Page 12 of Beyond Rosy Irish Twilight

“Maybe you should ask my father,” I snapped, regretting it just a moment later.

My face blanched as he turned for the door. I reached out to stop him, but he was already headed to the door. “Wait!” I practically shouted. My heart thundered in my chest at the thought of my father storming in here and accusing me of all kinds of things.

Asher stopped and turned back to me. “Do you have something to tell me?”

I struggled to come up with anything to say. The last thing I needed was my father coming in here and accusing me of not being on his side. “I…I don’t like drugs. They make me loopy.”

“That’s not what you said,” he argued.

“I just meant that my father knows I don’t like drugs.”

He raised his chin slightly as he watched me. “And why don’t you want me talking to your father?”

Because he would most definitely make me pay when we got home. “Because…he’s got enough on his plate trying to find out who attacked me. The last thing he needs is for you to get into a pissing match with him over whether or not I want drugs.”

His nostrils flared in anger, but he didn’t say anything else. I swallowed hard, hoping he would buy my excuse. Thankfully, he seemed to relax and came back to sit in the chair beside me. Only when he sat down did I finally relax.

“Your guard says that you ran away from him.”

I didn’t say anything for a minute. I didn’t know what to say. Any way I tried to defend myself would only put me in a bad position with my father. But not denying that I ran from them might land me in a worse position after I was married.

“Did you run from him?” he asked.

I shook my head slowly. I had to think about my future. A few more days left with my father was all I had to suffer through, but I had a lifetime with this man. I couldn’t have him thinking that I ran from my protection detail.

“Then where were they?”

“I don’t know.”

“Tell me what happened.”

My eyes flicked to the door and then back to him. I knew he caught the movement, but he continued to stare at me, waiting for me to answer. I started to feel hot, like I needed a fan on me. I wasn’t sure if it was from the tension in the room, the way he was watching me, or the concussion.

“I…I stepped out of the shop and was expecting to see the guards there. The street was empty, but I felt like someone was watching me. So, I decided to head to the car, but as I walked down the sidewalk, I realized the car wasn’t there.”

“Where are the guards usually when they take you someplace?”

“Right outside the store.” He nodded for me to continue. “I was going to call one of them, but I dropped my phone and that’s when the shot was fired. I got down on the ground until I heard tires squealing away—”

“Which direction?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“You need to pay attention to these things. It could save your life,” he snapped.

My heart started pounding in my chest at his tone, but I quickly reminded myself that I was strong. I thought back to where I was laying and how it sounded when I was on the ground. “South, I think.” I continued as he dipped his head in acknowledgement. “I ran for the shop. I was going to hide inside, but it was locked. I knew of a tea room up the street, and decided to duck in there.”

“Why not a closer shop?”

“Because the tea room is someplace I frequent. They know who I am and I knew they would do everything they could to hide me until my guards showed up. They don’t want to be on my father’s bad side. But as I was running down the street…the explosion came out of nowhere.”

“What happened after that?”

“I don’t know. I passed out.”

He stood suddenly and marched toward the door. Was that it? He didn’t want to talk to me anymore? But then he stepped aside and allowed another man to come in. “This is Patrick. He’s your new bodyguard.”

“Just one?” I asked curiously.

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