Deadly Testimony (Safeguard #2)(8)

She considered him for another moment and he honestly wondered if she’d walk right back out of the room. Instead though, she glanced at his escort and gave each a nod. “Isabelle Scott. I was heading up the security detail last evening for a prior client.”

Yes, an up-and-coming socialite in the area. The man had hired Safeguard because private security added to his image. It hadn’t taken long to find information about him and find out who he’d hired. Hotel staff loved to chatter about the higher profile customers. Apparently, the man’s only complaint was that the head of his security team was unfriendly and unnecessarily abrupt.

From where Kyle was standing, he could understand where the man’s commentary was coming from but if Kyle made an educated guess, he’d bet the man had tried to blur the line between business and pleasure and Miss Isabelle Scott made no time for idiots.

“I was fortunate you were there.” He gave a sincere smile, not something he did often. “Your timing was excellent.”

She grunted.

Not a sound he heard from a woman often but somehow, coming from her, it wasn’t harsh. It...reminded him of his mother. He grinned.

Her gaze sharpened. “Something funny?”

Where Officer Weaver’s toughness translated to a coarse outward personality, Isabelle Scott’s strength had a predatory edge to it. Pinned by her current ire, he did experience some trepidation.

But he only smiled wider. “Not funny. No. I’m just impressed.”

She blinked. There was no commentary to acknowledge his compliment but he thought he saw a hint of a dusky rose blush to her cheeks through her bronze complexion.

“Normally, Centurions don’t work solo.” She glanced at Diaz and then at the marshal and officers. “But this contract doesn’t seem to need more than one operator to augment the current protection in place and we’re not in the practice of charging a client for redundancy.”

Confidence. Maybe a defensive edge to her tone. More and more interesting with every moment.

“Centurions? I thought this company was called Safeguard.” Austin probably tried to sound critical but he only succeeded in grumbling.

It was Diaz who answered. “We’re all still a part of the Centurion Corporation, Officer. Safeguard, as a specialized division, may have resources rotate in and out from other postings within the Centurion Corporation. Besides, what would you call us, Safeguard-ians? None of us uses a warhammer.”

“Okay, we got it. Centurions.” Weaver cut off whatever retort Austin was going to give and the two glared at each other.

That was part of the tedium of having the two of them assigned to Kyle’s witness protection. The only time they weren’t taking shots at each other was when they were mutually annoyed at him. The fun of it wore off after the first few hours. Their commentary got repetitive.

After weeks of following their directions, sitting in substandard hotel rooms and eating horrible fast food, Kyle had reached the end of his tolerance. It’d taken everything he’d had left to convince them to allow him to stay in a decent hotel for the past few nights and after last night’s incident, he was likely doomed to return to awful accommodations if he left it to them. No. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, go on with so little control over his situation.

This act, hiring a person with a vested interest in keeping him safe, was his way of taking control back. And preserving his sanity.

Kyle crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. When Isabelle’s gaze returned to him, he addressed her, “I’m open to whatever expertise you’d like to share.”

Her brows drew together. “Protecting you is our business now. Per the contract, you follow my instructions. You don’t and you’re exposed. Maybe dead, if your concerns are correct. I still get paid. But I prefer for my clients to survive and be referenceable.”

He noted she didn’t say her clients had to be happy and chuckled. “At least our preferences are in alignment.”

Tiny muscles in her jaw tightened beneath her smooth skin and irritation flared in her dark eyes as she caught the innuendo. He was pricking her temper. It was probably not a good idea, but too often he was extremely entertained by indulging bad ideas. Riling up Isabelle Scott was going to be an exceedingly fantastic bad idea.

“I’m going to need some time to talk with the marshal and officers here.” She lifted her chin in the direction of the still-seated escorts. “Then I’ll decide what changes you’re going to need to make.”

That stopped him. They’d already taken him from his home and halted his search for employment. His life was on hold for this trial. “What changes?”

“Depends on what you’ve been doing up until now.” Isabelle shrugged. “Then we alter your pattern.”

Kyle opened his mouth to ask more but Diaz rose in a smooth economy of motion. “I’ll take Mr. Yeun to my office to finish signing. You can pick him up there.”

Isabelle nodded.

“Now just wait a minute.” Kyle wrestled with his own anger, an unfamiliar feeling. “This is going to go in accordance with—”

“No, Mr. Yeun, it’s not.” Isabelle’s flat statement cut over him before he could gain momentum. “If you want me protecting you, then you are not calling the shots. I’m the expert in this. Not you. And I intend to use my expertise to keep you safe. That includes not allowing you to run around leading the rest of us by the wallet. You are not the person in charge from the moment you sign that contract.”