Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Apparently, sleep time is over.
Luckily, Harley’s too out of it to even stir, but as I throw on some clothes and follow Trav through the house into his room, I worry something went wrong with Webber’s arrest.
He gestures for me to sit in the chair as he leans on his desk.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “What happened with Webber?”
He waves me off. “That went fine. We found the silver car he’d been driving a few miles down the road. It’s registered to some kid at UCLA. Along with the stalking charges, we handed over his multiple laptops and shit we found in the car.” His serious expression gives way to the faintest of smiles.
“What did you put on his laptop?”
Another small smile. “You really don’t want to know. What Webber said last night is true. He’d be out in two years if we didn’t provide the cops with all the information. At least this way he’ll get a few more years added to his sentence.”
“Seriously, what did you do?”
“Nothing!” He coughs and mutters something about cyber terrorism.
Best. Boss. Ever.
“Anyway, why I woke you up. I thought I should give you some warning.”
“Warning?” Fuck, what now?
“Mike Bravo isn’t going to renew the pop star’s contract when it’s up.”
Okay, that I was not expecting.
“Too much work?” I joke, but on the inside, I’m trying like hell to work out a way for Trav to keep it.
“Well, we certainly saw more action than I was expecting. But the truth is, this was never a case we would’ve taken under normal circumstances. You know that.”
“I do.”
Trav crosses his legs at the ankle, and his intimidating stature is even bigger than usual. “So, here’s the deal. You have a decision to make.”
I suck in a sharp breath. My position with Mike Bravo or Harley. The words I quit are on the tip of my tongue, and I never thought it would be that easy a decision.
Harley will want to keep me as his bodyguard, and while I don’t know the logistics of how it will work if I’m not with Mike Bravo, we’ll find a way.
“I want you to take over the contract.” Trav’s words pull my thoughts up short. “Effective immediately if it works for Harley. I spoke to Gideon about it last night, and he’s on board.”
“What?”
“You said your future with Mike Bravo was unsure, and I can’t afford to be a man down permanently. If you take the contract, you can pick your own team of guys for Harley’s security detail.”
“What about—”
He points at me. “Don’t even think about poaching any of my men. Iris is mine, okay?”
I laugh. “Please, he’d be bored out of his skull.”
“True. The thing is, I don’t want to lose you, but I think I already have.”
I don’t answer him. I don’t need to.
“And I know you can handle this assignment on your own with contractors working under you for those times when Harley’s on the road and you need more hands on deck. The budget on this gig is hard to let go of, though. My cut alone is—” He hesitates but ultimately shakes it off. “No, this is what’s best for everyone.”
“So, what you’re saying is …”
Trav grins, like honest to God grins. “It means, Brix, that you’re fired.”
“I think you got a little too much enjoyment out of that, boss.”
He holds out his hand for me to shake, and when I take it, he pulls me into a hug. He slaps my back twice and then lets me go. “You’ll be missed, but I’m confident this is the right thing for you.”
“And if I ever need help like I did with Webber?”
“You handled that just fine, but if you do ever need us, I know how much you’re going to get paid, so be prepared to pay through the nose for us to rescue your ass.”
“What, no family-and-friends discount?”
Trav slaps my shoulder. “Go find your man and tell him the good news. Then get the fuck out of my house.”
I go to leave when I remember the car. “Oh, umm, what about your car? Mine is—”
“Gone. I didn’t want that piece of shit sitting in my driveway longer than it needed to be. Keep the Range Rover. Think of it as a parting gift.”
My initial reaction is to say no. Of course it is. I didn’t earn it, so I don’t deserve it. But if being with Harley has taught me anything, it’s that I need to accept help from others and let people in.
“Th-thank you,” I stammer.
“Take this opportunity and look after that dad of yours, okay?”
My face must give away my shock. Harley said the guys knew—that Iris had said so. Hearing how much they know is jarring, but at the same time, a weight has been lifted. I’m not being held down by secrets anymore.