Triple-Duty Bodyguards: Chapter 24

I pop the cork off a bottle of red wine and smile around the living room. Today, I am celebrating. Today, the house is finally done.

When mother died, she left me this old barn in the middle of the woods. It was small and falling apart, so I forgot about it for a long time; but a few years ago, I got the idea that it could be a perfect place to bring a girl.

Pouring myself a glass of wine, I wander around the cabin, admiring all of my hard work. I’ve been very clever with it all, I think. Very, very clever.

First of all, I boarded up all of the windows and exits. Next, I had electricians and plumbers come in. The men asked a lot of questions, but of course I didn’t answer any. I paid them in cash.

After that, I focussed on decorating. I bought all sorts from the local furniture shop: cupboards, a fridge, a couch. A nice big bed. The store wanted to deliver to my address, but obviously that wasn’t possible, so I spent all day driving back and forth, ferrying the furniture home. I had to take the long way around, circling through the city and then back again through the woods. I didn’t want anyone watching my car and getting a sense of where I might live. You can never be too careful. People are very nosy these days.

My best buy was the front door. The front door is very special. Reinforced steel, like the kind bank doors are made of. Even if Briar took a drill to it, she wouldn’t be able to get out. Even if she threw her whole body weight against it, over and over, it wouldn’t budge one tiny bit.

I suppose some people would be horrified if they saw this place. They would think it was wrong to try and bring a girl here. But I don’t think it’s wrong. Here’s my reasoning:

Women are shallow. They only care about appearances. They want men who are muscular and tall and good-looking and rich. But it’s all superficial. They don’t actually care about what the man is like as a person. That’s why guys like me can never find women, no matter how nice we are. Girls don’t even give us a chance to get to know them.

But if I bring Briar here, and keep here with me for just a little while, she’ll have to get to know me. And then, she’ll realise how perfect we are for one another. My actions aren’t wrong, since everything will turn out right in the end.

I reach again for the wine bottle, slumping in front of my computer. The Players press event will start soon. It’s being live-streamed online, and I want to be able to relax and enjoy watching Briar stealing the limelight on the carpet. I wonder if she’ll bring that blue-eyed guard as her date again. I’m not stupid, I know he’s just pretending to be her boyfriend so people don’t know he’s her bodyguard. But it still made me mad when I saw the pictures of them kissing at Briar’s charity gala.

No matter. In a few days, he’ll be dead. And she’ll be mine. The thought makes me giggle. The wine is getting to my head, but I don’t care. I feel great. In fact, I’m in such a good mood, I think I’ll send Briar a little surprise, just so she knows that it’s almost time. She must be tired after her flight to LA, so I’d like to cheer her up.

I pull down the waistband of my jeans and grab my phone to take a picture.