Page 14 of Resisting Royal

CHAPTER 8

BIANCA

I actually debated making a run for it. Well, for all of about five seconds before I looked out the window of my office and noticed a very suspicious black SUV with an equally suspicious guy sitting in the driver’s seat. After spotting him, I contemplated calling the police and reporting a suspicious vehicle, but then I backed out. I wanted to ruffle Royal just a bit, but his employees . . . or whatever they were . . . shouldn’t be casualties of our disputes.

Instead, I opted to bring him donuts and coffee, which both surprised and pleased him. He thanked me, a rather polite man, then I instructed him to tell his boss I didn’t need a babysitter. The chuckle I got back told me that wasn’t going to happen.

“He said eight o’clock,” Troy reminded me as I packed a bag of toiletries.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Doubtfire, but some of us have demanding day jobs that occasionally run over. I’m going to be late.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “It’s your funeral. He hates tardiness.”

“Are you afraid of him, Troy? A big guy like you afraid of a single man?” I taunted, knowing damn well that being on the wrong side of Royal’s good list was nothing to scoff at. During my downtime, I did some research, asked some questions, made some phone calls. My husband, god I almost choked saying the words, was a very powerful . . . and deadly man.

“Find me a man who isn’t a little fearful of Royal. Hell, I fear him as much as I respect him. He’s my fucking family,” he stated, then grabbed a handful of things and started tossing them in bags. “You don’t even need to take any of this crap.”

“Then why are you packing it?” I batted his hands away, and he held them up like he surrendered.

“Because if you think you needed it, I doubt you will leave without it. The quicker you get your shit together, the quicker we can go.” I shouldered him out of the way and he let me, knowing full well if he held his ground, there would be no way I could move him.

“Royal is your brother?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“You said he was family.” He pulled open my make-up drawer and started putting them in make-up bags. “Hey, I can come back later for stuff right, like it doesn’t have to be all done today?”

“Not blood family. Just family.” His eyebrows scrunched together. “I guess you could, but not without an escort.”

“Babysitter,” I corrected.

“Call it what you will, but you can’t be without one of us around.”

“Why? Because he doesn’t trust me to run?” I dared a glance at the clock, seeing it was a quarter to eight.

“No. Because he wants you safe.” He put his hand on my arm to stop me. “This is serious, Bianca. If you read your fucking contract, which I know you haven’t, you would know that. He has all his trust in you and you better not ruin him.”

I yanked my arm away from his grip. “Nothing could ruin a man as solid as the infamous Royal, you know that.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You would think so, wouldn’t you? But somehow, he seems to have a weakness. One single weakness.” He stared me directly in the eyes, and I had to fight to not look away. “Do not break him.”

His gaze left me feeling unnerved. “Why Troy, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you are invested in this thing. What do you get out of it?” He mumbled something I didn’t quite hear. “What’s that?”

“To see him happy, okay?! I get to see him finally happy.”

I laughed because what else was I supposed to do? The mere thought that I would be enough to make a man like Royal happy was absurd. Only, Troy didn’t laugh with me. Instead, he looked on, his expression dark, before he mumbled a string of intangible things and left me standing there alone.

We didn’t pull into the gates of Royal’s home until eight twenty-five. By we, I mean my vehicle plus the three SUVs I’d dubbed my posse. Troy had instructed me to park in the spot closest to the door, which was previously Royal’s spot, but now belonged to me. Apparently, Royal didn’t want me walking farther than I had to. Considerate, but it wouldn’t be winning him any awards.

I parked in my spot, while my posse continued to the end of the driveway. I hadn’t even gotten my keys out of the ignition before my door was yanked open. “You’re late.”

“I got behind at work, so I didn’t get home until late.” I leaned over and grabbed my purse from the floorboard of the passenger seat.

He waited until I was sitting upright again before he spoke. “This is your home now, Bianca, not that run-down shack. Please don’t refer to it as such.”

“Fine.” I shooed him away from the door, and he took a step back. “But for the record, this doesn’t feel anything like a home.”

I looked up at the massive building in front of me, bigger than any house I’d ever been to before. “It will.” I doubted this place would ever feel like home, but I wouldn’t be here forever. Or would I? I really should have read the contract before signing.

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