Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
A muscle worked in my jaw. “Someone has to be in charge, oversee the day-to-day operations as we hire more personnel.”
“How’s that hiring going? Flooded with resumes?” Cash raised an eyebrow because he knew perfectly well that expanding the business I’d started with our buddy, Harley, was going slowly. We were picky about who we took on board, and the fluctuating client load meant we wanted to be careful to not have more employees than available work.
“Some. Trying to match candidates with available assignments. Which is what I’d like to do here, find Ezra someone suitable. Someone eager to pick up and head out on tour.” Someone who was not me. That last part went without saying, but I didn’t need a couple of weeks of trying to rein in my reactions to Danny’s friend. If simply hearing one of his songs could make my pulse speed up, I didn’t particularly want to find out what being in his presence would do. Being on edge for days on end would be utter misery. “I don’t belong anywhere near a rock tour.”
“True. You’d need a whole wardrobe makeover.” Cash laughed. My last few gigs had been more suit-and-tie affairs, and he liked to tease me about my love of nice clothes.
“You know, Money, you and your endless supply of black T-shirts would be perfect for this job.” I grinned as Danny groaned and glared at me.
“Cash has a job. And Linus would miss him.” Danny looked down at his snoozing dog, a small foul-tempered creature that had yet to warm up to me.
“Linus would be the one doing the missing. Uh-huh.”
“Come on. At least talk to Ezra.” Danny clearly wasn’t giving this up easily. “Sell him on hiring A-List. Show him the benefits of having an ex-SEAL bodyguard in charge.”
“Sounds like Ezra wants to be the one in charge.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying not to visualize Ezra’s latest music video, which was basically softcore porn, him rolling around on a bed in only a sheet, singing about wanting total control over some imaginary lover. Not liking the quiver in my stomach, I’d switched the video off, but not before the melody ended up stuck in my head for days.
“You could convince him otherwise.” Danny had a mischievous smile like he knew the exact direction of my thoughts. God, I hoped not.
“You expect that to work?” Business. This was business. And whatever else Ezra liked to be in charge of was irrelevant. All I needed to do was get him to give A-List adequate authority over security matters.
“Maybe you’ll work a miracle.” Danny’s smile tightened but kept that hopeful edge.
“Maybe.” I owed it to Danny to at least take Ezra’s call, and he wasn’t wrong about the potential boon to the business. “Get me his contact info. I’ll call him or his manager, whoever is handling the security contract, after we’re done here.
“No call needed. Ezra wants you to stop by later.” Danny wiggled against Cash, all pleased I’d agreed. And knowing him, he’d already promised Ezra.
“Come by? He’s in LA?”
“Yeah, he’s back in town between tour dates to film some TV special and find a way to appease his record label so they don’t stick him with some uptight jerk.” Danny finished brightly, but Cash coughed a warning. “Sorry. Not you. You’re not an uptight jerk.”
“Uptight, yeah, but the LT works damn hard not to be a jerk.” Cash smiled, but his eyes were serious. We’d served together and had enough late-night conversations that he knew when to tease and when to soothe. “He’ll take good care of your friend.”
“Yup.” I nodded, but my mind was already whirling, caring less about what Ezra might think about me and more about how to spin this to best benefit the business. “Set up the meeting. But make it clear I’ll be assigning the case to someone else.”
“Only if you can’t do it yourself…”
“Danny.” I gave him a stern stare. Cash might be his boyfriend now, but I was still his big brother, and I didn’t have to take him bossing me around.
“All right. All right. I’m setting up the meeting.” Danny already had his phone out, and by the time our burgers were ready, I had an address and a time to stop by.
“So much for having a day off,” I joked as I said goodbye. Given their flirty, long looks, they were probably happy for my early departure. Anything for more alone time together. And if my chest twinged at yet another reminder of their happiness, I worked hard to ignore it. This infatuation of theirs wouldn’t last. Romance never did. I’d watched my parents fail at relationships to the point of being gossip-blog punchlines, and I’d seen even committed SEAL buddies wind up heartbroken by messy breakups. I didn’t want what Danny and Cash had because it would only make me more bitter when it inevitably ended.