Elias took his time updating their boss, Brent Maddox. The Fortress Security CEO remained silent throughout the recitation of events.
It took everything Iona had to remain silent when she longed to ask more questions. There would be time for that. She had to be patient. Besides, Elias might convince Brent to relieve her from duty for her own safety. Like that would stop her from doing what she knew was right.
“Sir, you need to relieve Iona of duty.”
There it was, the one request she knew Elias had been building up to. Would their boss do as he’d promised and keep her on the security detail? He had to know she was interested in Elias, and she believed he was interested in her.
But she could stay focused. She’d been coping with interest in the black ops warrior for months. This wouldn’t be any different. A total lie, but she was going with it for now. When the time came that Brent called her on the lie, she’d come up with another argument to keep herself on the security detail protecting Elias.
“No.” Maddox said nothing else.
“But, sir….”
“Don’t finish that sentence, Knight. You know how this works. You’ve been injured enough times on the job to know that we protect our injured warriors with two operatives. Iona volunteered for your protection detail, and so did Grant.”
“I’m not arguing about the need for protection. I don’t want Iona to be part of it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“All the more reason for you to have one of the best bodyguards we have on your detail. I don’t know what your problem is, Knight, but my order stands, and you will cooperate fully with your detail. Am I clear on that point?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Iona?”
“Sir?”
“Let me know if you have any problems out of your principal.”
“Copy that, sir.”
“Maddox out.”
Elias growled and tossed his phone onto the bed. “This is a terrible idea, Iona. You should be a million miles away from this.”
“Why? You heard Brent. I’m more than qualified to guard your battered body.”
“It’s not about qualifications.”
She studied him for a moment. “If you don’t doubt my ability to do the job, then what is the problem?”
He stared at her, his eyes seeming to burn a hole through her skull. Finally, he sighed. “Never mind. Just keep your eyes open, all right? I don’t want to be responsible for someone else dying on my watch.”
“That should be my line, not yours. You’re my responsibility. I would never endanger you or any other principal.”
He pointed his finger at her. “That is the last thing I want from you. I don’t want to be your principal.”
Iona tilted her head. “What do you want?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll never have what I want anyway, so why dream?”
What a sad outlook on life. She had never known him to sound depressed. What was causing an almost fatalistic attitude toward life? “What’s wrong?”
He snorted. “I have a bullet in my shoulder for starters, and I have teammates assigned to my protection detail. My boss isn’t making logical choices, and I’m afraid I’ll be benched far too long while my shoulder mends.”
She made a production out of rolling her eyes, but inside, she cringed at being classified as a teammate. She wanted to be in an entirely different category. “Get over yourself, Elias. Grant and I volunteered because we care about you.”