For now, I head inside the house again, the entire Walker team present huddled together around the island to discuss the plan to protect Pri. Blake reviews logistics, in which we all argue, a normal part of our process until we settle on an agreed-upon plan.
That done, Blake moves on. “It’s time to make a statement,” he says. “Let’s let Waters and his followers know Walker’s here and we’re ready for war.”
“You sure you want to do that?” I ask.
“Loud and proud,” he says. “As long as they believe they can intimidate anyone and everyone, the harder they’ll stay on that task. Let’s let them know we’re here and invite them to come at us.”
“They will come at you, Blake.”
“Let’s hope they do,” he says. “Because we’re ready. I already talked to Royce and Luke. We all say bring it.” He motions to Lucifer. “I want you to make the staff working for Pri feel good. Claim your role as a member of Walker Security, not some random consultant she brought in.”
“What about me going in with her as her bodyguard?” Adam asks.
“As much as I want to say yes to that,” I reply, “Pri won’t go for it. She’ll fear it will freak out her staff. And frankly, I like you in the shadows. Waters’ people will know she’s got protection, but you, my man, are never easy to spot. You need to stay a surprise.”
At that moment, Pri appears by my side. “Are we ready?” she asks, glancing up at me and I swear when those pretty blue eyes meet mine, I feel it in my chest. And right then, I have no idea why it’s at that moment that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my willingness to do whatever it takes to protect her is not in question.
“Sidekick ready,” Lucifer confirms, drawing her attention and offering her a mock salute. “I need to run and grab the car.” He heads out.
Blake motions to Adam and Savage and they do the same.
Blake sets a small silver bracelet on the counter. “This is a recording and tracking device. We can hear everyone within several feet. We can find you if someone grabs you.”
“Wonderful,” she says, sliding the bracelet onto her wrist. “Nice to know you can find my body.”
I give Blake a look and he quickly gets the message. “I’ll give you two a minute. We’ll be out front.”
I step into Pri, my hand settling on her waist. “No one is going to grab you. We’ll be with you and if I didn’t believe you were safe, I’d be fighting you every step of the way. I know you know that. I am not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” she says. “And that’s a nice thing to know right now.”
“Because of your father?” I ask.
“Because of a lot of things.”
“Have you heard from him?”
“No, he hasn’t called me back, but he may just need a private place to tell me how wrong I am to be with the likes of you.”
My lips quirk. “Tell him you can’t stay away. I feel too good.”
Her cheeks flush a pretty, shy pink, but her words are bold. “You do feel good,” she dares. “And why wouldn’t I tell you or him that? For all I know, I won’t be alive tomorrow. I’m not going to die with regrets, which is exactly why I’m not giving up this fight. Not for you or me.”
My heart pounds for this woman and my hand cups her face. “And I am not giving up on this fight or you, Pri.”
“My father—”
“I told you. He’s not you.”
Her cellphone rings and she reaches for it, removing it from her jacket pocket. I expect her father, but she gives me a shake of her head. “Logan,” she says. “Should I—”
I take her phone, about to answer the call myself and say a word or two to Mr. Fucktard, as Savage would call him, but stop myself. He’ll accuse Pri of harboring a fugitive. I decline the call and the front door opens and Savage calls out, “Get your asses moving, people!”
I slide Pri’s phone into her pocket. She catches my hand and holy hell, it’s such a small act that would mean nothing but trouble with someone else. With her, it’s everything. “You don’t think I need to see what he has to say?” she asks.
I force myself to consider that question objectively. “You really think you can get him to talk?”
“If I get him in the right place, at the right time, and say the right things, yes,” she says. “I do.”
“Which translates to what?”
“I’ll tell him that I’m not dropping the case, nor coming back to work with him, and in fact, have a personal relationship with you. By phone,” she adds. “I’ll abruptly end the call. He’ll seethe, seek me out, demand a meeting, and when he can’t find me, he’ll call again. I’ll have to meet him, maybe at his house. He’ll lose his shit. I may need rescuing, which I won’t think too hard about right now because it’s worth doing.”