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“Not on your life, King. I can confidently say that aside from my men going into overdrive, that was one of your finest moments.”

54

DANTE

Iam struggling trying to keep my distance from Kingsley. With every moment I spend with her, which is almost every waking hour, I find it harder and harder to leave her at the end of the day and go back to my own room. Her vulnerability and the pain displayed on our walk after our lunch the previous day pulled at something deep inside me, and it wasn’t sympathy. It was a deep, visceral need to hold and soothe her, to protect her from any further pain, and remedy the pains of her past.

The fact that my father has taken the jet and gone home the day after the meeting with Claymore Collins isn’t doing me any favors. I have decided to stick it out in New York for a well deserved break – technically, I am still recovering after being shot – whilst also getting Kingsley started on her training. She has already proven to be a quick learner. And from the preliminary feedback coming in, Claymore assures me reports from his candidates are that she is eager and will be a quick study. What Claymore can’t understand is why I don’t just keep her under my wing instead of sending her out into the big bad world.

“It would make more sense for you to keep her by your side,” he advises, three days after we arrive in the city. This coming from a man who stands to make millions off a security contract with Kingsley – and millions more from me as I up my own family’s security – speaks to his integrity. Claymore always sees the bigger picture, and making money isn’t always necessarily his endgame.

“You would think that, but she’s the one that’s opted to go this route. I agreed only on the condition that she would hire your firm to take care of her needs.”

“Telling me you agreed implies you giving her consent. That means you could have stopped her.”

“After everything we’ve been through, she trusts my judgment. And I don’t want to keep her against her will, Clay.”

“She’s led a very sheltered life, Dante. And you’re literally the only person she has left in the world. I hope you’re not handing her over to us then exiting stage right.”

Over the years, Claymore Collins has become more than just my go-to security guy. The way he conducts business tells me so much more about his character than I could possibly ever learn over a business dinner with him. We’ve developed a healthy respect for one another, and have each helped out the other in some of our darkest hours, both on a personal and a professional level. This is what now lends him credence when he warns me not to hurt Kingsley. It seems that even in the short time he’s known her, he’s grown fond of her and doesn’t want to see her get hurt.

“I’ll play a role in her life for as long as she needs me,” I tell him. Saying those words out loud causes a knot to form in my gut. It makes me realize there will come a time when she may no longer need me. She is going to come into contact with so many different people. She is going to meet men. She will have a life of her own. And in time, I will simply fade into the background and be someone that she once used to know in the past. Her man would occupy the stage in her life. Perhaps they’d have children. Maybe they’d run her empire together. And the thought of her doing all those things with someone else is crushing me. It must show on my face because Claymore steps forward and puts a firm hand to my shoulder.

“Dante. This is me – Clay. I know who you are and what you’ve come from. Don’t let your past dictate your future.”

* * *

To avoid beingin the same confined space with Kingsley while in New York, I had decided against staying in our family home and had instead opted to stay in the brownstone. Namely because the beauty of it is that we converted it years ago to house units, which now comes in handy as I ache for space from Kingsley. I need time away from her to think with a clear head, because the closer I am to her, the more clouded my thinking becomes.

So it surprises me when I am coming down the stairs from the third level and she peeks her head from behind the door of her second level unit, as though waiting for me.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” she asks.

I deliberately hadn’t set any plans for today. Usually, I’d give her a rundown of the next day’s plans in the afternoon, but I hadn’t done so yesterday. I have a few things I want to sort out on my own today, and I need the time and space to do those things.

My eyes settle over her body as she emerges from the unit in jeans that look like she was poured into them and a shirt that stretches dangerously across her chest, taxing my ability to see straight.

“I’m meeting a friend this morning,” I tell her. “We’ll catch up this afternoon.”

Her expression, one of excitement as I walked past her unit, now morphs to one of disappointment, then confusion, as she tries to mask her emotions. I continue on down the stairs without chancing a backward glance at her. Lingering at her door will only conflict me further.

55

DANTE

Iflip my collar up as I emerge onto the sidewalk, then walk down the street heading to my destination. I fight back the guilt I feel for not spending every waking hour with Kingsley. For the most part we have, but at other times, I’ve taken a two or three hour break to catch my breath.

My phone rings as I continue to walk down the street, noticing my security scattered in various directions along my path. I had pre-planned this trip and told them the night before of my intentions; they have done well covering all possible corners in the direction I am walking.

“Simon.” My voice is flat and to the point with my head of security. I never feel the need for unnecessary words when it comes to matters of safety, and he only ever calls me if it is an emergency.

“Sir, Ms Murray just left the Brownstone.”

My eyes flick across the road to my security; for a single moment, there is a doubt in my mind as to whether I should continue on my path or head back home and deal with this latest disaster. She doesn’t know New York – she has never been here and doesn’t have any business here. I had warned her against going out to avoid getting lost, and had told my men that if she tried to leave, to escort her.

“Where is she going?”

“She wouldn’t say, sir. But she’s heading in your direction.”