Page 92 of The Bodyguard

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The café-bar is busy but not so loud as you can’t hear yourself think. I wanted to get away from the art gallery, from Hanna, I didn’t want her seeing me with Nielsen. I didn’t want to have to explain anything, I can do that tomorrow: give her some excuse as to why I ducked out early.

Picking up my beer, I sit back and eye Nielsen across the table. His henchmen are in the booth to my right, still trying to look inconspicuous, and maybe they do, to everyone else, but to me it’s obvious who they are.

“I can’t lose her, Jonah. And as much as it pains me to come to you with this request, it’s my only hope of keeping her from leaving, for good.”

I take a sip of beer and leave a good few beats before I say anything. In all honesty, I’m not sure how he wants me to respond. I’m not sure how Iwantto respond.

“She loves you.” Nielsen shrugs and downs his whisky. “And I wish she didn’t, you are not the kind of man I would have chosen for my daughter. But, after what you did for me, I know you will look after her. I know you’ll keep her safe.”

“She can look after herself.”

“That’s true. She can. But I need her to be close. I need her to stay a member of this family…”

“You can’t force her. You can’t keep her prisoner…”

He leans forward, his eyes burning into mine. “I’m not keeping her prisoner, I just want my daughter to remain a part of this family.”

“And how am I supposed to make sure that happens?”

“By telling her you love her too. By giving her a reason to keep those ties she seems so keen to cut.”

“I’m still unsure how I can help. Lena is incredibly headstrong, she knows exactly what she wants. How do you know she wantsme? After everything that’s happened?”

“You are the missing piece, Jonah.Hermissing piece. Are you going to sit here and tell me you don’t still feel something for my daughter?”

I take a second. A breath. I dip my gaze, take another second, because I’m struggling to get my head around the fact I’m sitting here, having this conversation with Mikkel Nielsen.

“I told her I loved her.”

“And did you mean it?”

I look up. Look him right in the eye. “Yes.”

“Then go to her, and tell her again.”

I frown, because he seems to think that’s going to solve everything. “How is me telling Lena I love her going to stop her from walking away from you? From the family? If anything, that could just strengthen her resolve. I encouraged her to do just that. To walk away, to find her own path…”

“You sound as though you don’t want to see her again.”

“I had to get used to the fact I couldn’t. When Ollie warned me, after we brought you back to the UK; when he got on that plane and warned me what would happen if I pursued Lena, despite every fibre of my being wanting to do just that, I knew I had to accept that I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it. So I began to carve out a new life, back home, back here, a life that was so far away from the one I’d left behind, I had to forget everything. Iwantedto forget everything. And that included Lena. Not because I didn’t love her anymore, I did. I do. But I couldn’t have her.” I take a long draft of beer. “I don’t think it’s fair for me to go back. To see her again, I’m trying to be a better person.”

Nielsen stares at me, searching my face for – what? I don’t know, and it’s a little unsettling, but he’s thrown a massive curve ball at me tonight, and I really don’t know what to do.

“It could all amount to nothing.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Nielsen sits back, keeping his eyes on mine. “If she’s happy – truly happy, then she might see everything differently.”

“And you thinkIcan make her happy?”

“I think you might be the only person who can.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“I think you can handle it.”

“And if it doesn’t work out between Lena and I?”

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