Page 11 of Billionaire Bodyguard

Adler

Oh, little girl, no. No, you don’t.

I shouldnothave said that. It had been a mistake to bring Linzey closer, letting her peek behind the wall I’d erected around myself.

And yet, it wasn’t.

Not completely.

I wanted to show Linzey exactly what would happen if she pushed me too far. I’d been fighting it for…well, since she’d turned eighteen a few months after I’d rescued her. I’d stayed strong for four years—stayed strong or removed myself from the situation, by having Connor take over. But tonight, my resolve was weak.

My head had been pounding already before we’d left the penthouse, and I’d known this night at the bar would be hell with the deafening music, noisy crowd and strobing lights. Sensitivity to light and sound were lingering symptoms of the TBI that had booted me from the SEALs after my last mission—the op where I’d saved one of Booker’s brother Xavier and his friend, the Duke of Who Even Gave a Fuck. I hadn’t, as long as both men were safely tucked in at their fancy castles. But the operation had landed me in Booker’s circle. He’d taken an interest in me and we’d been friends ever since.

In a way, it was my own little fucked-up fairytale ending.

After my discharge, I’d used my tech know-how to earn money with security inventions, and Booker had helped me to invest my money wisely. It was at his suggestion, and with his assistance, that I’d formed my security agency. Protecting the rich, famous and/or royal didn’t come cheap—for them. That income had been invested, too. With some luck, I’d ended up almost as wealthy as Booker.

“So I was thinking,” Marigold yelled to Linzey, who sat between us, with Booker on the far side of our group.

This was nothing like the evening the two of us had envision when he’d proposed a boys night out. He didn’t care, obviously. As far as the prince was concerned, the sun rose and set in his wife’s pants and she could have whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

Point in case: we were currently in a semi-private room, at a busy club, and not at the bar I’d selected,The Keg House.No, we were atBradford’s, a club where all the junior execs from the Financial District liked to let loose, and pretend they were bigger deals than they were, with the sole intent of getting laid. Not happening on my watch. As soon as the change in plans had been announced, I’d had a team over here doing a sweep ahead of our arrival. I’d also had them secure this space. From here, we could still see everything going on in the club. We were part of the raucous crowd, but they weren’t allowed near us. Unfortunately, the half-wall partitioning us away from everyone did nothing to dull the noise.

“What were you thinking?” Linzey yelled back to her sister.

“Gala and award season is about to start. Booker and I have to go to everything—”

“Not everything,” he interrupted.

She side-eyed him without turning his way. “We have to go toalmosteverything,” she corrected. “You should come with us this year. We’ll get you hooked up with some eligible guys so you can go on a few dates. You know…you can get out there. Get your groove on.”

Get her groove on?

Oh, hell no.

Thatwasnothappening.

“I don’t know…” Linzey hedged, shooting a glance my way. She seemed uncomfortable with the idea, and I had to admit I was glad she wasn’t jumping at the opportunity. If she wasn’t excited about hooking up with these random guys, it would be easier to turn her away from the idea.

“Come on,” her sister cajoled. “Pretty dresses, partying with the who’s who of the world.”

“Says the woman who hates it,” Booker reminded his wife.

“I don’t… Well, yeah, I do. But if I have to go, it’ll be better if Linzey is there.”

“I’llbe there,” he reminded her.

Turning, she patted his cheek. “I know. But this is different.” She turned back to her sister. “I don’t like that you’re so alone all the time. There are so many nice,hotguys—”

“And what do you know about that?” Booker demanded.

“Stop it. You know I don’t want anyone but you, your highness.”

“Damn right,” he growled. “We don’t have a dungeon, but I can arrange one pretty damn quick.”

Linzey looked over at me again as if gaging my reaction. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as speculation filled her expression. It burned into me and my determination probably reflected back as I stared into her eyes. I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol and I still couldn’t cage the beast that wanted out of me tonight.

Fuck me, this would be my downfall.

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