Why you need security (Patreon)

 When she ducked into the back seat of the Bentley and looked up at him, she saw he was grinning. 

“I may need to read this book,” he said before he closed the door. 

“What book?” Mo asked from the driver’s seat. 

“The best book I’ve ever read,” she said, leaning forward to pat him on the shoulder. “Long time no see. What have you two been up to?”

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder as Johan slid into the seat beside him. “Training your second team.”

She turned to look through the back window as they pulled away from the curb. A black SUV smoothly pulled into traffic behind them. “Training them to do what? Twiddle their thumbs?”

“To enjoy the quiet while it lasts.”

She faced forward and buckled her seatbelt. “I’m not that bad.” 

“No. You’re a dream client. Not demanding, compliant.” Dark eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror and crinkled in amusement when he spotted her offended look. “And would rather read than go out to nightclubs, shop, or have affairs that could get us both killed.”

“You had a client like that?”

“Too many. Shadowing the spoiled wives or daughter’s of the rich and powerful is an exhausting, thankless, monotonous job.”

“I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.” 

“Be flattered,” Johan suggested. 

“I’ll have you know I did manage to slip past my other security team,” she said with her nose in the air. 

“Yes, we were briefed on that to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Slightly mollified, she sat back with her arms crossed. “Do you think the second team is overkill?”

Mo’s dark eyes flicked up to her in the rearview mirror again before he shook his head. 

“Why?” she prompted when she realized he wasn’t going to elaborate. 

Johan’s head turned toward his partner. She wished she could see his expression, but the headrest in the way. Mo was silent for a minute before he came to a stop at a traffic light and those eyes pierced her again. 

“Your husband’s a wealthy man.”

“Yes,” she acknowledged. 

“You’re a wealthy woman.” 

Her eyes narrowed. 

He gave a one shoulder shrug. “With wealth comes power and with power comes enemies.”

“I don’t have any enemies.”

“The fact that you believe that is why you need security.”

She sat up so fast, her seatbelt locked. “What the hell are you talking about?”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.