Damaged Like Us (Like Us #1)(113)

Damn.

“Am I going to need to send him a bottle of wine?” What does Thatcher even like?

“No,” Oscar says and nears just to steal a piece of bacon off the pan. “Listen to this next part.”

Maximoff passes his phone to his other hand. “What?” he asks Akara who now looks at him. “It’s about me?”

I straighten off the counter. “What’s happening?”

“Thatcher’s going to be double-assigned to Maximoff and Jane’s detail too.”

I rake both of my hands through my hair, blown back into the counter. Shit.

“That sounds unnecessary,” Maximoff says, “and my brother needs Thatcher. That’s his bodyguard.”

“Xander still has Banks as his 24/7 security, and after the rumor, Jane is going to need two bodyguards.”

Maximoff nods in agreement.

“Hey, I want be clear here,” Akara says, “this is your punishment. Thatcher thinks you’ll both be less careful about hiding your relationship publicly now that you can be together privately in front of family and security. He only agreed to Farrow being Maximoff’s bodyguard if he could join and make sure you’re not fucking up.”

I roll my eyes. “He wants to be my chaperone?”

“Basically, but for good reason.”

My brows spike. “You agree?”

“This is your warning. If the media and public finds out that Maximoff is dating a bodyguard, it doesn’t just hurt you two.”

Maximoff frowns. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think your fans will do if they see that a bodyguard can date one of your cousins or siblings?”

Shit.

Realization washes over Maximoff too. “They’ll speculate which bodyguards will be next.”

“They’ll pair us off,” Akara nods. It’s not a far stretch when there are Tumblr sites dedicated to their love lives, making predictions about future relationships and marriages. “And they’ll be looking at which bodyguards are single and ‘of age’ and Omega is the youngest team.”

“You left out attractive,” I say.

“Farrow—”

“I know.” It’s serious. “None of us can become famous.” Or else we can’t protect our clients. It’s an age-old rule that has no loophole like the one I broke.

Maximoff puts a hand on the back of his neck. “So if anyone finds out publicly that I’m dating my bodyguard, it could put the whole team at risk. You’d all lose your jobs and be replaced by older, married security.”

Yeah.

We have to be extremely careful in public.

Quinn nears the fridge. “Hey, I know I haven’t been in security long, but I just want to say that I fucking like this job.”

“We all do,” Akara says to us.

They’re all letting Maximoff and me be together, and if we fuck up, it could potentially cost their careers. Fuck, I owe all of them, and I also say, “We’ll be careful.”

Maximoff looks to each guy. “Thank you,” he says so powerfully that the kitchen goes quiet. Many of the guys nod to him.

Then the floorboards squeak in the silence, and we all turn our heads.

Sulli waves, and Maximoff starts to smile at his cousin’s presence. “Security meeting over?” she asks. “We thought we’d help you all with breakfast.”

“We?” Maximoff asks.

Beckett Cobalt slips into view. Darker and curlier hair than his fraternal twin brother Charlie, and his right arm tattoos are visible in a black muscle shirt. People call him the bad boy of ballet.

Before Maximoff speaks, Jane swoops into the kitchen wearing kitten-print pajamas.

“Sis.” Beckett hugs his sister, and then to the right of their embrace, Charlie Cobalt saunters forward, yellow-green eyes only on Maximoff. I stand on guard, but Maximoff steps forward, his face solidified to marble.

“What are you doing here?” he asks Charlie.

Charlie never breaks eye contact. “Being a cousin who didn’t doubt you.”

Jane tears up behind him, and Beckett kisses the top of her head.

Maximoff nods repeatedly, and he extends a hand to Charlie. His cousin clasps his hand and they go in for a hug.

People start moving around, exchanging hugs and hellos—the five Omega bodyguards and their five clients haven’t all been alone together like this in a long time. Definitely not since I’ve been on SFO.

Then everyone meanders around the kitchen, catching up and helping cook. I stand next to Maximoff and untwist a loaf of bread.

“More bacon,” Oscar tells me as he eats all the bacon I just cooked. Donnelly already opens the freezer to grab meat and a bag of frozen biscuits. He hands them to Beckett.

Quinn has another carton of eggs and starts to help Maximoff crack them into his bowl. Sulli and Akara pull out dishes from the cabinets while Charlie and Jane chatter in French, making coffee together.

We could’ve detonated the security team and his family, and like a strike of perfect lightning, we’ve brought all ten of us closer together.

And I have the guy.

I have the guy. I extend my arm around his muscular waist, and he leans some of his weight against my side. Relaxing. I begin to smile wider and wider.