Page 33 of Blake

“Did you really protect the Queen of England?” she asked as she rubbed the muscle of his bicep.

Blake had never felt more uncomfortable in his life. Not even when he was younger and his best friend’s older sister had tried to seduce him. Although try was the wrong word—she had definitely succeeded. “Yep.”

“You must be so brave and you’re so strong. I wonder what it would be like to have a man protect you with his body?” She carried on caressing his arm, her intent and the way she said body made it clear what she meant. He fought the anger that this woman would behave this way towards her daughter’s boyfriend.

“It is just a job.” He disentangled himself from Henrietta and faced her with space between them. “Protecting your daughter however is my honour and a gift. She is a very special woman.” Blake saw the calculation in Henrietta’s eyes before she hid it behind fake laugh as she sashayed to the table and picked up a slim cigarette holder and lit one.

“Grace is a stubborn girl, but she’s pretty in a plain way.” Her hand waved in the air flippantly. “She’s lucky to have bagged herself a man like you.”

Blake sawed his jaw back and forth as he ground his teeth to keep from saying anything he might regret. Instead, he tried to use the time with Henrietta to get information useful to the investigation. “I don’t think I would agree with that. Are Grace and her father close?” he asked as he moved to sit back down.

“They were. He would have done anything for her, she was his little princess.”

Blake detected jealousy in her tone. “What happened? Gracie said they had fallen out but not why.” The lie was boldfaced, and he didn’t care.

Henrietta sat opposite him crossing her long legs to reveal an ample amount of thigh. She was an attractive woman, but she didn’t hold a candle to Pax. Pax was beautiful inside and out, her sparkle and humour one of the first things he had noticed about her. All of it wrapped up in a stunning package of grace and beauty that left anyone else in the shade.

He waited for Henrietta to continue knowing most people would scramble to fill a silence.

“Grace found out her father was not the man she thought he was. She had looked up to him, worshipped him even. They were like two peas in a pod. He never missed a single recital or parent’s evening at school. Whereas an anniversary meant nothing to him. Then one night she found out the truth.” She rolled her hand in the air and ash dropped from the cigarette on to her leg. She brushed it away and sat up taking a sip of her drink.

“That must have been difficult for you being the outsider?” He offered the false sympathy hoping it would encourage her to be more forthcoming.

Her eyes met his and he saw a flash of hatred spear through them before she masked it, her face falling into that of the perfect wife, mother, and hostess. “Not at all. I love my husband and my daughter. I would rather he be a perfect parent than a perfect husband. I know what it takes to be an adult woman in this world. My Grace did not. Maybe now she has a man to take care of her she will realise.” Henrietta stood gracefully. “If you will excuse me, I have a migraine attack coming on.”

Blake nodded and watched as she walked away. This place was poisonous. He needed to find Pax and get out of there. He moved back inside the house and followed the sound of voices and was about to knock when Pax burst out of the room like the house was on fire almost knocking into him. Blake reached for her shoulders to steady her as his eyes scanned her face. She looked shaken and upset and the desire to walk inside and tear her a strip off her father for upsetting her warred with the need to get away from here.

“Hey, you okay?”

Her eyes were wild and confused as her hands grabbed on to his forearms. “I…yes. I want to go home. Back to the hotel,” she clarified.

Blake tucked her under his arm as he steered them towards the door and dialled the number the cab driver had given him and asked him to come and collect them. “Come on, let’s go wait outside.”

The early evening sun touched their skin as they left the property and walked down the drive towards the gate. Blake turned and saw Eddie watching them from the front door, clearly making sure they left the property like any good guard would.

As they reached the gate, the cab swung in and Blake moved to open the door for Pax to proceed him inside. He slid in beside her and took her hand in his letting her have a moment to compose herself as they were driven back to the hotel.

The cab stopped and Blake chucked some money including a hefty tip at the driver who nodded and tipped his baseball cap. “Cheers.”

A few photographers were still hanging around and he leaned in to help Pax out, not for show but because he needed to touch her, to protect her from anything that would hurt her. She took his hand and gave him a small genuine smile as she slid from the car with all the finesse of a seasoned celebrity. Her large glasses covered her eyes and Blake made sure his aviators were in place as the evening sun shone on them.

He ushered them inside ignoring the flash of the camera knowing that this hotel took its guest’s security seriously. It was his job to know such things and whatever else anyone said about him, he was good at his job.

Blake glanced at Pax as they travelled up in the elevator, her silence in the car was causing him to worry now. He bit back the need for answers knowing she would talk when she was ready.

Leaving the elevator they moved to the door of their room and went inside. Blake did a sweep of the room for bugs and found none, not that he was surprised but he would rather be overly cautious than under.

He sat on the bed beside Pax who had flopped on her back, arms out, hair all around her.

“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he coaxed gently.

Her closed eyes opened, and she watched him with a strange look on her face. She didn’t answer his question but posed her own. “Did she make a pass at you?”

Blake had no intention of lying to her, but he didn’t want to hurt her. “Yes, she did. I take it that’s not the first time?”

Pax shrugged a delicate shoulder as if it meant nothing, but Blake was no fool. “She did it with every boy I brought home. I stopped bringing them home after a while.” She moved to sit up tossing her hair over her shoulder as she faced him. No sadness or surprise marred her pretty face. “It’s not her fault. She can’t seem to help herself and she doesn’t mean anything by it.”

Blake was shocked. Hearing her defend her mother’s behaviour was confusing and a little unsettling. “Gracie, it most certainly is her fault and she can definitely help herself. She’s a grown woman for God’s sake.” He stood and brushed his hair back from his forehead in agitation. Pax looked up at him a look of surprise and confusion there. “Pax, can’t you see this isn’t normal behaviour from a parent?”