Page 7 of Billionaire Bodyguard

Silver linings, I supposed.

“And that’s still a doctor. Plus I’m your best friend. I know you.”

“I am…resting,” I said. He knew I had trouble sleeping, and lack of sleep acerbated the mild symptoms that remained from my TBI. It was a fucking lose-lose, since the TBI was the cause of the insomnia.

“It’s not only that,” I continued. “I got a call this morning about Coval.”

“Fuck… What is it? I thought he’d gone to ground after what happened with his brother. He claimed he didn’t have anything to do with it.”

I frowned. “We never believed it. Just couldn’t prove it. Not me—the government, the UN. You know I was out after Xavier’s rescue. Anyway, Coval and a small contingent landed in Jersey yesterday. Intel lost eyes on them.”

“So they could be here in the city?”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “So…I should probably double up your protection.”

“Fuck that.”

“You sure you’re a kid doctor? That mouth.”

“Whatever. I’m not changing everything because of these assholes. Marigold and I have plenty of protection already.”

“You want to stay in tonight then?” I asked, figuring he’d change on that point anyway.

“No. Look,” he sighed. “We’ll be fine. Linzey can come over here to spend time with Marigold. My wife wants to talk to her about something anyway. God knows what. I think it’s to do with one of this spring’s fund raisers or something.”

My brain clicked through the logistics for having an evening out with the prince, while at the same time ensuring Linzey was safe.

“Sure,” I conceded, my head buzzing through everything I’d have to slide into place. It wasn’t as if we were just two schmoes going to an out-of-the-way dive bar. “I’m sure Linzey would like to spend some time with her sister anyway. God knows she’s annoyed with me. When are you thinking?”

“Tonight? Seven?”

I glanced at my watch, seeing it was only eleven. I could arrange things by then. “I pick the place?”

He laughed. “I never doubted you would. Tell your guys not to scare the staff when they do a safety sweep—and don’t you dare tell me that isn’t your intention.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. How long have you been a prince? You know the drill.” There hadn’t been a day in his life that he wasn’t protected, which made his job a bit of a logistics nightmare, but who was I to complain? I got paid for the headaches.

“Ha.” He pointed at me through the camera. “I wouldn’t be shocked if you bought a place, so you can clear it out whenever we want to grab drinks.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s not a bad idea—”

“Don’t you dare!” he laughed. “The atmosphere is half the point of going.”

In the background, I heard one of his nurses telling him his next patient had arrived. That was my friend. A prince, a doctor and the biggest news in all the most popular social papers and gossip shows. Between Prince Booker from Zenderland and Prince Harry from the UK, the country couldn’t get enough of royals onAmerican soil. I even heard there was a crown prince attending school in Michigan right now.

“Got to go,” he said.

I nodded, grabbing a notepad to jot a list of things that needed to be done to make the evening happen. “I’ll see you tonight. Have a good rest of your day.”

We disconnected, and I leaned back in my chair, running my hands over my face then spearing my fingers into my short hair as I groaned. I already had a headache, and Booker was up to something—he never wanted tojust grab drinks. I hadn’t a clue what plan tumbled around in that royal brain of his, though.

Surging out of my chair, I headed through the great room then down the west hallway toward Linzey. At the door to her bedroom suite, I rapped quickly. “Linzey.”

“What?” she called, sounding far away and out of breath. I hoped she wasn’t on the room’s balcony. The idea of her out there made me uncomfortable, though this high up, it should be safe.

Aside from snipers. Twelve floors would be nothing—

I shut down the thought. No one wanted to shoot or kill my woman. Though Coval and his men might if they thought she was mine.

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