“Yup. I’m taking you to Harley’s cabin.” I took a bite of sandwich, assertive cheddar and tangy bread elevating my usual grilled cheese. I wasn’t about to become a foodie like Duncan, but I had to admit his taste in cheese didn’t suck.
“You are? You’re not sticking me in a motel somewhere?”
“Of course not. You’ve watched too many bad crime dramas.” Shaking my head, I pointed at his plate. “Eat your food. I’m going to keep you safe, not put you in some anonymous hotel on your own.”
“Because you owe Duncan.” His face was as wooden as his voice.
“Not just that.” I wished it was that simple, and it would be damn easy to pretend it was, but Daniel’s ability to pull the truth from me continued. “I like you. You’re a good ki—guy. I don’t want you alone and in danger. Not when I can help.”
“Okay.” He sighed before finally taking a delicate nibble of his sandwich. “Not like I have much choice.”
“I’m sorry.” My back tightened. I’d like a word with every person who’d made Daniel feel like he didn’t have control over his own life, each person who’d made decisions for him, and all those who’d contributed to his insecurity. And I hated that I had to be another person with a plan he hadn’t thought up himself. I needed him safe, but that came at a price I was sorry he had to pay.
“I know.” He offered me the ghost of a smile that darn near broke my heart. Taking another bite of sandwich, his smile widened. “This is really good. Thank you. You’re nice.”
Well, there was that. At least I could keep him fed, if nothing else. My face heated from his praise even before Harley came marching out of the kitchen.
“Money?” Harley scoffed. “Cash ‘Money’ Erwin is nice? Since when?”
“Nicer than you,” I shot back. “We can’t all have your stellar rep.”
Daniel laughed, a welcome sound after hours of him brooding. “You guys are funny.”
“Fuck you both. I get the job done.” Harley flopped on the other end of the couch. “Speaking of, I’ve arranged for clean wheels and supplies. Don’t expect much luxury.”
“Thanks, man. Knew you’d come through.” I lightly duffed his shoulder before turning to Daniel. “Harley is something of a legendary fixer. No jam he couldn’t get us out of in the field. I got caught up in a reduction in force, but him they actually wanted to keep. I heard command wept the day he left last year.”
“Don’t listen to him, kid.” Harley shrugged off the praise like usual, but his pink cheeks revealed he wasn’t completely made of granite. “I did my twenty. Duncan’s idea of starting this business was too damn tempting. Which is why you should join us, Chief Nice Guy.”
“I’m not exactly the Hollywood type,” I hedged.
“Kid. Tell Money here that he’d do fine in Hollywood,” Harley ordered, but Daniel shook his head.
“Nope. He’s too real. I don’t think he has patience for the game. Celebrities are gonna end up pissing him off.”
“Right here, my dudes,” I reminded them before they could get to comparing my traits. “And thank you, Daniel. That’s exactly what I’ve been telling your brother and this joker for months.”
“Ha.” Harley snorted. “Danny’s just worried some starlet in a two-piece is gonna snap you up for off-the-clock work.”
“He could work for me.” Daniel’s ears and the tip of his nose had turned faintly red. “I’d pay. But he’d likely be miserable as a full-time bodyguard.”
I wasn’t all that sure anymore that I’d be miserable spending all my time taking care of Daniel, but it was better that I nodded along. “Save your money. Soon as your stalker is caught, I’ll help Duncan find you someone good for permanent security detail.”
My arms tensed, each muscle group filing an objection to that idea.
“What did you want to be before you decided to go military?” Daniel asked. And if it had been Harley’s question, I would have had a flip answer, but this was Daniel, who apparently commanded all my truths.
“Superman. Then I learned superheroes were only on TV, and all the stunts were staged. Seemed to me like stunt people got to have all the fun.” My voice shifted as my brain went to distant memories I hadn’t thought of in years. “Spent a whole summer practicing taking falls and dangling from things by one arm. Drove my best friend nuts with trying to recreate certain fight scenes.”
“Aw, Money, you do have Hollywood in you after all,” Harley thumped my arm. “Just ask Duncan—”
“No,” I said sharply. I was not using Duncan’s dad’s connections to chase a dream I’d replaced decades ago. “I’ll figure out work on my own.”
“Uh-huh.” Harley didn’t sound at all convinced. “Well, feel free to earn your keep at the cabin. Plenty of projects and not enough weekends for me to do them.”