Page 40 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

I give her a look. “I know what it is. I mean, what is it for?”

“She asks too many questions,” the bald man, Hayes, barks over his shoulder. His voice is tight and clipped. “Does she want to go on a run or not?”

I place both hands on my hips and glare at his back. “Sheis standing right here, Hayes.”

Hayes grunts in response and says nothing.

“He must be a hoot to have around,” I mumble under my breath. “A real life of the party.”

Riley chuckles and tucks a lock of auburn hair behind her ears. “Hayes isn’t so bad. He just doesn’t like being on guard duty.”

“Stop gossiping, and let’s go.” Hayes cranes his head over his shoulder and gives us both a disapproving look. “Or are we staying inside?”

“Fuck no.” I tug on the sleeves of my sweater then straighten my back. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“About damn time,” Hayes grumbles as I brush past him.

Riley falls into step beside me as the other guard, a short, tan man, trails behind us with a strange expression on his face. As soon as I descend the stairs, Riley moves ahead of me, her eyes darting around the empty hallway. Then she twists the knob and holds the door open.

Once I step outside, I breathe a sigh of relief and tilt my head back, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face.

“Hurry up,” Hayes snaps close to my ear.

“She’s been locked in a room for hours. Give her a minute,” Riley says in a tight voice. “She deserves to enjoy this.”

Hayes mutters something under his breath before lapsing into silence.

A moment later, I let my head fall forward and straighten my back. “So, am I allowed to run anywhere or is there a path?”

Riley offers me a small smile and makes a vague hand gesture. “I’ll show you. Just follow my lead.”

I nod and stretch my arms over my head. “Okay.”

After a few seconds of stretching, Riley takes off, kicking up dirt and gravel in her wake. I lift my arms loosely and jog at a safe distance, my breath loud in my ears. With trees on either side of me and nothing but a gravel path stretching out ahead, it almost feels like a regular Sunday morning. If I close my eyes, I can imagine myself passing by the falafel stand on my way home, covered in sweat with adrenaline bursting through my veins. Afterwards, I would trudge upstairs, collapse onto the couch, and stuff my face.

Sunday mornings are my favorite.

Like the entire world is fast asleep, and I am the only person left in existence.

A yellow and green bird swoops past us before launching toward the sky. It lets out a loud chirp and, moments later, is met with a resounding chorus of them, bringing a smile to my face. I throw my head back and slow to a trot until I collide with Riley’s back and teeter backwards.

At the last second, Riley’s arm closes around my waist, and she rights me. She uses the back of her hand to wipe the thin sheen of sweat off of her face. The corners of her lips twitch.

“If you’re going to run, you should pay attention to the road,” Riley advises, her brown eyes warm and assessing. “Or do you want to just make it a walk?”

I shake my head. “No, I want to run. I just got distracted.”

There is too much pent-up and restless energy inside of me. Having spent the last day inside my room, with only Shane stopping by for a few minutes every hour, it is refreshing to be outside with the wind in my hair and the earth beneath my feet. It also helps that Riley, unlike the other female guard, behaves like a human being and treats me with kindness and sympathy.

It is more than I can say for the others.

She is preferable to Shane, who only comes in to boss me around and shout things at me. Less than a day into my captivity, and he still thinks I am going to fall for his act and trip all over myself trying to please him. Granted, I am starting to doubt the role he played in all of this, but I’m not going to let it affect my judgment.

Not without proof, at least.

If Shane wants me to believe he’s a victim too, he’s got a lot more explaining to do, especially considering the leverage he has over me.

In a few more days, I am going to be back home, nestled in my cramped living room space, with music playing from my laptop and a book on my lap. In the meantime, all I have to do is play the part of the compliant captive and gather as much information as I can.

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