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And when it came to persuading people to sign contracts or accept work from the well-known gang, her polished appearance and professional manner outdid that of anyone her dad could hire for the job. But that was as close to his dealings as he allowed her to get.
Savannah stepped into the waiting elevator and hit the button to close the door once Lach was inside.
His bunched shoulders and tensed mouth sent annoyance flaring through her. “What is it? You look like someone kicked your dog.”
“If someone kicked my dog, they’d be dead.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. You’re mad.” Once again, she was stuck trying to reach these communicatively constipated men.
“Not mad. Just don’t want you chopped into little pieces. Maybe I’ll stick around for a bit. Take up your couch.”
She snorted. “You don’t have time to babysit me. The only thing that’ll make Dad madder than me disobeying his orders is you helping me disobey his orders.”
The elevator dinged and she moved to exit the cart. Lach’s hold on her wrist stopped her. “Let me go first.” His free hand hovered at his hip, under his jacket.
She swallowed and nodded. Maybe she was being dumb. If Lach was this bent out of shape over the threat, it could be more serious than the others. She followed him into the sunshine. Warm April air swept over her cheeks.
Dominic stood on the sidewalk talking to a man in black dress pants and a crisp white shirt with rolled-up sleeves. Unease swarmed inside her. Her heel caught on the pavement and she stumbled.
Lach caught her arm. “You okay?”
She straightened. Lach’s gaze traveled to the man who’d distracted her.
“What’shedoing here?” she asked, shaking out of his grip.
Her brother’s response went in one ear and out the other as Toth Holmes glanced in her direction. His thick beard was neatly trimmed close to his face, the shade of the bristles matching that of his dark-brown hair. Tattooed flesh peeked out from beneath the material of his sleeves and the collar of his shirt. Deep lines of consternation were etched along his forehead. His gaze sharpened on her face.
Shit. Had he sensed her staring? Seen her stumble?
His mouth lifted in a slant. Not a smile. More like a smirk of acknowledgment. She turned back to Lach. “I didn’t hear you. What?”
His blond eyebrows screwed together and he shook his head. “You’re acting weird. I said dad hired him. For you.”
Heat scorched her back. “Me?”
Toth turned away from Dominic and approached her. “Ms. Carrington,” he said, his deep voice rumbling with arrogance and control. “I’m your bodyguard for the week. You need to come with me.”
The heat on her back erupted into a friggin’ inferno.
Like hell.
Air wheezed through her nostrils as her brain grappled with the puzzle pieces clicking into place. She couldn’t think properly with his gray eyes boring into her soul like that.
Damn him.
She’d figure out what was going on later, when she could form a coherent thought. For now, she needed to get to her car.
“I’m not going anywhere with you—or anyone,” she added, for Dominic’s benefit, though he was too far away to hear her, and talking on his cell phone.
“Hey, I thought I was taking you to Dad,” Lach said, frowning in confusion.
“Never mind. I’ll go myself.” She couldn’t sit idly right now. Driving would calm her mind and allow her to put distance between her and everyone else.
Savannah fished inside her purse for her car keys and stormed around Toth’s body. She punched the button on her key fob, and a softbeep,beepsignaled that her Mercedes was unlocked. When she’d seen Lach’s vehicle parked out front of her building she hadn’t wasted time going down the parking garage, sensing a confrontation with her father was imminent.
Her bodyguard?What the hell was going on? She’d sort this out. She didn’t care if she had to bust into her dad’s office and raise hell. He couldn’t bully her with big, muscular men and expect she’d take his overprotective bullsh—
“Savannah,” said a growly voice behind her. “Your father has reason to believe you’re in danger. I need to take you to a secure location, if you’ll come with me.”