Page 13 of Liberty
“Yeah, right?” Fate chimed in finally. “The plot thickens.”
“Are you insane?” I exclaimed as I stared at Liberty. The man could not be for real with this.
“Maybe?” He smiled “But see that is what I was doing for a living when I wasn’t competing in the UFC. I hired out as a bodyguard. I admit they were temporary gigs like for a night out in public or a weekend trip for an exec or a high profile entertainer. But I’m not doing anything active here at all. Y'all have your army.”
“I do not need a bodyguard,” I told him.
“Maybe not. But I think for at least the first month, I should stay at your place. Watch your work building during your shift. That way, I will always know where you are. A tracking device in your phone or purse is a good idea as well. I mean we can’t be too—”
“Will you quit with this!” I cut him short. “There is no way I will be living with you! You must be insane if you believe for a second that this would even remotely work in the real world, Liberty.”
“Actually, I think that is the only way that we will all be safe,” Talon said. “You can go home but we will make sure you are watched and guarded.”
“Liberty cannot do it 24/7,” Redemption spoke up now. “How about Fate going along too?”
I shook my head at him then at Fate. “No! No one is moving into my apartment with me!” Are you all insane?”
They all stared at me.
Talon let out a breath of frustration and said, “We are at war, Belle. This may not concern you, but staying alive and keeping our families alive is important to us. Why wouldn’t you want to be safe? Have that extra security in place? Yeah, maybe Deacon won’t even know you're in town. But it just isn’t worth us taking a chance.”
I couldn’t believe this at all. They were actually serious about this stipulation. “So, in order to go back to my home, I have to agree to allow this man to guard me?” I motioned to Liberty as I looked at Talon in particular.
He nodded.
“And Fate if he agrees,” Redemption added. “You will need at least two guards.”
I rolled my eyes and was about as angry as I can remember ever being and that was going some when you consider I’d wanted to punch Liberty right in the face after dinner tonight. I looked over at Liberty.
He shrugged at me. “It will get you back to your job, Belle.”
He was right, but why?Whhhyyyy?I would have him living in my apartment! I would have to see him everyday and every night. Oh, my God… I would be crazy in one day. Stark, raving mad. Tossing my arms up into the air, I turned and stalked out of the room.
Chapter Five:Itsy Bitsy Spider
Liberty
The next morning, I headed to the dining room for breakfast. We never did get an answer from Belle last night after she stomped off. I felt kind of relieved about that actually. What the hell had I been thinking? I did feel bad for misjudging her, but to go as far as volunteering to be her bodyguard? Even I knew that was a ludicrous idea. Oil and water don’t mix.
It just made me mad when Talon accused her of being uncaring. That had been the mistake I had made. After she admitted that her sour attitude had been because she missed the life she had before, my opinion of her did change. She would eventually lose her job, most likely. It didn’t look like we were even close to catching good ole Deacon anytime soon. I really didn't know what her answer would be. She didn’t like me and I barely liked her, so maybe she would turn this down.
At the long table, I sat down next to Fate and grabbed a coffee mug.
“Have you seen her today?” Fate asked.
Pouring my coffee, I replied, “Seen who?”
“Oh come on, Liberty. When are you gonna own up to this?”
I took a sip of the hot brew and looked over at him. “What the hell are you going on about, brother?” Fate was a great guy and easygoing. He had the best temperament of all of us. Always calm and cool. He did like to tease me, but that was just the way all of us were. We gave each other a hard time. Dad said it was healthy because if anyone would know to call you out on something, it would be a sibling. He’d said it was a needed traitto keep all of us humbled. He was right of course. With our looks and being super fit bikers, we needed someone to ride us and lower our egos a notch or two. Like what I did for Justice. I kept him from being a totally insufferable jerk. I smirked to myself.
“Anyone who knows you well can see it, Lib.”
“See… it?” I repeated in disgust.
“I am just gonna say it outright. You. Like. This. Girl,” Fate stated succinctly.
I shook my head. “We haven’t had a civil conversation since we met, Fate. You are so wrong about this.”
