Page 72 of Guarding Zuri
“Marriage isn’t just about protection, Princess. There are other benefits.”
He watched her chest rise and fall, the muscles in her neck move up and down as she swallowed. Was she thinking what he was thinking? He was thinking a lot of things at once, one of them being how much fun they’d have married. It would never be boring with her. They could be in Bendola—or wherever she wanted—making a difference.Just a dream, but a good one.
“You can keep me safe?”
He shook his head. “I’ll be honest and say I don’t know, Princess. With everything that’s going on right now, this will probably be the most difficult hand-off we’ve done in this business. But I promised your father, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep that promise.”
“When my father joined our hands—”
“I know, Princess.” Her father had given his only daughter in marriage to a bodyguard. Bayo entrusted his daughter—everything he held dear—to him, a man he knew nothing about.He saw something in me. I can’t let him down.
Her eyes widened and then she averted her gaze, but she didn’t wiggle out of his embrace. “I owe you more than my father could ever pay.”
“A good job is the best reward. When I’ve delivered you safely to David, consider that payment in full.”
She brought her gaze back to his face. Her full lips were parted and Daemon stilled. She smiled. “I fired you, remember?”
Daemon let out a nervous chuckle. “You did. Thank you.” He leaned over and slide his mouth over hers. He cupped the side of her face, holding them together for the last time.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
The air whipped around the bottom of Zuri’s jacket and sliced her face. She stood on the bow of the boat and felt every rise and dip as they crashed over the ocean waves. At first, she had felt exhilarated by her return, and now her stomach responded with nausea at her rising anxiety being so near to the fight; she blamed the rough sea and the wind—even Daemon’s top-of-the-line-boat that couldn’t fly over the rough sea.
They had touched down hours ago in a neighboring country. As they boarded Daemon’s boat, Roland called to give them an update on the men that had followed Zuri to Washington, DC. Daemon’s father called in a favor to a State Department official. Federal agents detained the men for additional screening. Arthur Knight’s actions had surprised her. Daemon was coy about why his father would insert himself into his son’s security business. Whatever the reason, Zuri was grateful and had asked Daemon to relay her gratitude.
Now they were traveling across the maritime border into Bendolan waters. Daemon thought it the safest way, especially during darkness. Bendola’s maritime security force had limited technology to intercept them, but Daemon didn’t want to take any chances. In less than ten hours, they would meet with David and she would be on the front lines of the coup.
She spied Daemon, who stood next to her, his phone still at his ear. He’d been on the phone with his team and David for the last hour. His tense features had sharpened, likely because of the sting of the wind. The coup fighting had intensified in the capital. Several military bases had refused the order to deploy to the capital and fight the rebels, a dwindling number of President Gohi’s supporters fought back. Zuri felt inspired by the news that most of the military was behind the resistance. They were tired of Gohi’s reign and weren’t against being led by the daughter of a rebel leader.
True to her word, she hadn’t left Daemon’s side, even though they were safely aboard the boat. He had moved to the bow to get a better look at the shoreline, trusting his eyes more than technology now that he was on the ground. He confirmed something to David and moved away from the bow. Zuri followed him down the stairs and out of the wind. She had made other concessions as well: never argue with the plan, move whenever he said so, and leave him behind if necessary.
She wasn’t sure about that last one. A fissure had torn in her heart when he’d explained that no matter what happened, if she had to leave him behind to get to safety, then she had to do it. No argument. The last time she’d done that, Joqi had died alone. She understood Daemon was well trained and could handle himself in a fight, but she couldn’t imagine leave him. Not after their last kiss—the sweetest she’d ever received. Not when he would take her heart with him. She’d told him yes, but her heart shouted no. She couldn’t lose Joqi, her father,andDaemon in a week. She would forever question if the freedom of her country was worth the price of those closest to her.
“Swear you’ll leave me.”
“I swear it,” she responded quickly.
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”
“Haven’t I always said I cared more about Bendola? That I would doanythingfor her?”
“If you hadn’t kissed me, Princess, I’d believe you.”
She would too, but shehadkissed him, and couldn’t take it back. Her heart erupted with love for this man, and she couldn’t tell him. Heat seared her insides as she remained silent. No matter how hard she tried, the fire continued to seep through her veins as ash threatened to rain down on what they could’ve built together, in a new Bendola.
An hour later, Zuri, Daemon, and his men sat in the command center beneath the deck of the boat. Zuri’s gaze volleyed from the monitors displaying the fighting in the capital to Daemon, who simultaneously worked on two laptops and spoke on a cell to a member of his team stationed in the city. Zuri rubbed her arms, although the windbreaker she wore provided enough warmth indoors.
Her heart had chilled since they had lost contact with David an hour before. Her thoughts took her to the grim sight of the crash of her father’s vehicle. Only David was the one she left behind, and not Joqi. Zuri looked at the monitor, showing the ship’s progress into Bendolan waters. They were minutes out.Hold on David!She jumped at the touch of Daemon’s hand on her own. He was still looking at his laptop, but had the presence of mind to sense her unease about their friend. She squeezed Daemon’s hand before he let go to type.
When they last had contact, David confirmed the plan: resistance men would meet them on the docks and usher them into the capital city. There was a safe house a few miles from the shore, in the heart of the capital, where the strongest fighting was occurring. Zuri would be based there, where she could receive real-time updates and give orders. Thankfully, Daemon had promised technological resources and to keep his team on the ground until Gohi’s men surrendered and the resistance had taken the whole country.
According to the few news outlets that had reporters on the ground, the rebels and the military participating in the coup had gained ground and were only yards from the capital building. Rumor was President Gohi, believing a coup imminent, had fled the state, although that couldn’t be confirmed. If he had, that would make the government transition easier. He would be a hunted man by the international community. But which state would give him refuge? All the border states had restricted diplomatic efforts at the start of the coup.
Daemon dropped one phone into his lap and picked up another one. He put this one on speaker. “David, talk to me.”
David!He was still alive. Zuri’s frenzied heart settled slightly once her friend’s voice came through the speaker.
“We have the capital! We put out the word that Zuri is here, and there has been a surge in fighting. Zuri? Zuri, your father’s dream—our dream—will come true tonight!”
