Page 15 of Sinful Empire (Mount Trilogy 3)
“Where?”
“Upstairs, because we’re still under lockdown in here with no signal. Your order, boss.”
V knows the penalty for anything happening to Keira on his watch would be death, and the man has proven his willingness to die for me. I expect he would do no less for her.
“Get her back down here now.”
“But, boss. Ms. Kilgore told us we couldn’t leave you unguarded. She said . . .”
When Z trails off, I prompt him to continue. “What did Ms. Kilgore say?”
“That she’d kill us both herself if we left you unattended.”
A smile tugs on my lips. The fact that Keira is now giving my employees orders comes as a surprise. Part of me wasn’t completely certain that the things she said to me earlier weren’t a product of drugs, adrenaline, and shock, but it seems that I was wrong. Keira is stepping into a role I wasn’t sure she’d accept, and she’s doing it without any prompting on my part.
“And you believed her.”
Both men nod. “She meant it, sir.”
I let the smile free. My little hellion.
“Send someone up to let her know her presence has been requested.”
The door, still partially cracked, opens the rest of the way.
“My presence has been requested? That sounds awfully official.”
Even in a scrub top the color of a Smurf and two sizes too big, Keira still has the bearing of a queen. She gives the men a nod and they leave the room, shutting the door behind them as she comes toward the side of her bed closest to mine.
“Did you handle what you needed to handle?”
“Yes. As much as I could. I’ve delegated a lot to Temperance. She’s COO in my absence, and I guilt-tripped my father—without remorse, I might add—into not coming until I’m ready for him to come.”
The mention of her father stops me cold. “Now is not a good time for your family to be in the city.”
“I know. And they’re not coming. Do you still have someone who can protect them? All of them?”
“Yes. They’ll be under protection until I give an order for that protection to cease. Which I have no intention of doing. I made you a promise, and I’ll keep it.”
Keira pauses between our beds. I can tell she’s running low on energy after walking around. I may be able to power through pain, but that’s because I’ve never had a choice. She should never have to.
“Thank you.”
“
You don’t need to thank me for that.” I reach out and snag her hand. “Come here.” I gently bring her closer as I move over in my bed, ignoring the pain of the gunshot wound.
“I won’t fit.”
“Bullshit.”
Her mouth screws up into a stubborn expression, but she comes anyway, and we both get as comfortable as the bed will allow. Keira’s face is inches from mine when I speak again.
“You said you wouldn’t leave me, and here I am, waking up alone.”
“Emergency. I made sure you were covered.”
I shake my head. “That’s not your job.”
