Page 33 of The Bodyguard
Still, a girl had to take precautions.
I made my way back through the house to Hank’s study. There was a gun safe in a corner of the room. I knew the combination, we’d all known the combination growing up. Hank was a believer in arming his girls for protection.
I pulled a nine millimeter Glock from one of the shelves. I would sleep with it under my pillow tonight and then think about what action I would take tomorrow.
My options seemed limited. I could wait it out, but I had done that these last few weeks by leaving LA and that hadn’t worked. I could tell Garrett, let him know to be on alert, but everything in me cringed at having that conversation.
There was another option. An option that money provided. Money I wasn’t certain I had yet, but maybe I could take the risk. I could hire a bodyguard. A professional who would come out to the house and stay here.
But for how long? Indefinitely?
Would this person ever give up? Or would it get worse?
Would it get dangerous?
* * *
GARRETT
Dusty Creek
I was coming out of the diner after lunch when I spotted her. Not that she was easy to miss, with her red leather jacket and four-inch high heels. Her long dark hair swinging down her back.
She was wearing the big round sunglasses again, and just like last time, I wanted to pull them off her face.
I shouldn’t have followed her. In my gut I knew that. Sabrina King was part of my past, not part of my future. But she was crossing the street on her way to the grocery store, and suddenly I couldn’t help myself.
I made my way down the sidewalk toward her. I told myself I had a bunch of reasons. I wanted to know why she’d bolted the other night when we were having drinks. I wanted to know if I had said or done anything to upset her. Had she been offended I had even offered her a potato chip?
Really, I think I just wanted to see her again. Make her smile.
I was coming up on her but I could tell she hadn’t noticed me.
“Sabrina,” I called to her. For a second she froze, and then she screamed. I saw her reach for her purse as she turned in my direction, and it was the craziest thing, but I felt like I needed to reach for my sidearm.
What the fuck?
As soon as she saw it was me, her body relaxed.
“Brin, what the hell?” I said as I approached her.
“You startled me.” Her voice was a little raspy.
“In the middle of the day in front of the Piggly Wiggly?”
“So? I’m jumpy. Big deal.” She had her arms crossed over her middle as if she was trying to protect herself.
Something didn’t make sense, but I was starting to figure out that if I pushed her, her MO was to bolt.
I looked down at the purse she was clutching in her hand. “You carrying?”
Immediately her back went up. “I have a license. I’m allowed. Do you want to have a conversation about my Second Amendment rights? Do you?”
“Not particularly. I was just curious.”
“Oh.” Again her body seemed to relax. “Anyway, did you want something?”
I wanted to take her glasses off. I wanted to see her eyes. I wanted to know if she was really afraid of something or this was just Brin being Brin and putting on a show.
