Page 45 of Danger and Dominance

David couldn’t help but remember some of the missions he’d gone on where he’d been quite sure he wasn’t going to live another day, much less forever.Definitely not things to say to his grandmother, though.She’d had enough stress while he’d been overseas and completely out of touch, knowing she wouldn’t know what was happening to him until he either came home or she got the dreaded call.

Besides, things were a lot safer now.Hedidn’tthink in terms of his life possibly ending precipitously anymore.In his head, he had a nice, long life laid out ahead of him still… one that included his grandmother.

He frowned at her as she sat down on the bench in the front hall to pull on her shoes.Her purse rested beside her on the wooden seat that his grandfather had carved.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”he asked.Demanded to know, really.“Did you have a doctor’s appointment this week?”

“I’m fine.Stop fussing.”She waved one of her hands at him, putting her foot down and wiggling her leg back and forth to make sure her shoe was firmly on.“I’m just aware of my age and what I want for the rest of my life.My patience for everything has gone down.I’m not going to spend all my time around someone whose company I don’t enjoy, whether they’re a boyfriend, a companion, or a friend.”

“So, I guess you enjoy my company?”

“You’re my grandson.You’re different.”

David narrowed his eyes at her.

“So, you don’t enjoy my company.”

“I would if you’d get that stick out of your butt.”She smiled gleefully as he sighed, getting back to her feet.“Thankfully, you and your butt stick don’t get to choose my companion this time.”

David growled under his breath.Him and his butt stick… for fuck’s sake.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but think about the vapors his mom would have if she heard her stepmother talking like this, and that helped bring his sense of humor back online.He couldn’t blame his grandma for wanting someone she was more compatible with.

“Okay, Grandma, let’s get you and my butt stick to the coffee shop.”Which was where they’d be holding interviews.

She cackled when he said ‘butt stick’, even though she’d said it first.

Shaking his head, David couldn’t help his own small smile as he followed her out the door.He really hoped they could find someone she was happy with and who didn’t make his head want to explode.

18

Cassidy

Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

She needed to leave for her job interview, but something was very wrong.

And not wrong in the way that said ‘danger.’

She couldn’t stop giggling.

She felt woozy.Not dizzy.Woozy.Like her vision was zooming in, then zooming back out, wavering around the edges.It made it kind of hard to walk.

“Cassidy, are you ready to go?”Jensen called from the front hall.

She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, gripping the sides of the sink.

“Coming!”

Did her voice sound weird?She couldn’t tell.

Crap, crap, crap.

She had to go.

She needed this job.