Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(55)

‘But I can’t hang around Alicia forever without her eventually suspecting something.’

‘Colonel Black’s well aware of that possibility,’ Charley admitted. ‘And we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, stay on guard. I fear there may be a storm coming.’

Connor sat up straight. ‘Have you intercepted more threats?’

‘No, exactly the opposite. It’s gone quiet.’





‘They literally came out of  nowhere,’ revealed Alicia to her friends, who sat transfixed on a picnic bench in the schoolyard. ‘One moment we were walking to the park, the next these two gangsters jumped us.’

Not exactly out of nowhere, thought Connor, recalling their carefully planned assault.

‘I bet that was terrifying,’ said Kalila.

‘Too right!’ Alicia replied. ‘But Connor wasn’t scared. He leapt straight into action, even though one of them had a knife.’

The girls all gazed at Connor in awe.

‘You’re so brave,’ remarked Paige.

‘It was nothing,’ replied Connor, wishing to play down his role. ‘Anyone in my shoes would have done the same.’

‘No, they wouldn’t,’ protested Alicia. ‘Connor, you took them both down in seconds. You were truly amazing!’

‘Serves them right too,’ said Grace.

‘But where were the Secret Service?’ asked Kalila.

Alicia offered a guilty smile. ‘We’d given them the slip.’

‘Yeah, but who needs Secret Service when you’ve got Connor!’ laughed Grace, striking a fighting pose. ‘He’s a ninja warrior!’

Nudging Kalila, Paige whispered, ‘If I didn’t already have a date for the prom, I know who I’d want to take me.’

‘Hands off, Paige, he’s mine!’ said Grace, putting a possessive arm round Connor’s shoulders.

Alicia gently pushed her friend away. ‘Hey, you’ve already got a date with Darryl.’

‘Darryl who?’ replied Grace innocently and the girls laughed.

Although flattered by the attention, Connor hoped it would soon die down. If any of the girls actually did take a fancy to him, this might compromise his ability to protect Alicia. There was even the risk one of them might guess his true role.

As the girls pressed Alicia for more details of Connor’s heroism, Connor glanced at his new watch – a gift from the President for protecting his daughter. He’d felt awkward at accepting it, but the President had insisted. Surprisingly, Dirk Moran had also encouraged his acceptance, afterwards instructing Connor to wear it night and day. It was then that Connor discovered the watch had been implanted with a micro-GPS tracker by the director. The Secret Service had also been granted access to his mobile-phone locator. Dirk was taking no more chances with him – wherever he went, the Secret Service would know.

‘I wish I’d come along now,’ said Paige. ‘It sounds so exciting.’

‘Next time I’ll call you, so you don’t miss any of the action,’ joked Alicia.

‘That reminds me,’ said Kalila, rifling through her bag. ‘My eldest brother bought me a new cellphone.’

‘Lucky you!’ said Grace. ‘The most my brother’s ever given me is his old console.’

Kalila pulled out a slim touchscreen phone. ‘I’d better give you my new number.’

Finding their mobiles, the girls bumped phones and transferred contact details.

‘What about Connor?’ Paige suggested. ‘You never know when you might need his protection.’

‘Well … OK,’ said Kalila, turning shy at the idea. ‘But if you do call me, Connor, I’ll have to put your number under a girl’s name, just in case any of my brothers happen to see.’

‘No problem,’ said Connor, unlocking his mobile. ‘You can put me in as Daisy if you want!’

Giggling at the suggestion, Kalila bumped phones and Connor accepted the incoming vCard containing her contact details.

‘So this is where the tough guy hangs out?’ said Ethan, swaggering over to their picnic bench. ‘With the girls!’

Behind Ethan, Jimbo glared at Connor, doing his best to intimidate him. Connor groaned inwardly at their appearance. Clearly, word of Alicia’s mugging was spreading through the school like wildfire.

‘Not jealous, are we?’ goaded Grace.

Ethan snorted. ‘Me? He only beat up a couple of street bums. I’ve hit more home runs this season than any batter in the state. There’s no contest!’

‘But Connor saved Alicia’s life,’ said Kalila.

‘Well, if I’d been with Alicia, those bums wouldn’t have got within spitting distance in the first place.’ He turned to Alicia and puffed out his chest. ‘Next time you want to go out in DC, stick with me.’

Connor couldn’t believe the boy’s arrogance. And he very much doubted whether Ethan would have even noticed the gangsters approaching, let alone have had the courage to stand and fight.

‘Speaking of which, Alicia,’ continued Ethan. ‘Have you come to a decision yet?’

‘About what?’

‘The prom!’ he cried in exasperation.