Beloved Bodyguard by Bonnie Dee Page A

gargoyle, and
the scars on his cheeks shifted as his mouth moved in what was
nearly a smile. Nikki felt ridiculously triumphant that she’d been
able to prod some sort of reaction from him. But of course, she
couldn’t take the win and let it rest.
    “ Seriously, why do you do
it? Is the money, like, unbelievable? Couldn’t you find anything
else you were good at? Or is it a family thing? Maybe you’re
‘connected’ and there’s no way out. I bet that—”
    Her chatter was interrupted by a ringing
phone. Not hers, his. He took the phone from the pocket of his
coat, checked the ID, then rose and walked toward the front of the
building.
    Her moment to run for it? Naw. The wash
cycle would be done soon, and she couldn’t abandon her laundry. She
watched the dark figure silhouetted against the brightly lit
windows. He looked like a cardboard cutout of a man, not quite
real.
    After a few seconds, he put the phone away,
and without another glance at her, he left the building.
    Nikki popped out of her chair and hurried to
the window. She watched Jay stride down the street with that
hitching step and get into his car. Then he drove away.
    Shift over? Surprise and relief wrestled
inside her. She had the surreal sensation that she’d dreamed the
whole thing. What a weird fucking night!
    And what now? Business as usual, except that
in addition to paying off liquor distributors, she had a new weekly
expense to budget for, a criminal partner who threatened her
livelihood in a whole new way.