Chapter 4 Kate
Kate
The bartender set the bottle of beer on a napkin and picked up the ten-dollar bill she’d left for him. His security arrived ahead of them and she watched via the mirror on the bar back as they walked the room.
Quiet, high-end and exclusive, the Felicity was not a downtown hotspot and, between the hours of nine and ten at night, it was damn near dull.
Patrons picked up at ten-thirty when the local theaters lowered their curtains.
Until then, the very public venue provided an ideal backdrop for an “accidental” encounter.
“Ms. Braddock.” Armand Dagmar, Grand-Control-Freak and prince-pain-in-the-ass took the seat next to her.
“Your Highness,” she murmured quietly. They really needed to stop meeting like this.
Seriously. “You wanted to see me?” She rolled the bottle between her palms and refrained from taking a drink or tacking on the again on the end of the sentence.
An evening kicking back in a chair with a beer in one hand and some mindless action flick on the television sounded good, but in the three weeks since she’d taken the job as Richard Prentiss’s assistant, she hadn’t had more than five consecutive hours to herself and she needed every one of those for sleep.
“Yes and thank you for taking the time this evening. Where does Richard think you are?” As tempted as she was to tell him that Richard knew she was here reporting to his best friend, she decided against being glib.
“Does it matter?” The grand duke’s constant need for hands on reports threatened the operation, but apparently, he didn’t care.
“I suppose not.” Armand accepted the tumbler with amber liquid in it and the bartender retreated to a discreet distance. “How is he doing?”
“He’s exactly as he appears.” Discomforted by the questions, she chanced a direct look at the grand duke.
She’d had a front row seat to his near self-destruct with Anna.
He was a man who wore his responsibilities like a hair shirt, but more—he was overprotective of those he loved.
They’d already gone through a few rounds of this her first day on the job.
Maybe she could cut him some slack. “And he’s secure currently, as secure as we can make him, Your Highness. ”
Concern deepened the grooves around the grand duke’s mouth. “Peterson’s kept you up to date on the current chatter?”
“Following the consortium announcement? Yes, sir.” Kravitts continued to maneuver to be a power player, but Richard had begun to string him along.
He’d even taken a particular glee in it after the day on the course.
“Peterson also said that security for the Voldakovs was doubled as a result. But none of that chatter includes Mr. Prentiss.” Though that seemed too simple.
She’d continued to work her way through the attorneys at his firm and their previous caseloads, but it was taking forever.
Richard continued to juggle a caseload that would make an associate attorney blanch, much less the major shareholder in his own firm, he handled the work—not to mention the projects he refused to allow her to sit in on. Impressively well.
Leaning forward, the prince clasped his hands together on the bar. “Ms. Braddock—Kate—how is he doing?”
She understood the question and, while she sympathized, she gave him a brief albeit regretful smile. “As I told you, I’m not permitted to discuss the behavior of my protectee.”
“And as I told you, you work for me.” The first time the grand duke cornered her on this issue, she’d had Peterson to back her up. Since then, Peterson was never present. The grand duke really didn’t like being told no.
“Yes, Your Highness, and you hired me to protect Mr. Prentiss, and before that, you charged me with the protection of your fiancée. In pursuit of these goals, I have been employed by both. I would no sooner betray her secrets, than I will his.” They really needed to nip this in the bud.
“Whether Mr. Prentiss knows I am his bodyguard or not, I can’t protect him if he feels he has to do things behind my back and so I am not permitted to discuss the behavior of my protectee. ”
“You realize I can replace you.” It was an empty threat.
“Your Highness, I don’t discuss you or your family or Mr. Prentiss with anyone.
You can obviously replace me. That is absolutely at your discretion.
But you’ll choose one of these men around you or someone like them.
They will not give you the answers any more than I will.
I am happy, however, to meet with you regularly to tell you no if it brings you peace of mind. ”
Whatever the grand duke might have said in response ended when the door to the street opened and Richard entered.
Adrenaline flooded her system and she picked up her beer and took a long drink. She’d have about twenty-five minutes to find food before the alcohol on an empty stomach messed with her reactions, but they needed this to look like a casual encounter. Two other familiar faces entered with Richard.
