Oh. Okay, then. So… less a genetic anomaly and more like a preview of human evolution.
Well.
I, for one, welcomed the future of humanity. Couldn’t get here fast enough.
Do not swallow your tongue, Carter. Don’t do it.
“Carter, meet William Riggs. Your new bodyguard.”
“My…” Shock broke through the lust haze like being thrown into cold water. “My who now?”
“Your bodyguard.” Grandfather grinned slyly, like a hunter about to spring a trap. “The one you agreed to take to Venezuela for your protection.”
“I… what? No. I agreed to take a thing to protect me. A four-leaf clover. A can of mace. I did not agree to take an entire… tree-sized human being with me—”
“He’s fully vaccinated, trained in first aid, and I’m paying his expenses.” Grandfather drew a deep breath and sighed in satisfaction at a job well done. “I appreciate you trying to understand my point of view, Carter. Compromise really is important.”
“I… but…”
“Remember, now! Satellite calls once a week. Sunscreen daily.”
“I’ll make sure of it, sir,” Shoulders said, respect dripping from his voice. “I promise you, no one will touch a hair on his head.”
“Excellent. I’ll be reporting great things to your boss, Riggs! Now, I’ll just leave you boys to sort out the details.” Grandfather patted my arm as he departed, leaning on Martine’s arm for support.
I set my jaw.
Okay. Alright. This was fine. This was an old man’s overreaction, and I understood it, even if I didn’t like it. But that didn’t mean that Shoulders and I couldn’t come to an agreement that satisfied all parties.
“Mr. Riggs,” I began with a friendly smile. “I need you to understand a few things—”
“Riggs.”
I frowned. “Uh, yeah. That’s what I said.”
“Nope. You said Mr. Riggs. I go by Riggs with everyone but my friends.” He folded his arms over his chest. “And you and I are not friends, Carter. You’re a principal. A body I’m protecting. A job. Remember that.”
My head went back, and my shoulders followed. Of course we weren’t friends. I had no interest in being his friend. But who the hell talked like that, to a client especially?
“Well, I go by Dr. Rogers with everyone who’s not a friend,” I lied. And when he rolled his eyes, I added in a nasty voice, “Especially people who work for me, like yourself. So, as I was saying, I need you to understand—”
Riggs shook his head firmly. “No, I need you to understand. You and I are getting on a plane for Caracas tomorrow because you’ve chosen to put yourself in harm’s way—”
Was he for real?
“So I can do important, life-saving work,” I reminded him.
He rolled his eyes again. “Sure. Okay. Whatever. In any case, we’re getting on a plane for Caracas—”
“Don’t you whatever me. Admit I’m right! Say ‘Yes, you’re doing important, life-changing work, Dr. Rogers.’”
I had no idea why I was pushing this issue. I didn’t know this man from Adam. I sincerely hoped I’d never see him again. Why did I care what he thought? But after dealing with Grandfather’s worry, and my own worry over Kev, and this palatial but un-asked-for house, I felt like my life was spinning wildly out of control. And Riggs’s smirk was the final straw.
His smirk grated on me, but that would have been fine until he opened his mouth. “Listen, you’re probably a nice enough guy, but clearly you haven’t spent much time outside of Tennessee if you think passing out Band-Aids to people who are living in abject poverty is actually changing lives.” He shrugged. “Not that it’s any of my business, just that I’ll have to take your need to play hero into account while I’m protecting you, that’s all. Which is why I’m sticking to you like white on rice the whole time, and you’re gonna do every single thing I say.”
I literally gasped. Nice enough guy? And I hadn’t spent much time outside Tennessee? He thought I was going to obey him? I laughed out loud.
“Oh-ho-ho, that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Riggs. Because you’re fired.” I nodded firmly. “Fired, effective this very instant. Your delusions of grandeur end here. And you’d better believe your boss will be getting an earful from me about your attitude with clients.”
Mr. Riggs smiled—a silky, sexy, smug thing that should not have hit me like a blow to the solar plexus. “That’s where you’re wrong, Duchess.”
“Duchess?” I demanded, hands on my hips. “What?”
“Descended from royalty, huh?” He tilted his head back toward the bar, where he must have overheard my conversation with Red Johnson. Fuck. “I bet you’re real used to getting your way. One of those guys who can’t stand not being in charge of alllll the pieces on the chessboard, every minute of the day. Well, get used to it, Dr. Rogers, because you are my one shot at redemption. Your safety is my mission.” He leaned in toward me, so close I could feel the heat of his body coming off him in waves and smell the tangy woodsmoke of his cologne. “You don’t have to like me, but you are going to let me protect you. And—” He lowered his voice to a whisper that crawled into my brain. “—you can’t fire me, because you are not my client—your grandfather is. You are just the job.”