“Will do, boss.” He tapped the brim of his burgundy bowler hat with a smile. “It’s good to have you back.”
At least someone was happy to see me.
Next to me, the head of my security team undid his seat belt and slipped on a pair of dark shades. “Maybe wait for me to actually get around to your side of the SUV this time.”
The corner of my mouth twitched. “Always wanting me to make your job easier, Mac.”
“Shut up.” He slammed the door behind him with a grunt, and I watched patiently while his head of dark hair rounded the back of the SUV before I opened my door.
Mac slid into place behind my shoulder, shadowing me through the sidewalk traffic and up the two dozen steps to the high-rise’s doors. I wasn’t sure what he anticipated happening on the short walk, but he’d always been an uptight bodyguard.
“Commotion at one o’clock,” he warned quietly when we reached the landing.
Ahead, a short woman with shockingly blue hair argued with our doorman, Hughes. One hand clutched a green duffle bag to her side, and the other flew in every direction as she said her piece.
“I’ll take care of it,” Mac said, keeping his voice low.
He moved to step in front of me, but Hughes caught sight of us and slapped a hand over the woman’s mouth, shoving her behind him. “Welcome home, sir.”
I dipped my chin. “Hughes.”
He nudged the girl back again—ignoring her yelp—and freed a hand to open the door. “Good trip?”
“Very.” The UK acquisition had made us even more filthy rich.
“Wait, please!” the girl cried around Hughes. Her big blue eyes pleaded with us. “I need to get inside that building. It’s an emergency.”
“Don’t mind her.” Hughes wedged his foot to hold the door open and quickly covered the girl’s mouth again. When she stomped on his toes, his smile turned strained. “Apologies for the disturbance. We should have the private entrance back in working order shortly.”
“Glad to hear it.” I paused in front of the door as she wrestled against his arm. “…Are you sure there isn’t a problem here, Hughes?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, sir!”
A vein in his forehead bulged with his efforts to contain her, and Mac snickered. But my exhaustion trumped any curiosity to watch this play out.
Sparing one more glance at the blue-haired girl—who was going pink in the face in her struggle to get free—I strode inside ahead of Mac.
“Miss!” Hughes cried just as I cleared the entrance. I stopped long enough to see the small woman trying to follow us in, but Hughes grabbed her arm. “I’ve told you. Only residents and approved visitors are allowed inside.”
She gave a strangled yelp and broke free. “And I told you—I have anappointment. I promise!”
When she darted away from Hughes and lunged at the door, Mac swooped in front to block the way—and she smacked into his outstretched arm like it was a brick wall.
“Oof!”
Hughes tugged on her duffle bag strap to pull her back out the door, swiftly shutting it behind us.
I blinked before shaking my head and carrying on.
Staff bustled around the large marble lobby, each one pausing to smile or welcome me back. Too tired to try very hard, I answered with a fleeting smile.
I headed straight across the open space to my private elevator, cocking an eyebrow at the new strut in Mac’s step and the shades he still wore. “You sure look proud of yourself.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He brushed nonexistent lint off his shoulder. “You’re always saying you don’t need a bodyguard, but you’re lucky I was there. Who else would’ve stopped that girl from taking you out?”
Oh, he was an ass.
“You thought that was an attack?” I couldn’t help smirking. “She was barely five feet tall and trying to runpastme. I think I would’ve been fine.”
