Chapter 6
Lila Vance arrived by train the next afternoon.
She was twenty, bright-eyed, nervous. Nothing like her father or her brothers.
She looked at me skeptically as her father introduced us.
"You're my bodyguard?" she asked. "You look like you should be in class."
"I'm stronger than I look," I said. "And I'm very good at what I do."
She sighed.
"Fine. But don't get in my way. And don't tell my father everything I do."
"I'm here to keep you safe," I said. "Not to spy on you."
Over the next week, we fell into a rhythm.
I walked her to town. Sat in on her meetings. Stayed close when she met friends.
And I watched.
Watched the people around her. The cars that followed. The glances that lingered too long.
One evening, we were walking home through the park.
Lila stopped. Turned to me.
"Why do you do this?" she asked. "My father says you could have made all kinds of trouble for us. But you didn't. Why?"
"Because I don't care about your family's money or power," I said. "I care about doing the right thing. And right now... keeping you safe is the right thing."
She looked at me differently after that.
That same night, I caught someone watching the house from the tree line.
I gave chase. Fast. Silent.
He ran. But I was faster.
I tackled him to the ground. Rolled him over.
And froze.
I knew him.
Jake Carter. A lawyer who had done business with Arthur Vance for years.
He glared up at me.
"Let me go," he hissed.
"Why are you watching this house?" I demanded. "Why are you threatening Lila?"
He went pale.
"I... I'm not threatening her. I'm warning her."
May you like
"Warning her about what?"
"About her own father," he said. "Arthur Vance is in danger. And so is everyone close to him."
