Page 44 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Bodyguard

“That won’t be a problem,” he said confidently. “And I’ll give her whatever I’m supposed to. Cars, a house, jewelry, clothes. We’ll just have Madeline pick out the clothes and jewelry.” He turned to me. “Unless you want to.”

“Not really. I’m not much of a shopper.”

He grinned. “Like Nadine.”

“And enough money to get out of town and start over,” Carmen said. She wasreallystressing the get me out of town part.

“If we kill this guy, she won’t have to leave,” Enzo said, not seeming to notice that Carmen wanted me gone.

Of course, I knew it was because of Byron. But she didn’t strike me as lacking confidence. Surely, she didn’t think me being around would threaten her relationship with him. If he loved her like I overheard… I wouldn’t be a problem.

“Okay,” Carmen said. “Well, I guess I don’t have to have the sex talk with you.”

“The sex talk?” I leaned forward. “I’m not a virgin—is that what you’re talking about?”

Everyone laughed. “No, sorry, I should have been clear. Most of the time I have to ask each woman going into the auction what they will and won’t do in the bedroom. I have to make sure they’re sexually compatible with the guy who wins them at auction. If you an Enzo are going to have sex,” she shrugged, “that’s one less thing I have to worry about.”

Enzo gave me a slow grin. “But if you change your mind, I’ll make sure we don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”

God. I needed a fan. These Salazar men were ridiculously attractive.

Carmen rolled her eyes, and I had to wonder what it was like growing up with five brothers. She looked back at me. “Why don’t you and Nora go out and order in some food? You’ll be here a while, Jess. I’ll call Madeline and Glory to come work on you and get you ready for tonight.”

As Nora and I were leaving, Carmen was hurrying to Ardley. “Okay, I need you to re-print the auction flyers and send out an emergency text to all members that the auction is tonight…”

“Tonight?” she squeaked.

“Tonight,” Carmen nodded. “We’ve got a lot to do.”

Nora and I happily hurried away.

I was glad not to be handling the logistics of what was going to go down tonight. All I had to do was show up and look pretty.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Byron

I hadn’t been in Virginia that long, but it felt like an eternity. Things weren’t going as I’d planned.

My dad and I were walking the training course he’d designed and had made to train our security agents. He’d based it off courses he knew well as both ex-FBI and a former Army Ranger. It had long been a dream of his to make the security firm he’d started out of a small office in DC into a nationally recognized name in highly specialized security. He’d more than succeeded.

Now, our agents, the agents Dad had trained, provided security details for ex-politicians, television and film stars, music artists, sports figures, and ultra wealthy businessmen and women. Former federal and state level judges had begun using our services after some unfortunate incidents had shown just how vulnerable they could be, too.

St. James Security had field offices in several US states as well as Canada. It was growing rapidly.

And he wanted me to head up the entire operation from Virginia. But I had another plan.

“Dad, I have a proposition for you.”

He cocked an eyebrow and looked at me warily. “What is it?”

It was a chilly, damp day, and I wanted us to be seated in his comfortable study, in front of the fire with a glass of whiskey in our hands. I told him as much.

He sighed. “Why did I know you were going to give me push back on this?”

“Wait before you get upset. Give me a chance to talk to you first.”

“Fine,” he grumbled.