B - stard (Royal Bastards MC) - Sapphire Knight Page 0,4
much stress and worrying always wear me out. He turns on a classical piece I enjoy and keeps the volume low enough not to disturb me. The comfort from the Cadillac’s leather seats, the dark windows, and the sweet melody from the piano lull me to sleep.
“We’re here, Alice.” I’m shaken awake. That was a long, boring ride, and I must’ve dozed off again.
“Here?” I mumble, half awake. “I thought you said six more hours.”
I’m met with Richardson’s amused grin. “Yes, ma’am. We’re in the middle of Texas. To be more precise, we’re in the city of Pflugerville. We passed a cool looking water park, but you were sleeping pretty hard, so I didn’t want to wake you yet.”
“Thanks, errm, is this our hotel?” I drag my eyes around the lot, sleepily taking in my surroundings.
He nods. “Yes, and we’re all checked in.”
“Stopping last night was a good idea; I feel like I just had a power nap. You must be sick of driving, though, and sore from sitting.”
He shrugs. “I’m at your disposal. It’s my job to be here for you, so don’t hesitate if you need me to pick up something for you.”
I nod. I’ve heard it before from my father. These three guys he’s dubbed as my security team have bent over backward to make sure I have whatever I need, and I appreciate them for it. “You guys take the evening to eat, sleep, and recoup. That was a long drive.”
“I’m fine from the short nap last night.” We stopped, so he and the other driver could get a bit of sleep. They push themselves too much, in my opinion.
“Richardson…I don’t want to wear you out. You may be a highly trained bodyguard, but even the strongest guys need rest and substance.”
“But—”
I cut him off. “Don’t worry about me. I promise I’ll stay in the hotel, and if I order anything, I’ll have it sent to your room first. I know the drill.”
“Not just in the hotel, in your room.” He grows serious.
I may not be as sneaky as my sister, but my team has learned to watch my wording. By ‘in the hotel,’ I mean that I’ll go anywhere on the property. They learned it the hard way, and so did I when they called my father worried for their jobs and my safety. “I was thinking of taking a swim.”
His eyes bug. “Ma’am, then we definitely need to be present.”
“I know how to swim…well, I might add.”
“We know, Alice; we’ve seen the trophies at your father’s estate. Even with your experience, you never know when someone may’ve picked up on our trail or who might recognize you.”
“You think they’d drown me?” I ask, a bit outraged at the horror. I’m not na?ve. I know not everyone cares for my father, but I’ve never wronged anyone. At least, not enough for them to attempt to viciously drown me.
“Amongst kidnapping, we have to take precaution. This is nothing new.”
“I know, but this is the first I’m hearing of this! Who wants to drown me?”
“There’ve…”
“Tell me.”
“There’ve been a few threats toward your family, all aimed at your father running for senator again.”
“Toward me?”
He nods tightly, a fierce expression plastered across his normally calm features. “I was supposed to keep this information from you, but it may be the key to saving your life. Please don’t tell Senator Compton, or you may have a new security detail flying out to take our place stat.”
“I’ll keep this to myself; you have my word.” Dad used to have a female with me at all times, but that stopped when I got older and demanded my privacy. I’m an adult, and he has no reason not to trust me. I’m not Madison. He selected these three guys, in particular. They have my best interest in mind, and I won’t jeopardize it, no matter how good a swim sounds to me right now.
I give in to the call of the water and ask, “If one of you doesn’t mind, I’d like to take a swim at some point.”
“Of course,” he immediately agrees. “I will speak to the hotel manager and see if I can get us in at ten-thirty. The pool closes at ten, so you’ll have it to yourself.”
“Thank you.” I offer a smile, though it wouldn’t be so bad if other people were around. Especially children, I love seeing their excitement when it comes to swimming and splashing around. “I’ll take my laptop inside with me and see what I