Page 9 of The Bodyguard

“Whatever’s going on here, Ollie – wouldn’t I be safer knowing?”

“Knowledge isn’t always a blessing, Lena. Just go see Dad, okay?”

I let go of him and he heads back inside, but I wait a second before I follow him. I take a moment, and I stand there and look out over the garden and this beautiful house, a place that – and I have no doubt about this – contains many dark secrets. It’s an idyllic setting, there should be nothing but peacefulness and serenity here, but there’s not a chance it’ll ever be that way. There’ll always be this underlying threat lurking beneath the surface. Because it’smyfamily that lives here.

Taking a deep breath, I walk back across the garden towards the terrace, and into the kitchen, tossing my towel onto a chair by the door. Dad’s sitting at the table, his back to me, and he isn’t alone. Leaning back against the counter that separates the kitchen from the dining area, his arms folded is, I’m guessing, the man who’s going to be trailing me for the foreseeable. My so-called security detail.

Dad looks up and smiles at me. “Ah, Lena, there you are.” He gets up and comes over to me, and he’s still smiling. I’m not.

“Ollie said you wanted to see me.”

I’m not looking at Dad when I speak, I’m looking at the unwelcome stranger in the room. And he’s looking back at me. His eyes meet mine, and I feel a jolt of frustrated anger course through me, I don’t want him here. I don’t need him, here, I can look after myself. This is ridiculous. Whatever’s going on with Stefan Novak, is it really that dangerous? He’s trouble, no doubt about that, I know how that man and his people work, I’ve heard the stories, but this – bodyguards, security details, it’s never been necessary before. I can’t for the life of me think why it’s necessary now.

“I want you to meet Bodie. Bodie Bekker. He’s your…”

“I know what he is.”

This man – Bodie – his mouth lifts ever-so-slightly at the corner, is he fucking smirking? And then he pushes himself away from the counter and comes over, extending his hand, which I reluctantly take. His skin is surprisingly soft as it connects with mine, and I look down as he lets my hand go, sliding both of his into his pockets.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lena.”

Telling him I feel the same would be lying, so I keep quiet, and to be honest I don’t think he means it anyway. I think he’s saying it purely because he has to. There’s something in his eyes that’s telling me I think we might have a mutual dislike of this situation, which could be interesting. But it’s difficult to ignore the fact that he’s more than easy on the eye, and if I’m going to be with this man all day, every day for the forseeable future… Actually, no, I’m not sure there’s an advantage, anywhere, that is going to make me accept this set up. But still…

He’s tall, this man I don’t want here. Tall and toned, I can tell, because he’s wearing a tight, white T-shirt that sets off his lightly tanned skin. His dark-blond hair’s swept back from his, yeah, undeniably attractive face, and age-wise he looks to be around late-thirties, possibly early forties, the neat beard he’s sporting could be making him seem older than he really is…

“Lena?”

My father’s voice interrupts my thoughts, and I direct my attention back to him. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“If you want to go to home later, to collect some of your things, Bodie will go with you.”

Of course he will.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’d be good.”

I’m still not happy about moving back in here, but I also know better than to fight it. For now, anyway. But if this rolls on for too long I can’t promise I’ll stay quiet.

I pull myself up onto the table and reach behind me for an apple from the fruit bowl, and as I bite into it I shift my gaze to Bodie, who’s back leaning against the counter, he certainly seems to be making himself at home. And I wonder how my dad knows him, where he came from, because Mikkel Nielsen won’t allow just anybody this close to his family. So this man, he’ll have been vetted: investigated. My father will know everything about him, and for some reason that causes my gaze to drop to his left hand, which is now out of his pocket and clutching the countertop. There’s no ring on there. And now I’m wondering if he has a family of his own, but I’m guessing not. This isn’t the kind of job – my father isn’t the kind of person you work for if you’re after the whole nine-to-five thing.

“It’s for the best, that you stay here, with us. Just until things become clearer.”

What things? That’s the question I want to ask, but I know I won’t get an answer, so I save my breath.

Dad’s pacing the kitchen now, but my eyes are back on Bodie, who’s looking at me with an expression heavy on stoicism, his default, I’m guessing. He’s giving nothing away.

I take another bite of my apple. It’s time to get out of here now. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and get changed. Then I’ll head over to the cottage.” I slide down from the table, grab my towel from the chair, and head out of the kitchen.

“Lena?”

I stop and turn around, and I look at my father.

“All of this, it really is for your own good. Okay?”

I smile, just to placate him, really. “Okay.”

I don’t give even a backward glance in Bodie’s direction. He’s staff. Someone who doesn’t matter to me, and I still don’t want him here. I don’t need him here. But it looks like I’m stuck with him, whether I like it or not. And, right now, it’s most definitely the latter.

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