‘Have you ever thought about getting involved in some way with veterans yourself? Working with one of these charities? You’d probably have to do some training, but you’d be a damn sight more useful to people who were struggling, like your friend, than someone who knew all the theory but had never served.’
They needed to get away from subjects that were dragging them both under. She’d given Will pause for thought with her question.
‘I’ve never really considered it. When I left the army twenty years ago, I’d had more than enough of the whole bloody thing, and I didn’t look back. My marriage was well and truly over, my son was more or less lost to me, and the last thing I wanted was to be tied to an office job.’
A vision of a suited Will lashed to a desk was a disturbing thought.
‘No, I can’t see you in an office environment.’
‘So I became a close protection bodyguard instead, to anyone who’d have me, ambassadors, billionaires, celebrities, you name it.’
‘It sounds fascinating, but I’m sure it isn’t always.’
‘No, it’s a job like any other, but with the added possibility that you need to be prepared to kill or be killed.’
Grace took a deep breath. She was going to say it.
‘Have you ever knowingly killed anyone?’
Will took another swipe at the beer Grace had rescued from the ground. He looked her straight in the eye.
‘Yes, in self-defence, while under fire. To protect the life of the person I worked for.’
Grace took a moment. She had asked the question. What did she expect? Could she ever be with someone who’d killed another human being as part of their work? Not that she was thinking of getting together with Will– it was just theoretical.
‘How? Did you shoot them?’
‘Yes.’
‘And why did you have a gun?’
‘You’re allowed to carry a gun outside the UK if it’s been approved. We always flew PJ– private jet– so the guns are checked in and out each end.’
Will forced out a weird chuckle.
‘When I first started as a bodyguard, and the other guys were talking about PJs, I thought they meant pyjamas at first…’
Grace didn’t laugh along. It was a world she knew nothing about, and she wasn’t sure how much more she did want to know. But she couldn’t stop herself.
‘Are the threats of kidnap real?’
‘In some parts of the world, very much so. Particularly for billionaires and their children. And even in London they don’t like to take any chances.’
Her curiosity got the better of her.
‘And do these children go to normal schools?’
‘Some are home tutored, but in one family I worked for, the children were at an ultra-exclusive private school in the city. We took it in turns to go in with them.’
‘And then what did you do? Hang around until they finished lessons?’
‘No… sit in the classroom with them.’
‘Hang on, you mean you had to sit with them all day?’
‘Yep.’
‘And were you the only one?’
