Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
I sent them a list of people I want checked out last night, but there are no updates for me yet. Sometimes I’m called impatient, but Walker’s powerful enough to destroy Dylan and everything he has worked for, so right now, he needs to be categorized as the highest threat level. He’s already tried to kill Dylan, so I have no doubt he’d do anything to protect himself.
I’m still staring at footage hours later when Dylan emerges, his dark hair messy and sexy morning scruff on his cheeks and chin.
He bypasses me for the kitchen and pours himself a coffee. I slowly sip mine while I watch the muscles in his back tighten, and I send up a silent thank-you to whichever one of my guys left that shirt here. It’s tight against Dylan’s olive skin and tucked into tactical pants that are just as tight.
Damn, his ass …
I shake that thought free. Right. Protecting him. That’s the job. Even if it’s from himself.
He throws himself in the seat opposite me and wears that pretty scowl of his. “Happy?”
“That you’re still here? Yes. Happy that you’re mad with me? Also yes.”
“You’re an ass.”
“What was that? You want my ass? I’d be down for that. Anytime, baby.”
“Okay, so you’re in one of those moods today. Good to know. I’ll sit here and be silent.” He drinks his coffee and sits back as if he’s won something.
“I like silence.” I shrug.
It’s a stand-off we both want to win. He stares confidently at me while I raise my eyebrow at him.
My relationship with Dylan has always been push and pull, but spending this long together in such a short period has only intensified that. I don’t help the situation by being a smartass, but we need to find some middle ground. I just don’t know how to be the one to offer an olive branch.
Dylan’s the first to relent because, well, I can play this game all day. He downs his coffee and then slams the mug down on the table. “Fine. You win. What’s the plan?”
I lift my cup to my lips and sip until the urge to smile subsides. “I’m going to get my guys to track down Hale for you.”
“What if they can’t find him?”
“Then we keep digging. Saint is finding all he can on the Rowling connection and following that lead, and I’ll get Angel and Proxy to tail him in person. I’ll send Iris and Zeus to track down Hale because those two can charm the pants off anyone and get them to do whatever they want.”
“What’s with all the stupid names? And why don’t I know yours?”
“I don’t have one.”
“More boss perks?”
“Yep. All the members of my team have a code name to protect their identities. There is no protecting mine. I am this company. I take the praise when things go right, and I wear the consequences when it doesn’t. If someone has a problem with the jobs we do, I’m the one they’ll come after, not my guys. I will protect them with my life.” I lean forward. “Just like I’m protecting yours.”
Dylan looks contemplative for a moment before he says one simple word. “Why?”
“Why, what?”
“Okay, I came to you because I didn’t know who else I could trust. For some reason, even though I’ve known you’ve done shady stuff over the years, I knew that you would help. But … I figured you’d get one of your guys to handle my situation. You said you are Mike Bravo. You’re important. So why are you here doing a minion’s job?”
I lean back in my seat. “You really don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“You might hate the idea, but you are one of us. You just don’t work for us. Yet.”
“This is some fucked-up recruitment thing?”
“Nope. This is a looking after an asset thing.”
Dylan frowns. “I’m … an asset?”
How do I put this without freaking him out? “Last night when I said I’ve never lied to you, I meant it. Well, until I then did actually lie to you about the cables from the car—”
“Wait, that was a lie?”
“My point is you really need to think about every interaction we’ve ever had. Every offhanded comment. Every innuendo. Every joke about us being endgame. I. Wasn’t. Lying.” How much more obvious do I have to be?
“You mean …” He shakes his head. “You want to sleep with me so you can brag for another seven years about having done it. Again.”
“Not at all. I like to remind you of it because it was explosive. I’d be an idiot not to want a repeat.”
“You know a good way to get someone into bed?”
“You mean other than flashing these and my winning smile?” I flex my biceps. “It worked the first time.”
“Yeah, and then you opened your mouth.”
“Nope, from memory, you liked it when I did that too. You liked it when I told you how tight you were. That I wouldn’t be able to last long.”