Page 7 of Guarding Zuri
“Yourself, if I’m honest.”
Zuri sputtered a laugh. “My father gave me the right to fire him. If he thought I was in a lot of danger, he wouldn’t have allowed me—”
“Sometimes, it is best to let children learn from their own mistakes. I tell my wife to give the children room to breathe, to think, to act, and then to face the consequences of their decisions. She doesn’t like it when she can’t keep them from every bad choice. I know the pain. You want to protect your children and not see them hurt. But they will not grow without their own experiences.”
A shadow had crossed his face as he was speaking, and Zuri’s heart ached for her friend—a man she looked on as an uncle, having known him since she was a young girl. Joqi had a family, as did many of the resistance fighters, and the absence from home weighed heavily on each of their minds. Zuri squeezed his forearm. “You are always teaching me, Joqi.”
“It is good to know you can be taught.”
“I’ve been learning my whole life,” she implored. “The chance to prove myself is all I’m asking for. I know everyone thinks I’m still seventeen—”
“No one sees you as that naïve little girl anymore,” Joqi said, squeezing her hand. “I was harsh, but you are Bayo’sonlychild. He’s being protective, and that is good for Bendola. The people can hope because you two are alive.” His smile held sadness. “You want absolution, but no one blames you for your mother.”
Zuri did. Her heart shuddered as the memory of that night threatened to rise from the grave. Zuri sniffed and raised her chin “I’m sure Mr. Knight has intelligence, but I don’t discount our men—yourmen, and their abilities.” She stepped closer, her voice insistent. “We are so close to freedom, Joqi. Can’t you feel it in your blood? I don’t want us collapsing before the finish line when the race is ours!”
Joqi chuckled. “You speak well, Zuri. Have you decided what cabinet position you’ll take once your father president?”
Zuri shared in her friend’s merriment with laughter. In the last few weeks, her father’s advisors had discussed the election process and the new government’s leadership structure. Although many of the surrounding countries opted for the European framework of a parliament and president, Bayo preferred the US model of government with three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. What a dictator didn’t have was appropriate checks and balances.A dictator is god,Bayo had said.And no man is god.
As his daughter, people expected her to campaign for a position or be appointed to the president’s cabinet of advisors. Zuri didn’t like the idea of being handed a position without election. She wasn’t sure how she felt about campaigning. I’ve never thought beyond the present. Beyond the fight. What would life be like without all this war? Without daily struggle?
Joqi stared at her, awaiting her response. The door opened, and David stepped inside the room, saving Zuri from telling Joqi that she was unprepared for the future he imagined—it had been too difficult to hope before now. She excused herself and hurried over to David.
He held up a hand as a sign of defeat. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you, David? Because I doubt it.”
His black eyes flashed with annoyance and irritation. “What choice did I have?” he hissed. “I couldn’t trust anyone.”
Zuri’s head snapped back. David was angry? What did he have to be angry about?I was the one blindsided and made to look like a helpless…princess!
David pulled her into a corner of the room and away from the others. “I had to do something, Zuri, don’t you see? After what happened to your father, I needed to do something.”
“David, we don’t blame—”
“We have a shot to fight on even ground. We can’t mess this up. I can’t mess this up.”
“I know! That’s why this meeting has to happen now. Butyour frienddoesn’t see that.”
David smiled. “You like him. Good.”
“I don’t! Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Well, you should. Daemon’s good people. Saved my neck several times. He knows what he’s doing. If he says it’s too hot to meet, then I trust his judgment.”
David had spent most of his life out of Bendola with his father in the American military. Zuri’s family knew his mother’s people and were friends. She trusted David, but his childhood experience was more American than Bendolan. Could he be biased against his own people? “How long have you known him?”
David’s narrowed gaze assessed her. “That doesn’t matter. If you don’t trust him, then rely on my experience.Trustme.”
Zuri frowned, and her shoulders sagged. She gripped David’s forearms. “Idotrust you, David. That’s why it’s hard for me to understand why you’ve brought in an outsider.”
He flinched and pulled away. “I’m being careful, Zuri.”
She believed him. “I didn’t mean—”
“Daemon’s the best at what he does. If there was another security group that had the connections and tech, then I would’ve called them. If it helps, think of him like any other guy. But he wasn’t any other guy. The way he walked, the confidence in his voice, even the energy behind his eye contact all testified that he knewhewasn’t any other guy. He wastheguy.
David turned away, arms crossed over his chest.He’s thinking about the assassin.Her father and Joqi’s faith in David remained limitless, even after the security disaster; yet David sought to redeem himself in their eyes. She wanted him to believe he had nothing to apologize for. Zuri placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “You’re one of my oldest friends. And I trust you.”
