Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Raptor Inc. mostly took on jobs overseas, but lately they’d found themselves busy with local work. At the moment both Sawyer and Tarin were overseas leading small teams. But he’d noticed his brothers didn’t really volunteer for those jobs anymore.
“There’s a job in two weeks escorting those oil guys into the Republic of Congo and Libya,” Clay reminded them. “Who is taking point?”
“I will,” Rusty said.
“I’ll go with you,” Tyler said. “In the meantime, I can play bodyguard to Caren.”
“Sure?” Travis asked.
“Sure, she’ll never know I’m there.”
33
“Tyler, why are you following me?” Caren demanded, turning to look at him as he peered over his shoulder at the cakes and slices in the cabinet. She was standing in line at the small café around the corner from her apartment building.
“Yum. Peanut butter brownie? I’ll take one of those and a caramel latte with an extra shot of vanilla.”
“Why can’t you get them yourself? Why are you here?” she asked.
He pouted. “Here I am, guarding you and you can’t even buy me a caramel latte? That’s harsh.”
“Guarding me from what?” she asked.
“All the bad guys out there.”
She huffed, shaking her head at him. “Bad guys my ass.”
“It’s a cute ass,” he allowed. “But I better not stare at it too much or my brother is likely to kick my ass.”
“So Travis sent you.” She should have known. There was no one else that would have sent him.
But why?
“Big brother is protective,” Tyler told her.
They reached the front of the line and she ordered for both of them, paying.
“Aww, thanks sister-in-law-to-be.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” she warned. “We’ve only just got together.”
“It won’t take long for the two of you to take it further. You’ve known each other for years. You’re good for him and he’s . . . well, I actually have no idea what you see in him. He’s bossy, grouchy, and not nearly as good looking as I am.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “What’s going on, Tyler? Why is Travis getting you to follow me around?”
“And here I thought I was being so discreet.”
“No, you didn’t. You waved at me twice when I spotted you and then when I got here, you didn’t even pretend to try and hide.”
“I needed a coffee. You can’t expect a person to walk into a café and not get a coffee, can you? That’s just cruel.”
“You’re a nutter just like your brother.”
“Now, that’s just mean.”
“What is? Calling you a nutter?” she asked.
“No, likening me to Travis. We are nothing alike.” He shuddered.
“Why does he think I need protection?”
“He’s worried about this ex of yours.”
“I told him that he’s no longer a threat. He had his men take me to the airport. And I’ve never heard anything from him since.”
They picked up their coffees and headed back along the street to her apartment. She needed to meet with Oliver this week and go through the plan for her next trip.
Urgh. She really didn’t want to go.
“Then why won’t you tell Travis his name?” he asked as they reached her apartment.
“Because he’s a nutter who won’t leave things alone. It’s best just to stay out of A . . . his business. And if Travis knows his name, he’ll have to look into him. And if he looks into him . . . well . . .”
“Well what?” Tyler asked as he finished up his brownie. “He might discover that this guy is scary as fuck and needs to be eliminated before he harms you?”
“Jesus, no.” Aadan wasn’t a good man, though. And if Travis went after him, he could get hurt.
So she just wanted to leave things as they were. It was safer that way.
Unlocking her apartment door, she pushed it open. She was about to step into her apartment when Tyler suddenly grabbed her arm, drawing her away from the door. “Don’t you know the first rule of bodyguard school?”
“There’s a bodyguard school?” she asked.
“Sure is. I was top of the class. What’s important to remember is that the bodyguard always goes in first.” He walked in first. “Then, he does a sweep.”
To his credit, he did seem to be taking this seriously. Although she still didn’t understand why.
Had something changed?
“Has something happened?” she asked as he came back.
“Happened?” he asked.
“Yeah. Why is Travis putting a bodyguard on me now?”
“I don’t know . . . could be because he loves you . . . because he wants you. Because you’re his. Because there’s a risk against you that he can’t assess, so he’s gone to nuclear level of protection in order to cover all bases? Yeah, probably something like that.”
Shit.
That made sense, actually.
She guessed that by not telling Travis Aadan’s name, he had no way of assessing the risk. And his protective instincts wouldn’t let him just let this go.
So now she had a bodyguard.