Page 60 of Goodnight
Created from darkness
As they emergedfrom the hall to a bank of paparazzi, Nick wasn’t even with it enough to feel the usual annoyance. If he was honest he was feeling a little shell-shocked. Goodie had systematically charmed every foreign diplomat they had yet to get on board with cold fusion. She was incredible. He frowned as he noticed her leaning more heavily on him, her limp more pronounced now; it had been a long evening.
‘You’re not going to be happy if I pick you up in front of the cameras are you?’ he whispered into his ear.
‘Try it, Posh Boy, and I will cut your balls off with a spoon,’ she said out of the side of her mouth, which was stretched into a forced smile. Just as Nick had started to laugh a shot rang out across the street.
‘Goodie!’ he shouted as she was torn away from him and he was swamped by his security team. He looked on in horror as she was shuffled to the side of the concourse, nearly going down without the support of her stick. His team began pushing him towards his waiting limousine. ‘What the fuck are youdoing?’ he shouted as they tried to push him inside. ‘Don’t leave her behind, you pricks.’
Nick was strong and he was big; even the three large men grappling with him couldn’t force him into the car. Just as he was about to break free and go to her he saw a look of determination cross Geoff’s face. The bastard drew his fist back, then let it fly to deliver a forceful blow into Nick’s abdomen, causing him to double over and enabling the other men to shove him onto the backseat and slam the door in his face. Geoff jumped into the other side of the limo as Nick was still gasping for breath. Nick heard another of the men bang on the roof twice and the car shot forward onto the road.
‘What the … ugh …’ Nick forced himself upright. ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ he roared once he could breath again.
‘This is all protocol, sir,’ Geoff said calmly. Nick’s control snapped and he punched Geoff in the face. Geoff’s head snapped back with the force of the blow, which Nick found intensely satisfying until Geoff straightened, rubbed his jaw for a moment and gave a long-suffering sigh.
‘Protocol my arse!’ Nick shouted, banging on the divider between them and his driver. ‘Go back and get her for Christ’s sake.’ Geoff’s phone rang and he answered it, nodding a couple of times.
‘Right, yes. No worries. See you back at base.’ He ended the call and turned to Nick. ‘She’s safe.’ Nick closed his eyes in relief. ‘It was a false alarm: a kid letting off a banger on the pavement. Nothing to worry about. Goodie’s in a taxi behind us.’
‘Okay,’ Nick said slowly, his relief being overtaken with fury. ‘I’m glad she’s safe. Now would you mind explaining to me whymy girlfriendis in agoddamn taxi, on her own? Why no fucker went to protect her when what sounded like a gunshot went off on a public street? And why nobody who works for me listened to a bloody word I said back there?’
‘Like I said, it was all in the proto –’
‘Who’s sodding protocol are you on about?’ Nick shouted. ‘Who would create a protocol where we ditch the most important fucking person?’
Geoff let out another long sigh and rubbed his hand down his face. ‘She did, you idiot.’
‘Geoff, I’m warning you: you’re coming close to getting punched again and this time I’ll go for a far more painful area than your face. What are you talking about?’
Geoff rolled his eyes. ‘You never actually fired her you know. She’s still technically head of security. The protocols areherprotocols.’
Nick frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that in the event of an emergency or any kind of attack she wanted us to not only make you the priority, but to make sure that she was separated from you and left behind. She called herself …’ Geoff looked down at his feet and his voice dropped lower. ‘She called herself “dead wood”, mate.’
Nick sucked in a sharp angry breath and balled his hands into fists. ‘Right,’ he said in a tight voice through gritted teeth. ‘As of tomorrow she’s fucking fired and the protocols are going to change. You listen tomenow. You can double up the security if it makes her feel better but I want the priority to be her. You’re not saving my arse without making sure she’s safe as well. Jesus Christ. Stubborn, stupid, bloody ridiculous woman.’
Geoff sat back in his seat, looked out of the tinted window and smiled.
* * *
Goodie watchedhim pacing their bedroom from where she sat on the large bed and pressed her lips together to suppress a smile; she had a feeling that with the mood he was in he wouldn’t appreciate it. For her part the only emotion she was feeling was overwhelming relief and gratitude that he was okay. He could be as angry as he wanted so long as he was still walking, talking, beautiful, vibrant andalive. Nick stopped midway across the room and pointed at her.
‘You’re fired,’ he bit out before spinning on his heel and striding across the room again.
‘Very Alan Sugar,’ Goodie said, and he threw her a dirty look.
‘Don’t try to be cute, Goodie. I’m fucking furious right now. I want to know why you told the guys to ditch you if we were attacked? He said you called yourself “dead wood”. What in God’s name was going through your head?’
‘Nick, I’m sorry but in that situation Iamdead wood. I wouldn’t be able to protect you; I wouldn’t even be able to keep up.’
‘You’re being ridiculous. You –’
‘And if somebody comes forme… I … I wanted them to be able to extract me without having to go through you. Do you understand?’
Nick stopped mid-stride and turned to her, his face draining of colour. ‘What do you mean “if somebody comes for you”? Who’s going to come?’
‘Probably nobody,’ Goodie said quickly. ‘But Nick … I …’
