As Maria stopped to peer into another shop window, I did my level best to keep from rolling my eyes. And failed dismally.

 

This wasn’t necessarily what I’d signed up for when I’d signed up for this job—but well, how could I turn down this much cash? Someone like Maria was worth a hell of a lot to her father, and I knew that exploiting his good faith in me and his protectiveness of his daughter would pay off. This was hardly my ideal job, but it was at least safer than prowling the streets late at night, looking for a target.

 

I stopped and placed my hands on my hips with a small sigh, feeling like I was stuck with a puppy who just hadn’t learned to keep up yet. Maria couldn’t have been oblivious to the fact that she was in a lot of danger just being out of the streets without a full contingent of armed guards following every step she took, and yet she acted like she didn’t have a care in the world.

 

I had made her promise to stay in my eye line at all times, and too often I found myself looking around to see that she had paused to fish her phone out of her oversize purse or finger the fake leather Vuittons some shifty seller was flogging on a street corner. She was the slipperiest target I’d ever been asked to look after—and I had barely gotten started on my first day yet. We had almost a full week together before I would be shot of this girl.

 

Maria eventually looked up and saw me standing there, and it seemed to click that I wouldn’t take too kindly to being left standing around waiting for her. I guessed she’d been around enough of her father’s people in the past to know that we weren’t going to be the easiest or most pleasant guys to hang with—let alone to keep waiting. She scurried towards me, head down as she checked something on her phone, and I smiled tightly at her. Just think about how much richer you’re going to be at the end of all this, I reminded myself.

 

I could practically feel the weight of the thick stack of notes her father would place in my hand, and I began to daydream about what I would do with it. Casino? Nightclub? Call up one of the women in my phone and suggest a night on the town like she’d never seen before? I would have plenty of time staring into space waiting for Maria to catch up to figure it out—why blow my load too early?

 

“Thanks for waiting.” She smiled at me apologetically, brushing a strand of bleached blonde hair away from her face with an overly-long acrylic nail. Each fingertip was adorned with a small, rose-shaped gem that glimmered in the light every time she moved; fuck, she couldn’t have been more obvious even if she was wearing a giant “ROB ME” sign. I nodded in acknowledgement, and motioned for her to go ahead of me.

 

“Ma’am,” I replied curtly, but she just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, staring up at me with her head cocked.

 

“What is it?” I asked, trying very, very hard not to lose my patience. We’d been walking up and down the big shopping streets all day, and it was hot and crowded and humid and all I wanted was a moment to myself. Maybe a nice cold beer, too.

 

“I thought you were going to show me the city,” she reminded me. “Where should we go next? I’m tired of shopping.”

 

“You haven’t even bought anything yet.” I gestured to her distinct lack of bags. That surprised me—I’d met a lot of girls like Maria before, and you could be sure that they would throw money at any tacky little trinket that might make them look more like their Kardashian of choice.

 

“It’s boring.” She pulled a face playfully, and shifted her weight into her opposite hip. My eyes floated down to her body as she moved—well, could you really blame me? Yeah, this chick was annoying, but she was hot as all hell. I imagined there’d be more than a few of the guys at work deathly jealous that I got to take her out, even if I was getting paid for it.

 

“Okay…” I racked my brains. “Something to eat?”

 

“Can we do Thai?” she suggested, reaching down to buckle her black leather pumps where they had come undone.

 

I nodded. “I know a good place not far from here. Follow me.”

 

I was glad to make my way off the main street—it was far too busy for my liking. I was more used to moving at night, taking to the streets at the same time that everyone else was taking to their beds. I was better working when I wasn’t surrounded by people—well, except maybe a few, just for cover. But the people I normally guarded weren’t often interested in doing a tourist’s visit to the city during a warm afternoon. I had convinced myself that the change of pace might be nice, but I was swiftly discovering that was far from the case.

 

Still, my stomach was rumbling, and I was glad she had suggested Thai—it was my favorite cuisine, and I had tried them all over the years. It was one of my few indulgences, food—I loved to eat, and I prided myself on finding the best eateries in the city. Pretentious? Yes, but I had to do something to make sure I didn’t descend into the pit of knuckle-dragging bodyguards.

 

It didn’t take us long to arrive at the spot I’d suggested—it was a small, hole-in-the-wall place with a smattering of plastic tables and chairs out back. We squeezed through the small shopfront space and found a seat as Maria looked around, her eyebrow cocked.

 

“Everything okay?” I worked hard to keep my annoyance out of my voice. What would she find up with this place?

 

“I’ve never been somewhere like this before,” she replied, picking up the menu. “It looks good, though!”

 

I noticed that someone at the table across from us was eyeing her fancy Prada bag with interest, and I nudged it further beneath her seat with my foot.

 

“Well, I’m glad to hear it,” I replied, through gritted teeth. Even when she was trying to be enthusiastic, it felt as though she was being insincere. She stopped looking through the menu for a second and glanced up at me. I looked backed, trying to read her inscrutable expression.

 

“You know, we’re the ones paying for you to do this,” she reminded me, her voice suddenly colder than it had been before. “We’re lining your pockets. The least you can do is act as though you don’t hate every second you spend around me.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” I responded coolly. I could feel a vein hammering in my forehead, and did my best to will it into calming down—not that I was having much luck. This girl was a bray of unbelievable proportions—but she was right. There were paying me handsomely to be here, so I would have to suck it up and keep a game face on for the next few days. I could manage that. Hell, I could do anything for the amount of money they were offering me.

 

I straightened up and stood over the table, shooting a look at the skinny, pale guy who’d been peering down at her bag. He looked me up and down, and turned back to his food—I pulled my shoulders back, satisfied. That was the kind of effect I tended to have on people. Even when I wasn’t doing anything remotely threatening, they knew where they stood with me.

 

There was a tension between Maria and I after her little outburst; well, to be fair, I’d been tense all day, and now she was just giving back as good as she got. I tried instead to focus on the scent of the delicious food drifting out of the kitchen, and silently urged her to hurry the hell up so we could order something and I could eat.

 

As if she knew what I was thinking, Maria spent an agonizingly long time perusing the menu, going over it several times. I let out a couple of short, sharp sighs, hoping she would catch the message—but of course, we were talking about the kind of girl who had grown up with everyone waiting on her. She wouldn’t rush for anybody, let alone a lowly bodyguard like me. She ran her finger down the laminated plastic one more time, and then her finger came to rest on the picture of the satay chicken. She tapped her adorned nails against the page a couple of times and nodded to herself.

 

“I’ll have that,” she announced, handing the menu to me without looking. She crossed her arms over her chest, and let her sunglasses slip down over her eyes—a classic petulant movie star look. Her full lips, stained with a pale pink gloss, pouted slightly as she waited for me to go get her food for her—and hell, I didn’t need telling twice. Anything to get me out of her company, if only for a second.

 

I waited in the queue inside the restaurant, and kept an eye on her from my position. She was typing furiously on her phone, probably texting her father, desperate to know why she’d been landed with a bodyguard who was being such an asshole. The guy who’d been eyeing her bag earlier had gotten up and left, so I knew she was safe and that I shouldn’t stress myself too much—but a little part of me longed for something to go down. Nothing was going to happen here—and fuck, if it did, I’d be in trouble. But if I was being honest, I’d never wanted rid of one of my charges more than I’d wanted rid of Maria fucking D’Orazio.