HER BODYGUARD

She was living on borrowed time, as well but somehow that mattered less. If he killed her this second, she would have only two regrets. First, that she wouldn’t be around to help those adorable kids anymore, and second, that Asher would always believe that she hadn’t trusted him or cared for him at all.

—————————-

Kimberly rode the elevator in silence, then stepped out in the elegant foyer and asked for Damon Forbes.

“I’m sorry” the lady they spoke to told her. “Mr Forbes is on vacation. Did you have an appointment?”

Kimberly turned to Christopher. “Did you make an appointment?” she asked him.

He nodded. “Paul Nelson is handling the transaction”

“Then Mr Nelson” Kimberly said.

“Of course. I will tell him you are here” she waited politely for their names.

Christopher put his arm around Kimberly and squeezed her tightly against him. “Miss Kimberly Blake. And I’m Christopher Keane… Here with her for… personal reasons”

“Of course” the young woman smiled, then spoke into her headset. “Mr Nelson will be right out” she said.

In a matter of minutes they had met the tall, handsome man who would handle the transaction and had been shown into a room. Floor to ceiling windows offered a view north.

“Miss Blake” Paul Nelson said as he held out a chair. “I understand you want to make some transfers”

She took a seat and forced herself to smile at the man. None of this was his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s but hers. “Yes please. I wish to transfer some money to Mr Keane’s account”

Paul Nelson raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment. Christopher passed a sheet of paper to him. Kimberly didn’t bother to look at it. What did the money matter? All she cared about right now was her father’s safety.

“This is a huge sum of money” Paul Nelson said.

“Yes” Kimberly stared at him as she spoke. She wanted to take the man aside and tell him to get on with it. That her father’s life was at stake. Instead she smiled. “I have brought identification with me, if that is the problem”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Paul chuckled. “No it’s not. Alright. I will prepare the withdrawal from your account and deposit into Mr Keane’s account”

Paul left the room, closing the door behind him. Kimberly rose and crossed to the window.

“What happens after this?” she asked. She knew he wasn’t going to let her go.

“Forget about that,” Christopher said. “Let’s handle one thing at a time. We will talk about that when we get out of here”

As Christopher spoke, the door to the room opened. Paul Nelson stepped in.

“just a couple of quick questions” he said, even as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a gun.

Kimberly was too stunned to speak. Christopher hadn’t turned around, so he didn’t see the other three men, all dressed in black, enter after Paul.

She stared in disbelief as her gaze settled on one of them.

Asher!

His dark gaze met hers. She felt him willing her to remain silent. As she had no plans to speak anytime soon, that was easy enough to do. Unfortunately Christopher glanced up and saw Paul holding a gun. He sprang to his feet and pulled out a weapon of his own. Even as he turned toward the other men, he reached into his jacket pocket.

“No!” Kimberly screamed, she lunged for him. If he got his hands on the detonator, he would kill her father.

He pulled out the small box and flipped open the cover. Asher reached him first and savagely kicked his wrist. The box fell to the ground and went skidding across the hardwood floor. She dived for it, even as Christopher grabbed for her. Somewhere behind her a gun chambered a round. A heartbeat later, a bullet exploded just above her head.

Kimberly ignored the flying plaster. She grabbed the box and wrapped her fingers around it. Behind her her heard a scuffle as Asher’s men subdued Christopher. She carefully closed the top of the box and breathed a sigh of relief.

Only then did she turn around and watch as Christopher was handcuffed. Paul Nelson slipped his gun back into his holster and patted Asher on the shoulder.

“Nice work. Good timing” he said.

“Yeah. You too” Asher replied.

Kimberly glanced between the two men. “You called him?” she asked.

Asher shook his head. “Actually I called him” he said. “When I saw that email I knew it was a trick. I knew your dad was okay. And I knew the bastard was just after the money, so I called your bank”

He crossed to her and crouched next to her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded and started to stand. He helped her to her feet. She handed him the device.

“It’s connected to my dad’s car.” she said. “If you push the button, the brakes go out”

“You can call him right?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kimberly replied. “He has your phone”

Asher fished his phone out of Christopher’s pocket and handed it to her. “Call him and tell him to pull over. I will contact the highway patrol and ask them to pick him up”

Nothing in Asher’s calm expression gave away what he was thinking. It was as if none of this mattered to him. As if she were only a client. But that couldn’t be true, she thought. She had to matter.

But first she wanted her father safe.

Fingers trembling. She called him.

“Dad? It’s Kimberly” she said when he picked up.

“Hello honey, is everything okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine. Listen to me, Dad, you need to pull over right now. Please. Just pull to the side of the road. There is something wrong with your car”

She waited, breathless, willing him to believe her.

After a long pause, her father said. “Kimberly, you have been through a lot. Are you sure that you are all right?” he asked.

“I’m not crazy, dad” she said. “You have to listen to me”

“What’s the noise, Kimberly? Where are you?”

“I’m at the bank. Your friend Christopher kidnapped me and brought me here to transfer money to him… He has been behind everything that has been happening….” What did it matter? She didn’t know how to get her father to listen.

She turned as the men Asher had brought led Christopher from the room.