. They usually give their business to Alliance when they’re here. At least that’s how it was when I was in the royal guard.”
“They originally hired Alliance and had it all set up, but then something happened, and someone dropped the ball. Since they trust you, and you trust us, they reached out. Only… they do have one condition,” she said, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows in a “pretty please” expression.
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stay calm. “I already have a principal, Violet.”
“Your assignment will only change temporarily. You will travel with the royal family for two weeks and be done in time for Christmas with your family in Montana.”
I shook my head. “Zane is currently the target of a—”
She held up a hand. “I know. And we’re obviously taking it very seriously. I doubled up Zee’s coverage like we talked about, and I’m putting Joe Dudley as lead, starting tomorrow and for the whole time Zee’s in Majestic. Bodhi Sorrentino’s been eliminated as a suspect, and I’ll be assigning Lou to shadow Noelle here in LA. If she gets any sudden urges to go to Wyoming, we’ll know. Zee will be as safe as we can make him.” She bit her lip. “I really need you to facilitate this royal visit for me, Ryan. You know what a big deal this would be for us in terms of getting other dignitaries to sign with us… and even the Ventdestinian royal family on future trips to the States. I really need your help on this.”
She was right. Landing the royal family of any country would be a big deal for the company. And Violet had treated me incredibly well since hiring me. She’d paid me more than she was comfortable with and did her best to make sure I had schedule flexibility and first choice in shifts with Zane. Once she noticed how comfortable Zane was with me, she’d taken me out of any rotation that would remove me from working directly with him.
She must have seen my hesitation because she jumped in to reassure me. “Zee’s going to be busy at the recording studio all week anyway. He’s working on the Marian Foundation project, remember? And the studio will be locked down with so many high-value targets inside.”
I wanted to say no immediately… but how could I? In light of the Addison Canto debacle and the no-frat policy Zane had refused to sign, would it seem suspicious if I refused to take a temporary assignment? Would it reflect back on Zane and force his hand to come out as a couple when he wasn’t ready?
“What’s their travel plan? What would the expectations be for me?”
As she described the royal family’s trip to DC, New York, and the recent addition of Majestic, I hid a grin. Zane must have made an impression on the royal family for them to change their trip to accommodate a visit there.
Violet continued. “Apparently, they know someone with a hunting lodge near Majestic who’s offered them accommodations. We’ve started researching the area, but since we’re already familiar with that part of Wyoming because of Zee’s visits, we’re already one step ahead of any of our competitors.”
“When would I have to meet them?”
“They land in DC tomorrow afternoon,” she said with a wince when she saw my expression. “I know I’m asking a lot. You probably want nothing more than alone time and your own bed. I get it. But there’s a bonus in here for you and my eternal gratitude. I can’t make you do it, but I’m asking as nicely as I can.”
I wasn’t going to say no. Accepting it was the right thing to do. But I did make one condition of my own.
“Alright, I’ll do it. But I’m heading home right now, and I don’t want to hear from anyone for the rest of the day.”
She grinned. “Done! I just need you to sign that paperwork before you go, and—”
I held up a hand and smiled back at her, friendly as could be. “Nope. No paperwork. No work of any kind. I’m out of here. Catch me after the holidays for any admin stuff you need.”