Free Billionaire Bodyguard by Kristi Avalon Page B

like he’d let that happen.”
    A glimmer of hope rekindled in Allison. “If he doesn’t want this baby, I can still move to France.”
    Devon blinked at Allison’s sudden change of heart. “What’s in France?”
    “The life that’s been waiting for me for four years.”
    “You, you mean…” Devon stumbled over her words. “You have someone there?”
    Allison shook her head at Devon’s misunderstanding. “Someone who’s not there.”
    “Enlighten me.”
    “That’s a long, ugly story.”
    “I just cleared my schedule.
    Allison gave a short sigh. “It’s not safe for me to stay in the States.”
    “Logan’s good at keeping people safe. Have you noticed where we work?”
    “I promised myself I’d never give a man control over my life again.” Warmth and color returned to her insides. She stated decisively, “I’ll raise the baby in France by myself.”
    “Heads up, honey. Logan won’t go for that, not for a minute. He takes care of his own.”
    Allison crossed her arms. “I can take care of myself.”
    “Not if you or your unborn child is in danger.” Devon’s lips pressed together in a moment of thought. “We may not be maid-of-honor best friends, but I know this isn’t you. Why are you scared?”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Allison said coolly, gathering familiar defenses around her like old allies.
    Bewilderment stamped Devon’s face. “You’d deny Logan’s rights as the father of this baby just to get out of Dodge?”
    “You don’t know my ex-husband,” Allison said darkly. “If he ever learned I was pregnant, with another man’s child…” She shuddered to her bones. “France is my best—my only—option.”
    Devon slapped her hands on her hips. “Now you’ve done it.” She shook her head. “Now I’m so intrigued with the Darth Vader of your past, I must investigate him.”
    Allison’s heart raced. “Don’t. Please .” She grasped Devon’s wrist as fear churned inside her. Trevor possessed a ruthless ability to find her. He knew he was being watched by several foreign countries. With his heightened paranoia, he constantly tracked whoever looked him up online or Googled him. He’d orchestrated alerts sent to his email when his military files were accessed. And he had the skill to uncover who made the inquiry. She’d seen it firsthand. Devon’s investigation would lead Trevor straight to her. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Just don’t try to find him or contact him.” She wracked her brain to come up with something to stop her. “You said Vivi was the Plague? Then Trevor is the Grim Reaper, scythe and all. I swear, Devon. He can’t find out about this baby.”
    “You know what that tells me?”
    “What?” Allison rasped.
    “You have no business being out there on your own. Whatever arrangement Logan offers, you should take it. No matter how much you hate doing it. I’m serious. Logan may be the only real safety you and your baby have.”
    “Arrangement. God, that sounds so…demeaning. Might as well rip out my pride and smear it across the floor.”
    Devon pointed out evenly, “It sounds to me like your ex-husband already did that.”
    Allison allowed her deep inner pain to come to the surface. The muscles in her face contracted with agony. “When he was finished with me, I had nothing left, Devon. Nothing .”
    “Things are better now, right? He’s out of your life.” Devon’s slim fingers rested on Allison’s shoulder, a gesture of alliance. “No one can drag you back to that dark place again.”
    “Never,” Allison confirmed. “I’m not that person anymore.”
    Suddenly her computer dinged like a bell, alerting her to a new email message. She glanced at her screen. It was from Logan. The subject line read: Be in my office in 30 . The tone was abrupt. A one-line demand. “Lovely.”
    “What is it?”
    Allison’s shoulders drooped as the weight of uncertainty descended again. “Logan wants me in his office in half-an-hour.