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YOUR HIGHNESS
KARINA
AVasiliev never cried.
Not over men, not to lost business deals, and in front of the enemy. I held back the tears threatening to come out as a man I never seen before gripped my hair, forcing me to meet his gaze. His lips parted, but before he could get a word out, his phone rang.
“Just sit tight, love.” The man who had me tied up smirked and walked away. He disappeared behind the door with a phone to his ear.
I hated being a Vasiliev. It may have had its benefits, but the downsides definitely outweighed them.
I had money, but that couldn’t buy happiness. People wanted to be around me, but that didn’t make them friends. Everyone knew who I was—a product of my father and that gave his enemies the opportunity to use me to get to him.
Sudden footsteps rushed behind me. I tried to turn my head and get a good look at the person tugging at the ropes bound to my wrists.
“Stop squirming. I’m already trying hard not to cut you.”
“Who are you?” I asked, freezing at the icy touch of his blade.
“Matthews.” He briefly introduced as the ropes broke. “Your father sent me.”
“My father?” There was no time for anymore questions. He took my hand as he ran, dragging me along with him across the garage.
We moved quickly, hiding behind a black SUV.
“Fuck!” the man from earlier cursed. “Oh, Miss Vasiliev!”
“Stay,” Matthews whispered to me as he firmly stretched his arm over my chest, keeping me close to the vehicle.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Miss Vasiliev.” The man called out. “I know you’re around.”
There was a loud mental bang before a trashcan rolled by us. “Come out and I won’t hurt you.”
His footsteps drew closer. My heart banged against my chest. “Or you can keep playing this game and I’ll shoot you on sight.”
Beside me, Matthews opened the car door quietly and ushered me inside. I climbed in and kept low, laying on the carpet as he closed the door. There was a shuffle, grunts, and a sudden pop as a gun went off. My hands flew to my mouth as I shook, holding back a scream. I should have been used to this lifestyle and the dangers that came along with being the daughter of a rich man, but I wasn’t. My heart raced in my chest as I waited for something… anything to keep the negative thoughts at bay, but one thought slipped through the cracks, reminding me I might end up causing—
The driver’s side door swung open and I could hear Matthews grunt over the sound of it slamming shut. Glancing over, I watched him remove his hand from his shoulder. Blood oozed out of the tear in his sleeve.
“You’re hurt.” The words left my lips as I pushed myself up from the floor. I climbed over the console to the passenger seat, not worrying about my black dress hiking up, and sat down.
He didn’t waste any time. Turning the key in the ignition, he sped off in a hurry. “The bullet only grazed the skin. Nothing to worry about.” He shifted gears, glancing up at the rear-view mirror. “We have to get you out of here.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, putting on my seat belt.
“I’m taking you back home, where you should have been, Miss Vasiliev,” he said, while keeping his eyes on the road.
Miss Vasiliev. That’s what most people called me; not Karina, not Rin, just Miss Vasiliev—the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Russia.
“Why can’t I just stay here?”
Los Angeles was far more appealing than going back. Although the modeling gigs, photoshoots, parties, and meet and greets weren’t ideal, it kept my father’s shadow at bay. Unfortunately, I got lost under the lights, fame, and fast pace life, far too many times to count.
As my mother once said:
Life was meant to be taken one stitch at a time. If rushed, one would and fall apart.
And I was definitely falling apart on the inside.
He gave me a sideways glance. “You’re far more vulnerable out on your own than with your father.”
More like with bodyguards, but Matthews didn’t need to know that. Not when he probably already did. “But what about my life, my career?”
“Look, we’ve only known each other for a few minutes, so here’s the deal,” he began as he shifted gears. “I’m not trying to die and I damn sure can’t let them kill you, so I’m taking you home whether you like it or not, got it?”
I let out a breath, my shoulders slumping over. He was right. Regardless of what I wanted, danger would find me. Being in Los Angeles on my own only made me an easy target. “Most bodyguards would put their life on the line for me.”
“Yeah, well, I have a kid and a future wife waiting for me. I’m only here carrying out a favor for your dad.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to be assigned to me?” I asked.
As he said, we’d only met a few hours ago. But I liked the way he didn’t sugarcoat the situation like those before him.
Matthews shook his head. “Your dad has plenty of bodyguards. I just happened to be around the area when he got the call.”
“Anyone could have gotten here if he sent them.”
“Yeah, but they would’ve been too late.” He stole a quick glance at me. “Once you’re back home, there will be others to keep you safe.”
I scoffed. “Bodyguards that all want to get on my father’s good side or fuck me.” I leaned back in the seat, the hot leather sticking to my skin.
A low chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m sure there’s someone your dad works with who doesn’t care about getting on his good side or fucking you.”
I nodded once more, glancing at the road ahead of us. “Only one.”
“You don’t seem excited about the possibility of having him around you.” He looked over at me with a smile.
“I don’t want him to be.”
I may have been drunk when I met that guy, but the feeling of being rejected washed over, coating me with insecurities as I crossed my arms over my chest.
Matthews didn’t say another word. With a grunt, he reached for the dial on the dashboard. The breeze of the A/C died down. I looked over at him. A line of fresh blood ran across his cheek, but his eyes focused on the road ahead. His scruffy, chestnut brown beard and tousled hair reminded me of my father’s bodyguard. If I remember correctly, his name was Jason.
“You kind of look like him.”
“Is that so?” Matthews grinned. “He must be pretty handsome then.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. From what I could recall, he was… or maybe it was the wine. “Are you coming with me, or are we parting ways at the airport?”
“If all goes according to plan, we’ll go our separate ways there.” The smile fell from his lips as he eyed the rearview mirror. The car sped up, shaking as the wind pushed against it. “Mr. Vasiliev already knows you’re coming. He bought you a first-class ticket to Boston.”
The city my father preferred over any other.
“You’re not going to kill us, are you?” I questioned as the car lurched, wrapping my fingers around the seatbelt.
He glanced at me. “I do this for a living.”
“What? Getting rid of bad guys?”
“No.” He chuckled as he merged into the LA traffic, losing the car that followed us, “Racing.”
I could see the LAX sign shining brightly in contrast to the night sky. We pulled into the airport in record time, thanks to Matthews and his heavy foot. As promised, he dropped me off right outside the terminal.
“This is your stop, your highness.” He smirked.
Turning to him, I held my hand out. His gaze dropped to it before he shook his head and wrapped his arms around my shoulder. He smelled like cedar wood with a dash of ashes. I puled away, not wanting to get trapped in his bionic grip.
“So, I guess this is goodbye?” I asked.
“I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.” His shoulders bounced up and downs he chuckled, giving me a small smile.
Nodding, I reached behind me and pulled on the handle. “Take care, Matthews.”
He lowered his hand, unbuckling my seat belt. “You too.”
I pushed open the door and climbed out of the car. My heart ached at the thought of goodbyes. Matthews was more of a friend to me than anyone in LA was. More than any of my father’s bodyguards were. And even though we only spent about an hour together, I was going to miss him.
“Hey, Vasiliev,” Matthews suddenly called out. “Do me a favor.”
I turned, eyeing him as his hand flexed over the steering wheel.
“Give your next bodyguard a break for a few days.”
Did he know who it would be?
“I’ll try.” I said, closing the door with a shrug. It was a promise I intended to keep…
So long as it wasn’t that Jason guy again.
