Page 6

Raking one hand through my hair, I slide off the bed, being careful not to jostle the mattress as I get to my feet.

After holstering my pistol, I move to the window, peeking out through the blinds.

The side yard is empty, and I’m relieved to see I didn’t cause too much damage to the landscaping as I came in and out the night before.

At least I did something right.

Still feeling rattled over the unexpectedly hard sleep I just experienced, I make my way into Audrey’s bathroom.

After taking care of my immediate needs, I return to her room to retrieve my toothbrush.

She’s still sleeping soundly, so I silently collect what I need, giving her one more look before I leave.

After scrubbing the grime off my teeth, I head for her kitchen in search of caffeination.

I’ve lived most of my adult life at Alaskan Security headquarters, so the past few months of being on my own has been enlightening. I’ve discovered I don’t mind cleaning a house, grocery shopping is fucking torture, and having access to an espresso machine has made me a coffee snob.

But beggars can’t be choosers, so I drop a single serve cup into Audrey’s little machine, put a mug under the spout, and set it to run. While it’s brewing, I dig through her fridge, looking for something I can make for our breakfast.

I’ve got eggs, cheese, and a gallon of milk out on the counter when I hear a strange sound in the bedroom. Dropping everything, I race out of the kitchen and down the short hall, coming to a quick stop when Audrey’s wild eyes meet mine.

A rush of air passes through her parted lips as her shoulders drop. “You’re still here.”

Did she think I’d left? “Of course I’m still here. I told you I was staying with you until we got all this handled, didn’t I?”

A sad smile curls her lips. “I know, but I’m not really used to people—men, mostly—doing what they say they’re going to do.”

The burn of irritation I’m becoming familiar with flashes across my skin. I just don’t see how anyone could lie to Audrey’s face that way. What’s the point? Why make promises you don’t plan to keep?

It’s bullshit.

“Come on.” I reach one hand out to her. When she takes it, I heft her up off the bed. “Drink some coffee. Eat some breakfast. You’ll feel better once you have food in your stomach and caffeine in your veins.”

Audrey snorts, her hand remaining tightly clutched around mine as I lead her down the hall. “I think it will take a little more than coffee and eggs to fix the shit I’ve got going on.”

“Fair enough. But you still have to eat.” I give her a smile. “Especially if you want to be strong enough to swing that bat at someone’s head.”

“I’m also very interested in nut kicking.” She offers up the reminder of her second plan of attack.

“Then you definitely need to eat, because quads are some of the biggest muscles on the body and they require a lot of energy to stay strong.”

Audrey angles a brow at me, watching as I load another coffee pod into the machine and slide the second cup into place. “I didn’t know bodyguards were so up on their anatomy and physiology.”

“Bodyguards who work hard to be as strong as they can are.”

I don’t tell her why I’ve had to work so hard to be strong. I don’t want Audrey to worry any more than she already is, and hearing that the man responsible for her safety was flat on his back and weak as a baby six months ago, would probably shake her faith in my abilities.

“I guess that makes sense.” Audrey takes the cup of coffee when I offer it. “It is pretty obvious you work out a lot.”

I run one hand down the center of my chest. Smoothing over the hard muscle I’ve fought to regain. “Climbing through windows is harder than it looks, so I try to stay in peak physical shape.

Audrey grins, realizing I’m joking. “It’s good to know you climb through a lot of windows.” She tips her head. “Creepy, but good.”

“It could be worse.” I take a sip of my coffee. “I could be a sadist.”

One hand flies to Audrey’s face, trying to shield the sudden flush of her cheeks. “I can’t believe I asked you that. I’m going to blame it on being so tired I was delirious.”

“It was probably a fair question.” I turn to the stove, switching on one of the gas burners. “And I’m probably the first guy you’ve met who kills people for a living, so it’s understandable you would have some questions for me.”

I’m proud of what I do for a living. Never felt ashamed or guilty or tried to hide it. But I don’t like that it might be making Audrey leery of me. I want her to trust me.

Actually, I need her to. It’s easier to keep someone safe when they trust you, and it’s my job to keep her safe, so technically making sure she trusts me is part of my job.

“So...” Her eyes drop to the coffee I made as she nibbles her lower lip the way she did last night. “Do you like your job?”

I want Audrey’s trust, but I won’t lie to get it, so I admit, “Yeah. I love it.”

I expect her judgment. Maybe for a flash of fear to darken her eyes.

Instead, she smiles. “Good. Otherwise it would really suck.”

I don’t know where the laugh comes from. The sound surprises me and seems to startle her, but something about the observation strikes me as funny. “It would really suck, wouldn’t it?”

I keep laughing, because now I’m imagining some poor sap hating his fucking life as he drags a dead criminal into the back of a van.

Pulling in a calming breath, I wipe the corner of one eye with the back of my hand. Refocusing on the breakfast I was supposed to be making, I ask, “What about you? Do you like your job?”

Audrey’s smile dims a little. “It’s okay. I loved what I did before, but…” The remainder of her smile slips away. “But it was one of the things I had to leave behind.”

I turn away, not liking the sadness in her eyes at all. It bothers me that I can’t fix it for her, so I go back to the thing I can fix—her empty stomach.

My phone starts to ring just as I pour the eggs into the pan. Dropping the lid into place, I connect Isaac’s call. “What do you have for me?”

“I have a guy coming to the door. He’ll be there in about thirty seconds.”

I drag the pan off the burner, sliding it away from the heat as I turn to the front of Audrey’s apartment. “Who is it?”

“Don’t have a name, but he got out of the car we’ve been watching all night.”

“Shit.” I was hoping they’d left. Or that maybe somehow we’d missed whoever it belonged to getting out and walking to their house. “What do you want me to do?”

There’s a little bit of a commotion on the line. The next voice that speaks doesn’t belong to Isaac.

“We want to get a look at the guy’s face so we can run it through the system, and we have an idea about how to make that happen.” Harlow, one of the hackers on Team Intel butts in on the call. “But you’re probably not gonna like it.”