Page 8 of Shadow Touched

“Then it must be your V.P.”

He immediately shook his head. “Thorn’s beenwith me from the beginning. We’ve got almost thirty years behindus.”

“Thorn?”

Brim grinned. “I gave him that name. Weprospected together, competing our way into being a club member. Isaid he was a thorn in my side, and it stuck.”

“And he’s your friend?”

“With all the shit we’ve been through, Itrust him with my life.”

“Maybe he doesn’t value your lifequite as much as you think,” she said softly.

His jaw flexed as he digested her answer.She didn’t want to be drawn into his story. She didn’t wantanything to do with him.

“I can’t disprove your assessment rightnow,” he muttered. “I’m going to have to go back.”

“Yes, you do that.”

“And you’ll come with me.”

“What? Absolutely not.” She sucked in a deepbreath. “I have a job I have to get back to before I lose it. Idon’t know about you, but I have to—”

“I’ll pay you.”

She blinked. “What?”

“You can be my personal bodyguard againstdeath. If you see that swirling, soul sucking black hole, you warnme, so I don’t die.”

“I don’t understand. You don’t trust me orbelieve me.”

“I trust my instincts and right now it’sasking if I can I afford not to believe you. So howmuch?”

“I don’t want anything to do with you oryour club.”

He held up their shackled arms. “You don’tseem to understand you’re not going anywhere. So, your options areto go with me and earn no money or name a price.”

Leia frowned. “God, you’re so annoying.”

“Right now, the feeling is mutual. How abouta thousand?”

She raised one eyebrow. “Five.”

“Five thousand dollars?”

She shrugged. “You want me to head into aroom full of bikers to ferret out a would-be assassin. That’s worthfive thousand to risk my neck. Besides, you probably made me losemy job.”

“All right,” he reluctantly growled.

“Just so we’re clear, I help you find theassassin and you take me back to my world. You vow that I won’t beharmed or raped.”

“Do you believe every stereotype?”

“Yes. Are you a man of integrity?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Yes.”

“Then make me that vow. I won’t beharmed—”

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