Page 33 of Close Protection

‘I don’t know what you mean, Bella.’ I sigh, turning my face away to hide my smile. One thing about Milosh and I is that we can definitely put on a good show.

Because that’s what this all is. An act. A show.

Right?

15MILOSH

‘Okay, this is the last one, promise.’ Daphne smiles, walking into yet another store. I don’t catch the name of this one as we step in but they clearly specialize in unnecessarily expensive, extravagant shoes. Daphne wanders over to a display, eyeing up a pair of heels that have a gladiator-like strap with butterflies attached to them, and a sparkly silver sole.

They look obnoxious.

‘Aren’t they stunning?’ Daphne glows up at me. I’ll be honest: I detest clothes shopping, but seeing her face light up every time she sees something she likes is like a reward.

‘Excuse me.’ Daphne picks up a gold, butterfly-less version of the shoe she just showed me and gently taps the sales assistant’s arm as she’s walking by. ‘Do you have these in a size thirty-eight?’

The sales assistant stops for a moment, looking at Daphne as if she’s trying to place a long-lost friend, before smilingat her and glancing down at the shoe in question. ‘Sure! Let me go grab them for you.’

‘Thank you!’ Daphne smiles before taking a seat on a plush cream chair. I stay standing but move closer to her, ensuring her face is blocked from view to those outside the store.

The sales assistant comes back, box in hand, with an overly bright smile on her face. ‘Let me know if you need anything else,’ she says, as she hands the box to Daphne and moves away from us, but not out of sight.

‘Okay, do you think these would go well with pink?’ she asks, sticking her sparkle-clad foot out at me. She must have me mistaken for her yappy cousin.

‘I have no clue.’

‘Ugh! Boys,’ chirps the irritatingly peppy sales assistant. ‘They just don’t get it, do they!’

‘No, they do not.’ Daphne giggles, melting away some of my irritation. I don’t know what it is about her but even though I’m on high alert at every moment, what with the Daveeno threat still very real, when I’m around her she brings me back to the calm and peace I felt when I was a child. Not when I was in care or living with my aunt, but when my parents were alive. There’s just something about the way she walks, talks, acts and smells that draws you in.

‘What bag are you wearing with it?’ asks the sales assistant, coming to sit down next to Daphne.

I tune them out as they talk endlessly about things that don’t interest me, and take the time to remind myself of the emergency exits. I already know the layout of the mall from studying its blueprints when I got this job, somehow knowing I would end up being dragged here. But I’ve never been here in person and there’s only so much you can get from floorplans and stills. I’ve been pretty vigilant since we arrived, looking out for potential threats, and all’s been fine until we stepped in this store. I don’t know what it is about this place in particular but it’s set my body buzzing with anticipation.

I look around and spot four security cameras, three other members of staff and Little Miss Peppy. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.

She’s just too… eager.

‘Okay, it’s settled. I’ll take them both!’ I turn to face Daphne, to see that she has a pair of the sparkly shoes in one hand and a pair of white red-bottoms in the other.

‘Great, let’s get you to the checkout!’

I walk closely behind Daphne, really playing up the whole boyfriend thing as I carry all the bags we’ve accumulated up to the counter with us. She leans against me as the girl wraps up the shoes, stroking her hand slowly up and down my arm without thinking, as if this is how we stand on a daily basis. The weight of her body mixed with her feminine, sweetscent begs me to close my eyes and savour this moment, but I have to concentrate.

This is all an act, not real life.

I just need to leave this store, get her home and create some distance between us.

She tips her head up, causing her chestnut eyes to appear bigger, and softens her voice, a dainty smile gracing her lips. ‘Milo, are you sure you don’t want to get another pair of shoes? You can never have too many.’

All I can do is shake my head stiffly, looking at anything but her, after the nameMilofell from her delicate lips. People have tried to shorten my name before and it always sounded forced. But, of course, as soon as Daphne Green does it, it becomes my new favourite sound.

‘Would you like the receipt in the bag?’ the girl jabbers, drawing me back to the present.

‘Yes, please.’ Daphne smiles brightly.

‘I just have to say, I absolutely love your outfit! Where did you get it?’ the sales associate asks, a weird look on her face, sending my brain into medium alert. She hasn’t done anything to warrant a red alert yet, but her fidgety movements and darting eyes suggest she’s not as innocent as she wants to seem.

‘Oh, thank you!’ Daphne all but gushes. ‘It’s from Zimmerman. I got it last year but I think they still have itin stock and the shoes are the Loro Piana summer charm slides!’

---