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No. Nope. Eyes on the job, dude. Eyes on the job.
Finally, she pulled herself together and sat up straight. “So, you guys think I need a bodyguard until the trial. Who’s going to do it?”
Adam shook his head. “Not really my area, sis. I’m the behind-the-scenes guy, the data master. So, I vote for Chandler.”
Wide blue eyes met his. Suddenly, it was like they were kids again. He’d known Eden Dawson for as long as he and Adam had been friends. His bestie’s little sis was four years younger than him and cute as a button, but strictly off limits.
The forbidden part only made her that much more tempting. Chandler would never act on his crush, of course. He wasn’t that type of guy. But one time, just once, he’d come close. He’d been home on leave, and they’d found themselves spending a lot of time together. She’d been…just amazing. Smart, funny, fun, and absolutely gorgeous.
Of course, she’d also been seventeen. Jailbait. Back then, he’d thought maybe, on his next leave, if Adam didn’t object, maybe… But the next time he’d come home, a year later, she’d been married and living in California. And even though she’d been back and single for five years, they’d never quite managed to reconnect, not even when he came back to town permanently six months ago, to take over the security agency after his dad’s heart attack.
Adjusting from being a SEAL to running a business had been jarring, and he’d had more than enough to deal with without romance added to the mix. Still, there was a little part of him that couldn’t help wondering “what if.” At least until he tamped it down deep.
Work the case, dude. Stick to the facts. That’s all you’re here to do.
He cleared his throat and frowned down at the coffee table in front of him.
Eden continued to watch him from her corner of the sofa, frowning. “Are you going to be shadowing me all day, every day? That might get kind of awkward at the grooming salon. I still have a business to run.”
“No. It won’t be like that, I promise,” he said. People pictured bodyguards as always hanging around, usually in dark glasses. Thanks, Hollywood. The truth was, being a bodyguard could mean lots of different things, based on what the case required. With Eden, he’d already sketched out a plan to share with her. “For you, shadowing isn’t necessary. Basically, what I’d be doing is securing your home and your workspace and keeping an eye out for potential attacks.”
“What about the cops? Can’t they do this stuff for me?” She set the pillow aside, jaw set. “I mean, I appreciate your offer, Chandler, but it seems like we’d be cutting out the middleman unnecessarily.”
“Except the local police department is already short-staffed,” Chandler said. “And they wouldn’t be able to devote the time or personal attention that I would.” Another thought occurred to him. “If it’s me you have a problem with, I can see if one of the other guys can take on the assignment.” He didn’t want that, but he had to make the offer.
“No, no. It’s not that.” She sighed and shook her head, picking at the hem of her shirt, brows knit. “It’s just… Look, I like my independence. I fought hard for it after…” She closed her eyes for a second. “Well, anyway, I just don’t want to give up any more freedom than I have to. You talked about adding security to my house and my office—and I’m fine with that, as long as they’re systems I can afford.”
“I could pay for—” Adam tried to cut in, but Eden ignored him, keeping her eyes on Chandler.
“As long as they’re systems I can afford,” she repeated. “As for the rest, like keeping an eye out for threats—that sounds like basic situational awareness, right? You can train me on what I need to do to stay safe, can’t you? Then I’d be able to handle it myself.”
“If we thought that was enough, we’d do it, sis.” Adam sat forward. “But it’s not, okay? Chandler’s right. You need to trust us. We know what we’re doing.” He took a deep breath and hung his head. “Besides, I’m your older brother and I have a responsibility to make sure nothing happens to you.”
She shook her head and sank back into the cushions. “I do trust you, Adam. And you too, Chandler. And I appreciate you being honest with me about the situation. I’m certainly open to any suggestions you both might have about precautions I should take until this trial happens and I get my memory back, but I’m not looking for anything more. I’ll be careful, I’ll lie low, and I’ll be on the lookout for any attacks—but I won’t accept a bodyguard.”
“Eden—” Adam protested.
“No, Adam. It’s my decision, and you’ll need to respect it. Now I don’t want to be rude, but I’m exhausted. It’s been a very long day, and I could use some rest. So can I see the two of you out?”
She got up and walked to the door. Adam and Chandler exchanged a final look, then followed her. This was not going how they’d hoped at all. She opened the door and gestured toward the outside. “If anything happens, I’ll call the police and let you two know as well, I promise. Thanks for bringing me home.”
“Sis, I—” Adam started, but Eden was done.
Chandler pulled out his card and handed it to Eden as he crossed the threshold. “Just in case you have any more questions. Call me if you need anything, day or night.”
She nodded before shutting the door in his face.
Right.
As he and Adam walked back to Adam’s car, his friend grumbled. “Shit. That was not the ending I wanted.” He punched the button on the key fob to unlock the doors harder than necessary. “Maybe you should just guard her anyway, undercover.”
“Dude. Come on,” Chandler said as he climbed into the passenger side and fastened his seatbelt. “That’s called stalking.” He waited until they were back on the road and Adam had calmed down a bit before saying, “Look. I gave her my card. Let her get some rest and think about what we told her. It’s a lot to take in. I don’t blame her for wanting some space to herself, especially right now. She needs time to process it all. Once she does, maybe she’ll change her mind.”
At least Chandler hoped so. This one was personal, and he wanted to do everything he could to help his friend and his friend’s little sister. Not to mention it reminded him way too much of a mission that had gone bad during his SEAL days. His gut still cramped at the thought of it. Another woman, about the same build as Eden, with the same shiny bob haircut. She hadn’t taken his advice either, and she’d ended up dead. Her face still haunted him late at night.
He’d do just about anything in his power to keep Eden and her family from suffering the same fate.
