5

After meeting Nikole this morning, I was sure fate was a crotchety old man looking for revenge. I thought I would never see her again, and there she was—my next assignment. Arguably the most important assignment I'd ever been given, because this case was the answer to my commissioner problem.

And it would all go to shit because I had stood her up.

I would have slapped my forehead if I thought the pain would make me feel better. But getting back to work was the only thing that ever did. Whether I was on a special operation or a new bodyguard assignment, I reveled in my work. I didn't have to think about the past or the future—only what was happening now.

She said she wanted a few minutes to herself in the elevator to collect her thoughts. It had been a shock to her, too. When she saw me inside her mother's apartment, her eyes rounded as large as two baseball mitts.

I knew she would be annoyed, but this angry?

Of course, she'd be angry. I stood her up and left her shivering in the cold.

I groaned and jumped over the railing on the last set of stairs. My heart pumped at the physical push.

Stepping into the foyer, I looked around. The elevator had just opened and a few people were walking in.

But no one had come out.

Or did she come out earlier?

I turned in a circle, my eyes scanning for her gray coat, but I couldn't find her. I immediately asked the concierge.

"Did you see Ms. Adams leave?"

He stood from his seat to search the foyer. "The governor? No, I haven't seen her in a while," he said.

"Not the governor, her daughter."

When his brow creased, I pointed to my chest with the side of my hand, "Cute girl, this high, wearing a gray coat."

His face scrunched up, but quickly cleared. "Oh, her! Yes, I saw her leave in a white Lexus just now. She walked very quickly to her car, like she was in a rush to get somewhere."

I squeezed my palms into a fist at my sides. "I bet she was."

My car sat just outside the building. I ran towards it. Of all the hair-brain ideas—Who tried to lose their bodyguard? It was ludicrous.

I peeled out onto the road with no idea where her office was located, nor which direction she had gone. Fortunately, having worked with difficult people before, when I leaned into her upstairs, I dropped an Airtag into her coat pocket. The little tracking device lit up beautifully for me and I tailed her route.

It didn't take long to catch up. At a red light, she spotted me behind her. As soon as the light turned green, her tires squealed forward.

Oh no, you don't. Not this time.

I followed closely, changing lanes whenever she did. The traffic light ahead turned yellow, and I saw her checking both directions before she ran through the red.

Something in me clicked, the same laser focus that switched on whenever I jumped into action. The chase shifted my adrenaline into high gear and my reflexes anticipated her turns before she made them. A slight movement to the left and I turned my wheel before she did. I would not lose her.

She took the ramp onto the highway and skirted in front of a large truck. He leaned on his horn and honked for a full three seconds.

She's being completely reckless!

I had no choice but to follow her. Two seconds later, I was cutting off the driver myself. He honked louder and longer this time. Then another driver rolled down her window and gave me the finger after I rode her tail before changing lanes.

Finally, Nikole exited the highway and turned into a side street. She parked her car in the lot and marched into the building.

I ate up her steps with my long stride, so that when she was only a few steps into the foyer, I reached out, grabbed her shoulder, and spun her around to face me.

"What the hell was that?" I fumed.

She pushed her hair from her face. "What was what?"

"Don't play coy with me. Are you trying to get killed to prove I can't do my job?"

She huffed. "As though I'd risk my life to prove a point."

"That's exactly what you did. You were trying to prove something, and you were reckless and childish."

She stepped back; her face, stricken. She blinked several times as she stared at me.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quickly. "That was uncalled for."

Her mouth hardened. "Just stay away from me."

"I can't do that."

She spun around and marched down the hallway, past the main floor receptionist.

The woman's round eyes were peeled open as though she'd just witnessed a car crash. And perhaps that was exactly what this was. A situation no one had anticipated and wished had never happened, but it did, so now we had to deal with it.

I approached the woman, and she recovered her composure.

"Good morning. Can I help you?" she said, pushing up her rimless glasses.

"Yes, my name is Jake Devereux and I will be Ms. Adam's bodyguard for the foreseeable future."

She raised both eyebrows at this. "Has this been approved by the firm's partners?"

"No. I've only been hired this morning. Where can I find them?"

"Upstairs. It's the last office on the right."

"Thank you." As I turned and walked away, I couldn't shake my frustration. She could have hurt herself, all just to get away from me. My chest burned with anger. I had to take control back to keep her safe. But it wouldn't be easy, especially with our history. It seemed she wasn't one to forgive and forget easily, but I had a job to do, so I needed to figure this out. I just wished I knew how the hell I would keep that woman in line.