“Alyxandretta.” Armand rose smoothly and opened his arms to embrace the flame-haired princess.
“Okay, I adore you and accept you as family, but can you please just call me Alyx?” The woman laughed as she hugged him. Her blond husband wrapped an arm around his wife when she stepped back, and grasped Armand’s hand in a firm grip.
Richard gave her a curious look. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Because it would be far more noticeable if she pretended to not notice any of them, Kate stood and turned her attention to all the new arrivals and gave Richard a chagrinned smile. Saluting him with her beer bottle in lieu of a greeting, she chuckled. “Busted.”
“So I see.” Amusement softened the note of curiosity in his gaze. “Join us? We ran into each other at the theater… Alyx, Daniel, you remember my new assistant, Kate.” Fortunately, neither had been aware of her position as security for Anna Novak, only as her assistant.
“Of course I do.” Alyx tossed her a friendly grin. “Anna misses you terribly at the foundation, but I can understand why Richard lured you away.”
“He didn’t.”
“I didn’t.” Richard chuckled and they all moved to one of the larger tables in the back. Security filtered in until the population in the bar had nearly tripled. The prince, princess, and Prentiss were all in the same place.
“Actually, Richard found himself in dire straits and I persuaded Anna to part with Ms. Braddock’s very capable services to help out an old friend.” The prince delivered the explanation smoothly and distracted the couple by asking about the show.
Arm draped casually over the back of her chair, Richard leaned closer. “I thought you were dropping off papers with Judge Harding?”
“I did.” She kept her voice low. “And then I thought I would sneak out for a beer while you went to the musical.”
“You could have joined me,” he reminded her, because he had invited her.
“I thought you said it was pleasure, not business and—” Kate shifted her chair, and glanced back at the entrance, “—what happened to your date?”
“Oh, that woman.” Alyx perked up and grinned. “Poor Richard, his date stood him up. That’s why Daniel and I rescued him.”
Stood up? Kate made a mental note to check on the woman. The waitress delivered a round of drinks.
“She was unavoidably detained.” Richard shrugged, though for once his poker face wasn’t in evidence.
“She didn’t miss much.” But there was something in the way his gaze flicked to her.
He’d invited Kate to join him earlier in the day, but she’d seen the name Diane Fowler on the calendar and reminded him—Kate shook her head.
Classic workaholic forgetting he needed balance in his life.
Enjoying his company each day in the office while she also provided him with security didn’t mean she needed to police his romantic life—or lack thereof.
If it had been a business event, fine, but he’d not indicated anything of the kind.
In fact, he’d appeared genuinely surprised when she’d reminded him of his date.
She suspected he’d forgotten the engagement altogether. So perhaps his date had as well.
“I really wanted to like it.” Alyx propped her chin on her hand. Despite her royal heritage and the acknowledged place in the Andraste family, Alyx Voldakov remained true to her American upbringing.
“That’s because you wanted to play the part of Esmerelda,” her husband teased and she stuck her tongue out at him.
The playful, easy affection was a pleasant distraction from the undercurrents at the table.
Richard stopped watching her and focused his attention on Armand.
Both men spoke in such low undertones that she would have to lean toward them to hear what they were saying.
Not that their topic was any of her business.
“I think I would have been brilliant and the show would be sold out.” Alyx’s mock petulance gave way to another wide grin. “Did you see the text Victor sent during the second act?”
“Bland, pedestrian and insulting were the politest words he used.” Daniel shook his head and slanted a look at Kate. “You were smart to turn Richard’s offer down, Kate. If he makes you go to one of those, ask for a raise first.”
She chuckled. “If I can handle eighteen holes of golf, I think I can handle a dreadfully dull show.” Awareness slicked over her.
She had Richard’s attention once more, but she kept her gaze on Alyx and Daniel.
It went against the grain to have her back to the door, but she knew every one of the five men stationed around the room. They were all good.
“It wasn’t dull.” Alyx grimaced. “It was painful.”
Another round of laughter and the waitress returned. “Yes, let’s eat.” The prince glanced around at all of them. “Anna is with Penny and I’m not allowed back at the tower for another two hours.”