Page 77 of Guarding Zuri
“They’ll find out soon enough. But the company will go on as it did before, just without me at the helm. What about you? Staying on as Zuri’s bodyguard?”
David chuckled. “Her head of security—for now.”
“That’s a good gig for you. And when she wins the presidency, you’ll be the head of her Secret Service.”
“Go higher. Department of Defense or National Security Advisor.”
“Right. What was I thinking?”
They shared a laugh when the doctor walked in. He reviewed the details of the surgery they had performed to remove the bullet in his chest, as well as Daemon’s prognosis. His father arrived and convinced the doctor to allow Daemon to check out of the hospital and be treated by the family physician, who had accompanied Arthur to the hospital.
Daemon refused all offers to help him dress into the dapper suit his father brought with him in a black garment bag. Daemon chuckled at the gesture. He was convinced his father didn’t own a pair of sweatpants or a t-shirt, which Daemon would’ve gladly worn walking out the hospital.
The cellphone on the bedside table rang. It was the first time Daemon had noticed it was in the room. He picked up the phone.This isn’t mine.When he answered it, Roland’s voice came through.
“Roland.” Daemon sighed. “It’s good to hear your voice, my friend.”
“I know you’re going to fire me for telling your father, but I couldn’t lie to him about his own son.”
“I don’t blame you, Roland. You know he brought me a suit to wear home?”
“No one would ever guess you were just in the middle of a coup.”
“Glad it’s over, to be honest.”
“The guys told us you were in the hospital. Shot again, huh? Just can’t avoid those bullets, can you?”
“Not exactly a superpower,” Daemon said over Roland’s laughter. “How’s everything?”
“Good. Ready for your return. You are coming back, right?”
He wished he could say no. “I’m heading to my father’s yacht. I’m guessing we’ll take his plane back.”
“What about Zuri?”
“She thinks I’m dead. And it’s for the best. This isn’t the time to distract her. She has to unify the people or civil war will break out.”
“We’ll get you another job, Daemon. Work helps in moving forward.”
He appreciated his friend’s concern. “I’ll be fine. In fact, I already have another job. And I want to promote you. Interested?”
“What about you?”
“You’re speaking to the new CEO of Knight Industries.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Six Months Later
“You have nothing to worry about, Dad. I’ve got the company. I won’t let anything happen to it, I promise.” Daemon delicately held his father’s cool, near-skeletal hand in between his and blinked away the first sting of tears. “You were the best, Dad. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. I hope you know that.”
A pale and sunken Arthur Knight smiled from his large bed at home in his mansion. Daemon’s father didn’t want to die in a sterile hospital room smelling of sick and staph infection. Within weeks of Daemon starting as the CEO, his father’s health sharply declined. Daemon moved into his father’s home months ago so he could care for him.
Watching his father die had been more difficult than Daemon could’ve imagined. He’d been deployed for much of his mother’s illness and missed the difficulties of her suffering through exhausting chemo treatments and the side effects that ravaged her body. His father declined chemo and wasted away. Arthur had lost the will to live. Daemon believed his father had enough peace about Knight Industries to move on.
“You look like you need taking care of.” Arthur laughed and then hacked. Daemon brought up a tissue for his father to spit in and then wiped his mouth clean.“Thank you. You won’t have to do that for much longer.”
“I don’t mind. I wish I could’ve been here for mom.”
