Before he was able to get out of the truck, she rested her hand on his arm, her fingers landing on the intricate bleeding heart that wrapped around his forearm.
“Thank you, Landon. I know that you don’t have to do this.”
“I kind of figured by now that you’d realize I’d do anything for you. I mean, I’ve known you for all of t
wenty-four hours now; that seals the deal for me.”
He was thrilled when she giggled at his joke because she had remained silent throughout the entire trip to her house except to point out places to turn. Landon was fearful that she would immediately use this as a reason to return back to her home, but thankfully she seemed to come to her own resolve to stick it out.
And all he could think was, Damn, she’s going to make a great queen.
***
Despite the note that had shocked Kerry to her core, Landon’s proclamation of keeping her safe made her feel like she had nothing to worry about. She had traveled with security guards her entire life but had never felt the security as she did when with Landon. Maybe it was because her feelings were involved. She liked to think his feelings were involved too.
Be it love at first sight or insta-love, Kerry had never believed in such foolishness. But she had grown up in the world of arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Love was never a factor. Sure, she understood that a couple could grow to love one another after a while, but never in that all-consuming end all love she read about in novels. But with the way Landon made her feel, she began to question everything she thought she knew.
“Wait here. I’m going to check around the outside, then we can go inside and make some calls.” Landon’s command typically would have caused her to speak her mind. She didn’t take orders from anyone because, normally, she would be the one directing everything. But demands coming from Landon were almost like an aphrodisiac. Kerry swore she could feel herself melting into a pool of desire with every word.
She wondered what he’d do if she replied, “Sir, yes, sir.” Probably spank her bottom. And she may actually enjoy it.
As Kerry waited inside the truck for him to make his rounds covering the perimeter of her property, her phone began to ring. It took a while to locate the device in her beast of a bag. Thrilled to see Mary’s number on the screen, Kerry eagerly answered.
“Mary? Thank goodness. I’m so happy to hear from you. How is everything there?”
Silence was all Kerry heard from the other end of the call.
“Mary? Mary, are you okay?” Kerry began to worry as the line ended without a sound. Something about the call bothered her. In Lythembria, it was roughly one in the morning, not Mary's typical time to reach out to her.
“All clear,” Landon said as he opened her door. Kerry practically launched herself into his arms and explained the phone call.
“Do you think someone is tracking you with it?”
“It’s a burner phone I got at the airport before I left. I only programmed Mary’s number into the favorites. Do you think she’s in trouble?”
“Possibly, but I think you’re in trouble too. Let’s write down her number and freeze this phone until I can get Preston involved.”
“Landon, I don’t know what to do. I can deal with someone targeting me, but I don’t know if I could handle it if someone's hurt Mary. She was only trying to help me.”
“I know, beautiful.” He wrapped her in his large arms and comforted Kerry the best way he knew how, except her mind still rolled with the images of Mary being in trouble or hurt.
Together they went inside the house, Landon taking extra precaution to lock all of the doors behind them, and then made phone calls to Cliff, who Landon explained was ex-military, and the town sheriff, Preston. Kerry perched herself on one of the barstools in the open kitchen and watched as Landon paced back and forth, having a conversation she only heard one side of.
By the time he was done with the calls, she was exhausted from all of the pacing he had been doing.
“What did they say?” Kerry inquired as Landon moved around the small island to join her.
“They’re both going to meet us at the bar tomorrow, if that’s okay with you. Preston wants to take a look at the car and the note, dust for fingerprints, all the stuff. And Cliff is going to look at some security footage and run any faces through a system that he has.”
“Wow, okay. You don’t think that it’s overkill or anything?”
Landon arched one of his brows, signifying that he thought she was nuts. Kerry couldn’t blame him at all for the assessment.
“No, I don’t think it is at all. You’re part of a royal family, Kerry. This is a major thing. And, well, it’s you. You’re important.”
“I’m sorry I’ve dragged you into this mess.” Kerry dragged her hands through her hair, yanking at the ends of the strands in frustration.
“Like it’s your fault?”