Page 6 of Guarding Zuri
“I’ve never met a client I couldn’t manage. See you tomorrow.”
Daemon opened the door and squinted as the bright sun hit him in the eyes. He slipped on his black custom Oakleys. He didn’t need luck. That’s what training and money were for.
CHAPTERTHREE
Zuri pretended not to watch Daemon as he left the bunker’s strategy room, but her peripheral vision locked on him and wouldn’t release until the door shut solidly behind him and David. Zuri blasted a breath that did little to relieve her of the tension gripping her shoulders and chest. His insistence that they postpone the meeting aroused an objection within her so fierce she barely knew what she was saying before it came out of her mouth.
With the exception of her telling him he was fired. That, she had yearned to say from the moment he called herPrincess.An electric tremor surged through her, igniting the nerve receptors beneath the surface of her skin. The tingling sensations irritating her as they progressed in intensity. No man had ever made her feel this…irritated.She rolled her shoulders and shook. A large hand circled her right shoulder, causing her to jump.
“Everything will be okay,” Joqi said.
Zuri forced a smile. “I know.” What she didn’t understand was why a five-minute meeting with Daemon caused her to fear a gentle touch meant to calm her. The effect Daemon Knight left unnerved her.He’s not in charge. He doesn’t know Bendola. He thinks he can ride in at the last minute and save everyone with all his technology and stupid smirks.
That smirk, though.
It flashed before her eyes, taunting her, tempting her to challenge him sparking an urge for her to be…impulsive.Except she had fired him. There wouldn’t be any need for her to do battle against him.For my own good.Distractions were fatal. And Daemon walked like he knew he was a very enticing distraction.
I’m done with him.
Zuri picked up a stack of papers at the edge of the table where her father and his advisors finalized the route and contingency plans for tomorrow’s meeting. She skimmed over the proposed security teams that would line the route and follow her father’s car, driven by Joqi. The team leads were men she’d grown up with, trusted and battle-tested, hand-picked by Joqi and David. Although neither Joqi nor David required her approval, they had both asked Zuri for her input in every decision. She appreciated their respect and loved them both for it.
Under Gohi’s dictatorship, women who used to own property and run businesses were forced to sign over their rights to men, a law that angered many women—and the men in their families and businesses. However, the strength of Gohi’s support disempowered all who opposed him, solidifying a new culture. Zuri focused her campaigning efforts for the resistance on the disenfranchised women of Bendola—and many had joined the cause.
“What did you think of Daemon Knight?”
Zuri groaned. Her thoughts had released the blond terror only for him to be roped back in by a traitorous Joqi. “I don’t think of him.”
Joqi laughed. “You like him. That is good.”
Zuri’s gaze snapped to Joqi’s. “That’s not what I said.”
“It’s what you didn’t say that I heard.”
“I suggest you see a doctor. Your ears deceive you.”
Joqi grinned widely. “You fight what you know is good. You’ve always done so, even when you were a little girl. Whenever anyone had an idea you didn’t come up with first, you were steadfast in opposition.”
“You make me sound arrogant, Joqi. Idon’tknow if he’s good. And until I do, I will fight him, yes. He is not in control. We are! This resistance works because it’s run by Bendolans. After the assassination attempt on my father, we need to be careful now more than ever. I will question anyone we let into our inner circle. Am I not right to be careful?”
“You are right, Zuri. And we have taken care. You’ve done good work vetting people since the incident. But David trusts him. Isn’t that enough for you to give him a chance?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say that David had been wrong before, but that wouldn’t have been fair. They’d all been fooled by the assassin, who had shown as much fervor for their cause as the next resistance fighter. She’d never seen David cry until after the explosion. He thought he was alone, but Zuri had watched grief tear through him as he clung to a wall, tears streaming down his dirt-smudged cheeks. The memory of that night stung her eyes. He had taken all the blame on himself, not to mention the work of vetting people who rise in the ranks. Zuri had offered to help him so he wouldn’t be burdened by that task. The next mistake would be hers. She blinked until the sting lessened, her resolve returning. “David never mentioned him to me. I wonder why?”
“Because he knew you’d refuse the help.”
“And he was right.”
“And you are wrong.”
Zuri sucked in a breath.She’d worked so hard over many years to erase the opinion from everyone around her that she wasn’t capable. She’d done her duty, followed orders, never complained—a steadfast soldier for the cause. She’d seen death and terrible destruction. Held orphaned children in her arms. After the life she had lived, how could Joqi see not be on her side?
“You remind me of my eldest daughter. She wants her way, regardless of how it will hurt her,” Joqi continued. His mouth tipped downward and his voice deepened with gravity. “After the attempt on your father’s life, you must agree that we need help, especially now that we’re so close to getting international support. This is the moment where we will either succeed or fail. We can’t take any more chances that push us toward failure. Accepting Daemon’s help will provide us with additional technology and intelligence, and with the African Defense Coalition, we’ll be on even ground with Gohi and the Elite Guard.”
Zuri agreed with Joqi; the resistance was at a disadvantage. The attempted assassination was widely circulated by Gohi as a security failure within the resistance. If he could get a man that close to Bayo, then defeat was not far off. His propaganda left the resistance and its supporters demoralized. They needed a win. “I’m not too childish to know when wisdom is spoken. You’re right. We can’t turn away assistance. But I’m not ready to put my faith in Daemon Knight as our savior. It’s our fight,” she said.
“Notoursavior. Yours.”
“What do I need rescuing from?”
