Page 25 of Guarding Zuri
“Is this yours?” she whispered.
“It is. Like it?”
Like it?The large gray brick home sat among lush green pine trees. She counted at least three stories. Tall, wooden double doors made the entrance castle-like. Cameras and other technical equipment dotted every corner of the roof, in the trees, and along the driveway. Were the windows bulletproof? He could afford it. Birdsongs coated the air. Zuri couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard birds. She’d spent so much time in the city and underground. Her last encounter with nature was with a rat scurrying across the floor of her room one night. Zuri followed Daemon up the cobblestone brick steps to the front door.
“What do you need all this space for? Your family?”
“I’m single.”
“A single man needs a large house?”
“I inherited the house from my mother.”
Zuri’s heart constricted as she stared at Daemon’s broad, but straight back. His strong gait continued forward.Inherited?“Does that mean…?”
“Yes,” Daemon said, still not turning around.“She died some time ago. Cancer.”
Her chest warmed with compassion for his grief. Her mother had also died several years ago, but not from illness. She wished illness had ravaged her mother instead of the horror that had actually happened. How he had dealt with his grief? She still had her father and wasn’t an orphan. The passage of time and her dad’s lack of judgment and blame had eased her pain, but the guilt remained. Now both her parents were gone.
But she couldn’t ask him about his mother. They weren’t friends. This was a professional relationship, nothing more. It couldn’t be more—he’d made that clear on the plane.
“This is Knight Shield headquarters. We run global operations from here. It’s quiet, out of the way, and no one knows what we’re doing here. As for the size of the home, I need the space, including the basement levels.”
“Levels? As in, more than one?”
He smiled. “Next time we expand, we’ll build out from the back of the house.”
The doors opened for them. A man dressed in khakis and a polo shirt with the Knight Shield Protection emblem over the left breast greeted them. He stood taller than Daemon by a couple of inches, but they both shared expansive shoulders and watermelon-sized biceps. Had this man been in the military with Daemon? Both Blaine and Archer shook hands with the man.
Daemon stopped to talk to him while Zuri walked through the entryway and into the great room. It looked more like a command center than a family home. Multiple flat screens lined one wall, all pieces to a puzzle showing a large map of the globe with several lights flashing in various countries. A long conference table sat in the middle of the room. Multiple computer stations occupied by several individuals filled the space. Why did she think it would be just the two of them?
She inhaled a wonderful fragrance. Like warm baked cheese and cookies. Was someone cooking?
“Let me show you to your room,” Daemon said from behind. His arm brushed hers as he came beside her. Eyes closed, he inhaled. “Ah, dinner is ready. You can eat anywhere you want. If you prefer to stay in your room, I’ll have a tray brought up to you.”
“Butler is part of your service?”
Daemon winked. “Whatever you need, Princess.”
She shivered, hearing more of what he left unsaid. Or maybe she wanted it spoken.He doesn’t mean it. You’re being ridiculous, Zuri.Was her ego so fragile that one rejection made her obsessed with needing hope restored?
“Main living quarters are on the second and third floors. There’s a home theater on basement level one, if you want to watch movies. A popcorn station is ready to go. Want nachos and cheese, then you can have it. A full kitchen is there too, and we stock the fridge with a lot of other movie theater junk food and plenty of drinks.”
She stared at him like he’d grown another head. “Movies? You think that’s what I’ll be doing here? Watching movies?”
Daemon cleared his throat. “Wasn’t thinking. Anyway, my suite occupies the fourth floor, if you need me.”
Zuri didn’t respond. She couldn’t imagine a reason for finding herself in his suite. Zuri followed him inside an elevator. Did all American homes boast elevators? The doors closed. Daemon leaned against the wall, his clear blue eyes taking her in with veiled interest. Zuri took a step back, the compartment too small with his large frame occupying much of the space. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his.
“The pool and gym are on the level below this one. Open all the time. Showers and a sauna are there as well. I recommend the hot tub. His mouth hinted at a smile.
She gave him an annoyed look. With the rush to escape Bendola, they did not give her time to pack anything. “I don’t think I’ll have time for swimming.”
“Maybe not. But I’m not sure how long we’ll be here. There’s plenty to do and—”
“Mr. Knight—”
“Daemon.”
