Page 4 of The Story of Danny Rose

“Nice. Send away the kids so you and I can be alone…” He winked.

Cute.

The answer to my next question would determine if I let Danny stay for dinner.

“Have you been in contact with any of my family members?” I asked.

A man with honor wouldn’t cross that line unless they were bringing home very bad news.

“Yes,” Danny replied bluntly.

I clenched my jaw, anger welling up inside me, and I let my arms drop again. That was un-fucking-acceptable. “If you went anywhere near my sister, my nieces or nephews?—”

“Oh, calm yourself, man.” He eased back to sit on the railing again. “I reached out to your brother. Soldier-to-soldier, you know? One of your buddies in the US knew him too, and Arden was a lot easier to find. Turns out he and I have something in common.” He scratched his nose and smirked. “Once I toldhim my plan, he was more than happy to give me all the info I wanted.”

I composed my face, but on the inside, I was fucking reeling. Was Danny even telling the truth? I couldn’t always tell with my brother. Arden could surprise me—and he was currently not very happy with my “life choices.” So it all depended on what this plan of Danny’s was. It had to be one hell of a plan for Arden to give an Emerson 101 to a stranger.

Regardless of how badly I needed a weekend away from everything, I was driving my ass back into town to the nearest pay phone.

“The hardest part, really, was to pin down your identity,” Danny said. “Took me a fuckin’ year. ’Cause we never knew anything beyond Emerson Payne, a name that comes up absolutely nowhere—and what I presume is a fake rank. You’re not actually a captain, are you?”

I wasn’t anything anymore. I’d gone private.

“The SAS ranks look a little different…” He eyed me pensively. “But now you’re at the Hillcroft Group in DC.”

Jesus.

I could admit, that took me aback. He knew the bloody agency I worked for? If Arden had told himthat, he and I were gonna have a serious problem.

Now I had to know. “What is it that you want, Danny?”

His eyes lit up. “Now, that’s a good question. For starters, I wanna be invited for beer and steaks. I already went through the effort and got you a fire started in the living room. Brought in fresh spring water too.”

I nodded and rubbed my jaw. “Right—thanks for trespassing and breaking in to my cabin.”

He’d been here long enough to find my map of the springs in the area. I kept it in a drawer.

He pursed his lips. “Can it be considered trespassing if the place has no electricity or running water?”

I didn’t respond. I was in no mood to play games.

“Wait—I have a better question.” He got up and walked toward me, a little too close for comfort. He stopped right before his chest could touch mine, and he peered up at me. “Are you fucking the twins?”

I felt my jaw tick, and he fucking noticed. Typical Danny—he loved shock value, and he could go to great lengths to get a reaction.

Safe to say, I didn’t answer. I didn’t even know what River and Reese were into, though I had my guesses. Either way, I didn’t shit where I ate.

Danny wasn’t done pushing. He took another step forward and pissed me off when he leaned in and grazed his nose along my jaw.

“Are they het or don’t-ask-don’t-tell?” he murmured. “Never mind. Your brother is better at giving answers—about the man who matters anyway. I asked, and he told. Or confirmed, rath?—”

That’s fucking it.

I couldn’t bloody help myself. He got to me. So I spun on him. In a fraction of a second, I grabbed him by his throat, knocked the knife out of his sheath and onto the floorboards, then shoved him up against the door and towered over him.

“Let’s make one thing crystal clear, boy. If you don’t want me to physically remove you from my sight, you think long and hard about the next word that comes out of your mouth.”

He sucked in a sharp breath, then promptly swallowed hard, which I felt under my grip. His eyes had gone wide, and it was too late for him to conceal his shock.

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