The Bodyguard: A BWWM Bad Body Romance(32)
Hank arched a brow. “How were you supposed to shoot if you’d never practiced?”
“I only had one target. If I got cornered, I was supposed to blow my own brains out - keep myself from being taken alive.”
Hank’s stomach twisted violently at the casual tone Juliet used. It reminded him that there was more questioning to be done - and that he was supposed to be the one to do it. To make her recall the instances that hurt her so. “Well, we took you alive.” He finally replied, gruffly. “So no need to worry about that shit anymore. Anyone tries to off you, they have to go through me.”
To his surprise, Juliet’s smile turned from bitter to warm and genuine in an instant - the first genuine smile she’d given him since they were shut in together. “That is comforting.”
Dear God, that smile was dangerous.
Clearing his throat, Hank swept the gun off the table. He needed to change the subject. “I’m leaving tonight.”
The statement was enough to make Juliet’s eyes widen in alarm and Hank rushed to reassure her. “Not permanently. We’re going to start working some of the names and places you gave us and I’m the one they’re sending in. Bosh and Crowley are both coming up here to cover you until I get back, and they’ll have two more agents on standby. You’ll be completely safe.”
Somehow, Juliet still didn’t look too reassured. Hank was about to add that any idiot could protect a mark as long as he had his head on right, and that even Bosh and Crowley had made it through the academy - they couldn’t be total dunces. Juliet, however, beat him to the punch.
“But you won’t be.” Her expression was carefully neutral, but there was a thin undertone of concern that Hank didn’t know whether to be displeased or pissed at.
They had just agreed that that the sex was a one-time thing - which meant this wasn’t a great time to start throwing feelings into the equation. That said...he supposed he was pleased that Juliet wasn’t just throwing him into the fray with zero concern whatsoever. It was obvious she was worried.
But who wouldn’t be worried when the Aguilers were involved?
“It’s just reconnaissance.” His reply was gruff - almost awkward. “Can’t move forward until Simmons gives me the ok. It usually takes two weeks or so to get a bite anyway. If Solomon has been driven just as deeply underground as we think, might take longer.”
“So you’ll be gone for two weeks?” At that, Hank couldn’t help but smirk. She almost sounded like she was going to miss him.
“Not that long.” Hank looked over each gun on the table in turn. Though he had put his together faster, Juliet’s was just as secure. “Probably be back in a few days.” He raised his gaze to look over at her, doing his best to keep his roving eyes well above her neck.
She really needed to put some clothes on...before he did something idiotic. “You should get dressed.” The words were meant to be a dismissal, and Hank found he didn’t care if he hurt her feelings a bit as long as it kept him from jumping her fucking bones. Juliet was just too potent an aphrodisiac in her current state, and he had to keep his mind in the game.
Thankfully, she seemed to get the message. Rising from the table, Juliet turned to start back towards her bedroom. It took every iota of self control Hank possessed not to take in the curves of her mostly bare behind as she walked away. “Juliet.”
She stopped in the kitchen doorway to look back at him and Hank swallowed thickly. “Behave yourself while I’m gone.”
In response to his demand, the young woman only rolled her eyes, even as a small, amused smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “Bosh and Crowley are a lot easier to charm than you. I’ll be fine.”
Hank didn’t feel safe looking up until he heard Juliet’s bedroom door close. Once he did, however, he found himself running a surprising gauntlet of emotions.
He was used to women throwing tantrums when he ended things. Berating him, insulting his masculinity, accusing him of heartlessness. But Juliet had done none of that. Then again, he’d never had an experience like he had with Juliet with any other woman. Sex, Hank told himself, was largely mindless. Satisfying the call of his cock and nothing else. With Juliet, however, he wanted to look at her. Wanted to know he was making her feel good - that he could make her feel good.
It proved that they were both still human.
He was ninety nine point nine percent sure she meant the thing with Bosh and Crowley to be a jibe, but the words still gave him pause. They were going to be alone with her for a few days...heaven help either of them if they tried to make a move.
Scowling, he set his guns aside, pushing back from the table. He needed to do something to occupy his mind until tonight. He might be a hardass but even he knew that contemplating the murder of two agents for something they hadn’t even done yet was fucking ridiculous.
The sooner he started work on this case full tilt, the better - it was the only way he was going to be able to purge Juliet Brown from his system.
Chapter 7: Uncomfortable
“No. No, no, no no.”
Though the table crashing to the concrete floor made a huge din of the room, none of its fifty occupants made a sound in reply. They knew better. When Solomon was in a mood, no one was idiotic enough to piss him off further.
The Aguiler Manor was trashed, but that didn’t mean the family had nowhere to go. Their connections ran through the city like blood filled veins, and no one smart ever tried to stem the flow.