“Yes, sir,” the man said, repeating back all of the shops Elena had listed off to them.
This would complicate matters later on. If they had to clear every location with Leon, this would take ages, never mind her plan.
With a grunt, the man hung up the phone and climbed in behind the wheel, revving the engine as another of the guards packed his bulk in the front passenger seat. Just when she thought they’d take off, the third made his entrance beside her. Keeping his distance from her, he hugged the opposite door, palm resting on the butt of his gun the entire time.
“Honestly, how many people does it take,” Elena muttered as the SUV finally lurched into motion.
This would ruin her plans. She’d chosen the specific shops in the order she’d given them because they would take her close enough to the lawyer’s that it wouldn’t seem completely out of the way. One man she might have been able to convince, two would have been a sight harder, but three? Impossible.
“I need to make an additional stop,” Elena ventured as they neared the shopping district with all its busy glass fronts and artful taste.
“We’ve already cleared your agenda with the boss,” the other one in the front said.
“It’s just one place. It’ll take all of five minutes.” Perhaps more like forty-five minutes as she was arriving without an appointment and had no idea if Lamberti was even in his offices today.
The SUV lurched to a stop, the brakes squealing as the driver brought the car before the first of Elena’s proposedlocations. He didn’t even bother to turn around as he said, “We’re here and we’re staying here until you’re finished. Then we will go on to the next place, and so on, as the boss agreed to.”
His tone was so patronizing and full of ridicule, Elena growled. She wrenched the door open, knowing it was stupid, but she enjoyed their scrambling to unpack their bulky frames from the car as she slid out with ease. Stalking her way onto the sidewalk, her lip curled as they forced their way into a tight circle around her before she’d even made it into the shadow of the store.
“Are you planning on coming in with me then,” Elena demanded with a sneer, flicking her fingers at the shop that catered to lingerie.
“You have twenty minutes,” the first man snarled.
“It will take as long as it takes,” Elena said with a light sniff, brows arching high as all three guards scowled at her. “Unless you want me to tell mymatethat I didn’t get what he wanted me to because I was being rushed.”
She hated to use her connection to him now as part of this, but there was nothing for it. Elena wasn’t just some passing fancy in Leon’s life. She was his would-be mate, his Omega, and the first at that. That held importance.
It was enough to make the other two back down with much grumbling and sneers in her direction, but they didn’t have the will to say anything against her. The first, however, wasn’t so easily cowed.
“He’s said you’re to be home in time for dinner. That’s six o’clock sharp,” the man ground out between clenched teeth. “You want to get to all these fancy shops, then you best get a move on,miss.”
Elena realized her mistake too late. She’d overplayed her hand, made them feel slighted. Linda did that often, and the guards despised her for it. Cursing herself for a fool, Elenaturned on her heel and stomped into the shop, waving away the woman who came rushing towards her to offer assistance.
Snatching up nothing more than the absolute essentials, she slapped her purchases down on the counter. Livid over the fact she was using his money and not her own, she took her anger out on the fine silk and satins with their pretty lace. She thrust the gleaming black card towards the woman behind the counter.
Purchase made in half the time the man had allotted her, Elena stalked out of the store. She didn’t wait for one of them to open the door for her, wrenching it open so that she could climb up onto the seat. Each location would take her even further away and she had no recourse to get to Lamberti’s now.
Except maybe she did…
“Wait,” Elena shouted, jumping down from the SUV before the Beta could slam the door in her face. Holding her ground on the sidewalk, she looked between them all and decided it was worth a shot. “I still need to go to one more place. It’s not far from here.”
“I already told you?—”
“If you won’t drive me, then I’ll walk. What’s a few city blocks?”
The leader of this band of disgruntled guards turned bright red, the tips of his ears bloody as he leaned down to bring his face even with Elena’s. “You’re not going anywhere but home.”
“I most certainly am not,” Elena said with a toss of her head, acting the part of spoiled debutante with an ease that disturbed her. “Either you drive me, or I walk.”
They stared each other down for what felt like hours but was nothing more than a mere moment at best before he stood tall and swept his arm out in a grand gesture. Inviting her to begin on a journey he didn’t think her brave enough to take.
Foolish of him, really. Elena rolled her shoulders in a shrug and set off down the sidewalk towards the part of town wherethe law offices were. She hadn’t lied. It was only eight, maybe ten blocks away. Not far at all really, and she’d done far more walking in recent days than was good for her reputation.
“Get back in the car,” the leader snapped, moving to block Elena’s path.
They wouldn’t touch her. Not if they valued their lives. Oh, Leon might not care if they disrespected her as they had been, but to touch a man’s mate, his prized Omega, was anathema. Their lives would be forfeit. They all knew it.
“Not until I go to one more stop,” Elena said, veering around his bulk to continue on.
