The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(53)

Then I made the mistake of trying to talk to my father. I should have known better, it never goes well for me. I never get what I want unless it was his idea.

“What do you mean?” I shrieked at my father, upset. This was exactly why I was so sick of this. He'd denied me the right to leave the grounds, even with my body guards. I could strangle him I was so mad.

“You are to stay here until further notice. No leaving, no outings. John here is going to take care of the problem.” Her father told her. “Once their hit man is out of commission, and I deal with the root of the problem, you should be safe again. It's only for a few days, or a couple weeks at the most.”

“I am so sick of this father! I want out. I don't want you to be my father anymore; I can't take this life of crime and violence. I want a life free of all of this. You cannot protect me forever, you need to let me disappear and go where no one can find me. Change my name, my appearance and be out of your life,” I told him, frustrated. “You are going to get me killed, just like you got mother killed.”

“That is not fair. I didn't kill your mother, that was the Chinese," My father told me, looking upset that I'd even brought my mother up. She'd been the only woman he'd ever loved, but his love hadn't been enough to keep her safe. And I didn't believe for a minute it would keep me safe either.

My father escorted me out of his office like I was a child and slammed the door of his office in my face, leaving me standing there, mad enough to kick something. I reached my fist up about to pound on the door just to bug him when I was startled from behind.

“What's your name?” a deep voice asked, and I twirled around to see the man my father called John standing there. Now what did he want? Couldn't he see my agitation with my father? A smart man would have stayed out of it. Maybe this man wasn't very smart.

“What do you want?” I glared at him, irritated with the situation.

“You to tell me your name, I'm John,” he told me and gave me a half grin that had me wanting to slap him. I knew my anger was misplaced, but I also didn't get involved with anyone my father worked with. If you worked with my father you weren't a good guy.

“Sofie,” I told him, I don't know why I gave him a real answer, that's not what I was expecting to say, but I looked into his blue eyes and I got lost. He had that golden skin that showed he spent a lot of time outdoors, and his blue eyes had just a hint of sea foam green in them that reminded me of ocean waves.

I was tall, but he made me feel feminine and petite, he had to be at least six and a half feet tall. And stood over half a foot taller than me. I wasn't used to it.

“Well, Sofie, it looks like you're stuck with me for a while at least. Your father felt you needed protection, so here I am.” He pulled out a piece of gum from his pocket and put it in his mouth. He acted so casual about his announcement that it almost didn't register in my brain.

I watched his lips close around the blue mint stick and swallowed hard. I would not think about his mouth and tongue, or kissing me. Or anything. Nope, I wasn't even going there. Just because he looked like the kind of man who could be a cowboy, doesn't mean I wanted to get to know him.

“How'd you get saddled with this job?” I asked him, I really wanted to run away, but instead I decided to stay and talk to him. He was new and unlike most of my bodyguards he didn't seem scared to even look at me. I wondered if I could manipulate him into doing what I wanted.

“I offered. I am new to your father's empire, and I suppose you could say I wanted to prove my worth to him. What a better way than keeping the princess alive?” He grinned at me, flashing his white teeth and I wanted to smack him.

“I'm not a princess,” I told him and then went to walk off and leave him standing in the hallway when he grabbed my arm. “Hey!”

“I know about the stunts you pulled trying to get away from your guards, listen to me now and listen to me good,” John told him, his expression hardening and for a moment, I felt a shiver go up my spine. This was not a man you wanted to cross. “Your life is in serious danger, so if you want to die, go ahead and be foolish and stupid. I will keep you alive until we solve this, but if you do your best to get yourself killed, I'm not your babysitter. I can't protect stupid, and you don't strike me as a stupid woman, Sofie.”

I stared at him and then down at the hand on my arm. Realizing that he hadn't let go yet, and that I was leaning slightly closer to him. Jumping back alarmed by my own reaction I put some much-needed space between us and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Fine, if you stay out of my way, I'll stay here until you catch the bad guys,” I grumbled at him and then he winked at me and I blushed. He kept me on my toes and I had no idea how to react to him. Irritated, turned on, whatever, those emotions were all close enough I tried to convince myself I was just manifesting frustration into a sexual desire to cope with my life. There's no way my attraction to him could be real.... could it?

“Don't worry princess, I'll keep you safe,” John promised me, and I shook my head. He wasn't dropping the princess thing and he's lucky I didn't kick him in the shin for it. But if he kept it up, all bets were off on the shin kicking. I normally wasn't violent besides my occasional temper and yelling, but right now, I was on the edge of sanity and he was pushing my limits.