Page 25 of Close Protection

This girl is too kind for her own good.

‘Thank you, Miss Green, but that won’t be necessary.’

‘Everybody needs somebody, Milosh,’ she says softly. ‘I’m not saying I have to be your somebody, but I can listen, if you’ll let me. I want to be the same kind of help to you that you were to me last night.’ She holds her slender brown hand out towards me. ‘You help me and I help you. Deal?’

I shouldn’t do it. Boundaries, Petrov. Boun—

‘Deal.’

Well, that was stupid.

I encase her hand in mine and they mould together like a sculptor’s dream. Heat pools in my stomach at the sensation of her touch and I see her mouth gently part, as she takes a small breath. I look from her pillowy lips to her warm, chocolate eyes, trying to read her expression.

Job. Daphne.

Employee. Me.

I snap out of my trance and let go of her hand, taking a step back for good measure.

‘Let’s get started with your stance.’

Walking back into the kitchen to grab some water after training, I run into George.

‘Mr Petrov, could you join me in my study for a moment?’ he says, disappearing out of the kitchen door. I haven’t seen him since last night, and judging by his tone I’m guessing hewants to talk about what happened.

I quickly finish my drink and walk into his office, taking a seat opposite where he is now sitting behind his desk.

He doesn’t pay me any mind as I sit down, continuing to type away on his computer for a few more minutes before turning to look at me.

‘Mr Petrov, your behaviour last night was unacceptable and unprofessional.’

I mean, he’s not wrong.I say nothing, waiting to see where exactly he’s going with this. ‘I have never been spoken to like that by anyone in my own home.’ He makes a dramatic pause as if we’ve got all the time in the world.

‘That being said, I understand your actions. I was confused and angry, and I’d had too much to drink, leading me to take my frustrations out on the wrong people. Normally if anything like this had happened, you would’ve been fired without a second thought. However, you don’t work for me. You’re in my house to help me and you’ve already shown that you are vital to my daughter’s safety, and I was out of line last night, so I’m not going to ask you to leave.’

Oh yippie.

‘All I’m going to say is this: don’t ever physically threaten me again. And…’ Cue another dramatic pause. ‘I’m sorry. I truly am sorry.’ He looks down at the papers on his desk, awkwardly shuffling them around.

‘I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, sir,’ I state simply.

‘Yes, I know.’ He looks back up at me with sincerity in his eyes. ‘I apologized to Amelia and Henry this morning, and now you. Daphne’s last on my list.’

‘She should’ve been first.’

He looks back at me, a blaze of fire briefly clouding his eyes. ‘I know, Mr Petrov.’

‘Good.’ I stand to leave.

‘Anything you’d like to add, Mr Petrov?’ he probes.

‘If you’re expecting an apology, sir, you’re not gonna get one. I’m here to keep an eye out for any Daveeno movement and protect your daughter. It just so happened that last night the person she needed to be protected from was you.’

Guilt.

Guilt and shame are all I see on George Green’s face.

Good.

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