Page 42 of Their Property
"Yes." I walked forward, putting distance between us instead of leaning back into his chest like I wanted to.
Governor Perry hadhis nephew Nathan in his office with him, unsurprisingly, along with two other higher-ranking officials.
“Miss Vance, please.” Perry gestured to the armchair in front of his desk. “Take a seat.”
He still wasn't addressing me by my title, Ambassador, but now didn't seem like the best time to correct him.
“What can I do for you, Governor?” I eased into the chair, taking note of the leering gazes of the other men in the room.
The governor’s gaze hovered above my head on the bodyguards who stood dutifully around me. “Might I have some privacy to speak with the ambassador, gentlemen?”
“You may not, Governor,” T-Bone said with a surprising amount of calm.
Perry huffed, his bushy eyebrows drawing together. “We will be discussing matters concerning the territory. Matters of security—”
“The ambassador's security is our concern,” Dyno broke in. “We're not interested in matters of the territory. We're just doing our job.”
“Oh, for fuck's sake,” Nathan blurted out. “Nothing's going to happen while we speak to her for ten goddamn minutes. You act like someone's going to snatch her away if you're not hovering every waking second.”
“We don't know if that'll happen or not.” Dyno shrugged. “We're here to mitigate that risk.”
One of the governor's cabinet members spoke up. “Are you insinuating that the ambassador would be less safe in a room with us than with the likes ofyou?” The insult was clear, and it was one that my bodyguards would not take lying down.
“Are you insinuating that we harm women,sir?”T-Bone fired back.
“Please!” I shot to my feet, desperate to get this under control before it got uglier. “Stop.” The room went ominously silent as I turned to face my bodyguards. “Wait for me outside,” I said in a low whisper. “I'll be there soon.”
“Mm-mm,” Grudge said with an emphatic shake of his head.
“No,” T-Bone echoed, eyes blazing.
“I don't like this, Kyrie.” Dyno's scrutinizing gaze flicked to the faces behind me.
“I don't either,” I admitted. “But I need to keep the peace in my work place. If I'm not out in ten minutes, feel free to barge back in.”
Seconds ticked by and the guys didn't budge.
“Please,” I said again. “I know you guys don't care about appeasing them, but do this because I'm asking you to.”
I was almost going to plead a third time when T-Bone jerked his head toward the door. “Go.”
Dyno and Grudge looked at him for only a moment before following the order, leaving the office.
“You're absolutely sure?” T-Bone's gaze bore into me, heating my blood. His lips remained parted after speaking, and I couldn't stop staring at them.
Getting turned on by my bodyguard in front of onlooking politicians was probably not the right reaction, but I found myself caring less with each passing second.
“Yes,” I whispered.
If only I could be answering a completely different question, such as,Can I kiss you, Kyrie?
But T-Bone was already leaning away, heading for the door. “Ten minutes,” he said before joining the other two outside.
I turned back around, dreading the disappointment and disapproval I would see on the faces of the governor and his cohorts. Their expressions were just as I expected, frowning and tight-lipped.
But in the corner of the room, I caught a familiar silhouette holding an axe and a circular shield.
I returned my focus to the panel of men, drawing on the unwavering strength of my valkyrie watching over me. “I apologize, gentlemen. My guards can be…zealous when it comes to my personal protection.”
