“I don’t think you’d want to test my parenting skills,” I reply.
“You’re wrong about that. I’m pretty adventurous.”
“What’s adventurous for a rich white girl?”
My sense is that Liam has managed to shelter her from his “business” activities.
“I meant relatively adventurous. In the world of BDSM.”
“So not the real world.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You sure you’re one to judge, Mister I-drive-a- Bugatti?”
“You forget it wasn’t always like this for me.”
She leans toward me. “What was it like for you as a kid?”
I don’t want to get too personal with her, but until she’s secure in my clutches, I don’t want to blow her off too much.
“My parents died when I was around four years old. They were walking along the Heihe River when an out-of-control car struck them.”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”
“My grandparents took care of me until my grandfather passed away, and then my grandmother. So I was on my own as a teen. I supported myself by selling cheap Chinese goods on the other side of the river in Russia. And then I was adopted.”
“You were all alone? For how many years?”
“Didn’t count. Several. I wasn’t always alone. For about a year, I had a dog. It was a stray mutt. We adopted each other.”
“Was it love at first sight?”
“Something like that.”
She becomes quiet in thought. Wanting to get back to her bodyguard, I ask, “You always have a driver all your life?”
“Not a personal one.”
“He with you twenty-four seven?”
“Nowadays.”
“You have other drivers or bodyguards?”
“Well, when I’m at home, we have a security guard.”
My right-hand man, Andy, has already scoped out the Callaghan residence. There’s more than one security guard.
She spots Carmen walking toward us and turns to me. “Wanna blow this popsicle stand?”
We both get up.
“Let me just tell my driver the plan,” she says before walking away.
She and Carmen exchange unfriendly looks when they pass each other.
“You’re not leaving already?” Carmen asks me.
“I am,” I reply.