Page 12 of Vengeful Guard

“Yes, but that’s nothing new,” I say quickly, not wanting to get into it. “Gray just told me I’m going to have a bodyguard.”

“Oh, great,” she groans. “Another babysitter.”

“That’s what I thought, at first. But honestly, after what happened, maybe it’s not such a bad idea, you know?”

“You’re right.” She pauses. “Hey, maybe he’ll be hot.”

I snort. “A hot babysitter?”

“Bodyguard,” she corrects, although she was the one who called him a babysitter in the first place. “Imagine. It’s like that movie with Whitney Houston and what’s-his-face.”

“Kevin Costner.”

“No, it wasn’t Kevin Costner. The guy from the dancing wolf movie?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose between my middle and index finger. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, he’s gonna be an old man, most likely. Not hot.”

She scoffs, “Old men can be hot.”

I snort out a laugh.

I can always count on Sophie to take me out of my funk. I’m already feeling better just talking to her.

“Well, I’ll report back as soon as I know something.”

“Great! Now, tell me the truth. Are you doing all right, Paige?”

“I’m doing fine.”

Sophie scoffs on the other line. “It doesn’t sound like you’re doing fine.”

I groan. “Between you and my siblings...”

“You should listen to your siblings. Your brothers especially know what they are talking about.”

“You’re only on their side because you think they’re hot. Gross.”

She laughs. “I do. But I also have eyes.”

I groan.

“I’ll come over. We’ll drink mimosas.”

I perk up a little. “Yeah? Will you bring ice cream?”

“So you can make your weird, gross mimosa shake?”

I grin. “Exactly.”

“I’ll be there in thirty.”

“Love you,” I croon, and she snorts again before hanging up the phone.

I smile, feeling suddenly a lot better.

Between Gray making me feel safer and Sophie coming over to distract me, things seem to be looking up.

But in the back of my mind, the memory of the attack still lingers, waiting, festering.

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