Page 7 of The Bodyguard

“From what? What are you protecting me from?”

“Lena, please, I’d rather you didn’t question this.”

Yeah. I’m sure he would. “I can look after myself.”

“I have no doubt about that. No doubt.” He leans forward again, his eyes staring directly into mine. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“What’s going on, Dad?”

I’m wasting my breath, I know I am, but I think I deserve to know more than he’s telling me.

“You need to be protected.”

“Yeah, you’ve already said that. So, I’ll ask again, what do I need to be protectedfrom?”

“You know better than to ask too many questions, Lena.”

I should, know better, because I usually get fuck all in the way of answers, but this time I’m not backing down without something. Anything. Because, this time, it’s affecting me directly.

“Come on, Dad. Why do I, all of a sudden, need protection?”

His eyes harden again, a slow smile crossing his face. “You truly are my daughter. Stubborn to the end.”

There’s a slightly patronising tone to his voice, which I don’t appreciate. But I might just have to accept that, for now, this is about the level of information I’m going to get. But it doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.

My father’s “business” – did I mention what it is he does, exactly? What hereallydoes? Why he’s telling me the kind of shit he’s telling me now? Because it all starts to make a little more sense, when you know the full story. Mikkel Nielsen is a businessman, that’s true. A businessman who heads up one of the biggest organised crime families in northern England.Ourfamily. Yeah, I wasn’t kidding when I said we weren’t ordinary, we’re not. We’re so fucking not.

“Why now?” I ask, lifting my legs and curling them up underneath me. I guess I’m not ready to let this go just yet. “You said we’d always be safe.”

“You were.”

“Were?” I can feel my brows arching again, both of them, this time.

“I really need you to understand that what’s happening here, it’s necessary. I can’t have you fighting me on this.”

But I want to. I don’t want to be tailed every time I leave the house, I don’t want some stranger watching me, constantly.

“What kind of protection are we talking about?”

“You’ll have one bodyguard, who will accompany you everywhere.”

“I thought they wereyourdomain?” Because he has lots of them. His henchmen, as I call them. Always there, wherever he goes. Ex-military, trained killers, there to protect him no matter what. That’s how dangerous his business is.

“He’ll be here this weekend.”

“That’s why you wanted me here, right? Why Mum floated some idea about me moving back home for a while…”

“That’s exactly what you’re going to do.”

“I’m sorry?”

Is he serious? It’s bad enough I’m getting my very own Kevin Costner, but being forced to move back home, as lovely as this house is, like I said, that’s just not happening.

“Please, Lena, don’t make me beg.”

“What’s going on, Dad? Tell me. Tell me why I need to have some stranger…”

He leans forward and fixes me with a look that causes me to reel back against the couch cushions. “This is not up for discussion.”

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