I said, “Yeah, he won’t be going anywhere near Ms. Flores again.”
“Good, King, because we get paid to protect people. We don’t bring trouble to the people who need protecting.”
“I understand, sir.”
“Get back to work.”
Chase and I nodded our heads and left. More than anything, I just wanted to get back to Serayah, explain what happened, and make sure she was okay.
***
Chase kept watch downstairs while I took the elevator up to Serayah’s. When I got to her door, Gabe was standing there. He looked at me and asked, “You okay?”
“I’m good. How is she?” I pointed to the door.
He shrugged. “She didn’t talk much. She seemed confused. She was a little mad at being taken away from a place with no explanation.”
I nodded my head and said, “Thanks.”
I knocked on the door. “Ms. Flores, it’s me, King.” I could hear her unlocking the locks, but she didn’t open the door. Gabe side-eyed me and winced, like I was in trouble. Rolling my eyes, I smacked his chest with the back of my hand before I opened the door.
After I stepped inside, I closed the door behind me, locked it, and leaned against the wall. Serayah was hiding somewhere. She drove me crazy. I had only spent a few weeks in her presence, but it was killing me. She was smart, sexy, playful, and fun to be around, too. Every time I saw her, I thought about our night at Velvet Arrow and how amazing she felt. Then my mind went back to the night in the car. I thought it was a sick joke of the universe to make me her bodyguard.
I’d been trying my hardest to keep everything professional, but we’d already crossed that line, twice, and that made what happened at the coffee shop even worse. Me showing up on my day off instead of just telling Mack and Gabe what to do…was reckless.
“Ms. Flores…?” I called out.
She finally came walking out of the hallway in a pair of sweats and a half T-shirt that showed her stomach. It was taking everything in me not to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom.
“What doyouwant?” she asked.
“I came in to apologize to you about yanking you away from the coffee shop.”
She stood there silently for minute, before telling me, “Okay. So, apologize.”
I cleared my throat. “Right. I’m sorry. That guy you were talking to… he’s…not a good man.”
She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the couch. “Oh, no? Who is he, then? And don’t tell me he’s nobody.”
“He’s someone from my past. Because I do have a past, Ms. Flores. My old world was never supposed to touch my new world… and it was never supposed to touch you. I didn’t like him talking to you. I didn’t like him flirting with you, and I definitely didn’t like the way he looked at you. After you went to the car, I talked to him, and I didn’t like the way he talkedaboutyou, either.”
“You’re crazy,” she said.
“Crazy? Yeah, Iwascrazy, once.”
“Once? When?”
“It was a long time ago. Like I said, we all have a past. Mine is just really colorful.”
She walked up and stood in front of me. “Maybe someday you’ll tell me about it.”
“Maybe. Someday. Get some rest, Ms. Flores. Gabe is outside your door. Chase is downstairs. I’m supposed to be off today, so I’m gonna head home.”
“Goodnight, King.” The way she said my name went straight to my cock. This woman was going to be the death of me.
***
I walked into my apartment, well, if you can call it that, and hung my keys on the key hook. It’s called anefficiency, meaning one room. I looked down at my hand. It was red from punching Nico in the face, but I’d heal up quickly.
