Page 12 of Guarding Zuri
“Dad. Kinda busy right now.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“Africa, Dad. I’m in Africa.Really, I gotta go.”
“You’re on assignment?”
“I am.”
“How long this time? We need to discuss my offer.”
“Dad, not this again, please.”
“Daemon, I’d like to step back and I’d prefer—”
“Do we have to discuss this now?” A rumble of a growl slipped out before Daemon could stop it. He meant no disrespect to his father. The man was a business genius; his contacts made it possible for Daemon to secure massive amounts of funding when he first established Knight Shield. He’d refused to accept a loan from his father, wanting instead to demonstrate his business prowess to a man who never understood Daemon’s desire to serve with a unit asked to deploy to the most dangerous places on the planet over and over.
“You refuse to set a date with my secretary so, yes, now.”
“I’ll be back soon, Dad. I promise I’ll call your secretary and get on your schedule.” He still didn’t understand why he had to go through a secretary to talk to his own father, but that argument had been done to death.
“The second you’re back on American soil.”
“Yup. Done. Bye, Dad.” Daemon disconnected the line and refocused his attention on the road in front of him. He couldn’t allow his father to distract him from the job. Tomorrow, he had to do everything in his power to keep Zuri safe, even if that meant neutralizing Zuri.
CHAPTERFIVE
The car jerked and hitched over unavoidable roadway potholes. Zuri held onto the door handle, but it did little to steady her as the car careened past marketplaces and blew through narrow alleyways. People rarely looked up from their sidewalk carts filled with food and treats for kids. Even though the windows of their black SUVs were raised for their protection, Zuri could smell the fried fish through the vehicle’s air vents. Her stomach growled, anticipating one of her favorite seafood dishes with vegetables and couscous seasoned with spices. This was Bendola. Her beloved seaside country. All of what she and her father were doing to bring democracy to a dictator-weary nation would be worth it.
Her stomach would have to wait a few hours. For weeks, they had been planning this secret meeting with other foreign country representatives. It would pave the way for even greater public and international support.Once they put pressure on Gohi to step down, he would have no choice but to comply or face repercussions. Their time was now. Time for Bendolans to rise and demand what was theirs by virtue of being human. Freedom was their birthright. Bayo predicted the entire nation would join the resistance once other countries backed their cause. Gohi would be finished.
Daemon Knight didn’t know what he was talking about. Postponing the meeting would be a mistake and deflate the hope of Bendolans. Zuri bristled at the memory ofthe tall blond, whose shirt was too small for his massive arms and whose smirk made her itch to smack his face. Those eyes that challenged her to engage in a battle of wills reminded her of the sea off the Bendolan coast in the middle of summer. Her most treasured memories with her mother were created during those rare trips to the coast, when the three of them had a moment to refresh themselves before returning to the fight.That doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter.What did he know about her people or their cause? Spend a couple of weeks in-country and you were an expert on Bendolan culture and their needs? Zuri didn’t care where he trained or how much money he had to throw around. He was arrogant. She couldn’t have that kind of man protecting her or her father. He would make a mistake and get them killed.
Zuri’s eyes landed on David, who sat in the front passenger seat giving route instructions to the driver. His mannerisms reminded her of Daemon, now that she knew they served in the same military unit.
How dare he.
How dare David invite Daemon to their safe house and introduce the arrogant man as her new bodyguard? What did he believe would happen? That she would graciously accept a decision about her life made without her input?
Ha!
They had made all her life decisions. Where she could go. Who she could see. When her mother died, restrictions about her activities skyrocketed. Her father was already a hunted man, and her death forced them underground.It was my fault.Guilt constricted Zuri’s stomach. Her mother would be alive today if she hadn’t broken the rules.But I was a child then. I’ve learned my lesson.Couldn’t her father, David, and Joqi see that?
She was a grown woman who knew how to take care of herself—the consequences of the past, a harsh teacher. She was the daughter of Bayo Msongo. The heir apparent to his cause should anything happen to him. And she had been preparing for this moment for years. As a future Bendolan leader, the shackles would have to come off.
She wished her father was riding in the car now, but understood the reason to separate them. If they were in the same vehicle when attacked, the resistance would be without a leader, although David would be the next in line.
Born in Germany to an American father and a Bendolan mother, David had chosen the US Military for a career. After being discharged, he had settled in his mother’s home country and taken an active role in the rebellion for democracy. They had become fast friends. Bayo had groomed David to take on a leadership role once the people gained control of the government. David would make an excellent parliamentarian.
“Zuri, I want you to reconsider Daemon Knight as your guard,” David said from the seat in front. “He and I served together in the Army. There’s no one I would trust with your life more.”
That surprised Zuri. She wondered how the two of them met. It all made sense; how Daemon demanded attention, the way he threw around his expertise, the insurmountable arrogance. David was none of those things. Well, not to her, anyway, but it made Zuri curious whether Daemon’s undesirable characteristics had rubbed off on David, and if her friend was hiding them underneath his composed demeanor. Had he been that way in the military? Could he really have so much in common with Daemon?He’s biased. Of course he would give a glowing recommendation to a man who refuses to say my name.
Princess.
She shook, her nerves rankled. She was far from one. And David just stood there and let him call herPrincesswithout coming to her defense! Where did his loyalties lie? With the outsider?
“Well, I don’t trust him,” Zuri declared. “How am I supposed to work with a man I don’t trust?”
